BACK FROM SOLOMONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 22 December 1942, Page 3

BACK FROM SOLOMONS

TWO MELANESIAN MISSION NURSES FIVE MONTHS IN JUNGLE Auckland, Dec. 21 Two Melanesian mission nurses Misses E. Field of Invercargill and C. M Woods of London, have arrived in New Zealand after spending five months ir the jungle in the Solomons hiding from the Japanese. To-day they told the story of their adventures when they escaped to the bush when the Japanese landed at the mission centre in Malaits in the early months of this year. Speaking of the jungle conditions they said: “It was a terrible journey through the steamy dense bush and mud and crossing creeks to cover our | tracks.” They said they were well ofl for food as they had sugar and - milk which they took from the settlement and also kumeras, coconuts and swamp vegetables which seemed nutritious. Many gifts of food were received from the natives.

While living for seven weeks in a bamboo grove it rained almost unceasingly. They described the climatic conditions as the worst in the world. Both spoke highly of the kindness of natives of whom 40.000 were living in the 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 for sometime before coming to New Zealand.

The nurses said the Solomon Islanders refused to help the Japanese and when asked the words for “Show me the way,” native boys replied with the words, “I am going to shoot you.” which terrified any islanders approached. The natives hate the Japanese and helped the missionaries to evade capture.

Three Solomon boys were unable to resist the desire to look into the eyes of the Japanese and crept towards the beach and talked with the enemy, who then threatened them, beat them, and 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 the 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 the Japanese learning wrong phrases of the native language.—P.A.