D 7 : THE LIBRARY 767.95 MT, ST. VINCENT UNIVERSIIX R44 MHALIFAX, N.S. CANADA A Very Long WAR The Families Who Waited Margaret Reeson MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY PRESS.Illustrations Plaves nen 18 an 19 “The ite community of New teland ¢ 1830 Paton wife yes Ay in New tcland 1928 ‘ew Yea Sorts Day ia Ravens © 1535 ‘Metodat ison staf, nal Syd meen 120 ev Tom and Nee Simpson bard he Kaa, New Hanover, ‘ae Ofer Legh Vi, Ras, with isfy 1981 ‘Thomas and Eleanor Pingo, 1508 ‘Weng portat of Prank Pascoe nd Sade Copeland, June 1040 Maan Jack Render, camp cok a Haba, 1941 “The Seri ol ea in Rab Chriss 190 ‘aha pimary schoo! beak up, December 1981 Stam Aa an eden onthe day of her evacuation ‘seen $0 and Sadi Pascoe and aby daughter Suzanne November Is nce baby aun for her Frank Helen Wyn eh er children in he Ble Mounting, Api 18¢2 Nene released from Japanese nterninent, September 183 Tetaon A ant Miss cvs lacated on New Brain, September 143 Oe ofthe Rabon Anta etry, December 41 (raw dlsoovered ae Japanese render off Tel Hil Reaelie Simpuon with herein the Roya lade Sw xtc fom iat of names of the mising comple ae the war ‘nearly memoria on SimpuonHartour Ras, Sptember 1948 Bia Paka Wor Cemetary near Kakopo, New Brin ‘remaining antatvraftgun at roe Pin, al Visors ilgmage to Rab, 2 Yetancther memoria, ater bared by Tavurvur kano Margaret Siu Henderson returns New Hanover 1995 ‘Owen fe’ daughter setters memorial Bowers Raven 157 Maps ‘Text illustrations esters ftom Eira Joan Ast thi thor San Leer fom Frances Ryan ter hus Wes, Preface by acident, I attended a public event in Sydney to ree ‘ognise the resting of a memorial plague for group of ten Methodist missionaries who disappeared from New Guinea ‘sland in 1942, had known of Wels, and ofthe sinking ‘fa pion ship, but had been vague about the details until a few days before the publle event, when Tread a Tong news- ‘aperartile about the island drama, ‘AL ihe gathering t North Parramatta, che events of 1842 cameto ite before us. Widows ofthe missing men, surviving Clleagies New Guinean church leaders, servicemen and Fepreentatives ofthe one-time island community spoke of their los After the formalities were over, I found mysclt talking with people whose lives had been turned upside tly those distant events, Tere was more than one way to understand the story, st seemed, One person dew me tide to murmur, ‘Of coutse, there i the ofl version of ‘what happened, butt have good reason to believe that i is ynot tue don't want to upset the widows, but if you are intersted...” rem this brief and tantalising encounter, began research fora book. eople who had lived through those days talked teith me, and others offered their gatherings of documents Whenatoats Unknown (Albattoss Books, Sydney, 1995) wasthe story, as told by six mission women, ofthe commanity ‘rom around Rabaul, Papua New Guinea fom 194 to 1947 ‘As I worked on that manuscript, se became clear thatthe wartime experiences of those missionary women had been ‘repeated ina much wider ommanityof Australian women. ‘Tegan o meet people fom plantations, businesses, the peo. fessions and government service who had lot someone at ‘that time. One woman sai, 1 know almost nothing about my father—they say he was on that ship-—but I da know ‘what i did my mother forthe eet of her ite! To fends suggested independently that I should extend the work, towards a poswgaduate thesiy my thanks to Dan Etherington and Ross Mackay. Tals book is based on my MA thesis, ‘which was competed atthe Australian National University | 1096, under the helpfsl supervision of Dr Hank Nelson 4nd Dr ohn Knot. ‘THE COMMUNITY OF AUSTRALIANS who lived in the islands of the Mandated Teritory of New Guinea in 1941 was only one of many’ communities broken by wat, The experi tence of separation and bereavement was shared by thou sands of othe Australian families. During the same yeas, @ ‘oral of 23000 Austallans were held as prisoners or internees ofthe Japanese acoss Asl- A further 8000 were prisoness ofthe Germans and Talans, and 30000 men were recorded fas Missing In Action, among them men shot down over Europe while serving with the Royal Air Force Bomber Corn mand. The whole Australian community was affected. So, although many elements oftheir experience are not unique to the Australians in New Guinea, thi ease study ian attempt to extend our understanding ofthe wider effects of War 1 have explored the experiences of a particular com ‘munity ima specie time and plac, in order to illuminate ‘he private and hidden history of individuals dhaown into chaos by the actions of nations. The sources for this hook are both publican private, 1 have used archival material at Australian Atchives in Can herea and Melbourne, the Australian War Memorial and the Pacific Manwecripts Bureau atthe Australian National Un versity, and contemporary newspapers and journals at the National Library of Australis, Canberra. (Readers who need ‘more detail of my sourees can find it in my thesis) Todirecly my” work has been a catalyst in bringing together individuals and several smaller networks of people al around Aastra, Te has given them 2 frum in which to aak eich other the personal question, ‘What happened for yow on your family during and since the wat, and how flo you anderatand i" All have a dizect connection with the events throvgh family and fiends, and T contacted ‘hem through existing networks and individeal suggestions. My sinosre appreciation goes to all who put me in touch ‘with the many who have contributed to this book. Those ‘Surting ins ince the fcndship network ofthe former Methodist missonarie, the 2/22nd Batalion Lark Force Association, the people who attended two major services of femeontrance a North Parramata in 1888 and 1982 (many ff then chilians who had businesses in New Guinea Jslands} and the Retired Oficers Associaton of Papua New Giinea "The vices of those who participated in telling this story are herd through saped interviews, letters, phone calls notes infamy archives and responses toa general question faite. Tae questionnaire was developed and distributed to 168 people, with 121 responses, an unusually high response rate tras of limited use for sats data, bu ts great Tale has Deen in giving me, a stanges, a point of contact. "The responses je provoked have been very fevtul. The ‘wealth of material has been so great that thave used only Tepresenitive quotations, bot every response has added its ‘own weght tothe evidence, Te fifty-five people who were willing to be interviewed in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canbeera ae listed in the bibligsapiy each has my heartle appreciation fo their honesty, vulnerability snd insight More than once we shed‘cars together: So many of thom have writen or phoned with additonal material, insisting that "his story must be tld: ‘With their help, sthas become a communal story-telling. My sincere thanks also to all those who wrote, tle- phoned, sent personal srles and responded to the ques tionnaive:E.ReM. Almond, Prue Rose Anderson, Doulas Aplin, Norman Ashby, Mavis Barton, Doreen Beadle, Olga Bis, David Bloomfield, John Bond, Margot Dix Botti Lyn Crocker Bowman, Pat Boys, Artur iely, Peter Brown, CChilla Bubeck, Paquita Bulbeck, C.A. Butterworth, Peter Cail, Elaine Campbell, Robin’ Carlyle, Dudley ‘Carter Mavis Cation, R. Chessell, Clem Christopher, em Cale, Mrs Cook, Ron Cornelio Eileen (Pearce) Cox, I, N. Cumming, Ben Dawson, lan Downs, Nets Duncaa, Dora Dunn, Camp bell Egan, Ywonne Hgan, James Ferguson, D.F. Tic, Joc Fisk, Alex Fraser, Len Gaims, Nets (Allsop) Gamble, Lindy ial Giham, 3-C.H. Gil, Lora Glenn, J.C. Goad, Margaret Golehy, Margaret Coe Goode, Arch Grant, Mavis. Green, Cecil Gribble, Bil (C.02) Harry, Jean Harwood, Ee Vile, Mabel ‘Holland, Geraldine Hogan’ Hoy, Lorna Johnston, Muriel Macgowan Larner, Rasty Law, Adrean Leyden, Carolyn Linggoed, Jean MeCarthy, Anne McCosker Diana Coote Martell, Bruce Mitchell, David Mitchel, Ailsa Nisbet, Parker Oakes, Doug Parish, Nan Parrdge, Devek Pitty, Val Pont, Gael Penrose, Bruce Pilkington, David’ Ramsey, Maurice Saxby, Ken Scully, John Shelton, Barbara Sinclair Mick (D.0.) Sith, Arch Tylon, M. Taylor. Alison Todd “Marjorie Vil, Madge Vinnell, M.. Whit, Stan Whit, Bab ‘Wilson, Hetty Wood, Allen Yates, Plne Bealey Young. My thanks go to others who offered practical help Rath 4nd Glen Powell, ln and Julie Robinson, Joan and Brian Timer and Rodger and Kath Brown, who gave hospitality in their homes (and the many who offered meals and cups of coffee); Merle igman for prooeading the staf of the Uniting Church, Canberra Region Presbytery, or office space and computer facies ata ential time; Stephen Cox and Robert Tupper for computer rescues; he very helpful staf of Poe aa Metbourne Univer Pret and my beloved family, Ron Tees, Rh and Glen Powell Jenni and Goin Hudson, Dovid end Kristen Reson, for support and encouragement “his book i fered on behalf on tse hose es were shaped by events in he ands of New Glen n 1842-45 End who feared that thow lones and thee aftermath in the ies of ther amilies would be devalued and forge.The Scattering of a Community EY HAD ONLY one thing in common. They came, one Wriner evening In August 1995, 0 suburban home in Mebourne, a company of strangers arriving in ones and twos Few them knew each other, and fewer had met their Tost, Most of them were middle-aged or elderly and perhaps ‘move than one fet unsure about whether ithad been a good fs to come at al. ‘One thing drew them together Each hada ink witha com munity which ad existed, briefly, over iy years earier in theislands of New Guinea. A brother, a husband, a father, a ‘des frend had been par of that community during some fStcen months in 194-42. A family member had been meng those Australian soldier nd civilian men, well over {a ttousand of them, who had lived, worked, played sport, “ended social functions, visited each ofher’s homes and faced an enemy force together. And hen they had all dis- “appeared, with no contact through the remaining year of thewar ‘when the war was over atlas, on 15 August 1945 families looted fonvard with hope 10 the homecoming of their ‘mising men, Surely they ere sn prison camps and would ‘Soon be released, they thought. They were wrong. When these stangers met atlas, inthe same week in which the tation was velebrating By years since he end ofthe war in29) 9894 99008 OHNE VE ‘Avery tne nr the Pacific, they had in common the knowledge that each of their families had been bitten wounded a that ime. They ‘nad al boen cruelly pated from someone they loved, in the same time and inthe same ciamstances. They understood the lifetime of loss, unexplained mystery and disadvantage hich had followed, and they wanted thei tory tobe tod “This i the etry. FORTHE PEOPLE who lived i dhe lands of the Mandated ‘Temtry of New Guinea, 1041 was a suange and unsetling year Since the end of World War 1, Australians had admin Intered those islands under the mandate of the League of [Nations and now, on the far side ofthe world s9 Europe, another war was bing fought. Some of thelr neighbours had sone to enlist, Bu the growing unease among the Australians Sand other whites inthe inland communities was much clover {o home, even i dhe found i had wo puta hnger on what ‘rae trobling them. Rumours of the possible entry of Japan Into the war, and the effect this might have on their pat of the world, were circulated i the dubs and social groupe of ‘the town of Rabaul and beyond: on the island of New Brian, land among the plantation, sswmil and missionary com: ‘munities of New Holand and New Hanover and the tiny Scattered island groups of Duke of York, View, Linie and ‘Tar For many in the white community, the islands had been home for years. They accepted the normal hazards of Island feuncertin economic condition the heat and ‘humidity, isolation, the tsk of malaria and other topical Aiseaze the compliations ofa society with several ethnic troupe, earth tremors and active voleanoes on the edge of town, But the arrival of Australian troope in ther area, and the first suggestions in May thatthe women and chien should, for safety, leave their tropical homes for Australia, Introduced antieies which were new 10 them all, The 2/22nd Batalion, known as Lark Fore, began ariving in Rabaul in Apri and Ist independent Company, in Kavieng, [New Ireland in July. A government officers wile, watching ‘men build gua emplacement near her house In Ravieng, ‘re among of Community New Guinea Indeer gene yes ns Avery tong Wer ‘thought that i was dangerous to have them there, The sistant drums of war were sounding closer to hone Although the presence ofthe military, about 1500 men in New Briain, waa sign of new uncertaniy, the soldiers were generally made weleome in the community. Many house hols invited them to their homes and plantations, and the isto joined in local sporting an social events when they ‘were fee to do so. On plantations and missions on New Ireland and the smaller island clusters, families lived in con parative isolation, rarely encountering the soldiers. For the folders chemselves, the islands of New Guinea seemed at fret a disappointing and unexciting place to be posted, fat from the realities of war, but they sent letters and photo ‘rapha home describing new friendships in the tropical com mult where, according tothe Adminstrator’ wile, Lady MeNicoll,chey “won golden opinions from the Teriory people Tm sect coreapandence, the Adminisraior ofthe Ter tory of New Guinea and the Miltary Boad af the Defence Department in Australia discussed plans for a possible evac ation of nom essential personnel n Rabo nan emers ‘enc. The War Cabinet recommended that Australi women and children should be encouraged to leave New Guinea ‘and Papua, but the advice shouldbe given ‘unobtrusively In ‘order to avoid panic By guy 1841 over one hundred women had already left New Bilan, or were preparing to leave Although the choice of whether to leave or stay a left to the individual i wae no a simple decision, Cost of travel ‘was an ise, temporary separation of fumes was not Undertaken ligly and for some women there was no readily {alable accommodation in sralia, In any cae, with only 2 limited understanding of the lkelthood of Japan entering the wat, civilians tended not to ike the situation seriously Commercial companies and mission leaders tried to leat what they could, but with mixed results. Revd Dr John ‘Burton, General Secretary of Methodist Overseas Missions, veroe fois staff in the Islands of the ‘confit of opinion regarding the seriousness ofthe situation’ and reasured them that there was no evidence of any specific danger in ‘dividual women and their husbands decided whether they should Teave oF stay. One missionary wife, Jean Sivlon, recalled that she obeyed the general government advice to leave because "You do what you'e tld, while ‘another, Daley McArthur, chose to way on with her husband ‘in Rabaul unt they could travel home for leave together, as planned. Nancy Rawards in Kavieng was pregnant and Aicnot wane wo teavel, bu felt obliged w go because of pres fire on her husband fom both military and civil leaders Kxhleen Bignell, planation owner and business woman, close not to leave because she had work responsibilities ‘an financial probleme, Whatever thele decision, the women Fel that they were open to eticism: they were