A Japanese Surprise Packet (continued)

The safety of the civilian population became a matter of high priority. Our defences were woefully inadequate. No fighter aircraft were based in Port Moresby. Our main defence in Port Moresby against air attack was one solitary battery of 3.7 inch anti-aircraft guns high on a hill about 1 kilometre east of our house. There were no Naval vessels in Port Moresby to repel any invading force and the only Army unit was a small garrison force untrained in jungle warfare.

My main concern was for the safety of my wife and child and my responsibility for seeing that our meteorological section should provide all possible assistance for the RAAF.

About a week after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, Audrey and Jennifer were flown to Townsville in a RAAF Short Empire 'C' Class flying boat, heavily laden with women and children and male civilians. We had little time to decide what should be packed and I imagine there were severe restrictions on how much luggage passengers were permitted. In a few days, 269 civilians were evacuated to Townsville from Port Moresby, Salamaua and Rabaul. The Short Empire 'C' Class flying boat on which Audrey departed was skippered by Sqn Ldr Dick Cohen DFC. Dick had completed a Bureau forecasting course in meteorology in 1937. Other students on that course included Keith Hannay, John Lillywhite and Neil McRae. Later, after the war, having changed his name by deed poll from Cohen to Dick Kingsland, he occupied the position of Permanent Head of the Department of the Interior from 1962 to 1969. This meant he was my boss during the first seven of my 16 years as Director of Meteorology. He is now Sir Richard Kingsland AO CBE DFC as lively as a cricket, and most helpful in providing me with much background material regarding the RAAF and his exploits therein.

Bureau of Meteorology