Preserving Port Moresby’s WW11 history

Thomas Richard Auhava at the crash site of Australian ace air John Jackson, after whom Jackson's Airport is named, at Mt Lawes behind Laloki

The impromptu Schwimmer War Museum at Laloki outside Port Moresby

US dog tags, shaving handles, keys, coins and other items

US machinery from WW11

Assorted bottles from WW11

Some time ago, a friend of mine asked me to be a tour guide for a retired American WW11 veteran, who is also a bit of a history buff.
The old American wanted to be shown all the prominent WW11 sites around Port Moresby, war relics, Bomana war cemetery, as well as the start of the Kokoda Trail at Owers’ Corner.
To prepare for the job, I had to be well-versed in the WW11 history of Port Moresby, so I brought down all my old books down from the shelves, made notes, as well as searched the Internet.
The big day came, and I showed the US veteran such places as Burns Peak, Paga Hill and the wreck of the Macdhui near Tatana Island before we hit the highway bound for Bomana war cemetery and Owers’ Corner.
We made a brief stop at what used to be the site of Schwimmer Drome at Laloki, on the banks of the great river of the same name, where we inspected all the WW11 relics at an impromptu war museum run by Gulf man Thomas Richard Auhava.
By 1944, Port Moresby had six airfields, one of which was Schwimmer.
Jackson was the largest of these, and was named after Australian ace pilot John Jackson, leader of RAAF Squadron 75, who was killed in a dogfight against Japanese planes over Port Moresby on April 28, 1942.
The wartime airfields were Kila Drome (3-Mile) airfield for fighters and bombers; Ward Drome (5-Mile) airfield for heavy bombers and transport planes; Jackson (7-Mile) main airfield still in use today; Berry Drome (12-Mile) fighter and medium bomber base near Bomana; Schwimmer (14-Mile) fighter and medium bomber base; Durand (17-Mile) fighter and medium bomber base; Rogers (Rarona, 30-Mile) fighter and medium bomber and Fishermen’s (Daugo) emergency landing strip on offshore island.
Schwimmer Drome, according to various airmen who served from it, was the “eye and mind” of the 1942-1945 Pacific War, because it was from here that aerial surveillance missions of Japanese positions were made.
The US airmen forming the 8th Photo Squadron commanded by First Lieutenant Karl Polifika, a Russian, first landed at Schwimmer on May 2, 1942, and flew from Schwimmer until July 27, 1944, when the squadron moved to Durand Strip.
There are also other squadrons from the US Air Force like 435th Bomb Squadron, 3rd Attack Group assigned to do fragmentation bombing, 43rd Bomb Group assigned to do long-range bombing missions, 39th Fighter Group and 9th Fighter Group.
Mr Auhava has, over the years, been collecting the numerous war relics in and around the site of the old Schwimmer Drome in a labour-of-love.
He is fighting a lonely battle against scrap metal hunters and dealers, who without any scruples, do anything to get an extra buck.
He has brought a proposal to the National Museum and Art Gallery in Waigani, Port Moresby, for funding to set up a proper museum.
Mr Auhava has been living at Laloki for the last 20 years and knows every nook and cranny in the area.
“Over the years,” says the former PNG Defence Force soldier, “I’ve been collecting these war relics and I’ve been featured in newspapers.
“Because of this media publicity, tourists started visiting, and I’ve decided to start a proper museum.
“The proposal for the museum has been signed by the landowners already and will be handed over to the National Museum.”
The war relics include human bones, helmets, dog tags, tools, hand grenades (defused), bombshells, bullets, coins, jerry cans, 1940’s Coca-Cola bottles and assorted paraphernalia.
One of the prized possessions of the collection is the remains of the plane of Australian air ace, John Jackson, after whom Port Moresby’s famous Jackson’s International Airport is named.
Jackson crashed on the hills overlooking Laloki after a heroic dogfight against Japanese fighters.
Mr Auhava, originally from Iokea village in Gulf province, is a self-taught historian and is a walking encyclopaedia as I found out.
“History is very important,” he extols.
“This generation, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to know anything about the war.
“Historical sites like Schwimmers should be preserved for educational purposes, tourism, etc.
“These relics should be preserved and protected.
“Scrap metal vendors are getting their hands on these war relics.
“If we lose these war relics, we lose history.
“People are just taking them out and selling them to scrap metal dealers.
“I decided to bring them all to one place and take care of them.
“After that, I began to find out about the place itself, its history.
“I borrowed some WW11 books from a historian and did research.
“I realised that it (Schwimmers) was a WW11 US airbase.”
According to Mr Auhava’s proposal to the National Museum, a museum built under the name ‘Schwimmer War Museum’, would be a fitting tribute to the thousands of Americans and Australians based in Port Moresby during WW11.
It would focus on history, war surplus material protection, a site for educational excursions and a shrine for the future generations.
It would also protect war relics from being sold to unscrupulous scrap metal dealers and would promote community tourism values
“I’m submitting a proposal to the National Museum to see if they can gurantee a budget for the (Schwimmer) museum, because these relics are State property which I’ve been protecting,” Mr Auhava said.
“The government talks so much about war surplus materials, and yet, they are not putting their money where their mouth is.
“Looking after these relics is hard work, for which I’m not paid.”