being unco- fopmaive or they were running away. In any ce, mined messages were being given, with some women permitted 0 ‘ern from leave while all thers were encouraged to 0. As Inte as 17 November 1941 decision-making wos still ambiva lent on that date the War Cabinet's secret minutes affirmed that, although compulsory evacuation was not necessary cther for military need or shortage of supplies, and they prefered tp avoid ‘disturbance of domestic arrangements they would continue to make secret preparations fora poss: tbl evacuation of cvilan women, ‘addition the uncertain psition of evans, decisions were being made which would affect the 1400 men of Lark Foe and their famille at home. Because of changing United States policies in the Pacific, Australian leaders had sided "o maintain Rabaul only af an advanced air oper fatal base, is present small garrton being rogarded as hostages wo foreune* JAPAN'S ENTRY into the war on 7 December 191 galvanised the Commonwealth government into acion. Through the Wer Cabinet, Iemade the decision on 12 December that Aus- tralian women and children in Papa and New Gunes were to's compulaorilyevacusted. Decision, lng delayed, werei s290001 Onne HH ° a veya war suddenly carried out under pressure, with great urgency eople were caght up a ide of acsons and reactions with litle contol over individual lives, no knowledge of how Jong they might be away from their homes in the islands nd in aoate cases, no idea where they could goin Australia, The logics of transporting hundreds of people from remote ‘otposts in the islands 10 cles across Australi, by ship, Sireraft and train, were complex. From New Briain, New Ireland and the smaller sland clusters around them, some five hundred women (not including missionary women) needed to be moved on an unidentified date known only as ah every quickly became clear that ‘compulsory evacuation ‘of Anstralin women and cldren had many ambiguities, ‘Missionaries and nurses’ were exempted, but policy was lnclear regarding male adolescents, missionary wives, ‘mised race women, enemy alien women o women running theirown plantations. Asan and New Guinean women were ‘eraily not included in plans for evacuation, nor were ‘Australian ‘men who were t00 old for miltary service Decisions on severl of these issues were produced in hase, ‘and then modied. All of these clowded questions cont buted othe general sense of instability at Exis prepared for separation For each segment of the community a diferent set of factors applied. Forth families linked with the el admin- Istation in Rabaul and Kavieng there were fewest problems; most ofthe government departments were already inthe process of tranaeering personnel and fciities from the olcano‘haunted town of aba othe istended new capital fof Lae. Hovschold goods were alady being packed and jobs and silaries would remain secure, even if their family Jie was interrupted wehle thei women spent some te in ‘Astral "The missionary fms knew that they would have the support of their mission board and local churches if Oey wet back to Australi, but had a strong sense of duty and ‘he Somerg ofa Commaisy hesitated to leave their work and the New Guinean people Individual missionary societies made thelr own decisions but for each group there were common issues of ‘all’ by ‘Goa responsibility and fidhfulness, and how to interpret those In the light of potential invasion by an enemy power In he case of the Methods, ll hair women (sf and tries) except four nanses were sent home, and the men Tired tht they ought to stay on in the hope of being able to oninue thei Work, Missionary Dan Oakes wrote home, feel that ts more than ever my duty to stay here: His col Teague Tom Simpson wrote to his wife Nellie that Assistant Disiler Officer Murray Edwards had sugaesed that the ‘misionaries should ‘stand by on ou jobs" in order to hase tetween the local popalation and an ineaing fore. Simpson frat dubious aboot the chances of missionaries being Prenitted soch feedam should an invasion take place, Butwroe, i no use worrying and we can't ran from the join anticipation: “The people for whom evacnation of women raised’ most Aifcultes were those involved in commercial enterprises, te they staf in large companies, plantation managers ot ‘owners, mill workers, tades people and those with their ‘en small busineses eve had a major employer t provide help, and many were already ficing Rnancial problems and rugling o retain their businesses. A number had lived ine islands for years and had lost touch with their Aus {lla connections leaving thers without an obvious place to send thle families Some, ftom the United Kinglom or the Netherlands, for example, had never lived in Astral land hd no personal inks there. Noaetheess, whether oF ‘ol they wished to leave, almost all the women found them flees propating fora long, stressful and potentially danger fou journey to an uncertain future ‘One other key group, the relaves of military people inthe islands, would also be profoundly affected. However, at least they did not have wo face the problems of evaet: atin. They were sil In thir own homes, with chee own29) 196 94 S09 Cun HeE) FeHBEE DSH support systems and a normal ie; the absence of thei men during military service was common to much ofthe wider ‘community. ‘Not everyone withed to be evacuated. For several sk ness women the problems of shandoning their planation oF mill persuaded them to remain while al the other women ‘were travelling to Rabat for transfer Australas lady Hake? and Ms N.M. Bole, each running her own plan- tation, were able t escape later with groupe of civilian men, bat two others suffered for their decision. Kathleen Bignell, business woman, avoided leaving and unsuccess fully attempted to escape afer the invasion; she was captured and intemed in Japan Jean Harvey, de facto ‘vile of planter Tea Harvey, stayed onthe planation, Puvate Conllics and some anomalies regarding her marital satis ‘may have influenced Ted wo keep Jean at home Jean Harvey ‘vas exected with her hushand and son in 1942 "As well athe women sho didnot want to Teave there were also atleast two teenage boys who objected to being ‘counted among the children. One, named Topal, was with his father on New Ireland andthe ether was Ivor Gascoigne ‘The Gascoigne larly had lived in Rabaul since 1924 and owned a business. Fileen-yearold Ivor had recently started ‘work and pleaded to be allowed to say withthe men. The cing Administrator, HH. Page, sid that i should be Mes (Gascolge's decision. Older sister Betty recalls: evar terbe decision for Mum to have to make, vor wie to ame heme rm work every day and ay to Mum, "Wel hve you decid” 1 don't think ny of us thought what dd appen would Rappen—it was a strange sor of uation, She ssid he wa working, be di want to come and he thought Td be company for Dd, Poor Mam ‘There were alto those who would have let if they had been given the opporunity. Among these were mar Chinese families, mostly store owners, & number of who had sene dete cildgen to Australia fr their education. Asa ‘community they had good reason wo be very fearful ofthe Japanese because of the continuing conflict in China and “The String Commit because many of the New Guinea Chinese were publicly ‘committed to the Kuomintang. Chinese people from other prs of New Guinea were able to reach Sydney, but the abu Cinese didnot’ Women in mixed race households ‘were alo sxpocted 10 stayin the islands and survive as best they cou, though afew mixed race wives and servants of ‘Australians travelled wih the evacuation. Administrator ‘age attempted to gain permission for many older white civilian mon tbe evacuated but without sucess, THUS, WILLINGLY OR UNWILLINGLY, the Australian com ‘munity ace the islands of New Guinea was on the move. Inthe nehbouring region of Papua, also under Australian ‘dministation, the same thing was happening. and at some Doin the two streams of evacuees merged rif. Few had ‘more than two or three days to prepare for a major dsrup- ‘ion of ther lives as chey packed, farewell their menfolk, home, sal and possesions and tavelled to the gathering points of Rabaul, Port Moresby and Samana. The elements provided backdrop of violent storms and destructive winds Df the narhwest season. ‘Flying weather hus been vile, hoted one offical on 21 December, and stories of hazardous Joumeye llade to dangerous weather conditions for tavel {im small bots, on unsealed wads or by ai. or these in Rabat, there wak an unsetling pattern of regular earth tremors as Tavurvurvoleano puffed dust and ‘Steam over the town, The residents of Rababl felt confused land tense Ellie Pasher and her friend Dell Crombie, wives respectively ofthe government vuleanologit and a local Soletor, sanned to.end their own lives in the event that the Japanese landed before they essed. They decided that Deli would shoot Ellice and then herslt However, he failure at pistol practice, when dhey were unable to hit atin fon a pos, sugested that they might need another plan [Norman Fisher remembered in 1984 ie came home to me an she si,’ not gin oll nese’ ping fa MAIM ste” 0 Usa "Right, we'l go thw thea We made up a eles of eu capaules20) 9894 800 oun weyH UN NN Nery Lng War Despite the passage of time, women sill vividly recall the days of the evacuation. The events ae printed on their ‘memories as among the most powerfl images of thet lives ‘Many mention the anseties of trying to select what they should carry within their bagsage weight imi of 30 pounds, with an extra 15 pounds for a child. Nee Simpson, on ‘emote New Hanover, heard the evacuation order on! the Wireless and joined about ewelve women from Kavieng fr a terrible tip’ of over eventy-four hours on a copra sling ship Chrough storms and heavy seas, When they reached Rabaul a last, however, they discovered that ‘nobady was ‘worted about usin Rabaul because they were all worrying bout themselves trying to pack and get out team Pool wat ‘with husband John ata lonely mission station on the edge of ‘he Bining mountain, without telephone contact: we were woken up at midnight youd bang on he font well and my husband wet out. was polosoy with Aacument fom the government teling all ween fo bein Rabaul two days hence ogo by boat bck o Ausra. Jean Poole made her way into Rabasl partly by foot, because of broken bridges and washedout roads, and then by lity tmuck Her friend Kathleen Brown had expected to travel hhome to a mission station on west New Britain that weck, after a ditcult chlabirth i Rabaul, bot missed the sling in retrospect she was grateful, because the other plan- tation and mission women fom the northwest coast of [New Briain sailed through hurricane storms and arrived in Rabaul after dhe evacuation ships had gone, Plantation, us: ‘ness and mission women along the length of Neve Ireland fguthered under instructions to evacuate, Nellie Simpson's husband Tom wrote on Christmas Day: “Thay all went azo nd wate al dy in blinding sn nd Windstorm welbowing nothing could eet dro to the Yhem=bat orders were ones There were 2b liogethet 1 Ieieve and some ae stil wating in Samat but oers Ihave gone home await ders ‘reser of Camry Case ens, New BinLs 2.90 UNIVE) emHHH HHO 9 NSM “Among those who went home to wait were Myra Asi and her children from Maramakas planation, and Gwen Ives ‘wither small daughter fom a wee coast plantation. For those in the Territories with responsibility forthe evacuees, the problems were overwhelming. Hundreds of people, suddenly uprooted and torn fom spouses, work and friends, were leaving remote plantations, businesses, ‘missions and tropical towns and had to be tanaerred to Tocatios across the Austalian continent, Distance and io lation, poor communications and the weather together with practical issues of appropriate shipping and the availablity ‘oF area all combined wo frustrate their plans. The original “2 Day of 18 December 1941 had to be deferred because many women had not yet arived in Rabaul On 22 Doe. tember, the women and children who had arsved boarded ‘ovo passenger ships, the Maus and the Nepnuna, i the harbour. Despite potential danger, the embarkation took place without incident, Some saw evidence of a miacle ‘ring tha day. Fred Kollmongen, a Salvation Army bands- ‘man now with the 2/22 Bataion, the only ane to survive, was working on one of the hills overlooking the harbour ‘We know dat they were loading the women and cilden bt we dd not se them al dy, boa of dene og (over ‘he harbour]. We were ao ehankfl tht they coal tad like hat i the daytime, without any fear ofthe Jopanese bombing ther One ofthe Few men who faeweed the women and who survived the war years, Rodger Brown, recalls the scene alter the husbands were ordered off the ships all were wondering whether they would meet again and fearing an atackon the ships more than an occupation of the ‘islands. Nelle ‘Simpson remembered in 1 ‘We wer al eying, lsaving everybody. I wa fe all the men at up, abe up he bg pitt and we went pas ‘and that was the ate ever sof then). "The Sorin Comat a “That evening, some shouted tothe men on the whaeF as dhe hip palled away, "Wel be back in ix months? Jean Poole imagined we would in Aura fora whe then return 0 ‘ourbomes and hasands, he men hough that case they were ivan they might be allowed t comin ih hee (ro. We had noes of what ely might apen LWETHEN DAYS, twas Chrismas, For those at sea and those Teft behind, it was a very srange season, remembered and teconded in dota The Masdtut and the Neyuna sailed south with their complement of women, children and a hand of sick men, Laseminte arrivals slept on the Hoors ff lounge and music rooms, Despite the disruption to heir lives an effort was made to maim the traditional rivals ‘of Christmas. The women of the New Guinea Club in Rabat had prspared for the annual Christmas tree and party fr che cchilren ofthe white community nd Mad taken on board ‘over to hundred Christmas stockings, sweets, gifs and ‘ecostions. This, together withthe rast turkey and plum pudding for Chrismas dinner, preserved the outward signs Stnormallty. Even so, twas strange and unnatural time as Mure: Macgowan, @schoolgl on the Macdhut, recalled in 10b4 get very agitated when Christmas draws near CChrintnas depresses me, even now! CCistmas was atime of disappointment forthe families and frends of the solders of Lark Force too. They had been fold that many of their men would be home for Christmas, but wih the outbreak of hostilities inthe Pace all leave was cancelled. “Weil be stopping here indefinitely’, camp ‘ook Jack Render wrote home, as he described restric tions an camp life where things were ‘more dull than ever Many lied Christmas without their men: gis lke Flora Pivaresy, who had boen writing del soldier boyfriend pens of soldiers (Several had two of three soldier sons Jn Rabaul), aad wives and children, In Metbourne, Sade Paseoe cherished the Christmas gifts her husband Pranksent, and his special letter his newborn daughter, but he ‘would have much preferred his presence or those left behind, Chastmas 1941 was like no other In so many ways, theit community was not itslé Court interpreter Ron Wayne wrote after the ships soiled, ‘Rabaul is aboutely fat teday'.