WESTERN SAMOA

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23323, 5 October 1945, Page 4

WESTERN SAMOA

New Administrator (N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 4. The Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) announced to-day that Mr A. C. Turnbull, Administrator of Western Samoa, had intimated a wish to retire on superannuation in February. 1946. The Governor-General has, on the recommendation of the Government, appointed Lieutenant-Colonel F. W. Voelcker, D. 5.0., M.C., Kerikeri, as the Administrator.

Mr Turnbull, on his retirement, 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 always Lad been guided by principles of trusteeship for the Samoan people. Heutenant-Colonel Voelcker, who was born 49 years ago in London, served in the last war and 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 he 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.