APPENDIX 2 CIVILIAN WARTIME EXPERIENCE IN TH E TERRITORIES OF PAPUA AND NEW GUINE A By A. J. SWEETIN G N 1941 Australians in general knew far more about countries half a I world away than they did about the Territories of Papua and Ne w Guinea to their immediate north. This island chain, soon to become a bulwark of Australia's defence, to the average mainlander was a remote country, peopled by bearded missionaries, miners and patrol officers an d by whisky-swilling planters and traders who made a handsome livelihoo d out of exploiting the indigenous population ; if the European did not di e there of drink or disease, he was equally likely to die of the spear . With Japan's attack this outlook was radically changed . New Guinea and Papua became Australia's front door, with the enemy knocking hard upon it . Hardly an Australian home was left untouched by events taking place there . Tiny hitherto unknown villages were soon to become household names , and in time to take their place in military history with other famed place s where Australians had fought and died . The New Guinea territory, first to come under Japanese attack, include d that part of the main island of New Guinea east of the Dutch New Guine a border (excluding Papua), New Britain and the arc of islands extendin g south-east from Manus through New Ireland to Bougainville in the Solomo n Islands. Formerly a German colony, it had been administered by Australi a under a mandate from the League of Nations since 1920. Papua, th e south-east portion of the New Guinea mainland, had been an Australia n possession since 1906. Administration was separate but similarly constitute d in each territory . New Guinea was divided into seven districts, Papua int o nine, each district under a district officer or resident magistrate assisted by patrol officers . The size and physical difficulties of both territories and the relativ e slenderness of Australian resources had combined to prevent the whol e area being brought under effective control . By 1939, for example, less than half the Mandated Territory was officially classified as "under control" , about 18,000 square miles were considered to be "under influence", and some 5,500 square miles were classed as having been "penetrated b y patrols". Exploration and the spread of influence, however, were being persistently extended by officers of the administration . In New Guinea in June 1941 the European population numbered 4,100 of whom about 400 were employed in the Administration . Some 600 were serving as missionaries or on mission stations, about half this numbe r being of German descent. There were 2,200 Chinese, and an enumerated native population of about 685,000 . About 34,000 natives were employed on contract, more than half of them on plantations . In Papua Europeans CIVILIANS IN WARTIME PAPUA-NEW GUINEA 669 numbered 3,070 and the native population was estimated at 300,000 o f whom about 20,000 were in employment, 17,000 under contract of service . Ships regularly visited the islands on their way to and from other Pacifi c trading centres, and the use of aircraft as a means of transport within the territories had been developed to a degree probably unparalleled elsewher e in the world. Rabaul, at the north-eastern tip of New Britain, capital of the New Guinea territory since the beginning of the twentieth century, lay round th e northern shores of spacious Simpson Harbour . It comprised a European town of bungalows and a few larger buildings and offices, set in tree - lined streets, and a Chinatown of crowded galvanised-iron shacks an d shops. The population in 1941 consisted of about 1,000 Europeans, 70 0 Asians and 3,000 natives . Since May 1937 when the town had bee n overwhelmed by ashes and dust from a volcanic eruption, a change in the site of the capital had been under consideration . The most favoured alternatives were Lae and Salamaua on the New Guinea mainland . A decision, slow in coming, was accelerated by volcanic activity which recurred in June 1941 . This continued for some months, culminating in the biggest blows of all on 19th November, when hot rocks were hurle d into Matupi Harbour, more than 100 yards from the foot of the volcano . South-easterly winds carried across the township clouds of pumice an d choking sulphur fumes, which settled on desks and documents, irritate d eyes and throats and blackened and corroded metal. On 4th September th e Minister for External Territories recommended that the Administration be removed from Rabaul and next day Cabinet a greed that Lae, though it lacked a good port, should be the site of the new capital .' The transfer began in October 1941 when the Department of Distric t Services and Native Affairs moved to Salamaua, preparatory to moving t o Lae as