When The Garamut Beats: A Memoir of Fifty Years in Bougainville
Christine Leonard
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Franz Miltrup’s life was long and eventful. Born in Germany and ordained a Catholic priest during the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, the young Franz Miltrup SM left his homeland in late 1937, destined for the island of Bougainville.
The Second World War brought catastrophic hardship to the islands and their people. Some missionaries remained after nearly all the European civilians fled. Narrowly avoiding execution twice, Franz Miltrup made a dramatic escape in 1945. With the aid of Coast Watcher Paul Mason and his Bougainvillean commandos, Franz Miltrup walked barefoot across the mountains to the Allied forces based at Torokina.
This memoir also deals with the tumultuous change that followed the war, as an emerging nation embraced self-determination in the closing years of Australia’s colonial administration. Tales of adventure, faith, and peril, of other missionaries in Franz Miltrup’s Marist community are included.
When The Garamuts Beat will interest anyone captivated by Pacific history, the impacts of the Second World War on our closest neighbour, and the social change that ensued. Franz Miltrup’s life was one of total commitment and love for the people he chose to spend his life with.
Product Details:
Pg Count: 388
Size: 156mm x 236mm
Perfect Bound
Customer Reviews
For all of us who are familiar with Bougainville and with mission life, it is indeed a fantastic read. I hope it is a best seller. Once more congratulations
It was a mighty good read, especially concerning his relationship with various Japanese officers who treated him with respect….The other thing that hit me with the book was the dedication of so many people to their mission for their whole life.
I knew many such people from my time as a didiman around New Britain and New Ireland so the catalogue of those who spent their life on the mission was very interesting. Miltrup seems to have lived in a degree of poverty, maybe a Marist habit.
What a story of historical significance and what a humble and dedicated man Franz Miltrup was. I found it amazing that through all their trials and difficulties, the priests and the nuns found their strength in God and did not succumb to them. Their story of faith amidst such peril never ceases to amaze me when I read about the adventurous people that spent time in spartan conditions especially in PNG.