Tribute To Ngvr

11/ HEN that famous unit, the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles (formed when war was declared in 1939, and brought into action in January, 1942, under the grimmest conditions ever faced by civilian troops in the South Seas ) was. officially disbanded a few weeks ago, there was not one word of appreciation spoken by any high officer of the Aits tralian Army.

This spontaneous tribute to as fine a body of men as ever donned the King’s khaki comes spontaneously from Paul Deutscher, formerly a Lutheran mission ary at Finschhafen, TNG, and now liv ing at Glenlee, Nhill, Victoria.

IT is with extreme regret that I learned that the NGVR has been disbanded, and passed into oblivion.

As an old New Guinea man, having spent 19 years in the Mandated Terri tory, I feel that far too little has been said of what this unit has accomplished.

I have also had opportunity of witness ing what it has done, as well as having been able to get first-hand information.

I was evacuated from Finschhafen Mission Station on February 16. 1942, and I finally got to Australia on June 4. 1942. During that time I personally witnessed what a fine, brave body the NGVR was.

We were a party of five, which left Lae for the mission station, Gabmazung, 26 miles out, and the adjoining military camp, Nadzup, in charge of a number of NGVR men. There were four trucks, mostly loaded up with goods, etc., for the interior.

The road was in a terrible mess and, to the ordinary individual, appeared to be quite impassable. There had been

very heavy rains. It was, however, re markable to see how those soldiers sur mounted all difficulties. Culverts and bridges had to be repaired en route. Most of the men had previously had no experi ence of this class of work, yet the team work they performed, without a murmur, was an eye-opener to my companions and myself. They were largely men who had previously been accustomed to office work and such like. We got safely through.

A garrison was left at Lae, but even tually it was forced to leave. Its route then lay along the road I have men tioned. They had stuck magnificently to their task, and now they fell back in good order, and while the rain was com ing down in torrents.

It was well known to the party that the Japanese were almost on their heels. They came to a river. The waters were rising rapidly. An attempt was made to cross the river but the motor truck got stuck in the bed. The soldiers had to climb up the opposite bank and take to the bush.

A Japanese armoured car was after them but, fortunately, the flood-waters, which were still rising, prevented its further progress, and they got to Nadzup.

They suffered some machine-gunning from the air, at this place, but no very serious casualties occurred.

Owing to poor health, I had to stay at the Morobe goldfields towns for a couple of months, and I heard of num erous cases in which the NGVR did some wonderful work, reconnoitring and keep ing communications open, although they were (up to that time) only poorly equipped.

It speaks volumes for their ability and bravery that they managed to hold the fort, as it were, until the troops from the south were able to come in.

The above is only a mere fraction of what the NGVR did, but it was enough to inspire anyone with the greatest respect for this unit. As for myself, I shall always be ready to say “Hats off to the NGVR!” even if it has now passed out of existence.