CHAPTER 65
THE FELIX ROUSELLE.
The gallant Second Twenty Fifth, no less,
in Syria they did fight.
The Vichy French they did their best,
Used the French Foreign Legion`s might.
The Aussie troops so strong and hard,
beat the Foreign legion, mean.
The Frogs had dealt them every card,
then, to give in they were keen.
The Battalion sent back from abroad,
to Australia`s aid in war.
The sick and wounded went aboard,
this French merchant ship so poor.
The Felix Rouselle was the prize,
left Port Tewfik under way.
When the prisoners in the hold did rise,
Ward and Johnson had their say.
Twin Lewis anti aircraft guns,
spat fire and lead anew.
They'd rush the Bridge these criminal ones,
Flogged back by the tough gun crew.
The froggy Captain turned the ship,
By night and headed north.
Johnno saw the North Star slip,
The frog headed home to port.
Johnno held a gun to the Captain`s head,
and turned the ship about.
The Vichy crew came south instead,
Ward and Johnson left no doubt.
The frog crew joined the prisoners,
to take the ship as well.
And Reg and Don spent fifty days,
in the gun pit hot as hell.
The painter William Dargie then,
approached the pair to say.
He`d like to paint these two good men,
Hangs in the War Museum today.
These men they never left the gun,
Five attempts the prisoners made.
Five times they came the ship to run,
till at last came Adelaide.
No recognition
did they get,
the crew who manned the gun.
Life and death were a balanced bet,
till the gauntlet had been run.
by D H Johnson.
CHAPTER 66
During the war in Syria from the 5-6-1941 until 2-8-1941,
thousands of Foreign Legion and Vichy French troops surrendered and
became prisoners of war. So it was decided by the Allies to return
the said troops to France, as a good will gesture. This action did
not make any sense to me. The captured French troops were put on
French ships and transported back to France. I was in the hospital
8.A.G.H.M.E with a kidney condition from the 18-1-42 until 21-2-42.
On release from hospital I went to Port Tuvic, near Port Said. I
was told the 2/25th Battalion had already
sailed back to Australia on the Liberty ship Mt. Vernon. I found
myself in a small composite company. In charge of that company was
Lieutenant Howard Strachan, a sick man. These remnants of the
casualties of the 2/25th Battalion numbered about fifty men.
They were all unarmed. Just before embarkation Lieutenant Strachan
said to me," Don I designate you Corporal, do it and do it well!"
On the 2-4-42 we embarked on the S/S
Felix Rouselle at Port Tewfik. The ship was a rusty derelict, a
vermin infested vessel that flew the French flag. As second in
charge of this composite company of the 2/25th
Battalion, I sought out a key position. With Reg Ward, the body
guard of the Colonel, C B Withey, I found one, a cemented-in gun
pit. It was used for anti- aircraft and
submarine surveillance. The gun pit had twin Lewis guns strapped
together on a swivel mount.
The Felix Rouselle, was the Vichy French ship that we were to
bring home to Australia from the Middle East. We boarded her in
Port Tewfik. She had in her holds battened down, Australian and New
Zealander prisoners from Jerusalem Jail.
Murderers, Rapists, Thieves and Deserters. The ship was crewed by
Vichy French and these men in collaboration with the prisoners
mutinied and tried to take the ship several
times. Reg. Ward and myself kept them from taking the bridge, with
the twin Lewis guns that we swung their way when they rushed the
bridge up the companionway. Often we fired bullets over their
heads, to put them back below deck. Then I saw by night that
the North Star was in the wrong place. I also felt the ship
turning, we were soon heading due north. So I went to the Captains
cabin and put a gun to the Captain's head and had
him turn the ship around and head her south again. I spoke to the
Captain when I found him in the Captain's cabin, saying " Bring it
about Frog or I shall kill you! " I held a .45
revolver to his head. He spoke down the tube to the officer at the
wheel to do it immediately, in my presence. I really thought at
this time, that the Allies were sending this ship load of Army
criminals and Vichy French crew back to France. Now, I thought
there had been some earlier agreement that the French got their
many thousands of prisoners of war, plus all the prisoners from the
Jerusalem Jail. As to ice the cake and
finish the bargain. There was no other excuse. I was shocked and
amazed to be in this situation.
Five times they rose to take the ship in the Red sea or the Indian
Ocean. They set the ship alight twice. They held the ship
completely, though not my gunpit, or the steerage wheel.
It was under my command with the help of Reg. Ward, there was no
one better! Often they came onto the main deck and surged up the
companionway to the bridge. Only to be dispelled and put back in
their holds with (quoting Harry Morant the Breaker) "Unit
303". It was everlasting and on going.
