TRAPPED BY NIPS! —How Coast-Watchers Escaped

Near Finschhaven, TNG

IN the first instalment of his story in March “PIMMr. K. H. McColl, who was one of Commander Eric Feldt’s Coast-Watchers, told how he escaped from the North-western Islands of New Guinea after war came to the Pacific, and how he became a Coast-Watcher in company with the Rev. A. P. H. Freund and the late Lloyd Pursehouse behind Finschhafen. In this second instalment, he continues the Finschhafen story, and in the May issue he will tell us some thing of “Operation Sepik.”

Part Two

EVENTS proceeding my arrival in the Finschhafen area, have been given by “Freundy,” (Rev. A. P. H Freund). He has covered the general set-up in excellent manner, and I can only add my own personal experiences— and those of Lloyd Pursehouse, insofar as they were interwoven with mine—in those exciting days.

When Pursehouse (Purse, for short), and I made our reconnaissance of Finsch hafen, mentioned by Freund, we did so with more or less light hearts. We were still under the impression that the Nip was armed only with those long, cum bersome rifles, which are now familiar to most. We considered that we could do more damage with our Winchester .44’s; at least we could make a much bigger hole than he could. It was only later, to my personal horror, that I knew they were, armed with very good sub machine guns too.

So we arrived at Sattelberg late one afternoon, after a quick trip in from our rear base. We settled into our old house, which had been visited by the Nip, and prepared to enjoy a good night’s rest.

We had much to do in limited time.

Early next morning we hid our gear, and retired to the hill behind the Mission church, and spent the day observing the movements of the Japs below, with the

aid of my telescope. At the usual time, the “milk run'’ arrived; a single Liberator/ which after dropping a couple of bombs on Finschhafen and Heldsbach flew on . to annoy Nips at Gloucester and Arawo That evening, having laid our plans, we moved back to the house, and had a meal prepared by a mission boy, who was acting as caretaker of the houses at Sattelberg. We w'aited until about 10 p.m. then with our rifles and an emergency ration, we set off down the road to the beach. About half way, I said goodbye to Purse w r ho was going to take the roat’. through Sisi, thence right into the back of Finschhafen. I carried on by the main road to Heldsbach and the air-strip.

As I got nearer the beach, my nerves began to tighten up. There is something about being alone, in pitch darkness, and expecting to run into Jap sentries any where, which gives one the feeling that there is soda-water in his veins.

Then, just near Heldsbach. it happened!

There was a sudden rush of footsteps nearby. My nerves twanged like a harp, and I leaped straight up, several feet into the air, it seemed, then froze stiff where I stood. I gradually got my breath back when I realised that it w r as a mob of wild pigs, in a disused garden.

As I got into Heldsbach plantation, the world opened up, and down I plunged.

Tenderly feeling a barked shin, I soundly cursed the US sth Air Force, for making bomb craters where a much shaken Coast- Watcher could fall into them. I carry the scars on my shin to this day.

Without further incident. I investigated the air-strip, about mid-way between Heldsbach and Finschhafen, and made sure that it was not being used by the Nip, and after making a few more obser vations which would be of use, I began the ascent to Sattelberg again. Purse rejoined me there, and we compared notes.

We gathered some very useful informa tion from this trip.

As it was nearly daylight by this time, we retired to our hill again, and kept watch during the day; both expected a visit from the Nip. No matter how careful, it is easy in the dark to leave some trace of one’s passing. But nothing eventuated.

WE considered the position thoroughly, as to the best site for a safe OP and decided that a point further south of Sattelberg would be preferable. . Next day, we moved away from Sattel berg and inspected the village of Mararuo.

This place seemed to fill the bill —we had quick access to the tracks to our rear, should things get sticky; a road ran past the end of the village to Finschhafen; and just across the road was a convenient ridge from which Finsch. and the harbour could be seen clearly. It also commanded a good view of Yitiaz Straits, and at the same time, Sattelberg was under obser vation, as well as the road itself for some distance.

The Jap base was only 2J hours’ walk away, but we felt that we would be reasonably safe here. Off one side of the village was a deep gully, with a creek of good fresh water through it. We de cided to build a hut down there, about 300 yards from the village.

