Lee Vial, A.D.O.

Story of a Remarkable Achievement

HERE is the story of Lee G. Vial, formerly Assistant District Officer in New Guinea. It has been known, generally, for some time; but only recently has it been released for publica tion.

When the Jap invaders came, young Vial was in Rabaul. He assisted in the evacuation, and got away just in time onto the south coast of Gazelle Penin sula, where he was picked up by a Catalina.

Vial immediately joined the RAAF and offered his services as a spotter. He was given a commission and sent to Port Moresby. It was evident that his know ledge of the Mandated Territory, gained during years of service as a patrol officer, would be useful.

In February, 1942, it was anticipated that the Japs would attack the Huon Gulf region. A bomber flew Vial to Salamaua, where the officer in charge of the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles was instructed to give him all possible help in establishing an outpost. Shortly afterwards (early in March) Vial went into the jungle, and into the mountains which overlook Salamaua from the west and south-west. Thirty natives carried his radio equipment and supplies for six months.

Pilot-Officer Vial, after careful search, established his post on a high hill within six miles of Salamaua, at the foot of a tall tree. He was well hidden in the jungle, and he had a magnificent clear view from the top of his tree.

ON March 8, 1942, the Japs swarmed into Salamaua, and the handful of defenders disappeared into the forests, en route for Wau. Vial began his long, lonely vigil. Here is how SM Herald” correspondent Summers described his invaluable work: “For six long months to the day Vial stayed at his post. From a tall tree he peered down at Japanese activity through binoculars. When a flight of bombers took off from th£ aerodrome beneath, his voice, concise and clear, carried through the roar of the engines, giving details of numbers, type, time, altitude, and direc tion. At Port Moresby a man sitting in a hut with headphones clamped over his ears picked up the message and warned the defences. .

“The Japanese were puzzled. Then land forces controlled the area, but they could never surprise the Moresby de fences. The fighters were always wait ing, the ack-ack defences always man ned. They were so puzzled that only now has it been considered safe to release the story of Vial’s watch on their activities.

Vial also watched and reported ship ping movements: and, as our air forces increased, Jap ships in Huon Gulf were strafed with increasing success. .

The Japs, knowing they were being observed, searched ceaselessly for Vials post. They got near him once, and he moved to another position; but he never was more than six miles from Salamaua.

He was not only very lonely, but he suffered intense discomfort, there in the rain-soaked jungle; and he was semi blind for a while —probably the result of too much quinine. He said afterwards that he had “a bad scare” about once a week. He did not fear the Japs so nrucn as that some wandering native might betray him to the Japs. Many knew where he was, because he bouerht food from them; but they were loyal.

Vial was there from March, 1942, when

the Japs arrived at Salamaua, until the end of August, when Australian and American forces began to arrive in suffi cient force to throw them out of the Owen Stanley Ranges and out of Milne Bay. The value of the work he did in those critical months is beyond computa tion.

Finally, this young Australian became so ill that he had to leave. Somehow, he made his way over the mountains into Wau. There, a plane flew him to Port Moresby. General MacArthur per sonally decorated him with the Ameri can Distinguished Flying Cross, and he was promoted to Flight-Lieutenant.

Lee Vial was killed in April, 1943, when a plane in which he was travelling on a special mission crashed in the Sepik dis trict of New Guinea.

Editorial Note

11HIEN the full story of the war services ff performed by men of the South Pacific Territories can be told, it will be found that there is nothing finer in the history of World War 11. Whether it is something in Islands life which develops unusual quality, or whether Islands conditions are such that - only men of a special type can survive there, is difficult to say; but the story of Lee Vial is typical of what has been done by Islands men—details of which are well known, but which, for obvious rea sons, may not be published.

Most of the Islands men under 45 — and an astonishing number over 45 — have given valuable and distinguished service, based not only on their special knowledge of the tropical territories, but also on their remarkable qualities of initiative and enterprise. Their numbers have not been great; but, in the job of beating the Jap. nearly every man has been worth more than a battalion.