CHAPTER 67
During this voyage a man approached me with his hands up.
He said he was an Official War Artist. I asked if he was an artist
of war, or of painting?
He told me he wanted to paint a picture of Reg. and myself and the
gunpit. I asked him to do an about turn to see if he carried any
weapons beneath his clothes. Then I gave him permission. I further
advised him on his return visits: to button his shirt sleeves up,
also his collar, to turn his trouser pockets out. It took him three
days to do the painting at the peril of his life. He then held it
up for us to see. We felt no gratitude then, but I
do now. Because he was none other than Sir William Dargie. He
paints and apologizes to no one. He has since won 8 Archibald
prizes for painting.
I later discovered two New Zealand men who were locked in the
lift cage at the bottom of the ship. They had cut a Provo's throat
with a broken bottle. These men were despised by all aboard.
During this time malnutrition had set in, and dehydration was
a problem. There was no food and water to speak of, and we were
filthy in our rags. Our few brothers of the 2/25th Battalion would
throw us a water bottle, or half a spud between us.
These men included Lt. Strachan who later became the Aide-de-camp
of Sir Leslie Wilson, the Governor. Also there was Harry Whitfield,
both men now are gone.
CHAPTER 68
Finally the Felix Rouselle tied up at Durban Harbour South
Africa. We had caught up with the other ships of the Convoy there.
We were late, and last into port. Brigadier
Eather announced that if 100 riflemen could be found, we were to be
sent to take the island of Madagascar off the African coast. The
numbers could not be found in this Convoy. The Island was a part of
the Vichy French Empire. South African forces landed
on May 5th 1942 and took the Island of Madagascar by early
November. The Pommies had been trying to side-track us again, into
a tough job.
The Brigadier said our troops were to be stationed in tents
outside Durban, about three miles to the southwest. He also said
that he had approached the South African
Government for money to pay his troops, but this request had been
denied. Reg Ward and myself went in to approach the South African
Government at Durban. We told them that, in the sandhills, there
were close to three thousand A.I.F soldiers, who had not
been paid for some time. They would be in Durban that night on
leave, paid or unpaid.
We said it would be wiser to pay them the minimum amount of money,
or they would take what they wanted. The Government agreed to pay
every soldier, five pounds each.
They contacted the Brigadier with this decision, and he asked who
were the Ambassadors. However he was not told of our names.
They told the Brigadier that they would open twelve pay windows
immediately, and that the troops could straggle in. By the time the
last ones were in town they would all have
been paid and enjoying a night out on the town. We were the first
paid, we were joyful and slightly over indulged. The hell-ship,
Felix Rouselle, was declared unfit for human inhabitation on its
arrival. She had to be fumigated and cleaned, with the removal of
lice, fleas, rats, and other vermin. Also the excreta of the
prisoners holed up below. The prisoners were taken off, I don't
know where to, while this was going on. Then after the
cleaning was done Reg and I boarded the ship again. We took up our
position in the gun pit and the prisoners were reloaded. Our sick
and wounded came from the hospital and us we were considerably
better after our stay in Durban! Even so we still couldn't leave
our post till the end of the journey home.
CHAPTER 69
Finally we saw Perth and then Adelaide. The prisoners were
taken off down a gangway, with meshed in sides and weld-meshed
tops. They went straight into cages on the back of Blitz Wagons.
Military police lined each side of the ship gangway, until the
prisoners were locked in the cages. Sliding doors locked behind
them with several bolts.
To me, these prisoners were the worst animals on the face of the
earth. They left with a M.P. escort.
We had come south in a big circle through the Indian Ocean. If
we had come direct through the Islands we might never have made it.
The Japs had control there. Had we aimed for Darwin we wouldn't
have arrived there. On the Journey I checked the Frog
when he used the sextant. I had no problem with latitude but
longitude was a different matter. Those French men they didn't like
to talk English. Except when you have some nailed with a couple of
Lewis Guns, you'll find that they can speak several languages. We
would watch the Frog with the sextant and study the rails on the
map, and then he would mark our position and plot the course. I
knew by the suns position that we were heading
roughly where he said we were. The old time bushmen of Australia
always watched the sun's passage. Watched it as a reference for
east and west, and were never lost, even in
the thickest scrub country. Yes we had to keep the pressure on
this man to get ourselves home. The ship ran out of water and we
had to go on. The food was almost gone also. During the early
stages of the voyage our mates would throw us a spud or
two. We were burned red from being constantly in the sun and the
sea water burned my skin when I washed in it from a bucket. So at
last we had made Adelaide and handed the ship over.
photo of:2/25th men Sam Willianson, Abby Myatt, Reg Ward, Fred Greer, Don Johnson, & Norm Duel.