We then returned to our rear base.

where we had left Freund, about 6 dayj walk. Freund has already described the heart-breaking mountains we had to traverse. We received a drop of essentials, including the Owen gun, and after making our final arrangements, Purse and I took the trail back towards Fmschhaten to a^esilmnaJn^This m nkwje^ a would °be Hpv? wfl?k S hebTnd thi forward nosiUon days walk behind the forward position.

As we approached Mararuo, we reconnoitred cautiously. In those days, anything could happen in a matter of hours. We found everything as we had left it, and after gathering in a few natives from the bush, (Mararuo was deserted by the natives, who were scared by the bombing), we set them to work building a hut in the gully. Only a few knew of our presence there, and these were from the area back of us. Those natives between us and the Japs were kept in ignorance of our whereabouts. We used a few trusted natives, as agents, to bring us news of the beach.

We three had been in the area for nearly 8 months by this time, and wo were familiar with most of the natives. and, more important, most of the bush tracks. Both Purse and I familiarised ourselves with the few faint tracks in and out of our gully—just in case! We made a new track up to our OP, and wdiere it entered the village, through a thick belt of bamboo, it was made on an angle, so that, from the village, no track was discernible; to find it, it would bo necessary to follow the edge of the bamboo right around before it could be scon tL P s saved our lives later A , ... .. . ’ - ..

■ a t. &„SS.

marck Sea was fought, and although we ?^o ed X wnrri aCtl On, hTtii it brought us a lot of worry. Oui JL ne !! ? f n many J x P f from rlnnrfci c ° mputed from the native reports, that between

1,200-2,000 reached shore) including the complement of a destroyer, which, though damaged, anchored off Heldsbach, and was sunk by Liberators next morning, after everyone was clear. Among these men were a number of Jap Marines, a welltrained and well-armed body, Later ‘he campaign, all Ferdinand Parties operating in the bush, were accompanied by a line of trained native scouts, but in the early days at Finschhafen we had no one but ourselves to do scouting and all other duties. We had to depend on keeping well hidden to evade the Nip We could expect no timely warning of his approach. /%UR arrangement at tv.A op II . , w . , . . were f m \ Urns to . do an Pd tb ® next morning on hiff tbe sarr ?

W . ~. a sk ® ds ; We also arranged lit n " I we^ e attacked, d t H °+v, 0 W / wjJ'° smash fbe ra dio, ' owing to thick be

possible totryand

better one get out than both get irtn trouble * n c , , .. .. un Saturday afternoon, April 3, 1943, £ .^ as my tu i’ n ta up to the ° p . ™^ g^ Stirre ?’ + if n< i the J^ p + v. was - b V sy aro V nd of the houses of the mission a 10n ins chhafen, digging diligently. apparently makin / , fox-holes. About S' 15 p,m -’ the cloud closed in over Vitiaz L t ra its, and I decided to wend my aown to the hut. About ten minutes after 1 had S° ne - a P a rty of 30 Japs arrived in the village. (I ascertained this ? n a subse <l uent vis it to Mararuo.) They had heard a whisper that there were spies behind them, and they came to in vestigate. As we had no native guards. and the village was deserted, we were not aware of their proximity. I remember we decided to make some orange jam

that night, from a surplus of oranges we had on hand. A verv homely occu pation, in view of the fact that 300 yards away a party of Japs were looking for our blood It being mv turn on the OP next morning ! left the hut about V. 30 1m P™ was enJoyin S a sleep-in, and as I 1 Passed the usual remark (a standing J° ke between us), that if he heard shots be w ould know that the Nips had arrived, About 150 yards from the hut, and on the stee Pest pinch of track. I walked into the am bush! Shots greeted me from about 30 yards distant, with the Nip well hidden in the lower fringe of bamboo. A burst from a sub-machine gun ripped my Hawley Tropper from my head, thoroughly spoiling it. Several more bursts chopped the ground at my feet, and tore splinters f rQ m a sapling near my ear. Rifles and revolvers had joined the fray, and it trickled into my dazed mind that my last hour had aTrived .