-. Nobody could work excepe by Ariving themselves tt! For many ofthe white male resi- ents of Rabaul there was less than the usual giving snd "ceiving of hospitality, and it was sald to be a doll, quiet day. Other longterm residents of Rabaul offered Bospitalty to the soldiers spending Christinas fr from home. Cyl aid ‘young Ivor Gascoigne decided that as Eaith Gascoigne had lleady prepared the Christmas cake and puddings, they ‘would go ahead with the orginal plan to invite some solders up for Christmas dinner Only one man of that ‘company survived the war to recall the hospitality. party of eleven Methodist mission staf, including several nurses, spent the day at Raluana mission station out of torn and, according to thelr letters home, had a ‘great day’ together Christmas or not, the acting Administrator in Rabaul, H. 1 Page, was in his office sending more cables, he had sixty ‘more women and children to evacuate. On New Inland, Myra Ashby cooked Christmas dinner for Stan and thelr three children on Maramakas plantation and in the ater- noon they went hack to wait or the ship once more. Fr ever ater, that familly had bittersweet feelings about Christmas Day; it was the last ime they were all together asa family (Gwen Ives, alo on New tland, was touched hy the tarewel sven to her by the German priest in her are. Father Neuhaus presented her with tiny bouguet of wildflowers and a prayer that next Christmas Day they might meetin peace. The New Ireland women and children were in the Final party to fly out of Rabaul on 28 December 18s, thelr {departure huried as news eame through tat enemy planes ‘were approaching, "The evacuation ships traveled south in safety, despite ‘tumours and fears of enemy attack: Kath Brown remembers the rumours that were on board on what wat going on in ‘he Sarin of Camry 18 ‘Ching, and how they were raping all the women: When they ‘ame tough the ref to enter Townsville there was anxiety bout te possibilty of mines on the ref, and they were ‘Continually warned to avoid tiling anyone where they had ‘ome fom: ‘We were continally told, The enemy listens A Towasville, many women and chidren were offloaded Continue their journey south by tain, while others sailed ‘onto Brisbane and Sydney. Those lft behind waited at the railway station with det ingle sultase per family. Ie was a Tone: sb, exhating journey down the east coast because, sone woman recalls tains were ‘prety primitive in those ‘hays. The train jourmey took several days, some women rivingin Melbourne on 31 December and others travelling ‘on to Adelaide or Perth. Some women chose to share a bunk ‘her than wait for ater train. Prequendy the tains were hunted from the main line 1 allow more urgent wath ‘rough, with long delay, It was very hot, Smoke, dust and ‘tnt continually blew into the eariages om the steam fengine. Women queved to use the public washbasin a the nd ofthe train corridor For those teaelling with young Chiles it wat & nightmare. They were very grateful ‘atious groups of Red Cros women, the Country Women’s Asscition, Catholic Daughters of Australia and Voluntary ‘Aid Deachient women along the tran route who gave uP ‘hee Christmas holidays to help, providing meals, drinks, emergency clothing where luggage had been Tost, child care fo that mothers could zest and baths forthe children.” “The cost of the diapers was great and dhe Common wealth Government found itself faced with an immense bil {or trvel, meals and accommodation, ab well as temporary finaneil support for the exiles, Far greater was the cost in ‘human terms ofthe detaflsation of families and commu- hides, Betwoen 20 December and 3t December 194), 1792 ‘Aistaban women had been evacuated from the Territories (of Papea and New Guinea, many from the islands of New Britain and New Ireland ‘in te same period, women were being evacuated from other australian Terstries, sich as Nara and Darwin Acommunity which had tived in the uneasy intimacy of twopical towns, networks of plantations and mission stations had been catered. Its members had been drawn together from around the globe, over year, for commerce, adven- tre, employment, religios calling or escape. They did not always approve ofeach other, or like each other, or even move inthe same social stat, but they knew one other ‘They traveled onthe same ships, dey ordered gone torn the same island supplies they were members of the same local clubs, sporting teams and churehes, and they were all linked bythe invisible tes oflocal news sharing. Now in the calamity which preceded an even greater disaster, thelr ‘world began eo disintegrate, ‘THE EXILED WOMEN and children found themselves adi ina strange and occasionally inhospitable environment. For ‘some, Australia was home, but for many more their true ‘home lid heen left behind, along with sband and father Ihowse, personal possessions and community. Most of what they valued was now either mising or lost forever. Ellen ‘Austin wrote atthe time wo the Prime Minister: Natunily our hursied departure ond de fic hat our has bands our homes and al hat we poss must be left ‘ehindother than the 30 pounds of Tagg allowed us ‘used mas of so fer mor ols vereroup ‘One ofthe Ashby children inthe confusion of being thrust hastily on board the DCS that was taking the lst group of ‘women ffom Rabaul, Ist one of her sandals. Fy years Tater she meta man who had been there that day She found herself wanting o ask him, Do you know what happened to ‘iy sandal? {lost that day: te had become a sal symbol ofthe if she had los. ‘The evacuces soon discovered that Australia was not & ‘comfortable haven after al, Major city buildings were sur- rounded by sandbags, li trenches were being dug in public Patks and backyards, barbed wie wat being lid along favourite surf beaches, streets were blacked out at night ‘Phe Seater of Como ” ad ety children were being sent to the country. In addition to invason fears severe drought conditions existed along the eastern seaboard and water was restricted Sydney had a heat ware and bush fies, while Melbourne and Adelaide suffered from dust storms throughout January. Preoccupied ‘vith eas of invasion, and other significant events ina world {way he dstess experienced by the evacuated families ‘id not make much impression on the Auswalian public “The women had been in Anstalia for only a few weeks ‘when Aistralian metropolitan newspapers ciried a mull piece headed ‘Rabaul Silent Since 4pm Yesterday’ It was 3 January 1942 and the silence dat had fillen over Rabaul ‘eos to continue almost unbroken for nearly four years Radio contact may have been lost, but became cle that the Invading Japanese fleet had arrived and was attacking Rabu and Kavieng, Aerbrief,Gerce bale, the Australian Civilian and voldirs were either dead, flecing. hiding or {in captivity. By 27 January nervous fenlies ead that ‘The fate of the garrison stationed in the town (Rabaul i not yet known," though reports (generally rague and without firm information) appeared at intervals tat Fihting wat ‘continuing in the hills Almost immediately, tbe evan families who had ved in New Brian bogan to ask what steps were being taken w rescue their men. Island trading Compares, mission headquarters and the Department of Extemal Territories were all besieged with requests. The ‘Managing Director of Burns Philp and Conformed the Navy that ‘Many anaious enquires are being made by relatives fof our dal! members and our clients through New Guinea! "The Department of the Navy replied that 'at the present moment iti impracticable © contemplate an expedition to ‘Cvacut> civil tom New Eta there was no commun ‘ation vith New Britain, there were inadequate naval o alr fesourcs and, as no one knew where any escapers might be located, world bea logs impossiit. ‘Then slowly, a tickle of cvilan men who had escaped oat the Islands ahead ofthe invasion began to arive in ‘Australia; several of them immediately offered to be part‘of. rescue mission, but their plans were discouraged, and for want of available air or sea craft nothing came of the schemes. Those who were missing and were to survive both civilns and the membets of Latk Force, would hhave tobe rescued through their own intatve or through the efforts of other civilian residents of the ilands, Thee ‘would be no concerted help fom their own government Family members waiting for news or action veer given mo During the months ater January 1942, many critical events took place. Malaya and then Singapore fl the Japanese began their advance in Papua and New Gunes, ‘he Dutch East Indies were overrun. In the wide reaches of the Pacific the American and Japanese. navies ought» Acadly game of ambush, and slowly the tide of war tereed For the families waiting in Austala all war news was given lose attention, but the most vital news for which they longed was information about their missing men, Soldiers families received telegrams which informed them thet so, brothers and husbands were missing, believed prisonee of ear. Women collected newspaper cuttings with any ropote of posible locations of prison eamps, but knew that uch reports were based an guesswork. There wat almost ne ther news (On the fr side ofthe silence, some soldiers and eiviians were travelling on fot acoss New Britain, stompin te escape to freedom; some were to die of diacane or ethane, tion and others were to be massacred. Civilians, solders anal missionaries lived in internment a the Malaguna Carp tn Rabaul, o at the Catholic mission at Vunapope neat Rokepes, ‘Some civilians and soldiers hid in the bush near det pon {ations for months and, in sme cases years few mlscion ares, generally Germans, wee allowed to stay on tenes mission stations for a while, then they too were sent to internment camps or retreated int the buss The silence was broken just once diring those months in 4 remarlable incident. Japanese officers in charge of the Drisoners of war and intertees held in Rabasl fered thems in dheon row far i. (Coen fa Ay nesn opportunity to write a single letter to thei families, and ‘Wese letwers were dropped in malbags over Bort Moresby i Apmi 1042, About for hundred families of solders and diy another would come ‘Unknown to those in Australi, on 22 Jane 1982 just over arched from the prison camp in Rabaul, leaving some shty officers behind. Chinese and New Guinean labourers sew them boarding a ship inthe harbour. A few weeks ater businesswoman Kathleen Bignel, boarded another ship, the Naruto Maru and were se to prison campe in Japan. Small ‘ty inthe Rabaul area, and dhe Caole mission a¢ Vans pe became a centre where some mixed race people and Iissiomaries ftom Arte nations were gathered under guar wellbeing of any of dhe others over the months and years {Bat were to follow. The families ofthe Australian officers them, though the families ofthe nurses who fad ealed with tte oicers heard nothing. None ofthe other captives had ‘ows from ther families forthe whole period, nor di their Th this strange period of wating for news, women and children were forced to accommodate great changes in thei wait, but plainly it would be more than a few weeks, and nition neaded tae taken on housing employment, cation and other practical and business matters. Families of both tows of their men. Yet the fallen of the solders of atk Force were beter placed than the civilians. They sil ved vrorks of fends and their personal possessions around Shem tf they chose o lok fora jb, was a personal choice rather than dire necessity, ak they were receiving the usa10) 9100 NEE HE HN 2 Avery tone Wr rilitary pay. A great many othoe Australian women were in the same sluation, with men missing or prisoners of wae Doris Render in Frankston, Victoria, was very worled about her husband Jack but she and hor Made gis were stl at home in thelr own cottage with Jack's vegeable garden, smery and prize dahlias around them. Dori Michelson's ‘Tiny’ was a prisoner in Rabaul, but at leas her gies could stay at their sal schoo. Sadle Fasooe and her new baby Sue continued to ive with her parents in Melbourne, as her hnusband had been posted to Rabu aRer only afew bret days of independent marie lie. was very different forthe civilian women and children who fad bee evacuated. In almost all expects they were refugees. The Sydney Sun ran a wory on dhe plight of the fevactee sons who wore ‘aling dally atthe New Guinea ‘Tre Agency’ in Sydney. The paper sid that, apart fom nciety for the menfolk whom they left when they were ‘evacuated to Australia, many of ehe women needed money land employment " within weeks, almost everything they “alued Nad boen stripped from tern Wives ecam, effectively, single women. Women who had let their husbands tke the lead ound themselves described ‘oman offical form ahead of te family traveling, with the felated responsiblies. Women who hid heen supported ‘inancallyby their hashands had to Rind immediate employ- rent. Women who had been In comfortable financial ci ‘umatances became poor. Those who had been mistresses fof howschold with several servants found dhemsalves in 3 Single room in’a boarding house, of in the humiliating postion of a poor selation, relegated to a sleepout on the ‘Verandah and expected to pariipate in housework such as they had not done for years. Women veithout relauves in “Ausra were without support. Women who had for many ‘years un their own plantations or shared the business with thelr husbonds, were suddenly redundant ad without the ‘itisicton of good work, From being a person of paivlege and prestige asa member ofthe dominant white community iv colonial setting, they became very ordinary members of «4 commanity where white akin carried no special honour Whereas they had understood the intemal workings, the relationships andthe language’ of ther island community, they were suddenly without a ple in the networks of 2 suburb ereounery town, and tel nev neighbours saw them as foreigers whose pat, interests and way of speaking dd not beion, For some, who i travelled direct from England fo Europe to the lands and had not previously lived in “Australi, a place in Brisbane or Sydney was stange indeed. Ben on the level of the personal postessions, most had been reduced tothe contents of # suitcase. Though some od inched treasures ike photograph albums or personal Jewellery among their things, most had lett bend wedding fis, herlooms, fernitue, books, handmade items from {heise boxe and other dings which define thee Hives and personalities. When dhese changes and losses were con bined wh anxiety overa missing spouse itis not surprising that many ofthese women foun 19423 very hard year Childaen who came from iolated iaand plantations and missions were especially confused and distressed by their sudden bss of status. They had assumed that i was normal for playmates to let them lead and have their oven way. One person recalls her mother's anxious injunction to Speake English as she tied to help her daughter fit into society ‘which dd not understand Pin English her loneliness on the edgeof other peoples games and the sadness of missing her New Guinean nanny. “Accoramedation and income were urgent matter forthe ‘exiled cians In most cases they found a temporary pace to stay, though often it was not deal. Whole families ved in single moms or with reladves, Women took governessing jobs on country properties in order to have work where they ‘ould kep thelr child with them, o lived sn seri Hat, Dedsitess and boarding houses. income varied depending ‘on the group to which the woman belonged. The missionary ‘wives received modest potions of their husband stipends ‘but mos: needed