ATROCITY ON NAURU

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 224, 21 September 1945, Page 5

ATROCITY ON NAURU

OFFICIALS ON ISLAND ACi 10N BY JAPS AFTER FIRST U.S. BOMBING Recd. 6 p.m. Canberra, Sept. 20. The Australian Administrator oi Nauru Island, and four other officials, were executed by the Japanese a: Nauru on March 26, 1943. Thosk executed were: The Administrator. Lieut.-Colonei F. R. Chalmers, of Tasmania. The Government medical officer. Dr. B. H. Quin, of Melbourne. The medical assistant of the Naur u Administration, Mr. W. H. Shugg. The engineer of the British i-'nos-phate Commissioners staff, Mr. F. Harmer. The overseer of the British Phosphate Commissioner’s staff, Mr. W. H. Doyle. Revealing this atrocity the Minister of External Territories, Mr. Ward, said the executions were carried out at night alter the first bombing raid on the island by the Americans, it is understood that conflicting reports on how officials met their deaths are now being checked by the Government. One report is that they were beheaded in Samurai fashion.

The acting Administrator of Nauru, who accompanied the reoccupation forces to Nauru, reports that two Roman Catholic missionaries, who had also remained on the island, were subsequently transferred by the Japanese in 1J43 to the Caroline Islands, together with 1200 natives of Nauru, including the head chief and a majority of Nauruan women. The general health of the natives and the Chinese was found to be better than expected, and tew were actually sick.