“Operation Sepik”

A Coast-Watcher Tells a Lively Story of Jungle Warfare Against Japs

IN the first two instalments of his story, Mr. 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 when war came in 1942, and how he, in company with the Rev. A. P. H. Freund and the late Lloyd Pursehouse, kept tabs on the Japs behind Finschhafen.

In this concluding instalment, Mr. McColl recounts some adventures in the Sepik district, and tells how he almost fought a duel with a Japanese colonel.

Part Three

WE had a month’s leave in Sydney (during which Purse was married and Freund returned to the service of his Church) and then the next few months were occupied in Milne Bay.

During this time the parties were “in serted” in New Britain, where they joined Wright and Figgis, who had been alone there for some time. Ben Hall was put into Long Island: Fryer and Aiken were down in the Sepik Valley; and G. A. V. Stanley was further west in the same area.

Early in 1944, I was sent to Manus, which had not long been occupied by US Forces; and after establishing a base there, I was relieved by Harry Murray, and returned to Finschhafen. Permission was given for me to make a trip inland, where I contacted our native friends who had been so loyal to us in 1942-43.

From them I got the full story of the Jap raid on us and subsequent events there.

In the meantime. Purse had returned to New Guinea, and, after a lone patrol of Arawe, prior to the American land ing there, he was attached to the 9th

Division, AIF, which was chasing the Japs along the coast towards Madang.

They were crossing the Sio lagoon one day when a shot rang out, and Purse fell into the water, killed, A lone Jap, left behind in the retreat, had struck a last blow.

The irony of it! After so long, hun dreds of miles inside enemy territory, he was killed five miles behind our own lines. Another good and gallant friend had gone.

Tupling and Olander, killed at Arawe; Bill Butteris and Obst killed at Cape Gloucester; Bell and Laws killed in the Finisterres; now Purse gone; “Blue”

Harris, a little later was killed at Hol landia.

But retribution was on its way. These deaths were repaid with interest.

AFTER another leave late in 1944, I grew discontented with the tameness of things. I was a big worry to our Chief in Brisbane; the bush called me.

At last, more to get rid of a pest, he sig nalled me (I had returned to Port Moresby by this time) to form a party

and go into the Sepik area and relieve Stanley. Fryer had come out some time before, and the 6th Division, AIP, at Aitape wanted the area south of them covered.

The party was soon formed. I had with me Lieut. Kevin Walls, AIF, as second in-command and Sergeant Mitchell AIP, as my signaller; and 24 well-armed and trained native troops—later augmented to 40 armed troops with the acquisition of a number of FELO natives. Both Walls and Mitchell were later decorated

for their parts in that patrol. It was one of the brighter spots of the war when I wrote out their recommendations.

WE left the Aitape perimeter early in December, 1944, and crossed the Torricelli Range through a gap, and then travelled south towards the Sepik basin. For the first three days of this journey the 6th Division had asked me to escort a Major of Signals and two O/R’s to the furthest outpost. I think this is the first time in history that the Navy has been asked to convoy the Army on land!

A main base was established at the Klaffler villages, and we then moved fur ther east to a point almost due south of Maprik, and close to the Maprik-Marui Road. We were well in then among large concentrations of Japs, and after organising many of the wilder natives in the area, we were kept informed of all enemy moves in the area. Soon our grapevine extended to Musimbe in the NW; Musendai, Balif and Maprik in the north; Yamil and even Wewak in the NE through qll points of the compass to Marui, on the Sepik, and south-westward along the Sepik to Avatip and the Wash kuk area.

During our move to this area we had picked up four Indian soldiers of a Pun jab regiment who had been captured by the Jans in Singapore in 1942. They had been brought to New Guinea and had just then escaped from the enemy. They told us that there were more of their friends still at Kurringe, and that they were being starved and badly treated. I despatched Walls with half our force and one of the Indians, Havildar Khazan Singh, to attempt a rescue. It was for this operation that Walls was later decor ated with the Military Cross.

He succeeded in rescuing another nine Indians, and, as well captured seven Jans, from whom we got a lot of useful information. We later rescued another eio-ht Indians, making a total of twenty one. Some of them were in a pitiable condition and had to be carried on lit ters; two others had been slashed ter ribly about the heads with swords in an attempt to kill them. The last one we were able to snatch was being fattened for food by the Nip; he had seen some of his mates slaughtered and eaten. He can consider himself fortunate that we were near him at the time.

AT about this same time, I had pin pointed some targets for the Air Force to bomb; the targets ranged from two miles from my camp at Lasimbe to about nine miles away, and involved about 500 Japs.

Just south of me, about four miles away, were another ten Nips in a village named Zgitakua, and as they were only a small band I asked Mitchell if he would like to have a go at them. He was very keen. Although he had been in our show for a considerable time as a sig naller he had not had an opportunity to sight a Nip over his gun. He selected the native troops he required and set off late one afternoon ready to strike at dawn the following morning.

At about the same time as he set off, however, another 50 Japs arrived in the village and joined the ten already there.