to augment that in some way. The Admit Istationoficers wives initaly received an allowance from19) 198 04 9p HCD A A ey Lang War their husbands income, but by March the iss had become tery confused As the administration of New Guinea islands hy the Australians had ceased, some questioned whether the men should continue to be paid, Eventaly, when i hecame clear thatthe men were captives or missing, these fouls were supported financial by the government (Many Administration officers had transferted to the New Guinea Volunteer Riles shorly before the invasion, but thelr wives did not know of this change ad continued wo be teeated a civilian rather than mila families with relative recut of icome) ‘Most disadvantaged were the women who had been dependingon a private busines or plantation for an income. ‘Many had been going though a dificult time before the invasion, witha fal sn copra prices and business problems. Now, with their business or plantation in occupied tersitory, these women had no income. Gladys Baker, a widow running heron plantation on wolted Wit alan, arrived in Cairns ‘onthe Lahato with no money atl. Another group tbe ds- advantaged were those women who had obeyed the original frder to leave the ‘sland Before twas compulsory, fre land support were offered tothe later group, but the caller {group had paid their own way." Frances RVan, for example, had traveled to Sydney in November 104, but though she txperienced all the problems faced bythe other women she tid not receive the assistance offered those recognised as Finding work became more urgent, Single women, of ‘whom ther had been many in Rabaul, and married women ‘without children found this relatively eagy. A number had teen teachers secretaries and nurses and were able to find Jobs, pariculaey because ofthe number of men lewing the ‘workiore to enlist. But it was many years since some of {he women had worked outside the home, and they suffered the usual selidoubt about thei competemoe, It was twenty” three years since Edith Gascngne had let been employed, but her husband's business was gone and so at age for oven she went to work ina shir facoy. The aering ofa Commaniy as In climate of change, ansiety and loss, many of the women tened to each other for support. Branches of & cet for women who had ved inthe islands were estas Tishee in the capital eis: the New Guinea Women's Assoc} tion in Melbourne and the New Guinea Women’s Club in Sydney, Bekbane and. Adelaide. Similar women's orga Isations catered for soldiers families, sometimes with 2 specie group linking families whose men were together in the same unit. Major J.C. Mollad's wife organised a group forth women linked with Lark Force. As one recall I Wa 4 very good place for women to come. IF there wasn't any ews then atleast we were all In the same boat. We 2 to Know etch other and understand each other! ormany ofthe displaced women, these meetings played 2 vital paren keeping them sane and supported. They pro- ‘ded social ieacton, purpose, entertainment, anda place Where they knew they would be underood. The journal Paci Islands Monthly, which was read by people fom the ‘white communities across the Paci islands, commented fon the value of a forum where women couid talk about Islane interests an isa: snrtunatly, ia language thi the Sydnee cs ‘aotundertand. |. The average Teton mde, afer # eo ov wy loves tourh with Asal, They Hive under @ {oily separate vet of wal condition. tn these dag it ‘Salamenabl ft that evictees hae been made to fal that ‘hey ate nde eke ina freign and” hy Oktober 1942, the Sydney group had devised a scheme ‘whentby more fortunate members would assist those in di Fiultes. Mocking the Japanese propaganda claims about ‘stab sing an East Aslan Co-Prospeity Sphere in newly ‘captive Asia, the women called it the Co-Prosperity Co- ‘operative Plan, Other groupe raised funds forthe Comforts Fonand wo help thei chide, ‘So, despite the exteme stresses of evacwation, change, toss and anxiety, feilies settled themselves to waie in hope forthe missing to come home‘yn 2} URNA HE HN Coping Alone 1942-1945 ‘hen th as nothing, Den ce I ot wa ee es gute pal sc 0 many wh have eter heal one ‘wr ron tan ns In hed he psa come nace ay and you a sted fom one postman hile he net an a F SO LARGE a group of women and ehildren had been abruptly and dramatically evacuated to Austalla at any time other than easly 1942, perhaps it would have attracted ‘more public atention than tdi Ifthe fll of Rabaol and the disappearance ofthe australian men in he islands had taken place ata time when the nation was not preoccupied wth a great many other mila setacks that oo may have held a lager place In dhe national consciousness AS twa, both the evacuation of the women and dhe disappearance af the men coincided with atime when the Australian people feared invasion by the Japanese, and week after week the dally news as filled with her real and impending di aster. The men captured in theilands of New Guinea were rot the nly Australians missing or in captivity in the early ‘months of 194; thousands of other Australians in Europe nnd across Asia were inthe same plight. Many women sid Inter, "We were alin the same boat, For the families ofthe ‘men in he sland, therefore, there was litle national enemy Te Yor whae mighe, i other circumstances, have seen a ‘outpouring of public sympathy and support IF the incidents inthe islands had afectod a community ‘of similar sie om miniand Australia, may wel have had a ‘eater impact on national awareness chan It did. However the communites ofthe teritores ofthe Commonwealth of ‘Austral ly somewhere beyond the immediate concern of the general population, or even the government. As Pat alick pointed out later in his official history, ‘or twenty years the teritries had been remote from Australian polit ‘Gl events and seldom under public discussion: Tertory atfirs were handed, usually without ungeney, by a mall 4nd ‘obvure’ branch ofthe Prime Minister's Department.” There was a biter irony aboot this which touched families ‘of militamen wo had been despatched to Rabaul and were “rectly involved sn the bombings, invasion and tle When fengusiag about thelr eligiity fora Female Relatve's Badge, ‘worn wth pride by women whose men were serving over: fas, wives nd mathers of Rabaul militiamen ere inl {normal that they were not eligible because members must have ‘enbatked for service with the AUF beyond the Limits of the Commonvealth of Australia [Those] serving in Darwin, Rabaul andthe Mandated Territory are not considered tobe serving abroad Raboul was not overseas, a ar a8 oficial dom wes concermed, but neither was ie taly pare of Aus- trlia The missing men seemed to belong nowhere twas @ {year afer their men had heen i ation, and caped bythe Tapanese, before wives of the mitiamen in Rabaul were finally given their Female Relatve's Badges TE the news of the islands catastrophe had been known immeditely, or known more clearly, there may have bee greater public response to the needs ofthe flies of te9) 90 8 99090 CHEE HENHHH missing. As it was, knowledge of these events emenged in thin tickle, some information held back by censorship, ax ‘vas proper, but much of the information eozed into View very slowly cause no one really knew shat had hap- ented, There were very few ented bodes. Even whe ixaurvivors returned to Anstrala withthe news that ange ‘arty of Australian men had perished violently during their scape attempt i February 1012, some reports were pub Iished ia the Townsville and metropolitan pres, but thoes ‘were suppressed, and in any case the news emerged over ‘month and then years By the time the enormity of what hha ten place became clear, it was post history. Forfa es of the missing there was no dramatic news, no funerals ror reunions, no visible mouening, no grave, no certainty nd no end othe suspense of waiting "The fines ofthe faland men received none ofthe usual overtiowing of concern, compassion and practical help on ‘which Australians pride themscives im times of bushties, Foods severe drought, mine disasters or earthquake. Though tome olficals worked hatd on their behalf, particularly J-R. Halligan ofthe Department of External Terttries, for ‘the families ffecte there wos no sign ofthe usual lewitc ‘community of private cizens who would attempt to help, even before they were asked. The ames realised that they ‘vould have to help themselves. Individually and collec tively, the women set about Bading apport, emotionally fad Financially. They had to take thelr own iniiatves in Seeking information about missing people, and in demand OVERRIDING ALL OTHER NEEDS, the chief concern of both the military and civilian files was to lear what had happened io their men. e began with natural ansiety at ays pussed into weeks without relable news. ‘The fist stories came with civilians whe had led before the Japanese farvved so their reports were often inaccurate guesswork, for instance, carrying news, which was ater fetuted, of men who had allegedly escaped.” Wives ofthe men of Lark Force had expected to have been kept up to date with their hus hands whereabouts, but this soem not to have happened Eileen Crocker sodie’' wife, heard on the radio that Rab! had allen "Then there was nothing, dad sence. AI got was a Glegram saying he was missing [never did hear anything! Elleen Crocker was formate in that her husband ‘was amtong thowe to eacape early and he aelved in Port Moresty om 27 Febriary 1942, The Best news she had was a letter fom her husband Wills, win in hospital but she ‘got nothing from the Army at al. ‘an Adelaide woman, Molie Nottage, whose husband Cap- tain Stewart Notage vas an officer with the Rabaul Fortes. (Company, Special Coastal Defence Force, made repeated attemls Uke many other wives, to Ieara what she could through the Army Miltary Board and the Disrict Records ‘Office. In February she a told that "no information has as Yet been received concerning hin In March she was sent a Drintec form leer stating that In the absence of further vic, it ca be acpeped that [your husband] is safe and ‘wel In Apel she wa told ‘no definite information te at present availble widh the added unseting request that ‘She send Distlet Records ony information whatsoever you tay recive from any source! Te was becoming lear that the ‘Australian military authorities had no more idea than she had ofthe whereabouts and wellbeing ofthe Haba men. the Army wat not able to give information to waiting families about che men of ark Fore, neither could anyone answer the questions of cviian families The Atorney- ‘Generis Department, on 9 February 1942, lamented, “There fexistt no machinery for the dissemination of vital infor tation respecting the wellaeof husbands and/or ober rela- fives remaining in the Mandated Tertory* Not only was there xo machinery, there was no information either ‘As rorvivors, bath military apd clan, about four hun dred ef them, gradually made their way back to Australia fover the next six months, it was not only dhe miliary ‘who ssante to interview them but also the fares of the Inissing, However, even Af there had been no question of08 8 9098 NNLIHEE ONO AHN HH a» A Voy Lng War salary security, the escapees had almost nothing o tll shout people they had left behind. They had left Rabaul inhaste within hours ofthe invasion and thelr stories were fof epic journeys and amazing escapes during long and dan serous teks across country, with Ide news of the men ‘who remained in captivity. Sadie Pascoe was ationg the ‘many who watched the newspapers for news of returning 1 atolutely Routed Heediors Repatition Hospital sever of them sad, Look, 1 aa (Fram Poe the other ‘ay on his way down, You se im in few dye time’ oh Miltary intelligence collected information from each sue: vivor as he asived. For security reasons, and because the ‘entities ofthe victims could not be confirmed, much of his ‘material was marked ‘Secret and withheld fom families? However some aurvivor told thei stories to the press, and by Apal 1942 accounts of the waged of Tol and Waitvolo plantations, where an unknown number of men (probably Shout one hundred and fRy) were bratlly executed on {February 1942, appeared with details which would have lulled any wating felative. The authorities were very dit: tured by this reporting as some ofthe information appeared fn the papers belore it reached Army Headgeatters, By 16 Apel 1942, J. Halligan left a handwritten note for his staff with the offending press cuttings, urging them to Look fround for any other citings of this nature. There have ‘been several. Make a fle of this. am holding a report in the safe as a secret document ‘Joan Best remembered thatthe press used to write the mort ghasly sores about attcitie: Other storie in the ‘press Were falsely hopeful, such asthe item inthe Puch Islands Mowhly in Match 1942 which sad hat ‘several hu {reds of Europeans from Rabaul ate with the remnants of ‘ur armed forces somewhere inthe New Briain jungle west ff Rabaul, and that they could all “maintain themselves’ Indefnkely until they had a chance to excape. However oping Aone 2 howh some families saw these occasionally hopeful but Imosly frightening ews items, many didnot perhaps fam ies and fiends conspired to keep fom them. The Lyons famiy in Melbourne sas @ case in point. Young Vincent {yous had entited while still underage. Frank Lyons, his trex recalled how Vin told his family that he hal assed the doctor that he was ‘eighteen. The doctor said, "You's a boy lar but keep going!” and he pushed hm on in the {quewe' When the nese came through that Vin was Missing In tion, Ms Lyons lamented he day’ she gave permission for ¥in to go: That woek, she had one son missing from Ratu anether missing from Broome and a thid, Prank, Teaving for a seminary where he was training for the pres hood. Frank Lyons has never forgotten farewells his tmothet a that time. can ail ee my mother anding on a footgth when I got on a Bus -., she was devastated: The {yon family didnot see the newspaper reports of Tl and teers given no further nests of Vin apart from “Missing Telsved killed in 1945. Vin Lyons was later identified as being among those who died at To “Apart fom the chatice that an escape soldier might have nen, for most families the only souree of direct information Shou their men after their capture was the leters which had heen aindropped over Port Moresby. Before chy were passed on to the families they were carefully scrutinised by {ovement authorities to gather information and every re rence to Australians, The three hundred soldiers’ and one hhurdred chins’ eters alluded to dele writers being pris- toners of the Japanese Tmperal Army and in some cises ‘merwioned friends who wee also with them in ee camp in Fatal (It is though that atleast one farther mailbag fll in thesea. Another bag as retsieve from the bush in October oe an that mail was sent on months after the fst group ‘ot letters, Caplin Stowart Notage, writing from Japan in 148 sted the eters writen in Rabaul on "February 16 and Tune 1 which he said the Japanese had assured them had teen dropped over Port Moteshy. The second collection was never received however a ‘rotted mailbag’ was Found ootyn NEHER HH HH miliary securty, the eteapoes had almost nothing to tll about people chey had let behind. They had left Rabaul ‘nhaste within hours ofthe invasion ai thei stories were ofepic