Evacuation
p. 10 · Read in the full issue
Unsung Heroes of the Evacuation New Guinea Men Who Got No Medals
By a Resident of Victoria THE article in the July issue of the ‘‘PIM,” referring to "Brave Civilian Pilots —especially those who were overlooked when the decorations were handed out—was of much interest to the people who were evacuated from New Guinea. We are under a great debt to them.
But, apart from the airmen, there was a band of gallant civilians who did a splendid job of rescue work after the Japs invaded New Guinea, and who have had no official recognition at all. They were known around Madang as “the suicide squad.”
The Madang squad comprised mostly civilians who volunteered to man small boats and endeavour to rescue what troops and others they could from the island of New Britain—personnel who had escaped from the battle of Rabaul, etc. At this time, the Japanese were already in possession of Gasmata. Three volunteers who joined this gallant band came all the way from the Wewak dis trict, and joined others at a rendezvous near Madang. Madang, at this time had also been heavily bombed. Some of the members of this expedition had not had any experience in handling boats. The boats, in many cases, were deserted by the native crews.
The following are some of the names of the boats and the men who success fully carried out this dangerous work, but the list is not complete. Sgt. G. K.
Russell was in charge at the Madang end. m.v. Thetis.— Geoff. Shaw (Boram), E J. (“Blue”) Cook and G. M. Keogh, both of Maprik (via Wewak). All civilians. m.v. Winon. —Pte. Alan Strachan (of NGVR), Chu Leong (Chinese engineer and owner of the Winon). m.v. Nereus. —“Jock” Laird, “Paddy”
Lynch, and one other European whose name I cannot remember. The latter two were both of NGVR. m.v. Totol. —Captain Radke (of the Lutheran Mission, Madang), Andy Smith (a civilian) and Pte. Ron Chugg, of
Ngvr.
These operated from Madang, under Sgt. Russell, who directed them from Madang.
The m.v. Gnair also assisted in this work from the Morobe end, but I can furnish none of the members’ names in this case, apart from Messrs Bill Money and Bill Blackley. There were also two Lutheran Missionary members of the NGVR operating with Mr. “Blue” Har ris, of District Services.