Sori tumas – Mi lusim ting ting - mi no lukim nem bilong yu!
Troppo, young Errol ended up about as popular as a pork chop in a synagogue by the time he left New Guinea in the 1930’s! Left more than a few debts before he shot through! Ditto in Tasmania, where his father was the Anglican Bishop of Hobart!
PNG was still real adventure stuff through the 60’s and early 70’s. Then times changed……… There was some real characters (and more than a few social misfits) in PNG in my early days.
There was a Gruman, belonged to APC (Australasian Petroleum Company) sunk in Moresby harbour pre war, but it was recovered and I think sunk again at Kerema. There was also a Catalina sunk in the harbour (not the ex TAA Sunbird aircraft) but I can’t remember where it was. My father, who was on HMAS Swan, tells me he saw a few aircraft go into Fairfax Harbour during the war.
I also remember 20 odd Landing Craft and barges beached and deserted near Napa Napa, across the harbour from Moresby. They weren’t that big, single side valve Ford V8 marinised engine with Thornicroft marine gear boxes.
And my favourite fishing and diving reef just off the island Leprosarium (Gemo??) is no more. A few years ago the Navy found a complete, un detonated mine and decided to demolish the lot!
Looking at the picture in Hempy's post above - pilots could get an interesting stroboscopic effect from that prop!