Written Records, AWM54 741/5/9 PART 2 - [Patrols - Reconnaissance:] Report on Northern Territory Special Reconnaissance Unit, by Sqn Ldr D F Thomson RAAF [Report minus maps] - Part 5

35.
Approval was given for the Aroetta immediately upon
completion of the programme upon which the vessel was now engaged
to proceed to Townsville to be slipped and refitted, in order that
the ship would return to her station before the onset of the next
wet season (December to March).
On July 9th, I set out on return to Katherine, where stores 
were obtained for the vessel and for the native detachment of 50
men working with the ship. On the following day I proceeded by
M.T. at Mataranka and confirmed the arrangement made at H.Q. for
the 30-cwt vehicle now on charge to be exchanged for the three ton
G.S. wagon with front wheeled drive for the overland journey. I
arranged for this vehicle to be taken out to Elsey Station with a
load of stores and handed over to me there.
The stores which had been left in the depot at Elsey 
Station were reported and the 3 ton vehicle loaded for the journey
to the McArthur River, about 300 miles away. Very conflicting 
reports had been obtained concerning the overland route from
Elsey Station to the Roper River to Borroloola, and in the view of the 
strategic importance of this territory, on the flanks of the L of C
of Darwin it was decided to put a full load on the three ton vehicle
to demonstrate the extent to which territory could be traversed by
heavily laden APVs, which might without any difficulty at this time
have been landed on the coast between the Roper and McArthur Rivers.
The country throughout was rugged, some of the hills
outcropping with stone, and it was intersected with watercourses.
Rapid progress was made to Hodgson Downs, but just after leaving
the Station a mechanical breakdown occurred which involved a total
delay of some ten days. When this had been finally rectified the
journey to Borroloola was resumed and was completed in three days
with a vehicle deliberately overloaded and driven by one who was
not a motor transport driver, for no driver was carried on the
strength of the Unit. My only companions on this journey were
the six natives who had accompanied me from the Aroetta. The
vulnerability of his low lying area on the east flank, and the
ease with which it could have been used by sea borne M.T. was therefore 
further demonstrated.
On July 25th I rejoined the party on the Aroetta. In
the meantime, Lieutenant Palmer had completed a careful reconnaissance 
of the lower reaches of the McArthur River, and his report is 
attached (see Appendix 4 and map of the area traversed).
On July 29th the Aroetta sailed from the McArthur River
for the Pellew Group, where the vessel was anchored under Vanderlin
Island and a further short reconnaissance carried out. On July 31st
the ship sailed again for Groote Eylandt. On the following day I
landed at Groote Eylandt, with a detachment of natives and established 
a temporary camp, with certain of the equipment, sending the
Aroetta back to Maria Island off the mouth of the Roper River, to
pick up a detachment of natives who had been put ashore there some
time previously. On August 3rd the vessel returned with this
detachment to Groote.

(iv) Return of Native Detachments and Final Patrol
The completion of the reconnaissance of the coastal area,
and of the Roper and McArthur Rivers and the handing over of the O.P.
the mouth of the Roper River marks the end of the first phase of the
undertaking with which this Unit had been entrusted.
Simultaneously with the reconnaissance of this area, the 
nucleus of the native Unit had been thoroughly and systematically
trained. These men now understood thoroughly what was expected
of them, and the role that they would perform against an enemy force
had been carefully planned and rehearsed. Most of them had now 
been away from their own territories and their women folk for
several months, and it was considered that no useful purpose would
be served by keeping them longer with the vessel, but that they
 