CHAPTER 70
On the 21st day January of 1942 several thousand Japs had
invaded Rabaul just east of new Guinea. Fourteen hundred of our
2/22nd Battalion Diggers had fought a desperate
fight, to try to keep them back. Our slow trainer Wirriway fighters
using one .303 machine gun eace fought the Zeros there, though
outnumbered, out gunned and out classed they downed a Zero each
before they were finished . From Rabaul the Jap would launch
massive attacks on Guadacanal and New Guinea. On the fifteenth of
February 1942 Singapore had fallen. On the nineteenth there was a
Japanese air raid on Darwin, the carrier aircraft those used at
Pearl Harbour they participated. Jap troops then
landed on New Guinea soil on the eighth of march 1942. Coming from
Rabaul they`d landed at Lae and Salamaua on the northern coastline.
Next day on the ninth of March our 7th Division landed at
Adelaide, battle scarred but unbeaten. The Salvation Army
gave us a welcome home dinner. They spared not their effort, it was
magnificent. I thank them now. It was great to be back home again.
I discovered when I saw my mother next that my mother had been
informed that I`d been lost at sea. Reg Ward and I, we
went north to rejoin the battalion again. It was building up
strength for the New Guinea campaign. For the 2/25th Btn. had
sustained hundreds of casualties and had many men
dead, to be replaced.
CHAPTER 71
Finally back in camp in Brisbane again before going to New
Guinea.
I had a bit of leave and stayed with friends near Balmoral
occasionally. I had a mate in camp Jack Kerr, he seemed alone so
I decided to get him a woman friend, he was a
quiet decent bloke. So I said to Jack " You are invited home for
the weekend." We were all cleaned up washed and shaved, in clean
uniforms everything prim and proper. So I said to him, " I'll take
you out and introduce you to the fat lady." So we came to town.
In 1942 there used to be a fruit vendor there, and he had a barrow
between the Albert hotel and St.James theatre. On this day there
was an old Aboriginal standing on the steps of the Albert hotel. I
didn't know why he stood there, till later? Jack said to me "
A nice bit of fruit." We wanted to buy some fruit but the owner
wasn't there. I said " The mandarins don't look too good?" Jack
said " They're not mandarins they're cumquats." I said " No they're
not!" Jack said " You try one they're sour." So I tried a
mandarin and it was sour. I saw the old Aboriginal disappear inside
the Albert Hotel.
Out came four big fellows. One a big red headed fellow about six
foot four. They never said a word to us, they just got stuck into
us. It was four onto two, bad odds. I was knocking them down as
fast as they were getting up. One bloke was sitting in Jack's
chest and was punching old Jack's eyes out. Jack was out like a
light. One of them came at me with a case of cumquats and swung it
over his head. I brushed it off with my left arm but the case hit
me in the corner of the eye, it set me back a pace or two.
So I tore a shaft off their fruit barrow about six feet long and
an inch thick. It came off like a great spear. I swung it and
knocked the legs from under three of them. Hit them
on the knee caps and down everyone they went. I went over and gave
them one each on top of the head. Meanwhile the fourth was still
sitting on Jack punching his eyes out. So I went over and gave him
a good one. Now he was obviously unconscious. There was an
underground toilet between the Albert and the city hall so I headed
for it.
I had blood squirting out of the corner of one eye, and Jack had
his eyes completely closed. We arrived at the toilet and spoke to
the attendant. I said to him " Give us a towel, will you?" He said
" No I won`t!" I said " I'll take one!" And I did. So I had Jack
laying on the floor of the toilet, while I tried to stop the blood
running out of him. I had one finger jammed in the corner of my own
eye to stop the blood squirting. Then up came a
" Chocko Provo." He'd been conscripted. He had a sergeant with him
and they told me to get in the " Paddy Wagon." They'd take me down
to the lockup. I said " There were four other blokes tried to take
us a little while ago, we're not that easy!" So I went up
the stairs at them with the shaft like a bayonet. The sergeant
spoke then saying " Listen mate this is what we'll do, we'll take
you's down to the Exhibition grounds, get you`s
fixed up there. Looks like you've been in a brawl and you've come
off the worse for wear." I said " We aren't as bad off as the other
fellows."
