ADMINISTRATOR OF SAMOA

Southland Times, Issue 25795, 5 October 1945, Page 6

ADMINISTRATOR OF SAMOA

MR A. C. TURNBULL TO RETIRE

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, October 4. The Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) announced today that Mr A. C. Turnbull, Administrator of Western Samoa, had stated his wish to retire on superannuation in February, 1946. The Gover-nor-Generla (Sir Cyril Newall) has, on the recommendation of the Government, appointed Lieutenant-Colonel F. W. Voelcker, D. 5.0., M.C., of Kerikeri, to be Administrator in succession to Mr Turnbull.

On his retirement, Mr Turnbull will have completed 47 years in the Public Service. He was first appointed to Samoa in 1930, where he held successively the positions of secretary and deputy administrator for five and a-half years, acting administrator for seven and a-half years, and administrator for three years. Mr Fraser, paying a tribute to Mr Turnbull, said his work had always been guided by the principle of trusteeship for the Samoan people. Lieutenant-Colonel Voelcker who was born 49 years ago in London, served in the last war. He settled at Kerikeri in 1928. In the recent war, he went overseas with the rank of major in the 30th Battalion to Fiji in 1940, and in 1942 was appointed to command the Third Battalion of the Fiji Infantry Regiment, which he took to Bougainville in 1944, where Lieutenant-Colonel Voelcker himself was awarded the D.S.O. and the American Bronze Star. One of his men was Corporal Sukanaivalu, of Fiji, the first member of the Colonial Forces to win the Victoria Cross. Lieutenant-Colonel Voelcker returned to New Zealand last month.