General Sir Thomas Blamey in an order of the day on the death of Mr Curtin, said the removal of the executive head of the nation when victory was approaching was a deep and momentous loss to the Army, to which he had given the greatest support and assistance, and in which he took great pride. Wherever possible, troops would be relieved of duty from midday till sunset on July 8, the date of the funeral.

Mr Francis Michael Forde was sworn in late Friday afternoon as Prime Minister of Australia by the Duke of Gloucester. Mr Forde was Acting Prime Minister since Mr Curtin became ill. Except for the Attorney-General (Dr Evatt) and the Minister for Commerce (Mr Scully), the remaining 15 members of the Curtin Ministry were sworn in. Dt Evatt is on his way by ship to Australia from San Francisco, and Mr Scully is ill. Mr Beasley was sworn in as Minister for Defence, which was previously held by Mr Curtin. He will also be vice-president of the Executive Council.

Bold attempts to knock out Matilda tanks are being made by Japanese raiding parties infiltrating behind our positions on the Mivo River, in Bougainville. The only result, said the Army Department, has been further Japanese losses at the cost of one tank superficially damaged. A lone Japanese crept through the barbed wire and attached explosives to the tank tracks. Another attempting a similar feat was killed before he got to the tanks. In pools and slush on the tracks, the Japanese are planting mines, which keep our delousing squads fully occupied. In one place these squads found a booby trap of shells and three mortar bombs.

Launching a full-scale attack from three directions, elements of the Australian Seventh Division have captured almost the whole of Balikpapan. General MacArthur's communique says that in the early drive the Australians took seven pier installations and gasoline cracking plants. Other elements of the Australian forces are now within four miles of Manggar airfield, which is more than 10 miles from Balikpapan.

Balikpapan itself bore striking testimony to the accuracy of Allied bombing, for the Australians found that 60 per cent of the town had been destroyed in air and sea attacks. Before the capture of the town is complete the Australians will have to complete only some mopping up and some house to house fighting. The first Allied ships in four years have entered the harbour of Balikpapan. They are landing craft.

Forces of the Australian Sixth Division fighting along the ridges behind Wewak, in northern New Guinea, have effected a link giving them five miles of attack line on high ground. The junction of the forces moving west and east behind Wewak took place on the Sanri track leading inland. The Australian line now extends from the Sanri villages south to Alexander Peak and east to a mile past Mount Tazaki. Our troops are now strategically placed to continue the inland push and complete extermination of the Japanese on the outer defences. The Japanese continue to resist strongly, and our probing infantry forces withdrew slightly into the face of intense machine-gun fire. Japanese mortars were again active on Mount Shiburangu, where the Australians are now fighting some of the bitterest local engagements for some time.

Two Australian war correspondents were killed in action at Balikpapan on Tuesday. They were William Smith, of the Department of Information, and John Elliott, of the Australian Broadcasting Commission. The Minister .for Information (MrCalwell) said this was a severe loss to Australian journalism. The funeral was at Balikpapan War cemetery on July 4. All war correspondents covering the campaign and public relations officers attended. Chaplain Allan Laing, of Bathurst, said: "These men lived and died in the highest traditions of a worthy profession. In chronicling the deeds of front-line troops, they went into action with the troops and shared their hardships and risks. Their last and honourable resting place is with other gallant men who have given their lives in this campaign."

Wing Commander Richard A. Atkinson, RAF has been awarded the DSO. Wing Commander Atkinson, who was born at Toronto, logged 90 per cent of his operational hours while commanding a Catalina detachment at Cairns. Credited with having participated in more raids than any other piolt in the squadron, his biggest night's work was in October 1942, when he organised and led two consecutive raids on Rabaul, New Britain.

Mr and Mrs Ern Sharp, of Hamilton, have received word from the Air Board that their only son, Flight Sergeant Jack Wallace Sharp, previously reported missing, is believed to have lost his life. He was a wireless operator in a Lancaster bomber which was doing exercises over The Wash on the east coast of England and the aircraft is believed to have crashed into the sea. F/Sgt. Sharp, who was 20, did his training in Queensland before sailing for England in January last year.

Private Colin Lyall, AIF, has been killed in action in Borneo. Advice of this was received by his parents, Sapper and Mrs P. Lyall, of Mawson Street, Shortland. Private Lyall, 20, lost his life on June 20. He enlisted at the age of 18 and was in the landing at Finschafen in New Guinea.

