Evening star., 1942-06-20
South Pocific's Benevolent CunnibuIs Welcome
U. S. Flyers With Hospitality and Modern Map

IN H0SpltuIIty uI
been dropped into the ocean thou
sands of miles from there by some
American photographer. Satepan
sent this man q letter telling him
where he found the bottle and the
photographer sent him back the
map as thanks.
Stripped Down Plane.
Ensign MCGOWAN and Miller re-
turned to their plane the next day
and spent the daylight hours lis
tening to news broadcasts from
Sydney, Australia, but were unable
to raise any United Nations forces
on their own transmitter. Mean
while, they also stripped down the
airplane, taking all the gear pos
sible, the compass and clocks. At
that time they had in mind the
possibility OF making a sea trip to
New Guinea in a native boat-but
fortunately never tried It,
The second afternoon, Ensign
MCGOWAN said, was spent bathing
in a creek near Satepan's mission
with the same supposed cannibals
with whom he had been ready to
do battle. Discussions with them
over possibilities of getting out of
the predicament followed, the
young ensign recalled, about this
pattern:
/. He would ask a question in
English, addressing Mungi. 1t would
be a simple question such as:
Gould we kill chicken for dinner
tonight?"
2. Mungi would turn to the
others, deliver a brief exhortation,
and then pause dramatically. In
stantly there would be a tremendous
uproar from the Is or 30 native men
gathered round. Some would frown
and shout. Others would wave their
hands wildly while talking at the
tops of their voices. This would
continue for perhaps a minute or
two.
3. Suddenly there would be ST.
lence. Mungi would turn back and.
in English, reply: Yes"
Il always wondered what in the
world they all found to say on such
unimportant matters as We brought
up." he grinned.
Hears of Planes Arrival.
On March 13, while on the way to
look at a native canoe--they were
considering the chances of making
the voyage to the island Of Misima
where two Americans were supposed
to be operating a gold mine-they
were met by a native boy who said
that four very large airplanes had
landed on the other side of the is
land.
I'VE thought this was just a tall
tale in hope of gaining a present."
Ensign MCGOWAN said. But later
we were told by a second native
exactly the same story. This time
the planes were described as exactly
like our own. I became practically
sure the planes were from some
United States cruiser-especially
when the natives described their
wing insignia. So I wrote note to
the crews"
1t so happened that the four
planes were from American cruisers.
Their crews consisted of 1t. J. M.
Brandt and EnSigns Leland L..
Wilder, John H. Graves and Joseph
B. Young, with Radiomen Horne,
Lucas, Hulegerd and Owen. They,
too, had missed rendezvous with
their boats on March IL, and drifted
all that night after alighting safely
on the ocean, and on the 18th had
flown into a bay on Rossel Island.
Attract Australian Plane.
The two parties, although ex-
changing notes through native
couriers, didn't get together until
March 81. On that same day an
Australian patrol plane-a Catalina
consolidated Model 3D- flew over
and alighted when the marooned
men fired pyrotechnic signaling de-
vices into the air, attracting the at
tention Of Squadron Leader F. B.
Chapman, the pilot.
Six of the men were flown back
to Tulagi Harbor, on Florida Island,
then being evacuated by the British
and Australians and soon thereafter
to be occupied by Japanese forces
Once there, the authorities decided
to try to repair the scouting planes
they had suffered minor damage to
tail surfaces, to fabric on controls
and wing areas because of waves.
The next morning a repair crew
of six Australian mechanics was
flown in from Port Moresby and
by March % the work was finished
and fuel supplies had been flown
in by Sunderland four-engined
short flying boats Australian Navy
planes.
Those Australian lads were par
ticularly good" said Ensign Nc
Gowan. They didn't have the right
materials or tools but they cut
strips of copper out of pipe, made
copper rivets, and generally were
ingenious. Their makeshift work
was fine"
On the morning of March %, En-
sign MCGOWAN said, the dozen pilots,
radiomen and mechanics working
on the planes-the other men had
been flown out by the Australians