journeys and amazing escapes during long and gerous teks across county, with ile news of the men ‘who remained in capavity. Sadie Pascoe was among the ‘many who watched the newspapers for news of returning 1 sioluely haunted Heldeberg Reptrition Hospital several of them sd ‘Lok, In Frank Panos the eer day on his way dwn, You've him na ew days ne! Soe st have ted Miliary intelligence collected information from each sur vivo as he arrived. For security reasons, and because the ‘denies ofthe victims could not be eonirmed, mucho his ‘material was marked ‘Seeet"and withheld from famillen? However some survivors told thelr stores to the press and bby Apni 1942 account ofthe tragedy of Tl and Waitawolo plantations, where an unknown numberof men (probably about one hundred and fifty) were brutally execated on 4 February 1942, appeared with detalle which would have iled any valting welatve. The authorities were very dis- tured by this reporting a ote of the information appeared In the papers before it reached army Headquarters. By 16 April 194, J. Halligan left a handwritten note for his staff with the offending press euting, urging them to Look around for any other cuttings of this nature, There have been several. Make a file ofthis... am holding a report in the sae a a secret document” oan Best remembered that "he press used to write the ‘most ghastly stories about atrocities! Other stories in the press were flsely hopefi, such as the stem in the Pace Islands Monch in March 1942 which sai that everl an dreds of Buropeans from fubaul are withthe remnants af fur armed forces, somesrhere in the New Brain jangle west of Rabaul, and that they could al ‘maintain themselves! indefinitely until they had a chance to escape. However though some families saw these occasionally hopefil but moa frightening news tems, many did not perhaps fam. iies and fiends conspired to keep it rom them. The Lyons family in Melbourne sas a case in point. Young Vinoent Lyons ad entisted while still underage, Frank Lyons, his broer recalled how Vin tol his faily dat he had assured the doctor that he was ‘eighteen. The doctor sud, “You'te blocdy lar but keep going!” and he pushed him on inthe fqucae’ When the news came through that Vi Was Missing in vetion, Ms Lyons lamented the day she gave permission for Via to go: ‘That week, she had one son missing from Rabaul, another misting from Broome and a third, Frank Teaving fra seninary where be was training forthe priest hood Frank Lyons has never forgoten farewell his mother at that ime, can sill ee my mother standing on a footpath when I got on a bus... she was devastated. The lLyans family did not se the newspaper reports of Tol and ‘wet given no farther news of Vin apart from “Missing beloved killed in 1945. vin Lyons was later identified as being among those who died at Ta ‘pat fon the chance that an escaped soldier might have ews, for most families the oly soureeof direc information fait their men after their capture was the lees which had been aindropped over Port Moresby. Before they were assed on to the faites, they were carefully seratinised by fovemment authorities to gather information and every rer ference fo Australians The throe hundred soldiers’ and one hundred eivilans eters alded to tele writers being pris ‘ones of the Japanese Imperial Amy and in some cases mentioned frends who were also with them in the eam in Rahal. (tis thought that a least one Further mailbag fll in ‘heaea, Another bag wae retrieved rom the bush in October 1G and that mail was sent on months after the firs group of eters. Caplan Stewart Notage, writing tom Japan in 196 sted the leters written i Rabaul on Pebruary 16 nd Jue 1 whic he said the Japanese had assured them had ‘been dropped over Prt Moresby, The second collection was heer received however a rotted mailbag’ Was found out19) 19 4H SNH HME HAL HENNE HO. 0 | ey tag War ‘of Port Moresby in about 1949, with the contents decom posed," Anxious relatives made urgent requests for lists of ‘ames of cvillans who received letters but the names were not released. “Oficialdom complained the Puc lands Monthy, ‘although tha is, refuses to permit publication Heaven alone knows why’ “Any means of hearing news became of prime importance ‘o the anxious forties. Radio, newsreels, newspapers and the postal service all took om powerfl roles in daly fe Women waited ffom one postal delivery to the next. Some times newsreels were screened of the alle boring ofthe Japanese positions in the islands. Gwen Ives remembers ‘ing into town wo the Capitol Theatre to see the continuous newsreels: ‘There'd be nothing. jst abit of land and some ‘hing being bombed, but you'd there and watch it three or four times over ‘The radio also became important. Sue Pascoe recalled how, asa small child, she had hated the tension every time the madio went on ... 1 div’ know what was wong fidn't know what they were listening fr. As the war went fn, the Australian Broadcasting Commission Short Wave Division established the Listening Post asa section of the Commonwealth Department of Information, Melbourne ‘Saft monitored and analysed propaganda material fom Japanese- OOO Salter nahn tory Tag arcane nee ORBR RO OOX Syiney thanking party wa di adangon oe Seats cegupesicewes oe ‘irate res gat ty irre on wa fee can era nae : ‘Nellie Simpson was one of a number of soldiers’ and civil- lant wo io had young een ites ota tate Se wr wine pe hud no uestereniooy ttle pant wher sheese Bo eae ast be schol ue Pia hie Jae oi nse Picke yo ge Mob fe ee hanclac bh Maye eave poncihisd ny Wehablery and ‘og about our day arg ant sch a pown op litle git And your Ive eich welcome home ‘other Eames know tha hey would have to break bad news to the returning men, of deaths and other hurl chines “The it news came from New Brain. On 3 September the Melbourne Herald optimiscally reported thatthe allies ‘were likely to find POWs and internees at Rabaul The frst task a Rabaul... willbe to handle @ number of white eap- tives Feld by dhe Japanese there The actual number is not ‘knowa {adited the Herald but they possibly include mis- snares and airmen: On 8 September both the Brisbane ‘Tiegreph and the Melbourne Sun cared reports by war correspondent Warren of the rescue of a sole Auselin, Toh oeeph Murphy, and the expectation that the missing Jntenses would be lated a the Catholic mission, Mmphy ‘had been captured by the Japanese on 12 June 1943 when the was witha party attempting to enter New Britain nearcccupled Rabaul to gather intelligence, He spent his time in captivity with US, New Zealand and Britsh captives* Another war correspondent Eric Thornton, writing ftom Jacquinot Hay, New Britain, prepared a dispatch the same thy aaa hasbeen a place of myer. ule other Jap-eld ‘aren almost nating was known af te of the Prisoners ‘of Wr... None of the survivors know what happened othe ‘tralian but dey do know tht (in| November] 12 hundreds ft) whiee prisoners were tipped ey 1 [an snknown destination” “The dispatch was not immediately made public “The scattered community of Australians who waited for news of the missing men and women of the New Guinea islands continued to hope and prepare. The Red Cross as inundated with family members eagerly secking the latest news of returning men and women. Plane were made t2 receive their people home, Fr the missing soldiers the mal ‘ary organised personnel to seek out and process released prisoners, chrough the work of groupe such as Prisoner of ‘War Contact & Enquiry Uni and Prisoner of War Recovery Group. In preparation for New Gulnen cvilan returnees, the Department of External Territories set up a new Pris ‘ners’ Wellare Section in Sydney, taking over a whole floor Of 40 King Steet, Sydney with tal and equipment in nian ‘eth the Pacific Tertores Assocation, the New Guinea ‘Women's Cb, the Australian Red Cross and the War Damage By the middle of September 1945, detailed information shout the fate ofthe prioners ofthe Japanese actos south east Asa began to come through, Lists of names were cased to Melbourne and soon lists of survivors and those who had Aid began to appear in dally papers. As thousands of names fofmen who had been in Chang, Japan, Siam and Indonesia ‘were published, s was always with a note thatthe lists were ll incomplete and more names would be available soon. Sadi Nec ener hushand Prank this phteraph of here an ‘hr hy dager Sunane on hc ca of teal deat ‘etch n Newer Prado ses her ‘Feng ht he poop we ear th te, Prank enh thse ory ner aa and set al 0 Sate Couey Susie ae)tua fr teers Here any, soverone al tn mee tebomal a the rsine of ar prcsin nt Ma ofr thr resale hand « Spee 143 (AWM Neg 13, Other amiles were receiving telegrams which announced: Safe Allied hands home soon’ "The party of nurses wh had ben held in Japan since July 1942, arrived at Mascot Sj, t be welcomed by jubilant families, their photo anpearing in the Syn Morning Hera on 14 September Which also reported the expocted arrival ofthe fist batch of ‘men fom Japan and the surrender of Jopanese troops in Nabaul On 27 September some ofthe Rabaul officers who hn been held in Japan arrived in Sydney on HMS eer ‘others had travelled by air via Darin), and there was great relay as Molle Note, Joan Hest and the other offices ives end families prepared to weleome thelr men. LITTLE BY LITTLE, other Australian files realised that ph warnings that ge groupe of men mig be gone foreves Whom a at he whole sory was known it became lear that ofthe almost 22000 Ausalian prisoners of wat under Nippon nearly 000,24 percent, had died in cap. ivy, im aaion tothe cvilan dead” Aa well, many af thon vo dd etur came back broken in body, led rnd eoploot the wands of New Guinea sil wad for news in Rope ead. Mavis Ben had beled that she ms {unate bose her husband was a POW, not among the ists of Killed in Action so sted a the Red Coa, though the gee ths bd gone on oping against hope tat yar tana would etre wo me But now ce lt het hopes ding (On € September 1045, the Japanese frally nage su fonnel entered the rua of what bad been Roba." a wreck, wrets a comespondent serving withthe 11th ng 20-90 feet high, Not one buildings maneing’® The of war wating hopeily fr ease, ut they were nottea very tone War people they had been expecting. Instead of Lark Force soldiers and the Rabaul civilians, they found some 8000 Asians who had been brought to Rabaul (Chinese, Indo- nesians, Malayans and Indians, the Rabaul Chinese civil Jans, the last eighteen survivors of 600 British soldiers brought to Rabaulin November 1942, seven American airmen who had been shot down, ne New Zealander one Dutch. ‘man and a number of mised rice families. John Murphy ‘was sll the only Australian found. Apart fom the internees and prisoners of war, there were aso over 100000 Japanese Soldier inthe area who had to be care for bythe relieving Allied forces. As the days pased, eer small groups of Aus trlians were located. The Catholic misson community fom Yunapope, male up of some 380 people of seventeen dlfer ‘ent nationals, had survived Aled homib and Japanese sguans in a hidden valley. They had sheltered some. Aus: tralans—nine nuns aged between 28 and 76, Sisters Flavia OSillivan, Borgia Kelly, Adela MeGrath, Philomena Bryant [ditha Macrae, Michael Macrae, Immaculata Mazcngaty Felictas McFadden, Berenice Twohill and Marcella Myndes four civilian men, Gordon Thomas, former Editor of Raul Tones, James Elis, motor engineer Gporge MeKechnie marine engineer Aifed Creswick, engiseer with the pre war Public Works Department, and the Anglian priest Tather James Benson, who ha reportedly bee killed with the other Anglian missionaries at Buna in 1942" The men ‘of Lark Force and the civtans who had lived andl worked in Rabaul, over a thousand men, were nowhere tobe found. ‘The Welfte Section set up so hopefully in King Siret, Sydney, found itselr idle. "The Pfc Tolands Monehly reported: ‘Unhappily, there was ie othe Secon od Tere Rah note one word ecied up on on 14 Sperber that any ofthe New Guinea cian prisoners have ben nd Perhaps not yet alarming There all get contusion i ll (he panes ethores We mus expe tat a proportion fof these people will not be found The New Gut, Imernees canoe have exp akegether oping Ain Hoe 2 For thow who read Facfic Islands Monthly, the next state- ment came as the fist public acknowledgment of an aw prs of mining people must be prepare. deftly i ps ity atthe reat major ofthe evans were placed shod ship it Rab ot June 192 and hat shi wa lon wht ents company. rend and elation should ‘ot lm hoe, but they should aso be prepared ora great vege. Following the end of hostilities, the question arose as to hhow much deta! shouldbe released inthe press about wate time atictes now the men were returning fom prison ‘amps Te public was informed, for instance, that Dr Evatt had let or London on 3 September witha copy of the Wel Report which detaled atorites perpetrated against Aus talians and others in New Guinea, with the intention of using the Report as a bargaining tool o gain Auselia apart In the yostvar judgement on the Japanese. During the ‘war yeas, che Department of Information had contoed ‘material ‘which would be helpful to the enemy ofa hand {ap tour own forces’ as well as anything whic, by causing Aistust or confusion among ovr own people’, could weaken public morale. The commusity agreed with the good sense OF the fermer but there were continued debates over the Wisdom of the later A nev cade of Censorship Principles had beer announced an 19 May 194¢ allowing that ‘Censor ship shal not be imposed merely for the maintenance of morale ot the prevention of despondency or lat" The Melbourse Herald was one ofthe first to reveal deals of Japanese atrelties Soon afer dhe cessation of hostilities in August 1945 itcaried a report ented ‘New Japanese Atroe: ey Horr in Webb Report. Eritality Almost Indescribable Fendish Torture: Thou the bruaitie were indescri>- able’ the Hemldjourmalits managed to report beheadings, ‘utltien of women, bayoncting, torture, outrage’ rape of women} drownings, amputation oflimbs, machine gunning,a Avery Long Wor ‘massact, sadism, burning, the use of POWs as lve targets and murder The public were ‘protected however because the Herald gave no indication of location, period or the ames of victims. few weeks later the sime paper pub lished a more detailed description of atroctes in the New Guinea islands, with lecations mentioned and nates with held. For relatives this was a nightmare, as they were sti waling for news and imagined any of all of the atrocities being enacted against the man they loved. The debate over publication of this material ranged from those expressing hatred 1o the Japanese (inhuman monsters “vein of suby ‘human savagery runs deep) and demanding further detail to those who suggested that such terble material should have been ippresied or toned dow because ofthe mental anguish suffered by those oho stil dd not have neves of relatives, or those who were becoming il 'due tothe daily "THE MISSING PIECES of the puzzle finally begat al into place during the last weeks of September 1945 Information fom three separate sources came wo light, al of which sus: seated that a lage party of Australians ad been taken away from Rabaul in Tate une 1942 and thatthe ship they had heen travelling on had been lot at sea. War correspondents tn Ral were told bythe few allied survivors thre that the ‘men