‘Extraordinary hero’
p. 77 · Read in the full issue
‘Snow’ Rhoades ‘Extraordinary hero’ of Guadalcanal
Mr Frederick Ashton (“Snow”) Rhoades, who was twice wounded as a cavalryman in World War I and who became one of the most famous of the heroic band of coast-watchers in the Pacific in World War 11, died in a Queensland hospital in September.
He was 81.
Mr Rhoades survived his partner of 34 years, Mrs Edna Gwendolen Rhoades, by only a few weeks. Both had been ill for some time.
Born in North Sydney, Snow Rhoades was educated at Mowbray House, Sydney High School, Hawkesbury Agricultural College and Sydney University. Following his ser vice with the Australian Light Horse in World War I, he worked on stations in Western Queensland and, in 1933, went to the Solomons to manage a coconut plantation.
When the Japanese invaded in 1942, he took on the hazardous job of coast-watcher. He was equipped only with a teleradio, two trustworthy ser vants who acted as scouts, and his own tremendous morale.
The Japanese were well aware of the work of the coast-watchers and, in fact, captured and killed many of them. Snow Rhoades himself had some narrow escapes. As a measure of protection in case of capture, Rhoades and a number of other coast-watchers were commissioned by the Australian Navy in the RANVR and thus enjoyed military status.
When the US forces landed on Guadalcanal. later in 1942, Snow Rhoades began to work with them.
He led the US forces ashore at Ren dova Island on June 30, 1943. As a result of this work, he was awarded the US Silver Star by General Douglas MacArthur. The citation read: “Lieutenant Rhoades led the assault wave of American troops ashore and by vigorous and courageous leadership the Japanese forces were taken by surprise and completely routed. Lieut Rhoades personally accounted for at least seven Japanese”.
General MacArthur also wrote per sonally to congratulate Snow Roades.
Later in the same year he took up coast-watching work on Ysabel Island and, in 1944, on Treasury Island. Also in 1944 he led guerrilla forces on Choiseul Island.
General MacArthur awarded him the Distinguished Service Cross for “valorous service in the South Pacific area”, and for “extraordinary heroism in action on Guadalcanal Island”.
Snow Rhoades was believed to be the only Australian serviceman to hold both these US decorations.
After the war Snow Rhoades went to New Guinea where he held a number of government positions.
He interrupted this service to return to the Navy from 1949 to 1954. As Lieutenant-Commander Rhoades he reorganised the post-war coast-watch ing service both in New Guinea and the then British Solomon Islands Protectorate.
Rev Joeli Moce The Rev Joeli Moce, a Fiji Methodist minister, died recently on board ship in Suva just before he was
Deaths
of Islands People
to leave for Gau Island after attending the annual Methodist conference. Mr Moce was ordained in 1939, and serv ed in various parts of Vanua Levu for 17 years before taking up a post in Levuka. Appointments at Vuda and Bau followed. In 1969, he became director of the Davuilevu circuit and resident minister at the Centenary Methodist Church in Suva, He retired in 1972 and went to live on Gau Island.
Mr I. Clow Mr lan Clow, a former officer in the Fiji Police Department, died suddenly in Sydney in September, aged 53. Mr Clow joined the Fiji Police in 1953, and served in many parts of the country, and in a number of different positions, including im migration. Several times he was in charge of riot squads when trouble threatened. Mr Clow was a superintendent when he retired in 1975.
Sir Hubert Flaxman Sir Hubert Flaxman, former British judge of the Joint Court in the New Hebrides in 1949, and British Resident Commissioner there from 1950 to 1955, died recently in the UK.
He was 82.