To clear up some confusion, the Notebook passages posted on Throwback Thursday were written by my father and found by me after he passed away. They were his attempt to tell the family history. He was in his late 80s or early 90s when he wrote them. Today's chapter:
How long we were in New Guinea has gone from my mind. But things were changing. The Australian Government, declared a period of celebration for day for the natives. The brought a load of pigs for roasting, bully beef, and other things. The men only got into their dancing outfits and danced on and off for three days. Their drums banging away.
It was a colorful event. Their home-made costumes and head decoration was something to see. We were told to stay a good distance from them. It was a native celebration. They danced. When they were tired they sat with their women. And ate and when they felt rested they would go and dance again.
The natives had their own police force run by the Australians. They had shorts with stripes, military shirts and small fire arms. All trained and under the control of Australian officers.
This was one sign that the island was cleaned of Japanese. And we began to hear the natives communicate with others. With drums. The drums would bang away in one area and then stop. And the response would come from a different area.
About a week later the words were going out that we would be sailing again. Sarli came about and as usual he had his men and women with him. He had his wives with him there were five of them. And they were docile. The guys were saying he must have had it made. Five in one night. I said I don't think it works that way. It's one a night. And if one says she can't because it's her monthly problem or she's got a headache or what passes for that, with that many wives it would not bother him. He can always say next.
The word went out. When we fell to one morning we were told to take down our huts and stack the metal sheets and lumber, cots, etc. for shipping. We were going sailing again. We were told that we were going to the Philippine Islands.
A couple of days later we put everything on trucks and they took off. The next day we left our area, with our bags and rifle and personal things and driven to the ship and boarded by the numbers to make sure as usual that everyone was accounted form Another convoy. And we sailed along. This was a liberty ship, a trooper. We also had Australians aboard. And they were comic as they joked about their outfits, army etc.
It had two holds the cargo and the top hold which was also for cargo. Only in this case we were the cargo and our sleeping quarters was on the deck floor.