36.
should be repatriated and rewarded with gifts in return for the
faithful services that they had given. It was intended that these 
men, generally representative and influential members of their
groups, would form the nucleus of an efficient coast watching 
system and that by making regular contacts with them on each 
subsequent patrol they would be available when called upon, to 
muster their own clansmen in the event of enemy action in the
area.
It was considered, therefore, that the most important 
undertaking that remained to be carried out was the establishment
of a permanent O.P. with the objects which were outlined earlier
in this report, to serve as a base from which to conduct patrols
or sorties, and pticularly to serve as a permanent rendezvous
where contacts would be maintained with the natives. It was
further planned, that once the nucleus had been trained, instead
of attempting to maintain a large force which must grow "stale"
with inactivity, a few representative members only of each group 
should be held at the O.P.  These men could be ready to collect
their groups together if required. Meanwhile the others would
be encouraged to continued to lead their normal existence as
nomadic hunters. In this way it was considered that the most 
effective use could be made of these people, and their morale
maintained at a high level.
For the reasons that have been discussed, Caledon Bay was 
finally selected as the site for the O.P. and on August 4th the
Aroetta again in the area known as "Gray's Camp", at the head of
the arm or Bay to the east of Middle Point in Caledon Bay. The
whole of the native force was landed here and a site selected for 
a house and garden - the house to be built of stringy bark. Good
water was found in shallow wells close to the beach.
Some 15 days, from August 4th to 20th, were devoted to the
establishment of the O.P. including the building of a house and
garden. Full details of this O.P. are set out in various communications 
and these have been incorporated in section 10 which deals
with this O.P.
As soon as the work on the O.P. had been completed the 
Aroetta proceeded on a final patrol around the Cape Arnhem into the
Arafura Sea west as far as the Liverpool River. Visits were
made to the outlying islands, including Wessel Island, Elcho 
Island, and the Crocodile Group, and the natives who had been 
recruits for the special force were repatriated and rewarded 
with presents of knives tomahawks and tobacco.
Some hundreds of miles were covered by this voyage, but
in order to avoid lengthening of this report the narrative of this 
final patrol, and of the journey down the Barrier Reef to Townsville 
will be curtailed. This itinerary of the vessel is covered in
details by the Deck Log of the ship. which is attached as a final 
Appendix to this report.
On September 19th, Sergeant Elkington was placed in charge
of the O.P. at Caledon Bay and the Aroetta
proceeded to Groote Eylandt en route for Townsville to refit.
At Groote Eylandt in response to reports from R.A.A.F.
personnel who had reported strange lights an extended search was
conducted, covering three sides of the Island with nil results. 
The dates on which these lights were reported coincided with those
on which electrical storms were observed.
On September 23rd a course was set for Pera Head on
Cape York Peninsula, a landfall was made in September 25th and in
the afternoon of that day the ship anchored at Mapoon in Port 
Musgrave. 

37.
At Mapoon reports were brought in of a B17 of the U.S. Air
Corps which had recently crashed, and under orders from N.K. AREA

R.A.A.F. the ship remained at Mapoon for several days while a 

search was conducted for a missing member of the crew, without

result. On September 30 the voyage was resumed.

After passing Thursday Island almost constant trouble was

experienced with the tail shaft and stern gland packed each night 

to prevent flooding of the ship and removed before proceeding so

that the stern gland would not heat, and the pumps used at 

intervals during the night to empty the bilges.

The ship was taken to Cairns where new bolts were fitted

to the stuffing box. On October 15th the Aroetta arrived in

Townsville after an absence of nearly ten months on patrol.

 

6. MEDICAL WORK AMONG NATIVES

As no medical officer was carried on account of the small 

size of the Special Reconnaissance Unit, adequate supplies of

medical equipment and a small dental kit, had to be carried for the 

crew in case of accident or sickness.

Besides this however, a considerable amount of medical work

was carried out regularly among the natives, and for this purpose

large quantities of drugs and other medical stores had been

provided specially by D.M.S. at A.H.Q. in view of value of medical

attention among natives in promoting goodwill and winning friendship.

These people, especially the children, suffer severely from yaws

and from many other tropical diseases. The lesions of yaws disfigure
and deform but fortunately are readily cleared up by a few

injections of certain arsenical preparations, particularly N.A.B.

which is administered intravenously. Large supplies of NAB had

been provided by Army for this work, and a full medical kit was

kept always in readiness. At almost every anchorage throughout

the whole of the 16 months covered by our patrols, the people 

would bring their sick, especially the children who were suffering 

from yaws, for injections and other treatment.