Oseah Philemon back from retirement to head The National Lae

The National newspaper today announced the appointment of Oseah Philemon as Regional Editor, Lae, effective as of today, April 28.

Mr Philemon is one of Papua New Guinea’s best-known newspapermen, being former Editor–In-Chief of rival daily newspaper, the Post-Courier.

He brings a wealth of experience to The National, now Papua New Guinea’s leading daily newspaper.

 

What's in a name? - Voco Point

Boats at Voco Point, Lae. Picture by MALUM NALU

Voco Point 1966Voco Point 1967

Voco Point late 1960s

Voco Point. Picture by MALUM NALU

This is the first of a series of online columns about places in Papua New Guinea and how they got their names. Today, we start with Voco Point in Lae, Morobe province. Contributions from people around the country and overseas would be much appreciated. Our former kiaps in Australia would know a lot. Email me at malumnalu@gmail.com.

Voco Point

Voco Point, Lae, is one of the busiest coastal trading points in the country!
On any given day, coastal vessels from throughout the country – from Alotau to Manus, from Lihir to Vanimo – line up at the wharves.
The passenger boats ferry people to Finschhafen, the Siassi islands, Kimbe, Rabaul, New Ireland, Oro Bay, Alotau, Madang, and Wewak.
The local shops make fortunes every day and the roads are chock-a-block with humans and vehicles.
In a nutshell, Voco Point is one of the busiest coastal trading points in the country.
It continues a great tradition started by Morobeans of long ago.
The pre-World War 11Vacuum Oil Company – Mobil – had a depot at the site of Voco Point; hence, Voco is short for Vacuum Oil Company.
Mobil Oil Australia was established in Australia in 1895 and traded as Vacuum Oil Company.
It was the first oil company to operate in Australia, New Guinea, and of course Lae.
As Lae boomed with the Wau and Bulolo goldfields in the 1920s, a shipping depot connected by railway to the airstrip was established at Vacuum Oil Company (Voco) Point, and remained as the main wharf until after the war.
The local Lae villages call Voco Point Asiawi, and in days of yore, it was a traditional trading ground that bustled with activity.
They came from as far away as the Siassi and Tami Islands, Bukawa, Salamaua, and Labu to meet and exchange goods in this ancient market place.
Researchers know that around the Huon Gulf, a complex and extensive trading system – dependent on canoe voyages – had existed long before contact with Europeans.
The greatest mariners were the Siassi and Tami Islanders, whose boats sailed up the Rai Coast towards Madang, plied the coast of New Britain, and penetrated far to the south in the Huon Gulf.
The Lae, unlike their Labu neighbors, were not great mariners but did build two types of canoes: a small dugout for local fishing and the larger Kasali (sailing canoe) for longer trips.
Supply lines stretched across the Vitiaz Strait to New Britain, up the Rai Coast towards Madang, and deep into the Upper Markham and the high valley of the Huon Peninsula.
According to one researcher, the distinctive feature of this trade was specialisation in the production of certain goods.
The Lae produced taro and fruits; the Labu specialised in woven handbags and baskets; the Bukawa produced taro, fruit, rain capes and mats of pandanus leaves sewn together; the Tami Islanders carved a variety of wooden bowls; while Siassi Islanders acted as middlemen, trading Huon Gulf products into New Britain and bringing back obsidian for knife blades and ochre for paints.
