Chris Eastoe has written this engaging story of his short six-week stint on Bougainville Island in 1974:
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To continue reading Chris's interesting tale, click here.
P.S. I did write to Chris seeking his permission to publish his story. He promptly replied, "Dear Peter, I've just spent a wonderful time looking at your blog. I am so glad that you located my stories, and included them in your blog for others to enjoy -- in the same spirit as I included Harold Elliott's story about his bombing raid on Rabaul. The stories are not in a very accessible place at present -- although you seemed to have managed to find them. My stay on Bougainville was very short compared to yours, but it was a time that has influenced the rest of my life, and not just because of the scientific research. I sometimes wonder what happened to all the Bougainville and New Guinea people I met. For the Bougainville men, the civil war must have been very difficult. The ones I knew seemed to relish the independent existence the mine had offered them -- even if the operation was wrecking their island. It would have been hard for some of them to go back and wokim gaden. I wonder if we ever crossed paths in Panguna? It sounds as though you were there when I made my visit in 1974. As you will have realized, life has taken me on a long road since those days. As part of my studies, I was able to spend a year in Nancy, France, to work on my Panguna quartz vein specimens. Eventually, a job in Tucson, Arizona came along, and I spent my professional career there. In retirement (since 2015), I have been able to spend a couple of months each year in Chinese universities, at least until the pandemic happened. I gather from your story that you originated from Germany. Where in Germany did you live? I have had a few connections with Germany over the years, mainly in the area around Frankfurt."