had lot Rabaul by sea this wa relayed to their news: Papers. The surviving oficers from Lark Force wh had just arrived back in Anstrala rom Japan also belioved thatthe men had ben lost at sea, and spoke of i otk publely and privately. As early as 17 April 1944, Stewart Notage had ‘wetten to Mollie Notage thatthe lady plus civilians ‘et abaul on 22 June 1942, that's the last we have heard of them!" The Webb Report recorded on p44 that «Japanese prisoner had sai, petor to March 1944, that he had ead in Tuly 1942 that ‘all military prisoners, exeepe officers, were ‘orpedoea in a ship en route to Hainan Island" In Japan, Investigating Officer Major HS. Willams arived in Tokyo to search for evidence of what had happened to those stl ping Aine He ss ‘nisdng im actlon,sncluding the men of Rabaul, and sly iscovered crucial documents outlining dei 'Yae. Te was Inewtable thatthe news would quickiy spread dhrough d Wein a week, the familes of the missing began to pick uipcues. ny paragraph on page 4 of one paper said that Inpcn t being searched for a broken-nosed Japanese inte ree, who is believed to know the movements of many Imembers ofthe 2/22nd Hatalion tis known they were Sent out of Rabaul not long after it all early in 1942. The ‘Queatlon was raised in the Hoose of Representatives on 26 September and Minister for the Army Prank Forde ad- ‘mitted that the government held grave fears for the Rabaul Pople. That evening, metropolitan evening dilly news Pupers around Australis reported Ford's statement, The Melbourne Herald reported, under a headline ean Rabaul Men Lose at Sea is Pear [Japanese prion ship} carving between 700 and 1000 ‘estes priors of we + ay hare een la to fey in 1942. "This may be the aaation tothe mystery of ‘slat happened wo dhe majority of the gartzon which was ‘rence y the Japanese aba. "he ollowing day, the morning dle carried the story, the Sydney Aoming Herald reporting that ie was feared the ship hd led to reach its destination." wen though f eas sfill ony fared the the men were lost and no details ofthe name ofthe ship or the nature of the dmaster were teleased, the publication ofthe supper sition came a a profound shock to the relatives. aie Linggood saw the newspaper item over the shoulder of 3 fellovraeller ona Melbourne tram on her way home from the city. Mavs Barton bought an evening pape after work Hows Gascoigne though twa ost a tere thing to Tet it gett the papers: She was changing trans at Melbourne's Spencer Street station with fiends on their way homeey Long er and she used o be wating for us And ae wae reading the ope and hada headline vomething ke abou! Men Lost Marie mist have seen ft, and she rhe overt ber mother and shu the paper Ise ay «paper on he way home, and 1 actualy read i onthe in tw anther Sadie Pascoe heard if on the radio. She says remem her Mum just saying, "Well, thats ren [just didnt lieve |W’ Mrs Ross, the wife and daughter of wo missing Rabo flullans, HI. Rowe and E.M, Havent, was iting in a den tists chair walding for an injection to take effect. The dente handed her a newspaper to read wile she waited and she read the news Even asthe families tried to deny the possibilty of such 3 Joss, Mar HS: Willams was in Japan uncovering evidence ‘which would confirm the uth ofthe story” The recone of Japazts Prisoners of War Information Bareau ad been ras Terted toa school in a smal village outside Tokyo because of the danger of air raids There Williams was assuted by the second in change that ‘no. australian personnel had been ‘wansfered out of Rabaul, and certainly that Bureas had no Informacion of any having been lost at sea: Willams was ‘unconvinced. He wrote later to 4 senior officer: I cominued a prs the mater withthe rest tat a eter sed Jan 1943 was unearthed together wih a rominal located engi recived fom the Jp Foreign Office lowing representations rom the Swine Legation as protecting power for Besh inerens. Apparent al the sforemer™ Mined documents received cat atenton” Im a remarhable feat of investigation and swift action, Major Willams, on 27 Sepeember 1945, his frst day of work in Tokgo, had the nominal rolls of the missing Rabal men In his hands, as well ax a leter of 6 January 1943, which he had rescued ftom dhe paper chaos ofthe Brea, confirming ping Aon Hope ” the loss af the prison ship Montevideo Maru. On his second ‘ay, he interviewed hey people from the Japanese Army, the Japanese Navy Department, the Chief ofthe Prisoner ot WseSection in the Foreign Office and the General Man gee ofthe shipping company, Osaka Shosen Kaisha, who hat owned the Montendeo Maru, as well as arranging to sce the Swiss Legation, the International Red Cross and the Japanese Red Cross. Severe bombing of Tokyo in May 14S had completely destroyed the departmental offices of both the Navy and Foreign Office, which made it unlikely that they ld prodier any farther documents In adition, there mas widespread destruction of records in Japan, Ture in the period 16-19 August 1945, an observer noting Iivanaficial document that, Japanese people were psyehor logicaly ina state of utter confusion, if no panicstricken! This made the recovery ofthe Rabaul ols and letters about the low ofthe sip even more significant, indeed almost a miracle. Wiliams Sent his ist signal with a suramary of his findings on 28 September and this was received with even sreater gratitude by dhe Army én Austria because they had Just beon told by newly released prisoners from Rabaul that ater receipt of advice ofthe sinking of the tansport all ‘econ ofthe ship and her prisoners ere destryed” How {he vols of ames reached Japan from Rabaul isnot cle hut they may have been sen with the offices on the Nar Mars. The offices and other survivors recalled the occasion {May 1912 hen allallied prisoners in camp in Rabel had bhoen mustered in order to complate and chock the Nominal Rolls fr Lark Force and civilians n Japan Willams con ‘pe he Nominal Rol written in Japanese Katakana pho etc serie, eth the Echelon rolls forthe Lark Force men provide by the Ausuallan Army, and found that he was ‘bl, with the Prisoner of War Information Bureau translator, to math the names of wo hundred and Ay soldiers with the rolls in Ratakana onthe frat day of tandatng Major Willams had performed a profound service forthe waiting families. Many of them would find some sort of tndertanding avd finality in the thought that his name wasrs Very War ‘on the ist Williams sent back his leter describing the way his investigations had been proceeding in very profesional and understated erms, although he most have experienced feat emotion as he made his discoveries He permitted Fimseira small explosion of exclamation marks in letter to ‘colleague in Mana Wien expressing o Gener Tua ty th ance whieh Is flea hee are to reor his distr to Ata he replied "We made mistake eae fog Meanwhile, in Melbourne, onthe same day a8 the news reached the daily papery the newly tepatiated. POWs (Captain Nottage and Capain Taser informe the Army that they had heard from several sources that the men had sailed, possbly to Hainan. Then, in about March 1944, they had been told by the Japanese ‘camp adjutant, Capen Howotan, that ‘the ship in question had been sunk on voyage!"the Australian authorities were now in «dificult Position. They were convinced that a ship catryng Aus talians had been los, but they did not now who was on ‘board. On 30 September it was decided that no further press statement should be made until afterall names had been received and checked. Without a dente lst of ames there ‘were too many unknowns; they didnot yet know the names Of those who had died at To, or had been executed or had died during an escape. twas fered that any farther pest ‘lease would ‘have the effet of placing all next of kin in & condition of "aerves" tira already to ate. A few days later, on 2 Octwber, Major J.C. Mollad, another former Zentsuji prisoner, arrived to be interviewed in Melbourne. NNatonly did he display a roll of members of his unit known to have been taken from Rabaul which ad been compiled from memory by the surviving officer, bathe ha aleady spoken publiely the previous day [Methadone meeting of he 222 Ayo which his wife was President and daring the couse ofthe meeting head veal out to the menbets present the names of 297 personne believed o have bron drowned onthe inking of 1 shard wo imagine the pain of the meeting of women of the 2/2nd Rattalion Ausliary in Calling Seve, Mel: bourne. They had ited so long for news. Perhaps it was Ms Millard, who had me with this community of anxious ‘ome each week for yeas who insisted that her husband read he ist even though he had not ee presented theo nrmy channels She could well have felt tat dhe women Tad waited long enough. Sadie Pascoe was there when "He read on this ist tows andl newer forget that meeting. He read etal the names of the men who wore defintely on the bot. Frank's name was one! Dore Michelson was als at the meeting. Mollard had warned them that some names might he nicknames, aki depended on the officers mem ‘ries, and her all Bil was named a8 T. Michelson. for “rin We tad lt there and heat him read tall out He never sid ‘role dawn we knew we would gt the news, but he oul {veitwusottly Me got tothe end and he was in teas nd be ad ot down. We wale out on the tet ‘nai nal he papers tha the ship had been opadoad liven chen, shocking though twas to ear the ist of 297 ‘names, they didnot realise tat dis was only the beginning. undveds mote names were ail to come The authorities were nov eaight between two imperlece courses of action. They could ether make thelr own offical announcement of the los ofthe ship, even though they ‘Could not give specific names of victims, with some contra lover the accuracy of the statement, or on the other hand they could wait unt they had all he information. 1 was ‘decided that @ Miniseral announcement should be made land the next of kin ofthe 207 men named by the officers shouldbe neifed. "The Minster for External Terores, MEE, J. War, read statement to the House of Representatives on 5 October 1045, He spoke of che 1053 missing Australians, including 316 Rabaul civiliansmost urgent pboner of war enquires were being made tw ascertain [ht whereabouts [which] confirmed the CGovemmenes fare that the majority of the Astalian Pramers of Wat and internees captured in Rab and sil sing lot het ver twa Net of kin canbe sured {hat names wil he propesvely released a they become able Austalia Sor no ahenicnermaton has boon obtained as the mame fhe cian interne on the ‘The waiting flies had tobe content with that, Even now ‘many of them refused o give up hope. They ail had weeks to wait before the telegrams began to arrive. 1 would be some time before al the information would be gathered, but the missing plces of the puzzle, which ‘had confused them for so long were falling Into place, even ‘hough some pieces would never be revealed. As fara could he understood, dhe weight of evidence pointed to a great tragedy forthe people ofthe islands, The Australian oficers with Lark Force witnessed the departure of the lila and ‘other ranks fom the FOW camp at Rabon 22 June 1942." {and Chinese and New Guinean whatt labourers saw the men boarding a ship in dhe harbour Asstralian intelligence Teamed from New Guineans wh arrived on mainland New Guinea during hates im mid1942 thatthe prisoners had heen sent avay by ship The submariners on the US sub ‘marine Stargeon knew that they had torpedoed and sunk & lange Japanese ship on 1 July 1942 ata location ff Laon in he Palippines. The officers of the Stujeon recorded nt their log the pursuit north through the waters f the Philip Pines, describing how they came within range soon alter midnight on 1 July 1942. Four torpedoes were ied, two of ‘hem srking dhe target aidehips, hong and causing re to break out. The watching submariners observed the ship Sink within clever minutes Ship owners in Japan were Informed of the los of ther vessel Montevideo Mara ship Which matched the description, locaton and tne of sinking of that sank bythe Suogeon. As well x the prisoner in the pig esi Hope holds, mest of the crew and guards also perished with ee stip. only seventeen Japanese seamen and three guards ‘managing to escape, The loss ofthe Montevideo Maru and the prisoers was fepored tthe Japanese: Navy and to the shipawners” Allied prisoners in Rabaul were told by Iapanese officers thatthe ship carrying the men rom Rabat had been fst in July 18422 tn Japan, the loss ofthe ship ‘with primers fom Rabgol was mentioned in evespapers” tnd the Australian officers in prison in Japan learned of it The Japanese authorities had taformation about the loss of ‘his prion ship, bue had mislald the list of names of thove ‘who wete supposed to have been on board The Welfate Section in King Steet, Sydney, set up with such hops for returning etvilans, sent a circular to al the families en 11 October It included a copy of the Statement made by the Minister for External Teretories and a letter expressing thee ‘utmost sympathy in your present anxiety” withthe assurance hat ay soon at definite news ofthe fate OF individuals was avallable they would be informed. The telegrams began to arrive by the end of October, the Army ‘dealing with ts personnel and External Territories withthe fost civilians. Falls for whom this small serap of paper dealt 1 moral Blow tended to think thatthe wording was ‘co’ or impersonal eis wt deep egret that hve inform you thatthe tas ‘issonof the nominal eof he Japanese vessel Nowe ‘Mare which wa st witha personel ar leaving Rabaul inane 192 shows tht [name] was aboard the ves ad desire convey to you the profound sympathy of the Com Imonweith Goverment Miniter or Exel errs. Yet what cle could have been done? ‘The Minister for Extemal Teniores ad his staff were under considerable prestue ftom relatives to pase on the news as quickly as possible even though they may have prefereed, like the ‘Army, to wit und they were sure ofall the information, Certainly the continuing search through records and tear ‘rips ol inervicws wa to go. for oars wich some namesalways cluding clear answers, Nonetheless, the telegrams ‘were sent, Sadie Pascoe recalled in 1994 ‘hen the tlre came inthe morning the il telegraphs etvery] oy sid sory and he went aay ain. Ad Jarre dhe telgram nad wi," et re Icon be truest sng my mother pun the ternary could believe ‘The Gascoigne family had three oftheir oven to think about =ather Cyril, son Ivor and Mrs Gascoigne’ brother Harry ‘Adams. When atlas the telegram arrived, Betty Gascoigne vas in the eanteca at work and hada phone call fom hee ‘neighbour who had received the telegram on their bchall She was very disresed and her workmates sent her home. ‘and then had wo tell Mum wos. awful Mavis Harton save the telegraph boy leaving her parents’ house aa she rived home from work and knew what it meant. Several families, including the Vinnell, Buck and Russell fis, lost more than one soa fm Rabat. In more thas one case, telegrams went wo the wrong address or with a confused message. Jack Renders wife recelved a telegram but the ame was another Render the correct telegram aried later And the brief Mcker of hope that ack might stil be alive quleky dia, Tn the Lyons household, when the final telegram came, Frank Lyons was sil in the seminary at Werribee is lather ‘ang asking him to come home and he sas able t join is