When Mitchell opened upon them next morning he found himself involved with what appeared to be the whole Japanese army; they hurled grenades at him, shot at him and his five natives with sub machine guns, rifles, and eventually with a “woodpecker.”

Mitch finally realised the position, but decided, however, that, he might as well carry on. He kept the fight going until his Bren gun jammed. He then called to the natives to get out and they all

arrived at our base without a scratch.

I paid a visit to the village, and we counted 37 dead Japs. Mitchell was awarded the DCM for this show. He richly deserved it.

During this time, I had been organis ing the local natives into aggressive bands, whom I called the “Kanaka Kom andos,” and with these and some of my own natives, we began a war of attrition.

Our score began to mount up, and those Japs who were near us soon began to move smartly away. I was revenging the loss of my friends in the earlier stages of the invasion.

Our scouts from the south began to bring us news, too, and I was able to give the 4 Tac R Squadron (4th Tactical Reconnaissance Sq.) some good targets on the Sepik River. This was much appreciated; and, after a good strike, a flock of “Boomerangs” would swoop over our camp, give us a buzz, and drop car tons of Lucky Strikes. We appreciated them. rEN the enemy got fed up with my party. By this time they knew we were operating near them —I would have been surprised, indeed, if they had not. Some of the agents I was using to get information were Jap agents, too; in fact, they used to visit me still wear ing Jap armbands. We were quite sport ing about it.

I sent a request to the 6th Division asking for a patrol to move in and meet me some distance back, where I could hand over our Indians and prisoners; this had been Okayed. Then one morn ing we were wakened by the sound of many shots close at hand. An agent in a village near us came rushing in with the news that about 100 Japs were mov ing in on us, armed with mortars and machine guns. I decided to move our equipment out of the way, and then placed my troops in position and awaited their arrival.

We did not wait long; a long line of troops came streaming into the end of our camp, and I was just about to open up with my carbine (the signal for every one to start shooting) when I noticed that the troops wore -Australian hats.

It was the patrol come to meet me!

They had been shown a disused track by the natives and did not know that they had passed close to a large force of the enemy. , After waiting vainly for the Japs to arrive, we all moved back to an other camp where the Indians were rest ing. They were taken out to the coast.

NOT long after this, Lea Ashton arrived in with another party to re lieve me and I left with my braves for the coast to form another party. This time, I was to cover the Sepik River itself for the Ist Australian Army.

I took with me Cpl. “Dusty” Kotz, AIF, as signaller and A.B. “Chook” Baxter, RANR, as coder, and 22 native troops.

We moved down to Auengai, about a day’s walk from Avatip on the Sepik.

Our old grapevine, already established, soon began to bring us news of the enemy along the river. They even sup plied me with the names of practically all the Japs, both officers and men in the area.

I took delight in hounding one Jap in particular, Colonel Sakina. I turned the bombers on his camp and he moved.

Within 24 hours I had his new position; so again the bombers disturbed him. He moved back to his original position and again he was bombed.

This was too much. He sent a native up to me and challenged me to a sword duel! I still have a copy of my signal sent to HQ at this time: “Jap OC Washkuk area. Col. Sakina, very hostile at bombing and straffing and

has challenged me to a sword duel. Can anyone lend me a sword with a book of instructions.”

But I sent a different message back to Sakina. I told him to dispose of his arms and to march in to my camp with all his men and surrender. This was too much for him. A native agent came back and told me that Sakina had been taken down river to a hospital, appar ently with a stroke. On this news, I sent a further signal to HQ informing them that: “My infuriated Jap gone down river to Pagwi, very sick. Probably apoplectic stroke. Cancel sword.”

Near the end of the war I turned the Kanaka Komandos, aided by my own troops, onto all the Nips in this area, and Sakina who had just arrived back, was liquidated, with 35 other Nips. I still treasure his sword.

AT about this time, I had received much information regarding the where abouts of various of the Jap unit and army commanders in the whole area.

In my bloodbath, mentioned above, I had captured a Japanese army captain, one Matsui. He was very helpful with infor mation and I was able to plot the HQ of Lt.-Gen. Adachi, OC of Jap 18th Army; Lt.-Gen. Shoge, and Lt.-Gen.

Mano. Also some of the lesser lights like Major Sumi, OC of Air Communica tion unit at Jama—he was wounded in a bombing attack I instigated there—and Major Aonu, OC of Matsui’s own unit, the 64th AA Reg. Poor Aonu decided to pay a visit to Matsui, and walked into the middle of the massacre. He went the way of the others.

TIHEN came the end. Away back in De < cember, 1941, on my little island at Wuvuly, the first ominous signal had been: “Keep watch for enemy fleet.” Now,

after four long years, the signal was flashed: “Hostilities have ceased.”

Our job was done —and the price of victory had been paid. Many fine and courageous men had given their lives for New Guinea.

We who survived have come to know the native probably as we would never have known him in peace. Among our native troops we found a happy band of gallant and loyal comrades in whom we often trusted our lives, and who never failed us.

We made our friends and we had our enemies; what more could we want?