As an instance of the faith of these natives may be cited

a case that occurred just before this ship sailed finally from

Caledon Bay in April. A woman was brought to me and she had had her

arm badly broken in two places by the falling limb of a tree. No

apparatus was available, and at first I was at a loss as to what I

could do. At length however, a sheet of stringy bark was obtained

and by cutting this so that it could be bent to form an elbow joint,

a good and comfortable splint was improvised; and after the rather

painful task of setting the broken bones had been completed and a

sling made from a strip of calico, the woman went off happy.

Although this work was exacting and laborious and occupied

a considerable amount of time, it was one of the most important

influences in maintaining the friendship and goodwill of the people

throughout the area, and therefore, apart altogether from the human

aspect, well repaid the labour and expense involved. Even the

most difficult and otherwise unapproachable people are often won

over by attention to their children, and at length the natives learn

to depend to trust the man who will always help them, and will

bring their troubles to him.

 

7. RAISING OF THE NATIVE FORCE FOR GUERILLA FIGHTING AND SCOUTING

Simultaneously with the reconnaissance of the coast of

Arnhem Land and the establishment of a coastal patrol to cover this

area during the early part of 1942, the work of raising and training

the nucleus of the native force, which was laid down as one of the

primary tasks of this Unit was carried out. 

38.
Some reference has already been made to the contacts which

were made with the natives of this area and the beginning of the

organisation of the native force, but it is proposed now to set

out in more detail the problems associated with this task, and

the organisation of the detachment which was formed, as well as

to give some account of its training and work.

Before giving these details, however, a general appreciation

will be made of the Arnhem Land Native population so that the

background will be more clearly understood.

 

(i) NATIVES OF ARNHEM LAND.

The name Arnhem Land is applied to an area of approximately

30,000 square miles extending roughly from the East Alligator

River, on the eastern shores of Van Diemen Gulf, for about 450

miles to the Gulf of Carpentaria, and southwards to approximately 

the latitude of the Roper River.

This vast tract, except for one cattle Station (Mainoru on

the Wilton River) and a few mission stations scattered along the

coast, mostly on islands, is still a "No Man's Land" largely

unexplored and having no white population but solely inhabited

by natives.

Westwards from the Liverpool River the native population

has been already decimated by contact with white man and Asiatics,

chiefly cattle men, buffalo shooters beche-de-mer fishermen,

pearlers and beachcombers.  West of the Liverpool and particularly

east of Cape Steward the native population is much more numerous

and more primitive, and in parts of central Arnhem Land around

Arnhem Bay across to Caledon and Blue Mud Bays, the natives are

still living unmodified, the live of primitive nomadic hunters.

These people are great hunters and great travellers.

Many of them are fierce and warlike in disposition, especially

the so-called Caledon Bay people, the Balamumu or Djapu who

inhabit the country extending from the mouth of Arnhem Bay,

extending across to Caledon and Blue Mud Bays, including the

hinterland of Blue Mud Bay and Woodah Island.

The density of the population is nowhere great in Arnhem

Land.  In 1935 I made a rough census, while engaged under commission
from the Commonwealth Government, and estimated that there

were approximately only 3000 natives in Arnhem Land of which

about 1500 lived in the country east of Cape Stewart.  About 3

or 500 inhabited Caledon and Blue Mud Bay areas and the hinterland.

From time immemorial these people have been engaged on

"intertribal" warfare on a guerilla basis.  They are extremely

skilful in stealthy approach and specialties in attack from ambush.

They are never at peace for any length of time, but are almost

constantly organising raids, which take the form of long forced

marches into the territory of their intended victims.  These

raiding parties are called "miringo" and at these times they travel

generally in single file, until the party is near its  objective

when they call a halt while they send out two selected scouts

called "milngo" or spies to reconnoitre the enemy camp, to the

determine numbers and dispositions of the enemy.

