Diaries of Thomas Currie Derrick, 1942-1945 - Part 3

RAIN FELL WITHOUT A LET

UP ALL DAY, NOBODY SEEMED

TO MIND THIS, AND SINGING

WAS MUCH IN EVIDENCE THROUGH

OUT THE TRIP.

EXERCISE FINISHED AT 1600

RETURNED TO SHIP AT 1700.

AN EXCELLENT NIGHTS SLEEP

AND PULLED OUT NEXT MORNING

SUNDAY AUG 22^ND

AT 0730,

GOING A LITTLE TOSSY DURING

THE INITIAL STAGES AND QUITE

A NUMBER WENT FOR THE LAST

I KEPT MY REPUTATION OF

BEING A GOOD SAILER.

ARRIVED MILNE BAY 1430

IN CAMP BY 1545, AND PRETTY

WET

MONDAY AUG 23^RD

DAY OF COY

ADMINISTRATION, ALL KHAKI CLOTHES

TO BE DYED GREEN.

MOUNTED DUTY AS B.O.S AT

1800 HRS.

TUESDAY AUG 24^TH

DUTY A VERY

EASY ONE, BUT A SHADE BORING

- WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE 

COLONEL RECORDS OFFICERS

SCHOOL, AND BELIEVE I AM

FIRST ON THE LIST, WITH

EXCEPTIONALLY BRIGHT PROSPECTS

-SERGEANT MAX THOMAS RECIEVED

HIS COMMISSION TODAY

WEDNESDAY AUG 25^TH

STILL AWAITING

OUR MOVE TO A PLACE UNKNOWN

KILLING TIME WITH EASY TRAINING

THURS AUG 26^TH

NO MOVING ORDERS

YET. - WEATHER SPLENDID NO RAIN

FOR TWO DAYS NOW. - MAIL ARRIVING

DAILY AND EVERYONE IS HAPPY

LIEUT MAX THOMAS HAS TAKEN OVER

OUR PLATOON. - SAR MAJOR LOVEDAY

RETURNED FROM A SCHOOL

FRID AUG 27^TH

NO CHANGE IN PROCEEDINGS.

SAT. AUG 28^TH

NOTHING FURTHER HAS

HAPPENED. AM BECOMING MORE

CONVINCED THAT LAE IS OUR OBJECTIVE 

-A LACK OF NEWS IS

MISSED BY ALL

SUNDAY Aug 29^th

CHURCH PARADE AT

0830; REMAINDER OF DAY SPINE

DRILL

MONDAY Aug 30^th

MAKING FURTHER 

PREPARATIONS FOR OUR DEPARTURE

MAIL TO BE STOPPED AT 1500

I WOULD SUGGEST WEDNESDAY MORNING 

AS LEAVING TIME.

TUESDAY AUG 31^st

FINAL PREPARATIONS

MOVE AND READY TO MOVE

WEDNESDAY SEPT 1^st

LEFT CAMP 1230

AND MARCHED TO BEACH AT 

STRINGERS BAY. EMBARKED ON L.S.T. AT

1515 HRS. WE ARE THE 12^TH WAVE

20^TH BRIG ARE ASSIGNED TRPs &

OUR LANDING PLACE IS 17 MILES 

WEST OF LAE

SEPT 2^ND

PULLED OUT AT 1000 HRS

AFTER SPENDING ALL NIGHT

[[?]] ABOUT IN MILNE BAY.

GOOD STEAMING ALL DAY, TROOP

ARE IN EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH 

SPIRITS & VERY CONFIDENT

THIS SHOULD BE A GRAND SHOW

FRID SEPT 3

AND SO THE WAR 

ENTERS ITS FIFTH YEAR WITH

THE ALLIES TAKING ALL THE

TRICKS

ALTHOUGH THE END IS A LONG WAY

OFF THE POSN HAS NEVER BEEN 

FOR US. I WOULD GIVE JERRY

UNTIL MARCH 1944. THE JAP

END OF 44.

THE GOING STILL EXTRA GOOD,

SHIP HELD A PRAYER SERVICE

THIS MORNING ON THE TOP DECK,

AND IT WAS A VERY IMPRESSIVE ONE

RECEIVED INFORMATION ABOUT

 

TIMES OF LANDING FOR WAVE

TO LAND AT 0332 IN THE MORNING

SAT SEPT 4^th

ASSAULT TROOPS LANDED

WITHOUT OPPOSITION AT 0637

AFTER A 7 MINUTE NAVAL BOMBARDMENT.

