Story Of Lincoln

Bell

How He and Others Helped Rabaul Garrison Remnants to Escape

INFORMATION about Mr. Lincoln J.

Bell, who was a resident of Rabaul when the Japs invaded, and who sub sequently escaped and then disappeared, was sought through the “PIM” and “Smith’s >Weekly” by Mrs. Joan Bell, of Oatlands, Tasmania.

She has had a remarkable response.

From the many letters sent to her by kind people, we have been able to compile the following story of Lincoln Bell’s activities and, incidentally, to obtain some idea of how those isolated Terrltorians fought the Japs in a series of “one-man wars” in the early, tragic days of 1942, and helped hundreds of Australian soldiers to escape.

From Lieut. J. W. Mason : IAM prepared to swear an affidavit re Lincoln and his activities as from January, 1942, to about March 20, 1942, when we left him at Witu Islands.

K. J. McCarthy (now Major. ANGAU) had been in communictation with Brig.- General Morris and Major Townsend at Moresby by tele-radio from the bush at Talasea, and the Bainings, and was asked to get a force together to aid and help members of the 2/22nd Battalion to escape from the ax*ea of New Britain.

Captain McCarthy enlisted us in the field, Lincoln Bell as Lieutenant and master of the pinnance “ Aussie'’; Rod Marsden, Lieutenant at Talasea; Conrov at Bainings; Harry Murray at Witu; Frank Holland and myself as Lieutenants, in what was then known as the Australian Administration Force.

Lincoln Bell acted as master of “Aussie,” with myself, relaying troops nightly from Pondo to Ibpki. This was dangerous and tiring work, sailing at night, relaying 240 officers and men in batches of 40, from place to place, for a period of about a month, until we finally reached Witu Islands, and escaped in the “Lakatoi” (former BP steamer).

There is no doubt whatever that, owing to the untiring efforts and endurance of this little party, the soldiers were able to escape. Lincoln Bell, particularly, was out standing in his efforts and gave valuable assistance. When we left Witu, he volun teered to remain behind to hold lines of communication by tele-radio to Moresby, giving details of other members of 2/22nd left behind in the bush.

From A. P. H. Freund, Geelong : I AM a Lutheran clergyman, and I was working as a missionary in New Guinea from 1936 till the Japanese came into the war. In February, 1942, I joined the armed forces in New Guinea, together with a number of other Lutheran mission workers.

One of the first undertakings assigned to us was to take part in the expedition to the north coast of New Britain to assist in the evacuation of the remnants of the Rabaul Garrison. This was in March, 1942. The A/DO at Talasea had inaugu rated an evacuation scheme to save the remnants of the garrison who were wan dering, sipk and starving, in the jungles.

Mr. Keith McCarthy (now Major) was the A/DO. He had gathered around him a number of former New Guinea resi dents to assist him, and Lincoln J. Bell was one of them.

On March 21, after we had put the refugees aboard the “Lakatoi,” and started them off for Australia from Witu Islands,

some of us left to return to the New Guinea mainland. Lincoln Bell, Ken Douglas and Bert Olander volunteered to remain in the New Britain area to obtain information about Japanese movements, and to gather together any further stragglers- from the Rabaul Garrison. (Olander was later killed.) During the period between the 12th and 16th May, 1942, two members of our party, Lieutenant (later Captain) G. C. Harris (since killed in action), and Sgt. V.

Neumann (now W/02, and serving under ANGAU in the New Britain area) did another trip to the New Britain area to take off five more of the former Rabaul Garrison, whom Lincoln Bell had located and collected.

Later, I again met Lincoln. It was on Sunday, October 18, 1942. He and Ben Hall were on their way to Rooke Island.

They brought supplies and mail for my party.

About May 12, 1943, I heard news about Lincoln again. On May 11, Captain L.

Pursehouse (since killed) Petty Officer K. H. McColl (now Lieutenant, and attached to Naval Intelligence) and myself

had crossed the Markham, having had to flee from the Finschhafen area. The day after we crossed the Markham we made contact with an observation partv above Onga: Sgt. Cavelieri, Cpl. Colin Stewart and Cpl. McDonald. We stayed with that party till May 14.

During the period that we were with them news was received somehow that Lincoln Bell and Dave Laws (I did not know their rank at that time) were com ing into the Markham area, having come across from the Rai coast, and were run ning into trouble with the Japanese. A police boy was sent out to try to locate them and bring them through. No news came to hand before we left to go on to Bena Bena. We were at Bena Bena for a few days, then flew on to Port Moresby, were there for a fortnight, and were then brought to Australia. During that interval we heard no more about Lincoln and Dave. But during the period of my leave in Australia, Captain Pursehouse wrote to me. and, among other things, he informed me that he had received information that Lincoln Bell and Dave Laws had been killed by the Japanese in the Markham area.

What I have given *you is not from memory. I was able to keep a diary dur ing the whole time I was serving in the armed forces, and was able to bring the note-books through.

From W/0.11 P. A . Ryan to Mrs. J.

Bell: I WAS engaged on work similar to your husband’s in 1942 and 1943, and on one occasion endeavoured to join him, but was forced to withdraw. Although I never met him, I have the highest regard for him as one of the most courageous men in New Guinea in that troubled period.

From Lieut. Beenie, 2/2 Aust. Inf.

Bn., Aif:

rREE AIF sergeants who served with L. Bell have been asked to get in touch with Mrs. Bell. I was one of the sergeants who had the privilege to serve under your husband on New Britain.

The other two sergeants (now) Lieut. J L Flucker, c/o NGIB, and Lieut. A Vines' 6 Div. Sigs.

When we first arrived back in Aus traha we tried to contact you, but the address Lincoln had given us had been lost in transit, and Jim Flecker wrote to what he thought was the address, and had the tetter returned to him. I am sorry that this can only be a short note, as once again we are into it.

We kept a diary of all the time we were with Lincoln, so I am sure that if there is anything you want to know we will be able to help you.

From S/Sgt. C. Lewis: DURING March and April, 1942, I was with a party who contacted your husband at Talasea Peninsula (New Britain), and I was camped with him for a period of aporoximately eight weeks Your husband during this period was undertaking military duties. He wore the insignia of an Army Captain, and was in constant wireless communication with the military authorities. The work he was doing was hazardous and perilous in what was then enemy-occupied territory. The following soldiers were with him at the time: Lieut. B. Dawson, Sgt. J. Flucker Sgt. A. Vine, Sgt. P. Beenie, Pte. C.

Holmfield, Pte. D. Carter.

Your husband was a courageous and sterling soldier, and his passing proved a great shock to me. All who knew him spoke highly of him, and I for one owe him a debt of gratitude for the assistance rendered to me and others which en abled us to get off New Britain.

Owing to ill-health, Captain A. C.

Rentoul has resigned his post in the British Colonial Service in the New Hebrides, which he entered in 1942. Cap tain Rentoul was a prominent official in the administration of Papua prior to the evacuation in 1942; and then, having served more than the necessary 20 years, he retired from that service. During 18 months, while in the New Hebrides, he served as Liaison Officer between the New Hebrides Administration and the US Forces, and was given the rank of Cap tain.