So we carried Jack up and laid him on the floor of the paddy
wagon. I was just about to climb in myself, the blood was still
squirting heavily from my eye. I was holding it trying
to stop the flow, when another " Provo " came walking down the
street. He looked a dude with his red patches. We called them
'Crimson wings '. This Provo. grabbed me
quickly and hurled me into the back of the van, my head went clunk.
He jumped on the back landing and yelled " To the cells!" When we
arrived at the lock up, there were two old Pommies on guard there,
each armed with a Thompson sub machine gun. As I came near to them
I grabbed them and bumped their heads together and caught up the
pair of guns, one in each hand. Now that I was in charge I directed
the M.Ps. to contact my Battalion. They did and our Colonel sized
up the situation quickly. After our Colonel tore strips off the
M.Ps. he directed the M.Ps. to take Jack and I down to the
Exhibition grounds to be patched up. I handed over the guns and we
went off to be patched up, in the wagon. The Doctor on duty there
must have done his trade stitching up sheep at a shearing shed. He
grabbed the corner of my eye and stitched up the piece leaving me
with a lumpy section to heal. Later that year in New Guinea I had
to ask our medico to cut the lump away so I could see past the lump
on that side. Impaired vision would have been a deadly handicap,
could have got me killed in the jungle warfare.
CHAPTER 72
I was walking a cousin, a young woman to the tram stop at South
Brisbane it was after dark. I was in uniform and as we waited for
a tram for some minutes. From the shadows came six big American
negroes. One spoke to me saying. "We'll take your woman man!"
So they rushed forward to grab my friend. From a shoulder holster
I produced my army issue forty five calibre revolver and I fired a
few casual shots. Saying "I don't think so boys!" They left us in
a few seconds and were gone, there came a strong smell of human
excreta exhaust, produced as they departed.
CHAPTER
On a later occasion Slim and I went to town for a meal at the
Oyster bar in Edward street In Brisbane city. It was second class
downstairs, and first class upstairs. Everything
was antique furniture tables with white table cloths, it was run by
a little Greek. He had his daughter working there and he was behind
the till. Slim Jenkins and I went into the Oyster bar upstairs to
get a feed. While we were sitting there, over at another table sat
six big Yanks. They were drunk and they were pinching this Greek
sheila on her bottom.
One was tormenting her saying " Honey I'll take you out tonight,
down the street to the movies." She said finally, " I can't go I
can't go, that`s my husband over there." She was
pointing at me. This big Yank about six foot six tall came over to
our table, full of grog.
He slapped both hands on our table and leaned forward menacingly.
He said " Say man I want to take your broad out to the movie's
tonight?"
Insulted suitably, I smartly upper cutted him from the sneezer to
the breeser. He went down and the other five come at me, and I
fought them all for about half an hour. All the antique furniture
was smashed in the fight. Old Slim Jenkins he was still in the
corner in his chair, if they went for him he'd poke at them with a
broken chair leg.
Everything was smashed tables, chairs, every bit of crockery in the
place it was a pigsty.
Finally flogged, I dragged the 6 Yanks to the narrow stairway down
to the second class section and threw them down the stairs. The old
Greek he was still sitting behind his till.
He had a little moustache on his well lined face. He ran over to
me and said with feeling
" My friend my friend!" He knew what was going on, he put both arms
around me and kissed me on both cheeks. I was very sorry we`d made
such a mess ... So then we went down to Smoky Joe's in Edward
street, if you could get in there and you could see. It
was that smoky because old Joe had the cook grilling lamb chops
there most the time.
Plus the tobacco smoke from his patrons. - There you'd get a three
course meal for one shilling and sixpence. (15 cents)
CHAPTER 73
My mate Simmo, he joined up while still under age, when they
called for volunteers.
Simmo got sent back from the Middle East. Later he came again and
joined us in the desert. Simmo he was always in 'Blues,' always
fighting, whether it was front line or at some bar in town. We had
something in common Simmo and I.
He was always being fronted before our Colonel C B Withey. Once
when they had him up on a charge. The Colonel said to him, " Look
Simmo if we are going to win this war,
It will be blokes like you that will do it!" Inside the battalion
we had some protection and the Colonel he stood by his men whenever
possible.
CHAPTER 74
Between the fourth and eighth of May 1942 came the battle of
the Coral Sea where American and Australian forces were victorious
stopping an invasion of Port Moresby.
Air power from the Yank Aircraft carriers made the difference. In
that month also the American cipher people cracked the Japanese
code. They`d had assistance. An Aussie signal man, had monitored a
Morse code transmission between Japan and a Jap agent in
Afghanistan. As the Jap agent didn't answer, the bold Aussie filled
his boots. The Aussie gave the Agents recognition signal and then
asked that the message sent again. Be sent again using the old code
as he didn't have the new code book yet! Sometime later
the second message was sent. With the two messages written down,
one each the old code and the new. Our intrepid signal man had now
given the Yanks the new code!
