Pioneer News 1993

PIONEER NEWS i""" Phone: 759 5491 Official Organ of 2/1 and 2/2 PIONEER BATTALIONS ASSOCIATION Per Annum: $5 ~ ".~.' """', .,,""""", ,,,,,ct.",,,,,, """ - ,,~~ '" .""" "'"'" '" '''"0'' •••. " G,~ %00'. ,,,"" .::f ~ :::t. Correspondence: MAX HERRON, Hon. Sec., 2/1-2/2 Pioneer Bn. Assoc., 3 Enoggera Road, Beverly Hills 2209 .It::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::}::::: Treasurer: VIC WHITELEY Editors: R. LAKE and M. HERRON President: BILL JOLLlE A Vol. 38, No. 1 APRIL, 1993 Welfare: BILL TASKER, phone 718 6658 White's patrol clashed with an enemy group. He THE 2/2nd AUST PIONEER BATTALION fell wounded and attempts to recover him proved unsuccessful and he was posted missing pre Part Four of the series covering the Bat the 7th Division's drive from Nadzab and the sumed dead. talion from the formation in June 1940 to the enemy suffered very heavy casualties. Lae having Towards the end of November, C company at 50th anniversary in 1992. been secured, the 7th Division turned to the Tom's Post was attacked in the area occupied by advance up the Markham and Ramu Valleys in PART 4- Lieut. J. Drummond's platoon. The attack was which the Pioneers were to be actively involved. THE CAPTURE OF LAE repulsed, the enemy withdrawing in haste leaving By 23rd September the detached companies On the morning of the 6th September, the an officer's sword as a trophy. had rejoined the battalion which moved to Camp Pioneers began clearing the airstrip of kunai grass, The battalion then moved back to Kumbarum. Diddy about 10 miles from Nadzab to give protec using flame throwers and incendiary bombs pro· It was officially regarded as a rest area, the major tion against any threat by the direction of Boana. vided by the Americans. Before long those activity for the troops being road construction. Constant patrolling was carried out, Lieut. R. B. engaged were filthy dirty with soot. After four hours THE ATTACK ON SHAGGY RIDGE White and 12 men from C company along the track the airstrip was ready to receive the first aircraft, On 11th December the battalion moved to the leading to Boana, Sgt. French's patrol of six men which soon arrived and began disgorging the and two New Guineans went to the Busu River Lakes area and eventually occupied the high ridge advance elements of the 7th Division infantry and overlooking the Mene River and a tall feature which near Gumbuk, and a patrol under Lieut. R. Harris their support groups. was to become famous as Shaggy Ridge. Patrol covered the higher ground. C and D companies worked on improving the ling continued, Lieut. Sam Coles and his platoon landing strip and unloading the aircraft and the THE RAMU RIVER VALLEY CAMPAIGN along the Uria River, Lieut. D. 0. Smith's rations remainder of the battalion moved to Narrakapor to Operations by the 7th Division along the Ramu party to Levett's Post. It was on the basis of Lt. Col. relieve the paratroopers. It was estimated that there Valley were now to commence. In late September, Joe Lang's proposals that the attack on Shaggy were three companies of the enemy in the area. 1943, the 2/6th Independent Company had moved Ridge was planned. On the afternoon of the third day a patrol from the up the Markham Valley, crossed the Ramu Valley It was obvious that the enemy's forces were 2/25th Battalion clashed with an enemy patrol and and captured Kaiapit. Aircraft carrying elements of being concentrated in the Shaggy Ridge area. Left from then on the advance towards Lae was to be the 21st Brigade arrived the following day. Lieut. flank protection became the responsibility of the contested with vigour by the enemy forces. e. L. Fraser and a small party of Pioneers left Pioneers, with Bert's Post, the Pines, Brian's Hill The American paratroopers were withdrawn at Nadzab for Kaiapit on 29th September. The and Herald Hill being occupied. Patrolling con that time and returned to Moresby. They always Pioneers were concentrated there two days later tinued with Lieut. P. Scholtz's party reaching a referred to the 2/2nd Pioneers as the Two-bar-two taking responsibility for the area. wired area at the northern end of Shaggy Ridge, Combat Engineers. Patrolling was carried out but the battalion had and withdrawing undetected. The first contact along the Lae road took place become far removed from the scene of operations. Christmas Day 1943, the battalion's fourth, saw when Tom Hulse's platoon was fired on. The patrol Evacuation of casualties became a problem and the dinner consisting of turkey and potatoes being pressed home its attack, routing a numerically men having to live on edge of the air strip await served and packs