Dodging The Japs Around Vitiaz Straits

In 1942

In this article > the Rev - A - p H - Freund, Lutheran Missionary, continues his account of how an organisation of traders, missionaries, officials and planters, in New Guinea, in early 1942, defied the Japs and carried on the work of rescue and coast-watching.

THE “Lakatoi” left Witu island (North Coast of New Britain) with the sol diers who had been rescued from New Britain on March 21, 1942.

Next day, those of us who remained had a day of rest; and, as it happened, it was Sunday.

Harris, Smith, Obst, Neumann and myself now had to make preparations for our new task, coast-watching on the north coast of New Guinea. Our mission pinnace, the 30 ft. “Awelkon” was lying hidden in a creek at Gizarum Planta tion far over to the west.

It was decided that she would be a valuable addition to. our outfit. Harris, Neumann and myself went to get her.

Smith and Obst went to Madang with Radke, Chugg and Emery in order to try to collect whatever stores and equip ment could be found. We knew that the Army would not be able to supply us from outside, and that we would have to get things where we could.

Three days after reaching Gizarum we had visitors. About 7 a.m. we noticed a vessel coming south along the coast of Rooke Island towards us. Somehow, we immediately conjectured that it was not a Jap vessel. A good look through the telescope showed us that there were white men on board.

It turned out to be Jock Laird with the “Nereus.” There was a party of about a dozen on board, of whom just at this juncture I can recall only Gerry Keough. They had been up the Sepik, and had run into trouble with Ellis’s

police boys, who had evidently meant business, judging by the bullet holes in various parts of the “Nereus.” They were on their way to Australia.

When some of our visitors, who came ashore, saw our teleradio set up, and heard that we were using it, they showed great concern, fearing that we would draw the Japanese bombers. And when, during the forenoon, there was a roar of planes, there was a very willing race ashore between their two boats.

Fortunately, there was a low, heavy cloud ceiling.

There was a lot to do on the “Awel kon” before she was in the condition we wanted. We picked up all the stores, besides whatever equipment we thought might come in useful, from both our mission station and the plantation. So it was April 6 when we left for the New Guinea mainland.

ABOUT 40 miles south-east of Madang, at Yaula, Andy Smith has a planta tion. About two miles further east is Mindiri, where the American Lutheran Mission were establishing a plantation.

It was decided to make our temporary base here, and then set up a watch post back on a mountain from which the whole area from Madang to Long Island could be observed. It was considered likely that the Japs would soon occupy Madang and force the Madang NGVR to withdraw.

But the Japs were in no hurry to come, and other duties kept us busy, so our mountain post was never established.

But several weeks were spent in collect ing material for our project from bomb shattered, abandoned Madang, and supplies from the mission stores at Madang and Sek. Then, and later, we received much help from Dr. Braun and the hospital staff at Amele and, in our radio troubles, from one of the laymen, Alwyn Kuehn.

Early in May, Bell reported from New Britain that he had picked up a few more soldiers who had missed the evacu ation. So Harris and Neumann went over and got them. Japanese surface craft were making the waters over there increasingly dangerous, and our two mates were mentioned in despatches.

Soon after the middle of May, a number of native labourers from the Madang area, and westward, who had been working at Wau, came through.

With them came Obst’s boss boy from Finschhafen. He reported that, though the Japs had shown every intention of landing, their barges had turned back when almost ashore and returned to the cruisers, which then sailed away. So Harris and Obst went on an investiga tion trip on the “Awelkon.”

AT Sio they picked up Dave Laws, Laws was an AWA man who had been installing and servicing our (the Coast Watchers’) teleradios.

He was in Rabaul when the Japs struck. He, and a half-dozen soldiers with him, were left behind when Ivan Champion, in the “Laurabada” rescued the South Coast party from New Britain.

They found an abandoned pinnace with a “scorched earth” engine. Laws was not only a radio wizard, but also

an excellent mechanic and ~a tireless worker. With little more than his bare hands he fixed up the engine, and carried benzine on his own back for miles from some place where it had been abandoned.

One night, they set out for Papua.

After a few hours, the distributor broke down. With scrap material and an old file he repaired it. But his navigation cannot have been good, and the strong current up through Vitiaz Straits was evidently unknown to him. So they landed at Sio, about 200 miles west of where they intended to go.

At Finschhafen, Harris, Obst and Laws found Pursehouse’s teleradio not very badly smashed. Soon Laws had it working. That gave our party a second radio.

In the mission store, a large supply of foodstuffs was still intact. Harris radioed for Neumann to come with the “Umboi” to get them.

Pursehouse and some of the soldiers who had been brought over by Rev.

Moore on March 3 were out in the mountains, where they had withdrawn when the Japs seemed about to land. A messenger was sent out to them, and they came in.

They and Laws, with his men, came along to our area. After Laws had fixed up my teleradio, which had developed a serious defect, he and the soldiers were taken to Bogadjim, from where they walked overland and reached Australia.

IT was now decided to set up a watch station in the Finschhafen area, and Pursehouse and myself were detailed for that task.

On June 13 we set out, Obst taking us on the “Awelkon.” The south-east was a bit troublesome, so we hugged the coast to get whatever shelter the head lands offered.

Off Wandokai, near Cape Fortification, we were just about to round one of these headlands when nine Jap bombers, flying low, passed about a mile out to sea. We promptly turned and made for a cove we had just passed.

We had just reached it, when the bombers turned and came straight at us.

Anchor was dropped and the native crew ordered to lower the boat. They took one look at the approaching bombers, dived overboard and swam ashore.

Pursehouse, Obst and I followed.

I am a poor swimmer. Besides, I was weak from a bout of malaria the previ ous day. Just when I was completely exhausted I turned upright—and my feet touched bottom while my nose was level with the surface. As I floundered out and fell in a heap on the pebbles, the bombers roared overhead, completely ignoring us. Nearly drowned for nothing!

We now decided to travel no further by pinnace. Obst and the native crew swam back, and all our stores and equip ment were landed. We did not even have an opportunity of saying farewell to Obst, for he hurried away lest other Jap planes came to investigate.

We never saw him again, for he was later killed at Cape Gloucester.

NEXT morning, I set off by land. Car riers were scarce, so Pursehouse stayed till he could get more. Just before I left, a Jap ship passed out at sea. Fortunately, our carriers did not see it, or they might have panicked.

Next day, when nearing what was later known as Scarlet Beach, we met some natives who were coming from Finschhafen. They told us that the Japs had sent word that in three days they would come to the Finschhafen area for cattle. Since I had had to be on the watch all along the track lest there

were Japs about, the report of these natives at least assured me that there were none —and as for their coming in three days’ time —well, I would wait and see.

We had selected Wareo mission station, overlooking Finschhafen and the sea, as our post. Sattelberg has a much better view of the area, giving an out look even into Vitiaz Straits, but at that season it is fog-bound far too often for an observation post. So for the time being we would have to be content with second-best.

Pursehouse arrived the next day. The native mission teachers gave us a friendly reception, and soon we were established in the mission house, with house boys and all complete.

And what we saw of Jap planes and ships, and other experiences, will have to be told in another section.