roving family the same day: was the longest night of my Ii There was nothing you ‘ould way tocansle my mother Ther was nod coming In whe a death oar people come and elp don hey? Bat ‘onan eccasion like thi, wick war 0 lone for my brother hdd nob came wishing eomendy would come to the howe and provide dvenon. We were there the whole night jas mse my mim and dad and wo young Ssers~itwasa prety grin night Ie went on for days. She ping asi ope ae jum ft she could never Ing asi, dhoogh she was avery Iyight woman, and er twelve months or more she woulda ‘oanything [o er ual ial seer ‘Gwen Dix alto received a telegram to say that her New Guinea Volunteer Rifles husband. Lionel was ‘Reported hhecame missing on fourth February 1942 and is presumed to bre deat at TO New Britain: Theee was no information follesed about what ead at TO’ might mean, and women Tike Gwen Dix were left to piece the story together from hewspaperartiles, i they could, The officers who had sut- ‘ved in Japan undertook the grim ask of visting the fami Ties of che’ men who were lost lieutenant visited the ‘Mansey family in Sydney on behalf oftheir son and brocher Freda private in the 2/22nd, and they were grateful tim, ‘as they teased any serap of information ‘Mothers, newly bereaved, had to face telling their chi ren. Daisy MeAthur fad sufered @ nervous breakdown ‘ring the waiting time and was sill away, so her older son twas tll of his fathers death by the headmaster of his eho The Oakes and Shelton sons learned at school that ‘hit inal excited victory percussion had been a mistake ‘When Stzanne Pasene was 4 fouryear-old, her mother tld ther that her father was not coming home ‘ado tl her Brery ime we si an aeroplane we! aay ‘Daddy will come! Then one day we were wabing slong the ‘Stet and she was talking about Dad coming home and 1 thong that Thad say ese sered wake tal ight butale dd undertane People who had lived in Rabaul for years als lost an entire community of relationships, Families hike the Gas- ‘oignes, dhe Ryans, the Spenseys, the MeCoskers, che Roses and th: Macgowans mourned the soldiers they had be friended and the fowaamen they had known, Theis whole txpatrte community had been tora apart. Muriel Mac fan ater Bil had eseaped ut, as one who had knownthe Rab people fom bith, sels whole communi: schooled fathers, tly nde and al her soa Community contacts ftom 4 happy chideed were tome Dey Gace a ore brs Pipe Seas So lo knees by ame ond reputation ates whe lived on ™ ' tear They were men youd worked eh, oF you'd known ince you were this high and in place ike th where yeu ate ak all inimate ends bet you know everyone, peple you Known fr donkeys year, ta ave hem al ie) Ofte sous of tian women who had Been mci for ‘mutual support in the New Guinea Women's Clibs, atleast 176 had been bereaved. The widows were touched when those whowe men had survived sent them each a large ‘orig bax of fawers in sympathy. ‘Al the widows, clin and military, had fered a pro found tne Bat the deat of their spouses had rer dimension fr the expatriate cri women. They now new that dey had aso lst reve Mele former ome ple, communky and way ote, THE TELEGRAMS WERE a tele end tothe years of alin, Ye fr some fest wating ha ot chided. the ease of men whoxe names were not lated wih those ‘tho died aT, daring the brief bate nor ab on the Momenico Mara. the Assraian authorises had no infor mation so decided wo send no telegram. Gwen Ive, whose husband Vivian Ives ad been New Ireland. nanter reeived no telegram. é 1 aid get any information whoever {wrote to Canberra to the Deparment of xteral Terres was only cae Twas going overseas to get mari that {got the Presumption af eth, but ht anu befoe {ef in 9? "eau go unt had ging Ain He « Claw; eaumont was another who received no telegram. Jack beaumonts name did not appear on the list fOr the ‘Montevideo Mar andi fact he had been part of a group of Clans who had been seen at intervals on the Cazelle Peninsula until May 1944, As with a number of others, there teas no definite information on Jack's fate but his name ppeaed, in pencil J.B. missing, in the records of the department sending Clare her payment as a New Guinea fevacuee in April 1846, Ter final payment arrived in Sep- {ember 1046, the department noted that he allowance had been terminated ad that Mrs Beaurnont was now a widow ANG sivillan War Pensioner Clare Beaumont was not com Vinced that she was a widow. With no direct evidence of ‘ath, no grave and no witnesses, she would continue t wat fer Jack to come home. Evin some of those who had received an official telegram contirued to hope that somehow their man had survive. However sly the chance, they clung 10 the thought that there might have been a mistake. Sadie Pascoe had heard her hasban's name ead out by Major Mollard and received 2 telegram but there wa always the chance tha perhaps Somebody had managed .. and 1 knew that i rank had a tmhiser ofa chance, hed escape, because he had everything {0 escape for Forrcltives who refised to belive thelr man was dead, there were examples to which they could point. Though there had been serious los of life among them, many Cath ‘lic missionaries at Vunapope-Ramale had emerged alive at the end of war Mission staff who survived at Ramale, New Dritan, included religious of the Mission of the Sacred ‘Hear, Daughters of Our Lady ofthe Sacred Heart, Oblates ofthe Sacred Hear, Daughters of Mary immaculate. They {vere an intertatonal compan, with members who wert From Australia, America Betain, Germany, Ausra, Poland, ‘Coechoslovaki, the Netherlands, Lsxembourg, France, Italy Canada, mixed race and four distines New Guinean tribal fgoupings As well as their own Mission people, they cared {or misionares of other orders and denominations whoA ey Lang Wer came to them for shelter Men thought to be dead, ike Anilican missionary Father James Benson" were alive after all Oczasonal tales of survivors who emerged from the jungle ater year in hiding were crclate, and people spoke of rare cases when survivors of shipwrecks had been Aiscovered on remote islands. Widhout a body and a grave, relatives fund i easier to hope ‘ven so as dhe weeks went hy, more and mone grim stories ‘were being told of people who would never come home. The Femains ofthe men who had died at "ol and Waitavalo had Tain undisturbed in dhe plantations and jungle—where they had fallen in February 1942 until they were fund bythe advancing ales early in 1045 The remains were gathered for dontiicason and final interment in the Wat Cemetery at Bita Paka after che war Nota could be identified. Among ‘the few tobe identified from dental records was Vin Lyons His brother Frank Lyons sys Astras call, we were neve tld By dhe Ary or andy tthe tae he war involved with the a manatee ot was a telegram afer the war that Nad en Killed in Action. YOu go oe cemetery now there's whole to Known unt God! on he tte, at ny broth ‘here with his namie. They ound his west wate Yai to thls guy [wo dete Vin} "Where wa the watch, wa i angina on his ws A esi, No twa nhs sok ‘the wath war ail hee They sen he wath back ou ‘A woman who was tld that her husband ha die at Tot New Britain’ made a journey with her young chil from Ad: Taide to Sydney in order to seek ‘more information fom ‘men who were in New Guinea and ust returned! Later she let he relatives believe that he had gone down with Use Ship, Pechape a she learned more detail ofthe events at Tl ‘he felt was etter for her relatives nt to know the truth The grit and shock of those who mourned the las othe ‘Australians was shared by New Guinean who had known them. The New Guincans had also suered greatly during apg apis Hage ° the yeat of war. Soon ater the end ofthe wa eters began to pase from New Guineans to the families of Australians they had known, One wrote to former missionary Margaret Harais of being ‘overcome with joy’ on receiving dhe Hist postwar edition of the Methodist newspaper in vernacult [Margaret Hares made the following translation of the orig inal ete for her colleagues but when we started to ed the newspaper] we came 0 the great dacaer in Our her were ilo with sadneae td sovow and ot Joy departed, becuse we expected to ‘et with them gai and take them by the hand an laugh ‘rh hem but The dea soul, The young men, the onan andthe [Method Mission} Chairman, where ate they now? Me send ourlowe othe wives and chien > A very painful experience for many women was the retuen ofthe letters dey had writen. Where had the letters been In the years between, they asked? Janet Gambril recalls how her mother Helen Wayne felt when her own Teter ware reurned: ‘Al hee eters wed write oki, they nent then al bck, That mas terble~ poor Mam. A fow mors fe the war ‘he went to the mal and they'd al come back with Retr to Senderon them All thse yeas shed writen ‘Helen Wayne was also let with the garment she had knted for her hnsbond, It muse have been heartbreaking for ‘women to reread their hopeful and loving words, theit stems to malntain a connection throsgh years of lonel reas and realise that they had been writing toa dead man. Jean Poole had veriten every week, even though it had ibecome harder and harder One of Frances Ryans eters hich eeme back read ‘Three years without news Faith and ‘pire stif stron. Children well Praying for your safety. Keep sing. darling| eyo War ' an ieee his er fram French hand Waller as rtrd here war Nellie Simpaon' leer telling Tom about his young, son ‘ame back but Tom did not The Ashby children's letters ‘ame back and have been kepe with other tragic aretacts, including the packer stamped in purple "No Record of Re ptration of Addressee’ and the typed note reading "The Post Ofce sincerely regrets the circumstances which have precluded the delivery of the enclosed correspondence Mrs Spensley was to receive a ls, almost indecipherable letter from her husband, delivered long aftr the war was cover an kept with hi meals, Spensey, who had been a ‘opra dealer with Colyer Watson pro-wat had anticipated the incason and had et provisions in several caves behind the plantations and hid there with two fiends, They were only captured shorty before the Monteviden Mara ‘aed Tohn Spenaey 9 [My father] wrote ater which he lft with an old Chinese woud dt 1 eventually came back. My uncle wa shew decipher the nk had on Beene cae tomes 0c nt gs “Take YAMS NitweuT EWS FAITE Ax Sebi Srhset rite €6/DREW Wi nctn Faiyret rayon 44zery KEEP SCI : Frances RAD. There remains a fant hope that afew of these people may yet be found alive wrote the usc ads Moy i the iste for October 1945. There was ail the pony that seme may have survived in the jungle, or struggled to shore somewhere in the Philippine Islands Bt the aril ‘concluded, ‘ven these hopes are fading fat eis ax weeks Since the Japanese surrendered and if there had been any fhumbir of these men alive, chey would have made theit presence known by nowTrying to Unlock the Puzzle We a tle end fhe ld Infor A the rut of si 1s unl we wil xe now what happen them My fami never recive fc information fom she ‘Army or Goverment om is fon Maing ation, abl a af ramos at it 'N COUNTRY TOWNS and major cities across Australia, relatives ofthe missing men hesitated, stel-nibbed pens poised over the offical Porm of information of Death: Tae flocument, beside demanding information abowt place of fongin, work and family, posed a number of unanswerable ‘questions. Date and place of burial? Name of undertaker? A ‘wimess wo Use busal? Many pens ruled line throgh those questions. The most dificult of all was ‘Cause of Death: Women who had come 10 deal with this paperwork most reluctantly, many wating weeks or months before they ould face Tet that Hine a blank, or verte 8 cations ‘Tia Unik he ee n notified officially ... "They were not confident chat they ve the rth, ‘he ack of any solid information was not due to a lack of ‘llort on the pat ofthe Australian authorities. Years of work ‘wet ito what became a truth-eeking industry, War eres tere Investigated, suspects tied and the guy punished The remains of snidentifed war dead were sought with eat dligence and war cemeteries established. Witnesses ‘were qaestioned, some of them being sought out over ev tral years andl pursued to remote villages in the islands and the cts of Japan, The deals of range of ists of civilians snd itary were examined and compared. Nonetheless, ‘many Unanswered questions remained “There were in face, many sources of formation but in almost every ce there was a sound reason for questioning ‘he celal of that information, Japanese witneses were Aistrsted, while Aseria escape solders had ll tll fof the missing men once they had let the battle zone. The ‘ustralian officers and nurses had been separated from the fther men, and even when they were in Rabaul they only {knew some ofthe lange community imprisoned there, New Guinean witnesses Were not always taken seriously because fof rac assumptions about their relibiity. The mission fries a Vunapope had been iolated for years, and in any ‘cate many of them were suspect because they were German tation oe fom other Axis counties, Even Australian mans {id not always tll the whole truth, because they wanted protect family members from the worst of the things chey had seen. The few surviving Auswalian civans in Rabaul had some information, but most oftheir information was hearsay. Chinese, enemy alien and mised race clan rest ‘dens of New Britain and New ieland were sometimes not ‘rusted because of pre-war white attitudes and because they ‘were known to hold some personal bitterness toward the ‘white community. In addition, some were under invest {ation s possible collaborators, Surviving coastwatchers had Timitee information because they had lived im solation, Ben the evidence gathered in the extensive Web Report Onn | vey tang War atrocities had always been classed as ‘mos secret, in part to spre the relatives further pain WHEN THE ALLIED war crimes investigations began in Rabaul in October 1945, some Japanese witnesses were remarkably frank about what had happened to certain groups ‘of victims while in other eases they were vague or presented laborate, concocted accounts of the fates ofthe missing ‘The Australian interogxtors could not be sure whether they were hearing the truth ora convincing fiction. Ie was di covered later, during Uhe War Crimes Trials in Tokyo, that Urgent onders had been sent oat least one Japanese prison camp in Asia tthe end ofthe war to destroy incriminating documents, t ‘anaislae’ all remaining prisoners and ‘not to leave any traces! Harry Spanner # mixed race young ‘man, tld Gwen Ives after the war tht he and others had ben ordered to clear the entrance tn caves near Rabaul with ‘machetes because the prisoners, mostly missionaries, ere to be put in the caves and machinegunied to death, Rodi Diercke survivor on New Ireland, heard thatthe execution fonder for himself and the local Chinese and Indians, had heen signed but nt carne out ‘Although information about Japanese war crimes came to light unevenly, i gradually became clesrer that Astellas and other allied prisoners in the islands had met their deaths in ways other than the sinking of the Montevideo “Mara. Small groups had teen executed: the Harvey fly In May 1942, Huntley, Prat, Tom Goss and about ive com Pains n August 1942° several groups of aled airmen ‘who had been shot down through 1942 and 1943, ‘and others ‘eho had been in hiding before capture. Thete had been ‘@ccutions of about thietoeneliians and srmen on Nao Island, off New Ireland; the victims who were ientied were listed as Benham, Kye, Page, Talmadge Herterich and Fathers Murphy and Martin® A lange party of Catholic and [Lutheran missionaries fom Manis and Kain Island ‘luging women and young cilen, had been taken one by ‘ne, bound, shot and thei bodies dumped overboard fon ‘ying lak the ae n the destroyer Aika in March 19434 In addition to searching for information about Australian deaths in the ilands during the wa, the investigators found evidence ofthe deaths of teat nary men of ether nations from execution, violence fr diase, including Bride, Indian, Chinese, Indonesian, ‘New Guinean, American and Japanese. As wells executions ‘which were finally admited, there may alo have been ‘number of others about which no information ever came Tight. 