The inlanders and mountain people brought to the beach produce that the coast did not grow so well: yams, sweet potato, and tobacco.
They also brought with them items of wealth such as birds of paradise plumes, dog’s teeth, and cockatoo feathers.
In return, they took shells and shells ornaments, pigs, fish, and salt.
The inland trade route at Lae ran through Yalu to the Markham Valley and through Musom to the highlands of the Huon Peninsula.
Trading was carried out through a system of partnership with certain individuals and families at different ports.
This may explain how traces of the old Ahi – Wampar language are said to exist as far away as the coast of West New Britain.
It may also explain the undercurrent of friendship and co-operation between the people of the Huon Gulf coast, from Salamaua to the Siassi islands.
In 1979, a strange phenomenon occurred when a whirlpool came and tore away a large chunk of land and destroyed part of the Yacht Club.
This surprised many people, but not the local landowners, who said it was an evil spirit called Yaayaa.
According to the traditions of the Gwatu clan of Butibam Village, their original village, Ankuapoc, was near Asiawi.
Asiawi, according to mythology, used to be a long point which went out much further than today but was eaten by the evil spirit called Yaayaa which comes in a whirlpool and takes away chunks of land, the last of which was in 1979.
As Lae boomed with the Wau and Bulolo goldfields in the 1920s, a shipping depot connected by railway to the airstrip was established at Voco Point and remained as the main wharf until after the war.
Voco Point is now the terminal for local shipping and small boats, second to the Lae Port.
But it has made an indelible mark on the history of Lae, Morobe Province, and Papua New Guinea, and continues in the same vein.
Where once ancient mariners braved the rough seas, with only the moon and stars to guide them, now modern coastal vessels load machinery for the new gold mine on Lihir.
This is Voco Point, also known as Asiawi.

Your pig or your life?

“Your pig or your life?”

That is the million-kina question all Papua New Guineans, and particularly Highlanders, must now consider with the swine flu outbreak.

But, seriously, it is a matter of life or death, and surely, pigs should be slaughtered en masse (and eaten?) to save the lives of thousands of Papua New Guineans.

 

Swine flu red alert

Deadly virus sparks panic

 

By KESSIE TADAP in The National

 

HEALTH and quarantine officials are keeping a close watch on the deadly swine flu outbreak in Mexico that has spread to several countries, including New Zealand, and poses a risk of becoming a global pandemic.

The illness has claimed 103 lives in Mexico and dozens of cases have been reported in seven countries including the United States, causing the US government to declare a health emergency.

National Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection Authority (NAQIA) chief quarantine officer of animals, Dr Nime Kapo, told The National that NAQIA and the Health Department were working together in keeping a close eye on the current situation in Asia as well as having a contingency plan for PNG should the pandemic reach our shores.

“Yes we are monitoring the situation together with the Health people,” Dr Kapo said.

“We are also working on a national flu plan that will be used if the flu is detected in PNG.”

He said this outbreak was not among pigs although it originated from pigs, so it is really the Health Department which should be the right people to have a say on this because the epidemic was an outbreak among humans.