Hastily jerking up my Owen gun, I s l ? ra3^ d a 7 hole magazin ® in the general d “ 10I l ° f the eae ? y ’ then turned and r 21 1?, b f c £ down tke track, followed by a hail of ballets - 1 had not gone far when a convenient tree root caught my foot, and sent me sprawling into a water course. Seven Japs with submachine guns rushed me > and from a distance of not more than five yards, then emptied their magazines at me. Incredible as it may seem, I was still unhit, though my eyes were filled with dirt chopped up by the bullets. As soon as they stopped to reload, I scrambled smartly into the bush, with another barrage whistling through the trees after me. I had the feeling then that I was the most shot-at man in the whole war* I knew that by this time Purse would be well out of the way, so took a short cut towards the hut, and planted myself behind some bushes about 20 yards from the track. It was here that I was able

to count the number against me, and also to note, from their uniforms, that they were Marines. There were seven with sub-machine guns (German “Solo thurns”), twenty with rifles, and three with revolvers. One of the three was the O/C of Finschhafen, a Lieut-Colonel.

Having them all in nice view, I flicked the empty magazine off the Owen, and felt in my haversack for a new one. All I felt was an empty interior! Everything had fallen out of it, no doubt while I was falling over and scrambling about the bush.

Damn and Blast! In my annoyance I must have moved too much, as I saw all seven submachine guns swing my way, and noted little flecks of blue smoke spitting from the muzzles. Bullets poured in from all directions, and I felt I had had it. Standing the now useless Owen against a bush, I retired rapidly back up the hill, and went to cover in the bamboo. By this time I was completely surrounded by the enemy, and it was only a matter of time before they closed in for the kill. I counted up my revolver cart ridges. Eighteen seventeen for the Nips and one for myself!

I saw some of the Nips searching below me, but none came near. Then all be came quiet. The day passed, and as night came on, I moved quietly down towards the hut, and spent the rest of the darkness huddled at the base of a tree, 30 yards from our house. I sus pected a trap there, and was right. Three Japs were inside, and just as I was about to move on in the early dawn (I had to await some light to pick out the track on tne otner side of the creek) they came out shooting, disturbed by a branch falling from a tree nearby. They then squatted in front of the hut, and prepared a fire, and while they were doing this, I walked slowly past them.

Oh, for a grenade!

IN the meantime. Purse had got away.

When he heard the battle raging closer to him, he thought that I was chasing some Japs. He could hear a submachine gun firing, and rifles, and was under the impression that the tommy gun was mine. He met a native in the bush, who took him into the bamboo and hid him, until the native could scout round and And out what had happened.

Later, he heard a reverse of the order of shooting and was convinced that I had been killed. As he put it, he would hear rifles, followed by a submachine gun; that was me. Then he heard an Owen gun, followed by rifle Are, then dead silence.

They had got me!

Sadly he moved on to Sossenenko village quite unconscious of the fact that a Jap was not far beiund him. (I followed botn their tracks next morning.) It was not until four days later that a native caught up with him and told him that “Mastei Mac was on his way to join him again.

In the meantime, I paid a visit to Sattelberg, where the Jap Lieut-Colonel was waiting for news of our death or capture. He had returned there the same morning, so I was able to follow his foot prints fresh in the morning dew. As he had a body-guard of at least two, who were armed with tommy-guns, I resisted my Arst impulse to sneak in and pot him with my revolver. He seemed to be busy in the direction of Finschhafen, and I concluded that he might be signalling for more troops to come up and join in the hunt; therefore I decided that the sooner I got back to our base the better. (It later transpired that 250 Japs combed the whole Kotte and Hube area just after we got up into the Cromwell Range.) They found our bases and destroyed the spare radio that we planted at Ogeramnung, and arrested many of the natives who had assisted us. The head mission teachers were arrested and questioned, but

by dint of many lies, (they will be forgiven for this) they convinced the Jap that we were entirely indepedent of their aid. On a later visit to the area, I got the whole

story, and for sheer loyalty and guts, [ have to hand it to these Mission boys. I recommended two of them for Loyal Ser vice Medals.

AND so came to an end our Coast- Watching on the Huon Peninsula, We had to get cut, as we were entirely surrounded by the enemy. V. e had them in the area looking for us; they were waiting for us behind Lae; they had patrols in the Markham Valley, and sent patrols in from Sio and Saidor. They were about 35,000 to our three. We had all spent 18 months in enemy-held terri tory, and on top of that we had been in New Guinea for three to four years before the war had began, so HQ decided that we could do with a spell.

At the end of our five weeks walk to Benna Benna after we had climbed several of New Guinea’s roughest and highest ranges (we crossed the head waters of the Mongi River in the Crom wells, and it rises at 12,000 feet), I really understood the much used term “foot sore and weary.” We all were. It was heaven to climb into a Douglas transport, and look down on the mountains, instead of looking up at them.