With this edge, they soon had the inside information for the June
1942 Battle of Midway. From their base at Rabaul the Japs had
invaded Gaudacanal and Lae in New Guinea on the eighth of march
1942. Then Planes of the fifth U.S. Air force
moved to Pt.Moresby and flew missions to attack targets at Lae and
Salamaua on the New Guinea north coast line.
CHAPTER 75
The 39th Militia Battalion was raised at Darley in Victoria
in November 1941. It was made up by volunteers from the home
defence. Many of these boys then supposedly eighteen or nineteen,
but some had put their age up to get into a fight like their older
brothers in the A.I.F. Their teachers were first world war veterans
of 1914 - 1918 vintage. These men all over forty years became their
Officers and N.C.O's. The thirty ninth, and the fifty third New
South Wales Militia Battalion with the thirteenth Field Artillery
Regiment sailed from Sydney on the Aquitania for Port
Moresby, 28.12.1941.
CHAPTER 76
Just before the Invasion of Gona, Lieutenant Wort with a
patrol of forty men, (P.I.B.) went to Gona Government station in
New Guinea and destroyed Radio equipment and the Code books.
He was part of the Maroubra Force that included a company of Papuan
Infantry Battalion
(native troops) and the brave boys from Victoria the 39th militia,
some fresh out of school.
At Gona on the northern side of the New Guinea island the
Japanese Army had landed their so far invincible army. It was on
July 21st 1942 that the first fifteen hundred troops
landed, followed ashore by thousands more of Lt. General Horii's
XV111 army.
These supremely confident heavily armed forces met no serious
opposition, so they swarmed inland.
Their intention was to cross the Owen Stanley Range and to take
Port Moresby from the rear. More than 13,500 Jap troops landed at
Gona and Buna in the first month.
They were to be stopped by 400 Aussie boy soldiers of the thirty
ninth battalion? Very bad odds! Horii's troops included the 144th
Infantry Regiment, the 41st Infantry Regiment veterans of Malaya
and the Philippines. Veterans recently of the Rabaual
victory over the lone 2/22nd Australian Battalion, who fought alone
and unassisted, but still a few soldiers had escaped the trap.
Also landed during the first month were the
Jap 55th Mountain Artillery, 47th Anti Aircraft Artillery, the 55th
Cavalry Regiment with 170 horses plus 700 Rabaul slave natives for
carriers.
The P.I.B. with their Australian Officers ambushed the
advancing Japanese troops on July the twenty third of 1942. The Jap
troops there had used a human shield of Natives
from Rabaul a few hundred natives walking in front of their
soldiers. The Japs were doing it in style some riding push bikes,
motorbikes, and many were walking. The P.I.B.
troops opened fire with their .303 rifles and killed many Japanese.
Eventually the Jap heavy machine gunners and the Jap mortars had
their number and rained death down on the terrified natives of the
P.I.B. The Boongs disappeared and the Aussie Officers left with no
troops had to pull back, so they headed for the Kumusi river. When
they arrived there Lt.Chalk and the others, the Wire rope bridge
had been cut. So they had to swim the hundred yard wide river, many
landing further down stream, as it was now fast flowing. One
platoon of the 39th ambushed the Japs at Awala. They were using
only revolvers rifles and one ancient Thompson sub machine gun, the
gangster type. The Jap heavy machine-guns and mortars forced them
to retreat as the Japs surrounded their position. Major Watson
their Commanding Officer had earlier withdrawn from Awala
over the Kumusi river by the wire rope bridge cutting the cable
when he did so. Major Watson pulled back to Gorari leaving the kids
of the 39th Btn. to hold the river crossing.
The P.I.B. troops were there again to back them also. The Japs
brought up rubber boats and tried to make a crossing, but they were
ambushed on the water and driven off. The
cunning Jap crossed further up and ambushed the defenders. The
P.I.B melted away and the 39th pulled back to Oivi.
CHAPTER 77
During the skirmishing near there, Captain Templeton died.
Uncle Sam as he was known was a born leader, who often carried
other soldiers equipment when required.
Sam was revered by his young charges. The Battalion was surrounded
by Japs. Major Watson was now in charge and withdrew to Kokoda.
They had escaped in the night by creeping between the Japs, who
were stationed twenty yards apart, positioned to surround the
Aussie's. The Japanese tactic was to surround
any defence line across the jungle track with the thousands of Jap
troops then available.