“We have had a lot of queries from the media and press, so the Health Department and NAQIA are putting together an information sheet that will hopefully be put out in public and in the media about the swine flu,” Dr Kapo said.

In PNG, pigs are of significant value and are an important part of compensation payments and important items during bride price, death, initiation and other traditional and customary feasts.

Several countries including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Russia and China stepped up quarantine measures and drew up contingency plans to stop the spread of swine flu.

Stock markets across the globe took a battering as investors reacted to the news.

The World Health Organisation has declared the deadly outbreak a public health emergency of “pandemic potential” after the deaths of 103 people in Mexico from what was described as pneumonia caused by a flu-like illness.

WHO director-general Margaret Chan said last week that the outbreak was of a never before seen virus and that it was a very serious situation.

WHO said that some of those who have died were confirmed to have a unique version of the A/H1N1 flu virus that was a combination of bird, pig and human viruses.

 

Dust over Rabaul

Dust over Rabaul

Children on the eerie, moonscape-like landscape near Tavuvur Volcano, Rabaul

Dust over Rabaul

Rabaul Market

Rabaul volcano

Tavurvur sends out clouds of ash over Rabaul

Tavurvur sends out dust over Rabaul from seen from the volcano observatory

…but there is a silver lining to the dark cloud

Going back to the dusty volcanic town of Rabaul after many years can be a very emotional experience.
And that’s exactly what I found out when my guide, University of Vudal lecturer Gitala Pranis and his lovely wife Jacinta, took me to Rabaul as a last stop after an extensive tour of the Gazelle Peninsula.
Last time I was in Rabaul was way back in 1993, when I traveled there from Lae one weekend with my uncle, Elijah Kissing, to support our beloved Lae Bombers in their rugby league clash against the Rabaul Guria.
Our team lost; however, we had a great time that weekend in Rabaul and the many nightclubs in town.
A year later, in September 1994, our hearts broke as Rabaul was destroyed by falling ash of that fateful volcanic eruption.
Before that, in the early 1970’s, when my late father Mathias Nalu was school inspector on Bouganville, we family often stopped in Rabaul as the DC3 we were traveling in refueled on the long run between Lae and Buka.
Those were indeed the halcyon days when Rabaul was widely regarded as the “pearl of the Pacific”.
Those memories of another day touched a nostalgic chord in my heart as I saw the sad remains of Rabaul, which were so poignantly captured in song by one of its favorite sons, the late John Wong, who died so tragically this year of a heart attack.
He was a huge figure on the PNG music scene in the 80’s and 90’s, playing with such legendary PNG bands as Barike and the Unbelievers.
His songs Dust over Rabaul and Rabaul Town were huge hits and meant a lot to the people of Rabaul after the destruction caused by the volcano in 1994.
Tavurvur Volcano in Rabaul continues to send out clouds of ash and steam, as I found out.
It was making belching noises like a mammoth jet engine and continuing to send out ash over Rabaul.
The area near the volcano is eerie and like a moonscape, however, people stubbornly