The "milingo" or scouts return to the main body which

has meanwhile remained in concealment and report the results of

their reconnaissance, and a plan of attack is formulated.   The

objective is to swoop suddenly upon the camp, attacking generally

under cover of darkness, in the hour just before dawn.  When

they are about to attack the "miringo" or raiding party smear

their bodies with white clay, which they say has the effect of

exaggerating their numbers when seen in the dim light, and helps

to throw their enemies into a state of confusion.  The raiders

now surround the camp and at a prearranged signal, rush in with 

39.
a war cry calculated further to demoralise the surprised camp.

They kill as many people as they can and then break away.  The

party disperses, each man making his escape individually so that

it is the more difficult for the victims to organise and pursue

them effectively.  Later the "miringo" remuster at a rendezvous 

and travel by forced marches back to their own territory.

It has been pointed out elsewhere in this report

that these natives are very different in every respect from the

typical Australian aborigine, for they have long had contacts with

Malay, and probably even earlier Proto-Malay peoples, who visited

the area from Indonesia, coming down with the North west monsoon

and returning with the South east. These contacts probably extended

over hundreds of years and left a distinct impression on the people

of the south coast of the Arafura Sea and the Gulf Coast of Arnhem

Land.  Much of their culture, their social and religious life as

well as their material culture, shows distinctly the profound effect of

these contacts.  The importance of this background will be appreciated
too when these people are considered as potential guerilla 

soldiers.  They are bold and fearless, they have long been accustomed

to defend their country and their birthright against invaders from

the sea, and are skilled in the practices of guerilla warfare, and

often depend for their lives upon this skill.  They live by

their prowess in hunting, in laying an ambush, and in bushcraft.

It was pointed out earlier in this report, that just as the

natives of Arnhem Land differ greatly from those of all other parts 

of Australia by reason of these earlier contacts with more advanced

peoples, people who were themselves of an adventurous type, who were

bold and daring seafarers, semi-pirates, like the Sea Dayaks, so

also the people of Arnhem Land are themselves not homogenous.
There is a definite change in the people along the north
coast - the line of demarcation occurring in the vicinity of Cape
Stewart. To the west, along the shores of Boucaut Bay or to the
Liverpool River, and still farther west to the Goulburn Islands
and the Liverpool River, and still farther west to the Goulburn
Islands and the King, the people were readily accessible to the
Japanese who invaded this coast from 1936 onwards; they welcomed
the Japanese and traded their women to them, becoming demoralised
and degraded by their contacts with these crews.

But to the East of Cape Stewart the demeanour of the natives

was more reserved.  It is true that they sold turtle and fish, and

that they cut firewood for the Japanese, in return for tobacco and

knives, but they could not be induced to trade their women; they

sometimes quarrelled with the Japanese.

Farther west, the attitude of reserve became intensified, until

south of Arnhem Bay and at Caledon Bay the show of friendship was only

superficial.  It was the friendship of treachery, and as soon as the

crews relaxed their vigilance the natives attacked and killed them.

These people proved themselves masters in the art of dissembling; 

they approached vessels off the coast in their canoes.  If their

approach was seen, they were rarely on a friendly visit, unarmed, for

their weapons lay concealed on the floor of the canoe.  But if

they were not detected they boarded the ship, rushed the crew, and

overwhelmed them.  This ruse  succeeded over and over.

_______________________________________________________________________

^x Footnote

The bold and independent demeanour of the people of Caledon Bay

was remarked upon by Mathew Flinders as long ago as 1803 when he visit
ed this coast in the Investigator.  Of his first contact with the

people of Caledon Bay Flinders remarked "..They staid to receive him,

without showing that timidity so usual with the Australians..", and

again, after commenting on the fact that even as early as 1803 the

people of Caledon Bay knew the use of fire arms, he observed that

".. from their audacity it would appear, that the effect of fire arms

was either not very certain in the hands of the strangers, or had

seldom been reported on in the punishment of aggression ...." 

