36Humorous
Trivia
Photo credit Dick McCarthy. Paul Ryan -The TO who was handy with a chain saw during the Wau/Bulolo survey (1967)who, with a little help from me carved out a canoe with a chain saw by lamp light while we were camped by some lake at the back of Wau doing defect and decay felling and analysis, he also carved a metre and a half long wooden spoon which was presented to Neil Brightwell as chief stirrer during our Morobe survey (1967). Paul Ryan - the kiap at Ioma (1967) who considered himself a little tin god. Our base camp was adjacent to his office and in the morning, he would line up his police and others on parade. So, one morning, Bill Wallace, our ex-RAF Canberra bomber pilot cum helicopter pilot, decided as we were finishing breakfast to hold our own parade. All of us present then lined up and Wallace proceeded in true British swagger stick style to inspect us, much to the chagrin of the kiap, and the mirth of local bystanders. Paul Ryan - the same base camp, I think it was Tony who decided to clean out/sanitize the pit toilet, which was located next to the kiap’s office. He got together a gallon or so of av gas dregs from used drums, poured it down the hole, lit a taper and threw it in. There was a bit too much av gas as a mighty roar erupted, blew the roof of the dunny and sent shit everywhere. Paul Ryan with Jimi Valley people on the road constructed by them to allow “the cargo” to come. Photo credit Paul Ryan. Paul Ryan - On the Mt Giluwe inventory, we had, as usual, ordered our beer and spirits to be delivered by charter aircraft. This was a Caribou coming from Madang and for the first time that I know some Treasury officer went out to check on how the chartered aircraft was being used. He objected to some100 cases of beer and liquor going on such a flight despite my explaining it was part of our food ration requirement without which we would not survive. It took severe persuasion from higher up to allow it to happen. Paul Ryan - On that inventory, I left all the field books behind by the runway, after the Caribou, which came in to take out much of the gear and personnel closed the airstrip after heavy rain. Those of us left got out on empty return charter flights for the station or mission, using baggage allowance or freight vouchers that I had, but there was no room for the tin box
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Cartoon from Bob Brown’s Grass Roots Guide to PNG Pidgin South Pacific Post
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