How Ngvr Hung On Near

Mubo, In 1942

Story of Raids and Alarums in New Guinea Jungles

By N. M. Bird

Section One.

TYPING unable to procure anything of the sort from the Australian military authorities, we have ourselves CQmpiled a roll of members of the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles—that organisation of planters, traders, miners, officials and missionaries, which did such splendid work in the jungles of New Guinea in the black days of 1942-43. That list of names will be pub lished shortly.

In 1942, the Japs were all over the Territory; the Americans, and the Australians, who were brought back from the Middle East, were still a long way off; and our attenuated forces, who were trying to hold on to positions in New Guinea and Papua, had to depend largely upon the gallant NGVR to provide information and guides.

In this article (which is being published in two sections) Mr. N. M. Bird tells the story of one small section of NGVR—the section that retired"*into the wet, precipitous, gloomy moun tains between Salamaua and Wau, early in 1942, and maintained an organisation there until larger forces arrived. They started in January, 1942, as two detachments. By December, there were only seven men left.

During most of the period described, there

was bitter fighting in the jungles of north-east Papua (Kokoda Trail and Buna), and it was therefore essential that our people should know what the Japs were doing in the region away to the north, between Salamaua and Wau, Mr.

Bird gives an indication of how the NGVR served the Allied cause in that region.

JANUARY, 1942—that tragic month when Nippon over-ran Rabaul, and bombed and strafed Lae, Salamaua, Bulwa, Bulolo and Wau —ended in a flurry of evacuation of civilians and others from the goldfields.

The NGVR had taken over under com mand of Major Edwards; and Captain Humphelby (popularly known as “Hump”) appeared from nowhere and took over the Wau-Bulolo section. One detach ment went to Salamaua, and was fol lowed soon after by another, located at Mubo.

Reports that our people, both military and civilian, were being murdered by the enemy, drifted through. Small parties, escaped from New Britain, arrived in Lae and Salamaua and went on to Port Moresby.

The Salamaua detachment concen trated on salvaging as much food-stuff as was possible from the bombed and burned stores.

Much freezer stock was undamaged; and poultry and A 1 export meat, washed down with copious drafts of salvaged beer, made the war worth fighting.

There was some discontent in Mubo.

The “Mubo Force” (otherwise known as the “Force”) put up the argument that the Salamaua Detachment was being over-worked, and that Mubo should re lieve them. This would allow Salamaua

to go back to Mubo for a rest, while Mubo could take a turn at the hard work in Salamaua, and have a dip in the surf, etc.

The matter was referred to “Hump.”

He agreed that Mubo and Salamaua should exchange. All waited for the move. It never came off. We did not know “Hump” very well in those days, taut our education had commenced.

At Mubo, parades were the order of the day—bayonet drill under that en thusiast, Len Noakes; short patrols under Corporal O’Laughlin; and PT before break fast under Campbell, lately of the Rabaul School.

“Hump” discovered a bunch of Muruk (cassowary) feathers and ordered that feathers be worn in the hat by all ranks, as a badge of the Force. Force re luctantly obeyed—but quite suddenly be came enthusiastic. A supply of Bird of Paradise plums had been located, and the entire Force blossomed out in those gay plumes.

Ted Hawnt, late of Rabaul, surpassed us all, in a wealth of waving plumes.

Ted was OC cookhouse, and could not attend drill parades. But he practised the drill in his spare time. One move ment seemed to hold a fascination for him. This was the old “reversed arms,” originally used at a military burial. Ted would be seen, several times a day, in front of the house-cook, practising this most depressing movement. The pained look on his gaunt face as he dropped his hand to the butt of the reversed rifle, then dropped his chin on his breast, was something to remember. Here originated that now almost universal expression: “Wouldn’t it Hawnt you!”

THE CO at Salamaua wrapped his car around a couple of coconut palms; and Bert Simmons was sent by “Hump” to take over.

Salamaua Detachment took a new lease of life. Drums of petrol were rolled to the foreshore and wired for explosion and fire; the drome was mined with cases of gelignite, and batteries were installed at suitable points. The idea was to ex plode the drums of petrol when Nippon attempted to land, and he would be nicely browned off.

A watching post was established on the isthmus, and was manned twenty-four hours daily.

At Mubo, the monotony was maddening and the Force came close to open re bellion. Fever took its toll. Sufferers were sent to Wau—and returned no more.

Geoff. White, that stout lad, toiled with his line of natives to shift supplies from Komiatum, to which point they had been carried by natives from the Salamaua detachment.

Then the blow fell at Salamaua.

One bright morning (March 8, 1942) about 2.30, the guard at the watching post, a very tall chap, who spoke with a maddening drawl, slouched into the post and woke up Hilary Farr, SIC the post, and said: “Say, Hil., what are all those black things out there on the water?”

