III
With The 'Wharfies '

While works construction company was preparing the hospital site in Dumbéa Valley, wharf operating company was settling in at Nepoui wharf. The term 'wharf' is something of a courtesy title, and meant no more than a jetty alongside which the ship was able to berth while three of the five holds were unloaded at one time into the waiting trucks below. In the 17 months in which the wharf operating company supplied winchmen, hatchmen and tally clerks for loading and unloading vessels an average of two ships a month was handled, and during that period not a page 145single accident occurred. The men work in four six-hour shifts; between shifts the men built themselves a base camp on the ridge overlooking the wharf below.

The American method of loading or unloading a ship was to have only one winchman and one hatchman to a hold. The New Zealand method was to have two winchmen to a hold: one on the amidships winch and one on the yard winch, with a hatch-man to each hold. Working on this system the wharf operating company found heavy and difficult cargo more easily and safely handled. One of the fastest jobs of unloading was that of a ship loaded with 11,000 drums of fuel oil, 24 large piles 65 feet long, and a two-ton launch. The captain of the ship estimated that it would take at least ten days to unload, and made arrangements accordingly for shore leave. When the ship was unloaded just under three days, the captain had to revise his shore leave plans. Among the most difficult cargo to handle were the GMC six-wheeled trucks. They were big and cumbersome and were usually in the lower hold. Mechanical shovels, Valentine tanks. DS bulldozers, heavy field guns and other awkward equipment had to be loaded or unloaded from the primitive jetty with the ship's winches.

In the camp overlooking the wharf the greatest difficulty was experienced in keeping up the supply of fresh water for cooking and drinking. The nearest supply centre was at least six miles from the camp. A truck driver was kept going most of the day carting water to the camp in 44-gallon drums. During the last three months camp amenities were considerably improved. A shower and hot water system was improvised out of oil drums; a cooking oven also from oil drums was contrived by Eddie Heald and Jim Jewitt. In appearance it resembled a Heath Robinson creation; in operation it looked like a bush fire. A truck was allocated to take the men down to the wharf during the wet weather when the red slush on the road was six inches deep. The truck made it possible for personnel to visit a nearby airport where pictures and canteen were available. An IP tent had been set up as a four-bed hospital, and Captain W. F. McConnell was the resident medical officer.

The wharf personnel were the most isolated of New Zealand forces in New Caledonia. They were compelled to make their own fun to a much greater extent than most other troops. The page 146presence of sharks, sea snakes and poisonous shell fish made bathing on the beaches a risky business. Advantage, however, was taken to construct home-made sailing ships, Charlie Gunder-son leading the way with a raft constructed from the ubiquitous oil drums. Bob Blacktop and Don Rutledge set a much higher standard with a 12-foot sailing boat that was the pride of the company. Table tennis, card games and an occasional dance at Kone, a small French village some miles away, constituted the social life of this small group.

The detachment of services section under Lieutenant R. Gilmour, at the base camp, had been working seven days a week. Their work was mainly that of servicing units in the base Nzefip area. Electric light was installed in Hq, Nzefip, in the Ymca, the Aews building, postal, and the New Zealand chapel which had been build at Bourail. The water points in the base area were under the care of Works, likewise the servicing of the electrical generators and the construction of a bridge on the Tene Valley road.

Road maintenance presented a problem of finding a continuous supply of shingle. When that was found, the second difficulty was that of constructing drag lines to get it out of river beds. This was Lieutenant Gilmour's chief source of headaches. It also kept Laurie Thurston, 'Deacon' Carswell, Archie Canavon and some of the other lads busy. In the camp mechanics were kept busy repairing vehicles in the shop. 'Gertrude' was created at this time and of all the contraptions made to meet an emergency none could hold place with her. Details of her construction are being kept on the security files until the 50 volume history of Works Service is published. Suffice it to say that 'Gertrude' produced over 4,000 cubic yards of shingle for concrete. As she was an all-welded work, it would not be out of place to say a word on Les Watson, and the Johnsons, Bob and 'Panhandle.' An official report on the technical problems raised in the course of construction in New Caledonia says:—

'The welding crew were always overworked and put in a considerable amount of overtime, their work being invaluable and even irreplacable in many phases of the construction programme. The importance of good welding equipment and skilled welders cannot be overstressed. It is considered that welding machinery, both gas and electric, ranks in importance page 147with the bulldozer in modern warfare. It is of special importance in a war zone where the supply position is often difficult and where the application of welding permits improvising of much useful equipment.'

This tribute to the welders of Works Services bestows well merited praise on men who worked very long hours under climatic conditions that made even a normal day's work exhausting.