Of all stories related on return to Sydney by members of a contingent of about 700 AIF repatriates in prisoner of war camps in Europe, few were as grim as that of Private William Alder, of Stockton, who spoke of starvation, torture and murder in a "hell camp" in Salonika. He was in the camp only six weeks, but in that time he lost 3 stone (19kg). Lance-Corporal A.V. Cooke, of Scone, said he was one of the victims of the reprisals which followed the commando assault on Dieppe. He displayed deep scars on his right wrist which, he said, were caused by the manacles placed on him after the raid. An outstanding figure among the AIF repatriates was Sapper Frank Jocumsen, of Brisbane, who, with a Victorian, Jack Giles, as one of his companions, fought on with Italian anti-Fascists after Italy's surrender, and became known as the "Bandito Australian." Jocumsen said that Giles would be repatriated soon.

The largest group of RAAF personnel to return in one contingent, 470 Australian airmen were aboard the ship. They included 23 former prisoners of war and 55 winners of the DFC.

The President of Newcastle Prisoner of War Relatives' Association (Mrs L, Negus) has received a letter from her son, Robin, who is at present in Sussex, England, after being repatriated from a German prison camp. He described his experiences after being released by the Americans on May 1, marching 200 kilometres from the camp in forced marches. The men existed for nine days on Red Cross and American Army rations. After arrival at the Eastbourne camp in England, the men were given clothes, including sweaters, socks, slippers, pyjamas, handkerchiefs, dressing gown, and a cigarette lighter and wallet. These articles came from various branches of the Red Cross. Later they received Red Cross parcels containing socks, face washers, shaving soap and brush, tooth brush and paste, boot polish, sweets, matches and cigarettes. Mrs Negus said she hoped members of the association would continue to take an interest in it, although their relatives had been released from German camps and were on their way home.

A Birmingham Gardens woman, whose ambition was to have a home built in time for the return of her soldier husband, and who has now learned of his death, will be helped to finish the home by members of Wallsend sub-branch of the Returned Soldiers' League. The Welfare Officer of the sub-branch, (Mr W Cairns) told members that Mrs H. Hunter of Sandgate Road, Birmingham Gardens, was striving to have her house completed for the home-coming of her husband, Pte. H D. Hunter when she received advice of his death from malaria in a Japanese prison camp. Mrs. Hunter was left with three children, the eldest being a boy of 14. A member m said Waratah-Mayfield sub-branch would provide assisting volunteer workers.

The Commonwealth Disposals Commission has a submarine for sale. It is stranded on a beach at Treachery Head, near Bungwahl, 90 miles north of Newcastle. The submarine, which will be sold by auction at Sydney on July 20, is 210 feet long, and has 28,500 gallons of distillate oil, valued at approximately £2000 ($4000) on board. It is the property of the Royal Netherlands Navy and was being towed from Sydney to Brisbane when the tow rope parted in a heavy sea. This is the second submarine the commission has been asked to sell for the Royal Netherlands Navy. The second is on a West Australian beach.

Donald Arthur Tarrant, 17, of Anzac Parade, Toronto, a member of Newcastle Boys' High School cadet detachment, was accidentally wounded in both thighs during manoeuvres on Saturday. Another cadet, who had been carrying an Austen sub-machine gun, dropped the weapon when ordered by a member of the opposing force. The gun exploded when it struck the ground. It is believed one bullet caused both wounds. Tarrant was given first aid by his mates and transported to the General Hospital by Newcastle Ambulance.

Authority has been given by the Department of Public Works for removal of the air raid shelter in the centre of the roadway near the junction of National Park and Hunter Streets, Newcastle. The work will be completed as soon as possible. This information was made available to Greater Newcastle Council on Wednesday night. The decision followed representations by the council for removal of the shelter so that the terminus of buses on routes 203 and 220 (Adamstown and New Lambton) could be established in National Park Street where protection from weather is available to the public.

Keith Reginald Jones, Bellbird; Reginald Arthur Bramble, Forster; Trevor Bashford, Hamilton; Noel James Lane, Stockton; Lloyd Stanley Smith, Buladelah.

Private George David William Wells, Singleton. POW; Corporal Jack Ransome, East Maitland; Private Frederick Henry Woods, Glendon Brook. POW; Private James Lyndin Hume, Waratah; Corporal Athol Esmond Playford, Mayfield; Staff Sergeant Arthur Victor Lyne, Cooks Hill; Lance Sergeant Robert James Horder, Hamilton. POW; Staff Sergeant Robert George Brown, Hamilton, POW; Warrant Officer Class 2 Robert William Sykes, West Wallsend, POW.