Hil. bounded out, took one look, and yelled: “They’re bloody Jap barges!” The other couple were awakened and all slid down the steep path to the waiting car.

The car fairly leaned back under a burst of speed, to get away from there.

Nippon must have thought that it was some dreadful secret weapon as, with its head-lamps blazing, it screamed past them on its way to Keila, Nippon made no attempt to molest it.

The rest of the detachment was quickly mustered, and the crossing of the Frisco bridge was made in fair order.

In the meantime, those whose duty it was, duly pressed down the plungers of the firing batteries to blow up the petrol and the drome.

Nothing happened. Evidently, someone had neglected to chase the horse away

the previous afternoon. This horse had a stupid habit of getting his feet en tangled in the wires.

Nippon swarmed like a disturbed bee hive. An heroic party, detailed to destroy the Frisco bridge, toiled with a blunt axe to cut the steel cables, under the in terested eyes of a party of Nips, who had arrived on the drome.

The last strand parted and the bridge fell. The party went away from there fairly fast, en route to Mubo.

Nippon never replaced the bridge. It was quite unnecessary—the Frisco could normally be forded with ease.

IN the meantime, Mubo had heard the news, and rolled out to greet the Sala maua detachment, who were now coming in in one, twos and half-dozens.

Simmons was greeted warmly by “Hump”: “A fine job of work,” he said.

Next arrived Bill Forrester (veteran of World War I) without his false teeth. He had left his fangs in a glass of water overnight, and had not time to dress fully before he left. His teeth were returned to him by his native servant later in the day.

Next in was Mick Shutt, with his trousers under his arm, and his old, grey flannel shirt, with “Shutt” in large letters on the tail, flapping in the breeze.

Apart from these there seemed to be no serious casualties. It was discovered later that Rupe Hanahoran was missing.

He turned up in Bulwa some time later, via the Buangs, minus his trousers.

The Salamaua detachment went on to Wau. Our Mubo Force took on a new in terest. A watching-post was established on the Buigap Creek and constantly manned. “Get-away” tracks were cut here and there, and “Hump” turned on more and better parades.

Geoff White continued to bring sup plies in from Komiatum.

“Hump” decided that sooner or later we should have to fight, so he turned on some training in “jungle warfare.” He called in all ammunition and split the Force, turned them loose in the hills round Mubo to rattle rifle-bolts at each other when an “enemy” was sighted, and to wrangle in true school-boy fashion as to who saw who first. The Force took a dim view of the whole thing, and said so. There were in the vicinity some 2,000 lively Nips, in and around Salamaua—and perhaps on their way to Mubo.

Conferences were held as to the best route to take to Moresby in the event of our being chased out. These were mapped, and hung on the wall of the mess-house, so that all could make them selves familiar with the details.

QUITE suddenly, “Hump” decided to evacuate Mubo. All was bustle— preparing packs .and mustering native carriers. Geoff White, with tears in his eyes and murder in his heart, dumped half a ton of good flour into the Bitoi.

The Force moved out in good military order. First, the carrier lines under Geoff White. Next came HQ, with “Hump” and his retinue. Hawnt to the fore. Followed, then ,the first platoon, close on “Hump’s” heels. The second platoon got away to a bad start, but soon caught up. The third platoon was rear guard. There were less than 6 men in each platoon.

Skindewai was reached bv a sick and sorry Force. But we felt better after we had wrapped the loose folds of our

stomachs around a generous meal, pre pared by Hawnt.

Ballams was reached next day. “Hump” and HQ went on to Paddy Leahy’s farm, leaving orders that the Force was to rest one day at Ballams.

Force moved on to Wau, One platoon joined the “Wau Detachment” in Wau and the other two platoons stayed at Alan Fuller’s house, with “Hump” and HQ in Mrs. Fuller’s house, immediately across the road.

Fuller’s goats suffered a drastic culling; and roast kid, with vegetables, followed by rich pastry, made the war again worth while. Daily parades, and a 24hours’ guard were not relished by the Force; and it was decided by a party at a secret conference (the result of some pointless bickering) to “cut communica tions” with “Hump.”

A small party was sent to Black Cat to investigate possibilities. They found Olsen’s house intact, but with bedding, etc., torn up and strewn over the floor.

This was cleaned up, in intervals between visits to the passion-fruit vines, which were loaded with delicious fruit. Passion fruit has a certain effect. In the opinion of that party, memories of the night that followed are among the most horrid of the war. (See photos on page 71.) The shed was cleared next day, in readiness for the rest of the rebel parly from Wau. They arrived early in the afternoon. The haggard members of the advance party watched their attack on the passionfruit grimly ,and without com ment. Events, that night, were up to ex pectations. It was an unhappy incident of a ruthless war.

The Black Cat detachment settled down to a series of patrols.