40.
These people formed the raw material from which guerilla

fighting unit was to be formed. They needed no tuition in the

more subtle forms of ambush or in the harassing of an enemy.

They needed only to be organised and led.   I knew them well,

for I had lived, hunted and travelled with them, knew their

language and had their confidence, and believe that I could lead

them.  But in the art of guerilla fighting it was them who taught

and I who came to learn.

Many of their guerilla raids could be taken as models of how

such raids should be carried out - models in the ingenuity of their

conception in the minute detail of their clever organisation, as 

well as in the brilliance of their execution.

 

(ii)  ORGANISATION OF NUCLEUS OF NATIVE FORCE

On the initial voyage from Townsville to Darwin in January

1941 a call had been made at Derby River to pick up Raiwalla, a

native of the Glyde River district who had served with me on two

long expeditions in Arnhem Land, and whose courage loyalty and

experience I knew.

In Darwin Raiwalla, though a full-blooded aboriginal had

been enlisted in the Army (No. D.198) in February 1942, and he

served constantly as my right hand man and as leader of the native

detachments, in the raising of which he also rendered sterling

assistance, until April 1943.  He accompanied me on all patrols

on foot, and in addition, frequently took charge of detachments

of the native Units and himself led many patrol and reconnaissance

tasks, sometimes of an extended nature Raiwalla was a fine hunter

and was renowned throughout eastern Arnhem Land for his prowess

as a spear fighter in single combat, though by this reputation

he commanded the respect of the natives of the special force, he

could be depended upon at all times to act as peacemaker in

quarrels or disputes.

After leaving Darwin it was planned to cover as much of the

country as possible on patrols on foot, not only to enable contact

to be made with the natives, but also to determine to what extent

the coastline was now inhabited by people who might either be

enlisted in coast watching organisation, or alternatively with

whom contact might be made by an enemy.

Some account has been given of the patrol which was carried

out from Van Diemens Gulf across the Coburg Peninsula, and the de-

population of this area, has also been recorded.

It was not desired at any stage to organise a large native

force for duty with the Ship, but merely to enlist and train a

nucleus of carefully selected and representative natives who would

later be able to return to their own country, when the most critical

period was over, and be available when ever called upon to gather a

force in their territory as has already been explained in detail.

Reference was made above to the native Bindjarpuma and his

group at Arnhem Bay.  Binjarpuma had some experience of white men

while serving with a police detachment at Caledon Bay, in 1926, and

had since retired to the hills behind Arnhem Bay, his own clan

territory, where he had established himself as leader of a band of

outlaws, who waged an almost constant war with neighbouring groups.
They conducted frequent raids and were responsible for many deaths

in the area.  In 1935 I organised a patrol and followed this man

into his stronghold, made friends with him and remained some time

with him.  It was later reported in a communication from the N.T.

Police to Dept of Interior that this man had succeeded in eluding

me during the whole of the period in which I was working in this

area, to stamp out tribal warfare.  I had not been in the area

since but I now made it my first objective in 1942 to re-establish

contact with Bindjarpuma and to enlist him and eleven picked men

from his group.  If the statement that I had been unable to make

contact with this man, and that he had been able to elude my

patrols, had been true, my influence among these people would have 

41.
so dwindled that formation of a really effective fighting group

would have been impossible.  It was imperative that in each area

where recruiting was to be carried out, the men chosen should be

representative of the dominant fighting men of the area and these

men trained and disciplined.  Some of these had of course to

be left to guard their territory in the meantime.

It was intended to limit the nucleus recruited at first to

about fifty men, and for the most part it was planned to select

most of these men from far Eastern Arnhem Land.

The enlistment of this Arnhem Bay group was completed on

March 7th and we were then ready to proceed to Caledon Bay.  It

was stated above that Binjarpuma had been long engaged in raids

upon this neighbours, and he was therefore very bad friends with

the people of Caledon Bay.  As these peoples represented the best

of the fighting tribes, and I intended to work them in one unit,

it was essential that they should first be brought together.  In

order to effect this, and to avoid the possibility of a clash

between them when I was not there to prevent this, I set off

overland on March 8th for Caledon Bay with this detachment.