2ven the two accounts ofthe sinking ofthe Montevideo -Mara.as given by survivors, left unanswered questions about the pessibltyof allied survivors’ One report sugested that ‘ovo leboats were sighted and boatded but ‘the number of missing was large: Another report sid that, ‘asthe vessel sank instantly there was no time to launch any eos ot torado. distress message’ The Captain and more than ten fof the ctew reached the sland of Luzon ty the evening of the nxt day, but the survivors had to struggle through enemy tertory and only reached Japanese ines wo report the lass after nearly wo weeks had elapsed. Though the Navy Department reported an immediate search, no trace of ship or men was found! ‘Australian investigators were occasionally frustrated in thelr attempts to discover the truth; outwardly plausible ‘accounts had been devised by Japanese officers who had briefed potential ritnesses onthe agreed sory. A Japanese ‘engin hand who gave the Bist clues about thirty-two men ‘sig from New Ireland stated that he and ater witnesses were repeatedly briefed and ordered to say internecs were Sent © Rabaul" In this cae of proven deception, ic was fiven in evidence thatthe clvlane from New Ireland and ‘New Brin fad embarked on the shipe Kowe Maru and Koka Mara and that these ship had heen sank on 21 Feb ‘lary 1944 north-west of New Hanover by allied aac, with the less ofall fe” It was true that these ships had been unk, but in August 1947 new evidence came to light which ‘used the case tobe re-opened, Pilly it as learned that, fon 17 March 1944, the New Ireland cvilans, ewenty-thaee Of chem Australians, had been strangled on the wharf ataviong and their bodies carried out into the channel on barge, weighted with cement blocks and sink” Clear ev dence as to the fate ofthe New Britain men has never been ‘uncovered but it was believed that some cine ater hei lst Sighting in May 1944 they had been execited. DOCUMENTARY AND ORAL EVIDENCE of the war years ‘was gathered from allied sources. Diaries and papers helong- {ng to missing Australians were handed in by Neve Guinean and Chinese who had kept them hidden theoughout the War these shed light on the period when men hid in the ‘bush beyond Rabat Members of the Catholic Mission at Vunapope/amale were interviewed. Preston oustations and those at Vunapope were sometimes the las 10 see the rising, or know the locations of seattered graves, The Ae tralian nuns had seen things which disttbed them deeply ‘buthad agreed among themselves wo draw a veil over certain things because dhey feared that duals might reach bereaved families (One ofthese women, Sister Herenice Toil, dd not speak of the torture of an Australian officer which she hhad witnessed until she tld Monsignor Frank Lyons 1982. At that time TWohill and Lyons were visting Rabaul with a party honouring the 0th anniversary ofthe los of the Monteoides tar. Sister Berenice sai," something ter ble was done wo my father, t wouldnt want wo know all te eta. That he was executed hy the lpanese would bes fclent for me) The four civian male aurvivors in Rabaul ‘Thomas, Elis, MeKechnie and Cresswick, were interviewed at length. They had kept lists of men they had seen which proved useful and Thomas, former editor of the Rabaul Times, ad kept a diay ‘Much evidence, including detaled reports ftom the six survivors ofthe killings at Tol nd Waitavolo plantations, ‘xsted in the Report on Japanese atrocities and Breaches of ales of Warfare completed by Justice William Webi i March 1944, Even so, this material was sll only a paral account as many witnesses were stil not available, How fever, this material was noc eased publily, partly for secur Ayn Unie te Pte * ity reams parly because the report was written before the ales had returned to Tl to identify the dead, an parly not to cause distress to the parens and athe relatives. although the horrifying details of what happened at Tol and Waitavolo hve been published in newspapers, ateles and books, the stchival econds which are available to che public have been fepunged with the saines of victims carelly and Healy fut fem the cord." This has been done withthe best of eats under the Archives Act 1983, 351) (g); however, forsome family members this withnlding ofthe names has ‘used further pain because they have continued to imagine ‘very possible eruel end of ther son or spouse. "New Guinean people who knew missionaries, planters and otter white resident well were ale to provide help information to savestgators ax they had greater mobilty ‘uring he war years than most others. They had, however, teen only some of the white men and then often only briefly, Methodist missionary Rodger Brown had. escaped from west New Britain in 1942 and returned 49 Rabaul a 2 chaplain with 11th General Hospital in October 1045, Having just received the news of the loss of hi missionary calleagues on the Monevio Mars, he met with New Guinean church leaders and people and read the letter, in transition, tothe group. To his surprise, he says All the people laughed and sad “That isn true And they began to fell me people who had seen them subsequent wo Uat July nd rch later on Brown took what they sald seriously, but sid nothing to any ofthe widows at tht stage, He reasoned thatthe truth ‘would come ot and was not his place wo spread ditess- tng rumours of posible bruulity and execution. When, after some year, kerative stores of the fate ofthe men were ‘Secu in Australia, he regretted that he had not spoken Immediately of shat he had learned in 1948. Over fifty ‘years ‘ate, he isl stud by the uncertainties and co ‘ers that probably some of his frends and colleagues were ‘executed and others went down with che ship, Dut he does hot krow who mot which fae, New Guinean fom different7 ery Lng er areas had a range of memories of sightings. In Rabaul in 1072 a New Guinean—thought to be Revd Mikael T Blak Ssvrote a statement for the vernacular church paper A Di Dove He listed al the Austealian Methodists Who lost ‘hele Ives during the war and described one group who, in February 1942, sere captured, besten and reed th right to continue ther work. They were taken to the Catholic ‘mission at Vunapope. Brown tanslated, In 1982, galley of {hat 1972 issue of A Niet Dovot which had been brought back to Australia by a vistor tothe printing press manager “The translation reads: ‘When the fighting became worse they were taken Beaglip od ty unde Gres ek veri ec os es ve them en sere [We were tld about the dats at ea ul] Oe thing only, we knew they were a agli unt 1945 and an officer ofthe Japanese told me that he mission ties wee at Biagalip unt the end af he war Some people tenon them and grated them when they were. he road ‘And yet they ae sald to have perished on the ship ‘Mondo ar Ths we do nt know or have faith inthe eine we knw the teh of hi thing ‘on the other hand, Chinese minister Revd Mo Pui Sam, ‘whe had spent the war yeas interned with the Chinese com. unity in the Rabaul area, wrote letter to the Methodist Mission Hoard as soon ashe was released (and before offical news of the lose of the Montevideo Maru reached Reba), Sesering how he had seen his Australian colleagues emt barking ona ship in the harbour naming several Tt as not surprising that many family members found tt hard to believe that their man was dead. Romours of sightings of various people cotinsed. In November 1945, trgent cables passed between Tokyo, Melbourne and Wel: Tinga, suggesting that New Zealand missionary Revd Don Alley may be ‘safe and well in Japan, althoagh his name teas on the list of those lst withthe Montvide Mar. This ‘hited hopes that others suit sil be alive and Australians ‘in Japan were asked to ‘certain whether any other beloved aboatd vessel did not embark or if aboard and saved any relevant pariularsregatding those rescued! Sadly, the Sighting of Don Alley proved false, and Mrs Alleys hopes were ereshed. In another ease, some Australian officers Zentsuji were sure they recognised men from Rabaul in a ‘newsparer photograph of prisoners in Japan and wrote #0 the wile af one with the news, This alo proved wo be 2 mis: take andthe confised widow wak very distressed. 1 SEARCH FOR dhe missing had been conducted concur rently with the search for the remains of the dead. BY late 1946 investigators were eure that they would not find any more ofthe missing alive and noted that was ‘unlikely we trill ever kaw what happened to them, but the search foe the deac went on. The Australian War Graves Unit i New Britain flowed up any clues uncovered during the War Crimes ils Local Tat people led the Australians to the sites of executions they Bad witnessed, but the searchers worked under extreme difficulties with the remains some- {Imes seatered across expanses af mountainous jungle or Aispose of tea, “The gies o identify apeciic men was made almost im potsile because of the lack of records, ora confusion of records such as dental records which fled to aly). There had als been attempts to obscure signs of exceaions. I 1849" brmer Japanese commander at Rabaul confessed that atte end of hostilities he ha realised that we had no remains of dead prisoners of war to hand overt the AuS- tralian! He ordered that the bodies should be dug wp from ‘ginal execution sites, cremated and left atthe Fleet de- positon for ellection. The Australians were presented with feveral dividual boues of remains plus one large box wth the remains of twenty-ight people and a ist of thirty-one names. remated ashes of prisoners of War who had died or ben killed in the camps were lost or mised with those of Japanese servicemen during the confusion ofthe handover latter the Japanese eaptulation. One very systemati warch4m 1049 covered about twelve acres at the foot of Matupl Crater, the area known to have been used as cemetery and fxecution ground: ‘Thick kanal grass was burned, each sec ‘don was probed seth thin iron rods in hundreds of places find any soR areas were dug down to seven fet in depth ‘The search revealed the remains of another thirty people, ‘mostly US and RAAP aircrew: A bomb erate seventeen Tost In diameter was found atthe ste of what was thought to have boen ‘the mass grave of clillans, based on the ev dence of same non-service shoes and ‘personales it wat Impossible to make identifications as he bomb had scattered and destroyed all but some partial remains. By September 1949 the evidence suggested that sixty to seventy Allied pri ‘onets of war and civilians had been executed in dhe Matupi ftea between early 1042 and late 1941." Japanese, British, ‘American, Indian and other nationalities also returned 10 ‘New Britain in the postwar years to seek out the remains af ‘hele dead "The search for human remains had been long and very thorough, "The bodies which had been discovered had been laid to vest in the now War Cemetery a Bita Paks, a place which was to become a sacred place of pilgrimage for rel- tives, When Lieutenant Colonel Houghton made his final report in September 1950, one hundred and eighty bodies tha still not been discovered, but Houghton explained that they were sattered somewhere in jungle across the length of. the island of New Betain beyond the Wide Bay area, fallen hom daease or violence while attempting escape. Although the story of a'mase grave’ in an unknown locaton would bbocome part ofthe continuing mythology of the missing from Rabaul, those Investigating between 1945 and 1850 found no evidence to suppom this notion. Houghton wrote: 1 desc to rood fr ofl prposes that daring the oul in any way be amined wi th king ofthe Mane: snainty f the nextasin of members wha were reported Ive let thee ves a rel of he siking oat hi. ‘yng Unk he ae 7 |AS WELL AS thote employed in searching through people's ‘memories and those searching te sll or human remains, Others sought answers through writen records Mary and ivi ists of names ofthe missing were compiled andthe Slow process began of attempting to match names to inf natin There were sil many unknowns, nd the lack of tainty aboot the fate of 0 many was causing problems for {heir widows and other relatives. “There were many ike and fragments of sts to cloud the issue The officers had made thelr ist ofthe 297 soldiers known to thet. Thomas and the other surviving cvians ftom Rabaul had compiled a list ftom memory of known tivibans sighted inthe prison camp In May 1942, dividing AC into categories o€ Adminstration, Commerce, Mlsions, Plarters ‘Prom Kavieng’ and ‘26 crew of the *Hocrtein” names unknovn The Department of External Territories Pad a ist of missing civilians and Pacific flande Monty Pubished lists of missing civilians at intervals Sir Wiliam Wes report had its own list of vietims, and offices such 2s avid Selby kept lists of soldiers seen during the escape ppetod and those: kiown to have died as they tavelled, Reonds of names of men and women left on Now Ireland Care Yo Australia with escapees, and a the end of hostilities the few survivors mosdy mised race people, Chinese and Isolated minsonaries added what they could. Even 30, by ‘Ocbber 1946, there were sil bwentyseven men on New Brita and forty-four people on New Ireland, all civilians, tn were not on the Manteidea Marist and who could not The edequately accounted fr in ather ways * This was despite 1. Halligan’ efforts to clarify the issue: he prepared ‘ocament which outlined as much information as hey had, ‘atalmost every rcond was marked not fe from doubt oF ‘noeonfrmatory evidence! “thelist discovered in Japan by Major HS. Williams was of ery great value, Nominal rolls ofboth troops and ci ‘ays who had been inthe camp in Rabaul in May 1942 ‘anc presumed to have been on board the Montevideo Mar thon ie was sunk, ad survived the desperate burning of ‘documents in Tokyo on 15 August 194, From the originalversion in Katakana script a phonetlctranlation was pro duced and matched with the names of the missing. This ver sion appears wo be earliest available transliteration ofthe Hit of civlan, though itis headed ‘Copy’ appears to have heen done without beneft of help fom any person with local knowledge of place names or people and lists civilians by name, age in 1942, occupation, nationality and place where they were arested. Despite the odd spelling, may lentes are rengnisale® Nevertheless, there wese stil Inconsistencies and unanswered questions. In the. years ‘hich followed, many versions of Its ofthe missing rom ‘he islands veere prodced, rome sed om the list fron

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