persist and continue to live in Rabaul.
The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994.
After the eruption the capital was moved to Kokopo, about 20km away.
Rabaul is continually threatened by volcanic activity due to being built on the edge of Rabaul caldera, a flooded caldera of a large volcano.
There are eight active vents in Rabaul Caldera: Tovanumbatir, Kabiu, Rabalanakaia, Turanguna, Tavurvur, Sulphur Creek, Vulcan, and Vulcan Island.
A large eruption occurred at Rabaul volcano on Saturday October 7, 2006, with ash to 60,000 feet.
The eruption shattered windows in the town, and lava flows reached the sea
Many long time residents of Rabaul whom I spoke to remarked that 2008 has seen one of the worst ash fallouts from Tavurvur, with one of the largest and most consistent amounts of ash.
On November 20 in 2008, Tavuvur released a spectacular plume of ash and steam, and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite took a picture the same day and posted it on its website http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/.
In this image, a dingy gray plume blows westward over the Bismarck Sea from the volcano’s summit.
The plume differs from the nearby clouds in both its darker color and more diffuse shape.
At the Rabaul Hotel, staff are on the roofs, in the garden and its surrounds, every day, with shovels and wheel barrows digging out the ash that has accumulated over night.
A recent newspaper report, saying that the ash was life threatening, led to mass hysteria and panic by the workers of Rabaul and the closure of some much-needed utilities like the hospital, technical, school and power.
That aside, Rabaul is still a beautiful place with a lot of history, remaining the third largest port of Papua New Guinea, importing and exporting and the feeding straw to Kokopo Town and indeed, the whole Islands Region.
The history of Rabaul is one of wreckage and regrowth.
Modern historians will find a treasure trove of World War 2 relics, tunnels and caverns to explore within driving distance of Rabaul.
Close to the now-thriving centre of Kokopo, are the remnants of Gunantambu mansion, built in the 1880’s by the legendary Queen Emma.
After the eruption of Tavurvur and Vulcan in September 1994, most Rabaul services were relocated in Kokopo, which is strung along the edge of Blanche Bay.
The town has grown rapidly and the busy market, selling fresh produce, local cigars and betel nut, is located on the main road from Tokua Airport.
The waterfront is the place to find boats for travel to the outer islands or for a spot of fishing.
The drive from the airport, now located at Tokua about an hour from Rabaul, is along a narrow road winding its way around the glittering waters of the Gazelle Peninsula.
Through the coconut trees villages of thatched huts surrounded by colourful flowerbeds and tropical fruit trees look out over calm waters.
East New Britain has a fascinating World War 11 history and visitors can explore Japanese caved systems, barged tunnels, aircraft wrecks and submarines.
The people of East New Britain have been seen as culturely diversified with rich and unique traditions.
The tubuan signifies spiritual dancers and traditional ceremonies that demonstrate a history well kept and used in today’s society.
The Tolai people of the Gazelle Peninsulla have continued to use the traditional shell money called tabu.