Each new Australian retreat was through the Japanese lines of a
closing trap. On July 27th the thirty ninth Battalion arrived at
Deneki and moved on to Kokoda. July 29th the
Japs attacked again at Kokoda. The new Commander Lt. Col. Owen,
late of the 2/22nd btn. of the Australian, Rabaul defenders, died
in the area shot through the head. So Watson was in charge again.
Some of the P.I.B. including George Meta escaped by
following a river to the coast arriving in the Yule island area.
Reinforcements arrived, another company to add to the embattled
39th Btn few. So by the sixth of August their
total strength was 464 young men including 31 mostly middle aged
Officers. The remaining P.I.B. under Major Cameron from Rabaul now
were 5 officers 3 N.C.O`s and 35 Boongs. ( The name used then to
describe the local natives.) Meanwhile on the 7th
August the Yank 1st Marine Division landed over to the south east
of New Guinea at Gaudacanal. It took until the fifteenth of
November, when they had finally beaten the strong Jap Garrison
there after a desperate struggle for control of the island. The
Japanese troops were being reinforced constantly almost every night
by troop transport and destroyer convoys. On August the eighth the
39th attacked the Japs at Kokoda, they were driven back to Deneki
where approximately another 2,000 Japs in position then
attacked them. So they continued a fighting retreat skirmishing as
they went. To be surrounded was fatal in this Jungle Warfare with
the Japanese.
CHAPTER 78
So in July 1942 the Kokoda Campaign had started, the closest
Australia came to being invaded. It was fought in the mountains and
the valleys often knee deep in clinging mud, and usually under
starvation conditions.
Doctor G H Vernon was a Captain and a first World War
veteran Medical Officer with the 11th Aussie Light Horse. The good
Doctor was almost deaf from a shell burst on Gallapoli.
Doctor Vernon and his friend Captain Kienzle, CBE, MBE a gold miner
from near Kokoda, they were both old hands in New Guinea. These two
assembled six hundred coastal natives for the carrying parties to
supply the troops over the mountains to Kokoda. All the able bodied
whites in New Guinea were mobilized into the ANGAU.
Our Army had been committed to Churchill's War in Europe and the
cream of our youth was over there. Now as the Jap menace was coming
south we recalled our Troops to defend Australia. Churchill didn't
like it and was prepared to let the Japs take Australia and then
perhaps to take it back off them in a few years! He wasn't
concerned about our convict spawn. This didn't suit our ideas, so
home the boys came.
Unfortunately some were captured in Singapore and elsewhere.
Diverted at Churchill's insistence, a lot to die by the hand of
this brute the Jap. Who did we have to meet the
Japs at home? The home guard so called 'Chocos'. Yes one Militia
Battalion the 39th our first front line troops in New Guinea. These
were untried troops, the brave 39th had very little equipment,
almost no supplies.
At home they had been called the Chocolate Soldiers, by all and
sundry. They were treated much like the C.M.F. today, ( The Citizen
Military Forces.) This one Battalion of less than 500 boys and some
old timers met many thousands of the Japanese Army on
the Kokoda trail. They had the help of B company, P.I.B. the
Papuan Infantry Battalion.
These native people were not like our soldiers. When the Jap
Mortars and Machine-guns started killing or maiming our side.
Instinct or self preservation took over and the P.I.B. troops
melted away into the trackless jungle to survive.
These troops fought a delaying action across the Owen Stanleys
slowing the Japanese advance on Port Moresby though outnumbered at
times by ten to one. The A.I.F. reinforcements came, first men of
the 21st Brigade, men from three Battalions but still
the Japs advanced.
On August 16th 1942 Lt. General Horii landed at Buna on the
northern side of New Guinea.
The Boys Battalion the 39th of perhaps 460 Victorian riflemen
had tried to hold the several thousand seasoned Japanese troops. At
Isurava they held on desperately to a defensive position. They were
waiting for reinforcements, another A.I.F battalion the 2/14th more
Victorians, their big brothers who had earlier volunteered to
fight in the Middle East.
General Horii sent up another 1500 troops to ensure victory,
but a thousand Aussies held them back for four bloody days.
Two more Battalions joined the fight 2/16th from West Australia
and the 2/27th mainly South Australians. These Aussies perhaps a
total of 1800 men fought desperately to hold several
thousand Jap soldiers who were supported by heavy machine guns,
mortars and mountain guns. Finally at Efogi on september the 5th,
Brigadier Arnold Potts dug in with approximately 1000 troops on a
ridge. Horii with another 1500 fresh troops to command,
used some 6000 Japanese soldiers to almost surround the defenders.