of tobacco and cigarettes superior force. The Support Group arrived at ing arrival of the few aircraft now arriving. Lieut. J. dropped by parachute being the Christmas Nadzab on the seventh day and the Pioneers were Drummond carried out the only long distance presents. close to full strength. patrol, the purpose being to establish an Air Wire On 27th December the 2/16 Battalion attacked Platoon cooking was carried out for a time and less Warning Post at Wantoat. The patrol consisted the Pimple supported by guns of the 2/4th Field many innovations to make life easier were noted. of Cpl. Mathews, 12 other ranks, two police boys Regiment and air attacks by allied aircraft. The Jack Henderson and Len Hope, D Coy, made and 100 New Guinean carriers with 6 months Pioneers had a good view of these activities from bush ovens from flour containers and were soon supply of rations for the post. This patrol took 14 their positions. producing good quality dampers. These were days and arrived back at Kaiapit to find that the bat As part of the preparation for the attack on much appreciated by the troops seeing as the talion had been airlifted to the Dumpu area. Major Shaggy Ridge, intensive patrolling was carried out, Field Bakery providing bread rolls was hit by a Tope was waiting at the Kaiapit Airfield with one air Capt. A. Mclnnes and his party carrying stocks of bomb from an enemy aircraft on a night raid. craft standing by. After a night's rest they rejoined rations to a cache at Canning's Saddle. Because After probing patrols had established the loca the battalion the following day. of the terrain, the going on these patrols was hard tion of a number of enemy positions, Brig. K. Kaiapit village was voted by the troops as one work. Lieu!. H. Conley with 8 men from C company Eather decided to launch an attack on Heath's of the most comfortable areas occupied during the patrolled the Mene River. Other patrols under Lieu!. plantation which began on 13th September. A and New Guinea operations. It was flat and clean and D. Williamson, Lieu!. Coles and Cap!. Mclnnes B companies were placed under brigade control there was plenty of water. were carried ou!. and given the role of flank protection. These troops The battalion again resumed engineering tasks, It was at this time that a major event causing were soon actively engaged in the area where the D company in the Dumpu area with the 2/6th Field great sadness occurred when the e.o., Lt. Col. Joe 2/33rd Battalion was now engaged. For his out Company, C company working on a road between Lang was transferred to Buna Base Area. A giant standing leadership Tom Hulse was awarded the the Faria and Mosia River and B company con of a man in all ways was he. Command passed to Military Cross and Pat Egan was awarded the Mili structing a bridge across the Mosia River and A Maj. E. F. Aitken. tary Medal for courage and audacity under fire. company making a cutting adjacent to the Uria As plans for the attack on Shaggy Ridge During these actions, Pte. Hatchard of A company River. proceeded, intensive patrolling continued includ was wounded. On 28th October the battalion was placed under ing observation of the enemy's activities, carrying The battalion was engaged in much patrolling command of 21st Brigade and moved to Kumba rations and laying cable. and A company was placed under the command rum. The following day the battalion set out for (Part Five continues next issue) of 2/33rd Battalion, B company being under 2/25th Levett's Post. In one of those military mishaps, the Battalion command. Heath's plantation fell in the wrong course was followed, which took the troops SICK PARADE afternoon of 12th September. Within 15 minutes of through the 2/16th Battalion's lines, and Levett's JACK COLLlS, Welfare Officer, reports as fol its fall, A company was ambushed and in a fierce Post was reached late in the afternoon with the men lows: John Gibson of Dungog in hospital in fight eight enemy were killed. Ptes. W. Green, N. exhausted. The 2/16 did not appreciate the enemy December. Larry Robson on the improve in West Prior, R. Tout and C. Irwin were wounded. Attacks shelling which followed these troop movements. cott Nursing Home, Stockton. Noel Trefoni in Con against C and D company positions were repulsed. Some patrolling was carried out and the names cord Hospital in February. Ivor Garnon in North On 15th September the decisive battle for Lae of the various posts in the area - Moto's, Levett's, Gosford Hospital for his second knee replacement began. A company was engaged in the Edwards Sam's, Tom's are still talked about.

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