Military Cross

Trapping Japs In

Bougainville

Planter R. Stuart Gets Military Cross

LAST month, the Australian Army authorities announced the bestowal of the Military Cross upon Mr. R.

Stuart, who has been a resident of New Guinea since 1925, and who established Tenakau Plantation, on the east coast of Bougainville, four or five miles south of Numa Numa.

After escaping from Bougainville in 1942, Mr. Stuart joined up with the Aus tralian Navy, and did Intelligence work in the Solomons, but he later returned with the Americans to Bougainville; and in that island he rendered really dis tinguished service.

It was Mr. Stu art, for example, who put the fol lowing plan into operation: He would locate a party of Japs in the jungle. Then, secretly, he would take natives to two points, one on either side of the Japs and only a few hundred yards apart. He would give the natives distinctive markers, like a flag or a sheet, and send them

to the tops of the trees, where they would spread out the markers.

Then he would radio to the Allied forces, the approximate position of the markers. Within a short time, our bombers would come over and, in a few minutes, bombs would be falling right upon the camp, which the Japs had fondly imagined was hidden by the jungle.

The point of this procedure was that the jungle which screened the camp from the fliers, also hid the marked tree-tops from the Japs. It was a long time be fore the enemy discovered how the Allied bombers located his camps with such deadly accuracy. . ...

The Australian Army citation says that “Pilot Officer Stuart rendered gallant and distinguished service in action with the enemy during protracted intelligence operations distant from Allied bases.”

In 1943-44, as Lieutenant RANVR, he served with Allied Intelligence Bureau, first at Guadalcanal, and later with US Marines at Torokina. Later, with the 14th Corps, US Army, he organised num erous bush patrols and reconnaissance parties. On arrival of the Australians in Boug ainville, he rejoined AlB as Pilot Officer, and in 1945, as leader of an Intelligence patrol of four, he moved into the hinter land of southern Bougainville, where he organised a native spy network through out enemy nositions.

“His Intelligence work was of extreme value and volume, enabling accurate and immediate air strikes on marked targets, says the citation. “By efficient organisa tion and enthusiastic devotion to duty, a large guerilla force controlled by Pilot Officer Stuart disrupted enemy communi cations and intelligence, and by the end of July, 1945, had killed 527, wounded large numbers, and rescued six Chinese prisoners of war. The activities of Pilot Officer Stuart provided a cover for the left flank of the Australian forces and confined enemy reconnaissance patrols and resistance to the Mibo River area.

Fit.-Lieut. Stuart