At the outset I had promised the natives that I would

remain with them and lead them myself, for they knew me well and

I knew their language, so that they had no fear that they might be

led into a trap as might otherwise have been the case.

The journey across to Caledon Bay was a severe one, for

the men were in first class training and vied with one another

to set the pace.  It is necessary on at least some of these

journeys to take the initiative from the leaders and force the

pace for them in order to retain their respect as a leader.

This is not difficult for a few hours, but to sustain it over

two long days without letting up and without appearing to flag

or tire is a very severe ordeal.

Once again no natives were found at Caledon Bay, but they

were eventually located inland behind Trial Bay.  Wongo, the

head man of this territory is a man with an influence greater than

that of any other native I have known, and a reputation certainly

never approached by that of any other Australian aborigine.

This he owes even more to his remarkable personality than to his

renown as a fighting man.  I had not seen Wongo since 1937 and

the old man greeted me now like a son.  When I had seen him

first I had had to convey him a message from the Government, that

it was not pleased with him, and that he must maintain peace in

his territory.  But in spite of his sinister reputation for

treachery, and the many attacks he was reputed to have organised

on luggers and other small craft in these waters, I liked and

respected him for his strength and character.  I found him at

all times straightforward; he never broke a promise to me, and

I felt that I had his regard and respect.  In 1935  when I first

met Wongo three of his sons - Natjialma, Mau and Ngarkaiya were

serving life sentences in Fanny Bay Gaol for the killing of

Japanese.  I promised to take a message to his sons, whom I

believed to have been wrongly sentenced, and in the following

year I was able to secure their release and to take them back

to their territory.

This time I had to tell the old man that I had come to

enlist his support in preventing the Japanese from landing in

his country, to tell him that the Government, now wanted his

sons to kill Japanese, and to recruit some of his men for service

and training.  He promised me at once the men I wanted, and 

42.
offered me five of his six sons who were with him, to serve with

me, including the three men Natjialma, Mau and Ngarkaiya, who

had been in Fanny Bay gaol for the killing of Japanese.  But it

took some time to convince these people that they could really

kill Japanese who landed in this territory, without incurring the

ire of the Government, and being visited with yet another punitive

expedition, and Mau for long remained sceptical.  But that night

the ring of iron on iron, the sound of the forging of the "shovel"

spears was heard in camp, and the rasp of whetstones on spear

blades.  From this time on, it would have been difficult indeed for

even a large enemy landing party to have progressed far in the

territory of these warrior people.

Negotiations were carried out between Bindjarpuma's group,

now working as a section with the ship, who were camped apart, for

the formal "squaring up" to settle their differences and to terminate the

feud.  In the meantime, to avoid a possible clash, I lived ashore

with these people in their camp.

This "squaring up" means a formalised ordeal, in which the

culprits or scapegoats in each group, who are held responsible for

the killing of a member or members of the other group, become

the champions and run the gauntlet of spears thrown at them before the

assembled people.  It is a spectacular pageant like a joust of which

there is no time to tell here.  If the culprit escapes and comes

through the ordeal unmarked by a spear, he must still present his

thigh to be speared, and a spear is trust right through the leg

muscles to let blood flow, after which the wrong which has been

suffered is considered to have been expiated and friendly relations

are re-established between the parties.  After this ordeal two of

our men were crippled for a couple of weeks, but the bad blood had

passed and the group had been brought together to work in unity.

It may appear that this has little enough to do with the 

raising of a native Unit, but as the relationship which exists

between the members of the group and the success of the team work depend

on the appreciation of just these things, it is essential to under-

stand native customs and behaviour.  To have the full confidence of

these complex "primitive" people sufficiently to lead them it is

necessary to know their language and to be prepared literally to

live and work with them.  In return, however, they will give loyalty

and an unswerving devotion to duty which, if it rests on personal

respect and attachment and has something of heroworship, is never-

theless very real.  Properly led, under these severe conditions of

their own territory, these people are capable of enduring hardship

and suffering sustained privations without flinching, that would be

impossible to most white soldiers.

