1946 -1955 TPNG Forests Yalu Sawmill

1946 -1955 TPNG Forests Yalu Sawmill

Yalu57 had no houses after the war and these houses were built from scratch with timber from the local area. 4-5 houses and a singles quarter. TPNG Dept of Forests Housing Yalu after World War 2. Photo credit Cheryl/Norma Collis 1946.

1946 TPNG Dept of Forests Sawmill crew Yalu after World War 2. Although unclear personnel included Ted Collis, Alan and Ken Fraser, Col Pittaway, John Thompson, Eric Dobson, Bill Jenkin, George Barrcroft, Darby Munro. Photo credit Cheryl/Norma Collis. Yalu ex WW 2 Forestry TPNG Forestry staff included:

Ted Collis during World War 2, Ted served as a corporal in the 2/1 Australian Forestry Company. In 1946, Ted was approached by Jim McAdam to go back to New Guinea to help rebuild Lae. Ted said “no way not going back to that place” but was persuaded when he knew other army mates were going. He ended up in Yalu 20 miles out of Lae at a sawmill. The only army mates that Norma Collis recalls were George Barrcroft, Darby Munroe, Alan and Ken Fraser, John Thompson, Eric Dobson, Col Pittaway, and Bill Jenkins. Yalu had no houses, and these were built from scratch

57 Personal communication Cheryl and Norma Collis

with the timber from the local area. 5-6 houses were built and a singles quarter. When the mill closed in Yalu in 1955, everyone moved to Lae to a new mill. The Lae government sawmill58 became beset with problems and was placed under regional control. The main problem was the lack of logs, but with the aid of a few young field officers and a great deal of enthusiasm by mill workers, additional resources were found, designed roads to tap them and make the mill profitable. This, however proved the mill’s undoing as it became competitive with private industry and in accord with policy of the day it was closed. It was converted into the Transport Department garage and later to the Lae Produce Market. Its staff and equipment were dispersed through the department. Many of the staff stayed with the Department in Lae, Bulolo and Port Moresby. Ted chose Bulolo where he was put in charge of the nursery responsible for a million and quarter pine –klinkii and hoop-trees to be planted out in the plantation every year.

L to R Dick McCarthy, Ted Collis and Kevin White Mid 1970’s Bulolo Plantations. Photo credit John Davidson.

Col Pittaway was an NSW VDC man discharged in December 1943 when only 18. After World War 2, he worked at the sawmill at Yalu. George Henry Barrcroft enlisted on 9 April 1941. He was a sapper in 2/3 Forestry Coy. He was discharged on 27th October 1945.After World War 2, he worked at the sawmill at Yalu.

Bill Jenkin arrived in PNG in October 1949 after four years serving with BCOF Occupation Force in Japan to the sawmill at Yalu as a tractor operator/Mechanic. 1951 when he left to serve in Korea. 1953, he returned to PNG working as a forest ranger, District Forester, then Harvesting and Marketing Officer in Port Moresby. He studied accounting, 1968 joined the Transport Department TPNG., December 1975 he moved to Tasmania, working as an accountant until retirement in 1994.

Ken Fraser enlisted on 23 May 1942 in Adelaide and discharged on 5 October 1945.He was a corporal with RAAF at Air Defence HQ Port Moresby. After WW2, he was at Yalu sawmill and then as a forest ranger.

Alan Fraser enlisted on 25 May 1940 at Maryborough and was discharged on 27 July 1945. He was a private and prisoner of war in Germany. In NG, he was in the 2/15 Infantry Battalion. After WW2 he was at Yalu sawmill and then technical officer and OIC at Kerevat plantations and then moved to Bulolo plantations.

58 Reference PNGAF Mag # 9B-5B4M2 of 27th July 2021 Eminent TPNG forester Don McIntosh.