He was intending to finish off his opposition on this day. The
Aussie survivors slipped away in the darkness on september the 8th
to be replaced on Iorabiawa ridge on the 11th September by our
2/25 th Brigade of some 2400 men.
CHAPTER 79
The Jap had been busy elsewhere landing at Milne bay at the
eastern end of New Guinea. Two Squadrons of Aussie R.A.A.F.
Kittyhawk fighter planes were stationed there from August the
twelveth. They were using runways supplied by the American
engineers, they had laid a perforated steel runway on the swampy
clearing. Three Militia Battalions went there first the 9th, 25th,
and 61st Btn. making 7th Brigade. They were
reinforced by the A.I.F. 18th Brigade the 2/9, 2/10, and 2/12th
Battalions. These six Battalions were supported by our Airforce, 2
Anti Aircraft batteries, an Artillery battery,
plus a battery of Antitank guns. They were also helped by Yank
Engineers.
The Japs landed on the north side of the bay on the night of the
25th August it was raining. Next day a large force of Jap troops
tried to land at the western end of the bay
very early in the morning. The two Australian Fighter Squadrons 75
and 76 attacked.
The two Kittyhawk Squadrons were no sooner up, then they were
strafing Jap troop landing barges and sinking them in the bay.
The Kittyhawks were equipped with six 50 calibre machineguns
each and proved deadly in ground strafing or combat if they could
lock on to a Zero.
This was a different war again to our deadly close quarter style.
Bluey Truscott one of our fighter aces, a Battle of Britian hero
was leader of 76 Squadron was helping out the
ground defences. The Jap was defeated soundly and pushed back into
the sea.
On August the 9th the Seventh Australian Division, our
25th Brigade landed at
Pt.Moresby. Three fresh battalions 2/25th, 2/33rd, and 2/31st.
These 2,500 diggers were mainly battle hardened volunteers.
( General Tomitaro Horii`s nemesis had arrived! )
If we had not brought up the 25th Brigade at that time,
Port Moresby would have been captured by the Japs of Horii`s army.
At Imita Ridge the last defensible high ground, about some eighty
kilometres from Port Moresby. Here the Jap was stopped and driven
back never to go forward again. To save face the Japs insist
that General Horii was recalled to Gona and Buna. He was driven
back over the steep slopes of the Kokoda Trail by our murderous
diggers. They finally forced him into the flooded Kumusi river to
drown like a fool.
Keith 2/31st btn


CHAPTER 80
The Yanks were doing it in style, in comparison to our starved
troops. We of the 2/25th Btn. had no Artillery, no Air force to
strafe the Jap troop concentrations. Our war was almost Guerilla
style very close quarters, constant and a very personal war.
The enemy was only forty yards away when we first saw him. The
first to fire his rifle was the victor in many cases.
The British Government had maintained District Officers
throughout the Solomon Islands before the war. The Yanks used these
Colonial Officers British, Australian and New Zealanders as Coast
Watcher's, their early warning system. There were none better
suited for the task. These men including some local settlers
employed on the Plantations.
These men were well known to the Village Headmen on each island in
the chain of islands between Bougainville and Gaudacanal. These
Coast Watchers were put on strategic watching sites on many
islands. Supplied with a Teleradio, Battery charger
motor, some supplies and perhaps a 45 calibre U.S.Army automatic
pistol, or better still a Tommy gun. Reed and Mason were on
Bougainville for months. They had been
watching the Japs every move, and now were giving early warning of
air attacks on Gaudacanal and elsewhere, from the large Jap base at
Rabaul. It took a few hours for the Jap bombers and fighters to
travel the distance down the 'Slot' to Gaudacanal. Also
when the Troop ships and Warships sailed, compass bearings were
sent of their intended path.
The other Watchers like Kennedy on New Georgia could confirm a
coming task force down the slot. Kennedy the Coast Watcher on New
Georgia led his own Boong Guerilla fighters against the Japs very
successfully, he was a Ham Radio Operator too, and did
repairs on the Teleradio equipment. Many of the other islands in
the chain down through the Solomon's to Gaudacanal, had a Coast
Watcher equipped with his Teleradio. These watchers had local
knowledge and the vital assistance of the local
native population necessary for their survival. The natives were
employed as scouts and to spy on the Jap Garrisons on these
islands. The Natives even stole supplies from
the Jap kitchens and store rooms, leaving the impression of rat
infestation. So the Coast Watchers learned to like rice. As a
result the U.S. Marine Air Force, on Gaudacanal
had time to plan an ambush for when the unsuspecting Jap arrived.