accommodation became available . The Department of Lands , Surveys and Forests went direct to Lae, and a small section of the Depart- ment of Works also moved there to prepare for the arrival of othe r departments. Brigadier-General Sir Walter McNicoll, 2 who had held th e appointment of Administrator since 1934, arrived on 24th November , leaving the Government Secretary, H . H . Page, as Deputy Administrator. McNicoll revisited Rabaul in December and gave instructions for th e remaining departments to transfer to Lae as soon as transport becam e available. They were to leave Rabaul in the steamer Macdhui due to sail thence on 21st January .3 It was not clear what the rest of the town would do. In 1937 the official view had been that "other interests" would remain . In 1941 it seemed likely that business firms would move to Kokopo and , r The New Guinea Branch of the Australian Labour Party disagreed with the choice of Lae an d urged Port Moresby as the only "practicable solution" . The branch consistently advocated a policy of "amalgamation with the Papuan Administration" . (Before the war the two Administration s had operated to a great extent in isolation from each other, and there was insufficient contac t between the Territories . ) 2BrigGeneral Sir Walter McNicoll, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO. (1st AIF : CO 6 Bn' comd 10 Inf Bde 1916-18 .) MHR 1931-34; Administrator of Mandated Territory of New Guinea 1934-42 . B . South Melbourne, 27 May 1877 . Died 26 Dec 1947 . S . A . Lonergan, Assistant Government Secretary, in report dated 8 Feb 1942 (on Territorie s file DD 16/2/1) . 670 CIVILIANS IN WARTIME PAPUA-NEW GUINE A as that new centre developed, some administrative services would need to be represented there . For 20 years Australia had adhered to the terms of the Mandate, which required that no military or naval bases and no fortifications should be established in the New Guinea territory, and prohibited the military train- ing of natives for other than internal police work and local defence . The New Guinea police force commanded by a superintendent consisted of European commissioned and warrant officers, and native non-commissione d officers and constables.4 The strength of the native constabulary in June 1941 was 1,200 ; in December about 350 were stationed in the Rabaul area under the acting Superintendent, W . B . Ball. In December 1940 German raiders had attacked Nauru, sinking five ships and shelling the phosphate loading plant . Protective measures were plainly needed, and on 18th February 1941 the Australian War Cabine t authorised the dispatch to Rabaul of an A.I.F. battalion and the installation of coast defences . The question of raising a native battalion was also t o be examined . 5 It was estimated that with the locally raised New Guinea Volunteer Rifles, the native police and proposed additions, the equivalen t of about an infantry brigade, plus coast defences "would be provided in the New Guinea (Mandate), mainly around Rabaul" . Although expectations far exceeded results, rapid action followed . In March-April the 2/22nd Battalion of the A .I.F. arrived at Rabaul, and before the end of the year a coastal battery of two 6-inch guns and search - lights was established there. With other small military detachments, includ- ing an anti-aircraft battery of two guns, the ultimate strength of the garriso n reached about 1,400-a token force perched in the probable path of any Japanese advance . Returned soldiers played a leading part in establishing the Rabaul detach- ment of the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles, and for a time the headquarter s of the unit was at Rabaul . Enthusiasm dwindled, however, as members of the N.G.V.R. volunteered for service overseas and numbers decreased ; by the end of 1941 only about 80 men at Rabaul were regularly attendin g training parades. An Inter-Services Committee, with the Government Secretary, Page, as Chairman, and representatives of the Services and the Chief Civil Warden,° drew up an Air Raids Precautions plan . The detailed instructions issued in June specified a general refuge area in a valley on Namanula Ridge . They urged that, since sufficient warning might not be received to allo w civilians to reach the area before the commencement of an attack, each householder should construct trenches or select drains in which members of his household could take shelter in the event of sudden attack . Air raid signals were notified, wardens appointed and first aid posts selected . A register of privately-owned motor vehicles was drawn up, school childre n were drilled in escape from school buildings, and arrangements were mad e • ADO's and Patrol Officers were ex-officio Inspectors and sub-Inspectors respectively .