N.Z. Mission Nurses Hid In Solomon Jungle

Northern Advocate, 21 December 1942, Page 4

N.Z. Mission Nurses Hid In Solomon Jungle

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, This Day. Two Melanisian Mission nurses, Misses E. Field, of Invercargill, and C. M. Woods, of London, have arrived in England after spending five months in the jungle in the Solomons hiding frGm the Japanese. Today they told the story of their adventures when they escaped to the bush when the Japanese landed at the Mission entre of Malaita in the early months of this year. Speaking of jungle conditions, they said: “It was a terrible journey through steamy dense bush mud and crossing creeks to cover tracks.” They were well off for food, as they had sugar and milk which they took from the settlement, also kumaras. coconuts and a swamp vegetable which seemed nutritious.

Many gifts of food were received from natives. While they were living for seven weeks in a bamboo grove, it rained almost unceasingly. They described the climate conditions as the worst in the world. Both spoke highly of the kindness of the natives, of whom 40.0C0 were living in hill country. The nurses were In a perfect hiding place from the Japanese and were never afraid of capture. When the Americans arrived and drove off the enemy they helped at the mission station before coming to New Zealand. Natives Hate Japanese The nurses said the Solomon Islanders refused to help the Japanese and when asked words for “show me the way,”' native boys rejffied with words “I am going to shoot you,” fwhich terrified any islanders approached. The natives hate the Japanese and helped the missionaries to evade capture. Three Solomon boys unable to resist the desii’e to look into the eyes of the Japanese, crept towards the beach and talked with the enemy who then threatened them, beat them, hit them with rifle butts and demanded the whereabouts of the missionaries. The boys bravely lied and directed the Japanese in the wrong directions and to wrong villages. Despite all threats they refused to disclose the location of the Mission oil dumps. Some of the natives -were much amused at hearing that the Japanese were learning wrong phrases of the native 1n n p‘n oho