ONE WAVE CARRYING 2/23 BN WAS

ATTACKED BY 3 JAP BOMBERS

FROM A FORCE OF 24 WHICH

CAME OVER, TWO LCTs WERE

HIT RESULTING IN APPROX 50

CASUALTIES, 7 OF WHICH WERE

FATAL INCLUDING THE C.O.

OUR WAVE LANDED OKAY, - COULD

GET LITTLE RELIABLE SIGNS OF 

PROGRESS TO DATE.

AFTER A FEW HOURS DELAY &

ANOTHER VISIT BY JAP BOMBERS

NO CASUALTIES AT THIS TIME -

WE MOVED TO THE NEAR BANK

OF THE BUSO RIVER AND BIVVIED

FOR THE NIGHT - THE ENGINEERS

BOTH AUSTRALIAN & AMERICAN HAVE

DONE A SPLENDID JOB MAKING 

ROADS BRIDGES ETC.

SUN SEPT 5^th

MOVED FROM BUSO

AT 1200 HRS TO ALUKI APPROX

5000 YDS WEST, THE GOING IS

EXTREMELY HARD HOT & STEAMY

MON SEPT 6^th

MOVING AGAIN AT

0700, STILL IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION,

THIS TIME TO APPOE.

THE FWD TROOPS CONTINUED TO

MAKE GOOD PROGRESS, THEY

ARE 2/23 & 2/24 BNs WHO MOVED

THROUGH THE BEACH HEAD FORMED

BY 2/20^th BRIGADE.

 

THE 23rd WENT INTO ACTION AGAINST

A FORCE OF 100 JAPS, ONLY 15 ESCAPED. 

OWN CAS, 2 killed 18 [[?]]

22^nd BN. PATROL ALSO PUMPED ONE

ENEMY PATROL KILLING THE LOT (9)

AND HAD 4 OF THEIR OWN KILLED

OUT OF 5.

VERY FEW ENEMY PLANES ABOUT 8

THE WHOLE SHOW IS GOING EXTRA

GOOD. THE MORALE IS ONE

HUNDRED PER CENT.

THE HEAVIEST RAIN I HAVE SEEN

COMMENCED AT 2100 HRS LASTING

UNTIL 0400. MOST OF US WERE

CAUGHT GOOD & PROPER

SO FAR RATIONS ARE A PROBLEM

AND VERY SMALL 4 MEN TO 3

TINS OF BULLY PER DAY & ONE

PKT BISCUITS PER MAN

TUES SEPT 7^th

COY TO GO OUT CUTTING

A JEEP TRACK THROUGH

JUNGLE. THE APPOE VILLAGE CONSISTS

 OF 30 NATIVE HUTS & ONE 

LARGE MISSION HALL, THE NATIVES 

HAVE FLED.

WED SEPT 8^th

NOT MOVING UNTIL

1200 HRS - A NICE QUIET MORNING

COOKED SOME NATIVE VEGETABLES

(TAROS) AND FOUND IT QUITE

ENJOYABLE GREATLY ASSISTING OUR

OWN MEAGRE RATIONS.

LEFT APPOE ON TIME STILL MOVING

WEST AND TOWARDS LAE

CROSSED BUHEIM RIVER AND

GOING IS NOW THROUGH SWAMP

MARSHLAND & KUNAI GRASS

PASSED SCENE OF 2/24 BNS

CLASH, JAPS NOT YET BURIED

 

CONTINUED JOURNEY TO BUNGA 

RIVER THEN ALONG COAST TO

BUREP RIVER. MOVED UP TO

BUREP FOR 3000 YDS AND BIVVIED

FOR NIGHT PROVIDING PROTECTION

FOR RECENTLY ARRIVED ARTILLERY

THURS SEPT 9^th

OFF AGAIN AT 0700

GOING UP BUREP TO AN ISLAND

TRACK SOME 3000 U.P. - ON ARRIVAL

AL COY SET TO CLEARING JEEP

TRACK AGAIN. - THE TWO FWD

BNS ARE HELD UP AT BUSEP RIVER

THROUGH SUPPLIES.

CLEARED ABOUT 1700YDS WHICH

WAS AN EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD EFFORT.

REMAINDER OF THE BN JOINED

US AT 1630 HRS.

NEWS FROM EUROPE, THE UNCONDITIONAL

SURRENDER OF ITALY

FRID SEPT 10^TH

COY MOVING UP TO

CONTINUE WITH TRACK. BY 1100

HAD REACHED WORKING PARTY FROM

OPPOSITE END, TRACK TO BUSU

NOW COMPLETED.