Discipline, which is essential in this, as in any other

organisation, rests on very subtle factors, and is closely linked

with that regard and respect which must be won and which the native

himself must bestow.

Enlistment of the force required was now completed, and

the fifty natives of this small force were organised roughly into

sections on a territorial basis, so that each section would be

led by a man from its own group.

The names of the personnel of this force, and their

territories are set out here with other data in tabular form. 

43.

NATIVES OF DETACHMENT FORMED IN ARNHEM LAND IN 1942 TO ORGANISE

GUERILLA FIGHTING AND FOR RECONNAISSANCE AND SCOUTING

No.	NATIVE NAME	GROUP	LOCALITY	WIFE	CHILDREN		REMARKS
					Male	Female
1.	x RAIWALLA	Mildjingi	Glyde River	3	1	1	Enlisted as a soldier at Darwin (D178) 1942. Paybook No. 2976; a renowned fighting man who accompanied me across Arnhem Land on foot in 1935, and was with me in 1936-37 on many long journeys on foot.
2.	Buti	Lin-galau-wunirr	Upper Glyde River	3	-	3
3.	Walu-mar-mur	Djinang	Glyde River	2	3	2
4.	Dis-ugan-ngan	Dai-gur-gur	Buckingham Bay	2	1	-
5.	Ngonbaralli	Burara	Cape Stewart	-	-	-
6.	Warol	Gunwingo	Upper Liverpool River	-	-	-
7.	Millin-yarra	Wulaki	Derby River	-	-	-
8.	Dingarilil	Djinang	Glyde River	1	1	1
9.	Wupir-ni	"	"	1	-	-
10.	Mugobol	Burara	Cape Stewart	-	-	-
11.	Mill-ill-illi	Djinang	Glyde River	-	-
12.	Mul-urk	Burara	Cape Stewart	-	-	-
14.	Gatepapoi	Marongo	East Arnhem Bay	1	-	-	Member of a group "outlaws" led by BINDJARPUMA during 1936-37.  No. 2 section.
15.	Wurawul	Ritarngo	Upper Glyde River	1	-	1	Raiwalla (no. 1) and Wurawul accompanied me on a journey across Arnhem Land on foot in 1935 and both were with me throughout the whole of the work  carried out in Arnhem Land during 1936-37.
NOTE:  These groups are localised totemic clans; the social grouping in Eastern Arnhem Land is aberrant and there is nothing exactly comparable with the "Tribe" of most other parts of Australia.

44.

NATIVES OF DETACHMENT FORMED IN ARNHEM LAND IN 1942 TO ORGANISE

GUERILLA FIGHTING AND FOR RECONNAISSANCE AND SCOUTING

No.	NATIVE NAME	GROUP	LOCALITY	WIFE	CHILDREN		REMARKS
					Male	Female
16	Lia-dari	Kopapoingo (daigur-gur	Buckingham Bay	-	-	-	No. 2 Section
17.	Tjurr-pum	Tjumbarpoingo	Buckingham Bay	-	-	-	"    "    "
18	Bin-yin-uyi-woi	"	"  "	-	-	-	"    "    "
19.	Wut-janau-woi	"	"  "	1	-	-	"    "    "
20.	Manbanarra	Djinang	Lower Glyde River	-	-	-	"    "    "
NOTES:   x   Indicates Section Leader, Raiwalla, No. 1 Section, gathered from the area extending from the Liverpool River, Cape Stewart, the Derby, Glyde and Goyer Rivers, to Buckingham Bay. No. 14. Gatepapoi, belongs to No. 2 Section below.  See also note on history of Raiwalla. Nos. 1-13 plus 15, 16,17 & 18.  Total of 17  men.   All natives No 1-20 have been issued with wires for Spears, Knives and Axes.