They use the tabu as a contribution to the Tolai male secret society of tubuan and dukduk, for distribution to people at death ceremonies, as payment of a bride price, for settling disputes, to purchase land or even garden food from local markets.
The tropical nature of the province, with its evergreen rainforest vegetation and rugged mountain ranges, the imposing volcanoes which surrounds the town of Rabaul and the beautiful Simpson harbour have made East New Britain an attractive and adventurous place to visit.
The marine resources are diverse and the tropical environment provides opportunities for bush trekking, mountain trekking, mountain climbing and cave exploration.
Yes, indeed, there is a silver lining to the dark cloud looming over Rabaul.

Unforgettable Kavieng, New Ireland province

Buying fresh fish at Kavieng Market

Children on the beachfront at Kavieng looking out to Nusa Island

Crowd at Kavieng Market

Fresh fish galore at Kavieng Market

Fresh fish on sale at Kavieng Market

Fresh fruit and vegetables at Kavieng Market

Fresh vegetables at Kavieng Market

Kavieng Market on a Saturday morning

Kavieng Market

Nusa Parade, Kavieng

Welcome to Kavieng signboard

Welcome to New Ireland signboard

Wonderful Kavieng, New Ireland province, is the ideal place to visit as I found out during a recent visit.
I especially loved the scenic and unspoiled beachfront, market and the long and winding Boluminski Highway.
The market, especially, is one place where you can find the tastiest sea food and freshest vegetables.
The highway is named after German administrator, Franz Boluminski, who landed at Kavieng on June 30, 1900, with his wife Frida.
He supervised the task of building a road, and in less than four years, 100km was built using karanas (dead coral) that is in plentiful supply.
Boluminiski gained widespread respect for establishing peace on New Ireland; however, it is for the highway that his name lives on.
His tough but fair dealings with natives and whites alike in New Ireland were frequently referred to by visiting Germans as “the South Sea Pearl of German colonial possessions”.
Boluminski had built a fine residence on a ridge with a grand staircase descending to the harbour with extensive gardens.
A post office was established in 1904 and overseas vessels were visiting Kavieng by 1912.
He died on April 28, 1913, and is buried at Bagail cemetery in Kavieng.
At the time of Boluminski’s death, a fine road capable of being used by the new motor vehicles just arriving stretched 165km from Kavieng carrying produce to port and facilitating the administration by strategically-located government rest houses.
It was the longest and best road in the Pacific until the 1950’s.
My cousin Gebing Jethro, who manages a hardware store on the island, took me for a drive along the Boluminski and proudly asserted: “We don’t have potholes like you guys in Lae and Port Moresby!”
Of course, you can’t say anything about Kavieng and New Ireland province without mentioning the Chinese, who were brought to Kokopo and then Kavieng in the late 1800’s, inter-married with the local women, and their legacy lives on to this day.
Kavieng is situated at the northern tip of New Ireland.
It has often been described as the typical “Somerset Maugham South Sea island port”.
It has a large, beautiful harbour and is a popular destination for sports fishing enthusiasts and cruising yachts.
Along the edge of the harbour is Nusa Parade, a gently curving road, shaded by huge trees, which passes many points of historical interest, the main market, the port, fisheries and the hospital.
Kavieng is a sleepy little town with a golf course, a range of restaurants, bars and facilities, including banks, supply stores, bakeries and supermarkets.
Places to stay include, hotel, guest house and resort style accommodation, while easy going traditional style bungalows are situated among the islands just offshore.
Visitors should not expect to come to Kavieng to experience an abundance of cafés or restaurants, shopping strips and nightclubs, as they will be very disappointed.
The main Kavieng Market is situated on the foreshore and is a central hub of activity most days of the week, except Sundays.
There is a fantastic variety of locally grown fruits and vegetables, fresh and smoked fish, live mud crabs, baskets of sunga and kina shells, and of course plenty of buai.
Also found in large quantities are huge trays of tapioca slice made with coconut milk, sago slice, donuts, rice balls and other local delicacies.
Although generally a produce market, you will also find woven baskets, locally printed laplaps, and handmade bilums available for sale.
In addition to the Kavieng Market, there are a variety of kai bars in Kavieng where you can pick up a cheap local-style feed.
The Kavieng Hotel has a bar, complete with pool table and satellite TV, and a garden setting restaurant which is open every day of the week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The Kavieng Hotel, however, is famous for its Friday Night Seafood Buffet with what seems like an unlimited amount of mud crabs and crayfish, as well as plenty of fish and other seafood, salads and vegetable dishes.
The Kavieng Club has a large bar and a billiard room, and is a relaxing place for a drink after a game of golf on their nine-hole golf course or a quick snack for lunch or dinner.
The Malagan Beach Resort is perfectly situated on the beachfront, and its outside pool decking area is an excellent place to watch the sun set whilst enjoying a drink from their bar.
Its restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and extends outside to a shaded patio area on the beach.
Sunday night is BBQ Night at the Malagan.
Nusa Island Retreat, only a short two-minute boat ride across the harbour, has an excellent bar and restaurant set right on the beach complete with sand floor and tables made from coconut trees.
The bar has a great selection of local and imported spirits, an excellent wine list, and an extensive cocktail list.
Nusa’s restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch with a good selection to choose from off their menu, with buffet dinners available every night of the week, specialising in the areas fresh seafood and vegetables.
Sea breezes keep Kavieng cool and it’s a pretty and peaceful place to wander around, with very friendly and welcoming people.
More and more tourists are visiting this part of paradise and you can also find out why with a visit there.
I spent a couple of days in Kavieng and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my stay.
I'm planning to go back very shortly, and who knows, might even buy a piece of land in this part of Paradise.