Often they had the assistance of Fighter planes off the U.S.
Aircraft Carriers. Cruisers and Battleships were
also used in this ambush game of chess where the Yanks knew nearly
every move, the Jap might make in daylight. Ossasionally the Yanks
were handicapped sometimes by communication failures, when the
message wasn't passed on properly. Handicapped
because of their lack of experience in modern warfare. The U.S.
Fleet learned new tactics fighting against the experienced Jap
Fleet in their engagements at night. The
Yank Fleet suffered heavy casualties when they met the Jap Warships
but they managed to inflict a certain amount of damage in return.
The Yank aircraft mostly were responsible for the sinking of any
Jap shipping that dared to come down the Slot in daylight. A
flight of Jap bombers and Zero fighters would arrive on schedule.
Then the U.S. fighter pilots with complete surprise
would drop down on them from out of the sun. Drop from where they
had been stooging around, achieving a high kill ratio with these
tactics. That was how it should have worked and sometimes did.
Given this Coast Watcher edge over the Japs, the Yank
Airpower may have seemed invincible to these Nippon flyers and
Warship personnel.
The Islander people were keen to guide the Marine troops to where
they could best attack the Jap enemy. To kill these thoughtless
Japs who cut down their Coconut Palm
trees, and destroyed their gardens and Villages. So by comparison
the Yanks had it pretty good. They ate regular meals, they had time
to have lunch before the forecast Jap attacks happened. The Coast
Watchers on Bougainville Reed and Mason were still
there on watch on the tenth of November 1942 when the Jap High
Command ordered a massive strike on Gaudacanal. They had been
frustrated in their many bids to dislodge
the tough U.S. Marines who held some parts of the island. With her
Airstrip Gaudacanal became like a giant Aircraft carrier with many
types of fighter aircraft and bombers
launched from there. On this tenth day of November the message came
through on the Teleradio, 61 ships were heading down the slot to
Gaudacanal. The Task Force included 6 Cruisers, 39 Destroyers, and
17 Troop laden transports, plus one cargo liner.
The Yank Fighter aircraft, Dauntless Dive bombers, and Torpedo
planes were responsible for the utter routing of this force on the
14th November. The Japs lost 11
Transports, a worthwhile target, drowning up to perhaps 15,000
troops in the slot.
Battered by U.S.Warships but mainly by the Airforce some who came
from the crippled Aircraft Carrier Enterprise, Gaudacanal, then
later by B-17s Fortress heavy bombers from Espiritu Santo in the
afternoon. The surviving Jap Warships turned tail and fled, leaving
the Troopships to the mercy of the murderous
Yanks. Finally 4 Troopships arrived at Gaudacanal and managed to
land troops there, only to be annihilated by the 5 inch guns of the
U.S. Marine Artillery plus the Aircraft on hand. The Japs had now
given up any further ideas of taking Gaudacanal!
CHAPTER 81
When the Japs landed at Gona on the New Guinea coast there
were some Church of England Missionaries there. These people
believed they would be unharmed by the invading army and they were
encouraged to stay there, by their naive church.
Ten of these Missionaries were to die in New Guinea at the hands of
their Jap butchers.
MAVIS PARKINSON was teaching at ST.MICHAELS CHURCH OF ENGLAND
SCHOOL run by the SISTERS OF THE SACRED ADVENT at CLAYFIELD when
my wife NELL first met up with her.She was a lovely young woman
loved by all who knew her. All were sad when she left to travel to
NEW GUINEA as a MISSION
teacher. It came as a great shock to learn her life ended
at the hands of those cruel JAPANESE. I was in NEW GUINEA on
the KOKODA TRACK when we heard the news and all were shocked to
hear how two of our women were treated by
the JAPS; after all they were there to make life better for the
natives. That the JAPS would follow them to kill them; and be
betrayed by some natives; must have been a dreadful let down for
the girls. Later these natives were hanged publicly for their
crime at AGENAHAMBO Not all natives sided with the JAPS; we all
know of the wonderful work the natives did with carrying our
wounded to safety. A lot of them were faithful to the girls to the
end. I have read articles in the daily papers, of MAVIS PARKINSON
writing a last letter to her mother. The courage and bravery of
these two young ladies, they must of known then they only had a
very slight chance of getting out alive. Later on when we
found natives ham strung left to die along side the track; after
the JAPS had no further use for them. When we found our
own boys mutilated; found parts of their bodies in a JAP cooking
pot. Well all I can say they must have been sadists