IN the meantime, “Hump” had decided that Mubo should not remain un watched, and had sent Ernie Hitchcock (World War 1 veteran) to occupy that post. “Hitchie’s” platoon consisted mainly of Bill Forrester and Mayos.

Ernie set up camp at Komiatum and prowled all over the country. Up to this time, Nippon had shown not the slightest interest in the hinterland: but he now sent a patrol to Komiatum.

Hitchcock’s army fired on this patrol; and Nippon retaliated by shooting every thing he had into the village—where Hitchcock was not.

Hitchcock’s party left for Mubo, and the Nips burned the village and, locating our camp nearby, punched bayonet-holes in the cooking utensils and all the tins of meat they could find.

Word was sent back to “Hump,” and he ordered the Force forward. The Black Cat party caught up by making a forced march to Ballams, via Wandumi ridge.

The Force entered Mubo in fine fettle.

The Force now took a new lease of life, an OP was established on the side of the hill, across the Frisco from the drome at Salamaua. This fine piece of work was carried out by Macadam (of Forestry, Wau), Geoff Archer, Bob Day, Gordon Kinsey and others. Vickers were placed on the Mat Mat hill and Vickers ridge, and every one was extremely busy.

Tobacco was a thing of the past.

“Stick” was the universal smoke: dry, mouldy and stinking, it was jealously guarded. Green tobacco leaves were dried over the coals till sufficiently in flammable. Food was scarce, as was soap.

Some mail came in, with some bills from BP’s.

There were rumours of troops coming in and the Fifth Independent Co. arrived in Wau. A detachment under Captain Winning came to Mubo, and he got out plans for a raid on Salamaua to coin cide with a raid on Lae. The Force was enthusiastic—some of them.

Came the day (June 28, 1942) and the Nips got a real bashing at dawn. Nip casualties will never be known. Our casualties were one with a slug through the wrist, and one with a jagged piece of metal under the shoulder.

Force was jubilant. They now seemed to be possessed of endless energy, and were eager for more.

But nothing was done. Winning and “Hump” went back to Wau to try for more and better supplies. Mubo gradu ally settled down.

That raid must have stung Nippon like a handful of dirt thrown on his washing.

He sent a patrol, possibly 100 strong, to find out “who done it.”

ONE afternoon, about five, Force had finished tea, and Fifth were lining up for mess parade. A card party was in progress in the Force Mess, with visit ing Fifth officers.

Force lost interest and wandered back to their various posts. Jimmy Birrell (later Lt. and MM) was first home, and he saw what at first he took to be a large group of natives on the Mubo drome.

He quickly realised that they were Nips.

He slammed a belt into the Vickers, and yelled for Hilary Farr, SIC Vickers. Hill grabbed a tommy-gun and fired a burst as an alarm, just as Jimmy opened up with the Vickers.

Nippon was being guided by a couple of

natives who, evidently, were not familiar with Mubo, and the enemy was grouped on the drome, evidently in conference.

The Fifth, on mess parade, cursed the noisy Force. But when the Nips, who had taken cover under a low bank at the side of the drome, opened up with grenade-throwers, the Fifth woke up and went into action in fine style, and pelted Nippo with everything they had.

Nippon broke cover for the low brush on the other side of the drome, and here they took another thrashing from Jimmy’s Vickers, and from a Vickers on the Mat Mat, now in action. Small arms were now added to our fire power, and Nippon pulled out. after about half-an hour’s engagement.

Heads were counted in the Force. No casualties—though some were missing.

These turned up later, looking sheepish.

The Fifth and the Force sat tight— to do otherwise would have been mad ness. Nippon casualties will never be known; but, judging from the broken bamboo carrying poles, first field-dressing covers and blood-stained bandages that strewed the drome, and the track to Komiatum, they must have been heavy.

The enemy’s party was met at Komiatum by another Nip patrol from Salamaua, and escorted home.

Captain Winning hurried back from Wau, fighting mad, with his red hair on end —first, because he could not improve the supply situation, but more so be cause Nippon had shown so little con sideration as to attack Mubo while he was absent. “Norm” really liked to fight, and hated to miss anything.

Force was now on its toes—two clashes with Nippon and two definite victories.

They fairly swaggered round the place. (Section Two will be published in September).

Captain Foucard. a doctor at Noumea hospital, was urgently sent to Mare Island by French naval cutter at the beginning of June as the result of an accident at the district church of La Roche, a Catholic centre on the east side of the island. During vespers the vault of the transept had caved in and crashed on a group of young native girls, eleven of whom were injured. They were looked after by the local Resident, the Rev.

Father Dubois, until the doctor’s arrival.

Five of the more serious cases were later shipped to the mainland for treatment at Noumea hospital.

Mrs. John Robertson and her three children sailed recently on the “Trienza” for Nauru, where she will join her hus band, who is LMS missionary in that Territory.