POSITION NOW - 2/24 BN ON NEAR

BANK OF BUSU 2/23 ASTRIDE

TRACK 250 YDS BACK BRIG HQ

BEHIND THEM, 2/48 ANOTHER 1500

YDS BACK.

THE 24^th BRIGADE OCCUPY A

SIMILAR POSITION ON THE COAST

BOTH SIDES USING ARTY AT 

INTERVALS, THE JAP HAVING ONE

LARGE GUN, HIS OTHERS APPEAR TO

BE 75MM. HAVE NOTICED A LARGE 

NUMBER OF DUDS WITH JAP SHELL

CROSSING OF BUSU IS CAUSING

SOME DIFFICULTY, IT IS 5FT

DEEP 300 YDS WIDE & FLOWING AT

 

12 M.P.H WITH ENEMY ON THE

FAR BANK.

ANOTHER [[?]] DOWNPOUR IN THE 

ARVO, MOST UNCOMFORTABLE, EVERY

ONE LOOKING LIKE SHAGS, BUT NOT

CARING A HANG AND MAKING PLENTY

OF FUN & WISE CRACKS.

LATEST REPORTS 2/28 BN HAVE

ONE Coy ACROSS RIVER AT THE 

MOUTH.

SAT SEPT 11^th.

A WEEK SINCE LANDING

AND HAVE TRAVERSED 21000 YDS

THROUGH SWAMPS & JUNGLE AND

STILL ROARING TO GO.

ENGINEERS WORKING HARD TO BRIDGE

THE RIVER AND RECIEVING SOME

CASUALTIES FROM ENEMY SNIPERS

2 JAP PRISONERS DECLARE THEY

STILL HOLD BUSU & GONA, SO

HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY ARE

AUSTRALIA - RATIONS STILL HARD

& LIGHT - ITALIAN FLEET SAILS

FOR GIBRALTER.

SUN SEPT 12^th

STILL BEING HELD

UP. 20^th BRIG. GOING GREAT

GUNS ALONG COAST, ONLY OUR

BRIGADE HOLDING SHOW UP

MON SEPT 13^th

RIVER BRIDGED THEN

RECIEVED A DIRECT HIT AND PUSH

NOW THE SAME AS BEFORE.

ENEMY GETTING A STRONGER 

FORCE ON FAR BANK DURING

THE DELAY. - OUR B COY HAVE

MOVED TO COAST TO CROSS

ARE THEN TO MOVE UP STREAM

ON FAR BANK TO SECURE A 

BRIDGE AHEAD. - ONE PRISONER 

SENT IN BY 2/4^th INDEPENDANT 

COY AFTER A CLASH WITH A 

 

SMALL PARTOL. HE IS 4' 6" HIGH. 

WE HAVE SUFFERED ANOTHER

SCORE OF CASUALTIES INCLUDING

THE ARTY F.O.O.

TUES SEPT 14^th

MOVING AT LAST

THE RIVER HAS BEEN BRIDGED

AND CROSSED. LEFT BIVVY [[?]]

AT 0700 AND MOVED TO WITHIN

500 YDS THERE TO AWAIT THE 

SECURING OF THE FAR BANK

CAN HEAR A NICE LITTLE SCRAP

GOING ON. - 2/22 HAVE 2 COYS

ACROSS AND ARE MEETING SOME

OPPOSITION, THE BRIDGE BEING

UNDER M.G. FIRE. REMAINED

WAITING ALL DAY -

ARTY F.O.O. AGAIN A CASUALTY FROM

SHELL FIRE. - NO NEWS FROM

OUR B COY. - ORDERS CAME

TO MOVE AT 2030 HRS

MOVED TO RIVER AND COMPLETED

CROSSING BY MIDNIGHT, CORRSING

WAS QUIET AND WITHOUT INCIDENT

WED SEPT 15

ON REACHING FAR

BANK WE FORMED DEFENSIVE

PERIMETER AND AWAITED COMING

OF DAY. - AFTER A HURRIED

AND LOUSY BREAKFAST WE WERE

OFF AGAIN AT 0700 HRS, NOW

MOVING N.W. TO SAWMILL AREA

REACHED NORTHERN SIDE OF MILL

BY MIDDAY, FOUND 6 JAP HEAVY

M.Gs COVERING A LARGE KUNIA

PATCH ABONDED WITH PLENTY

OF AMMO.

FROM HERE WE MOVED THROUGH

2/23 BN TO BE ADVANCE GUARD

FOR THE FIRST TIME, OUR PL

IS VANGUARD PL, NOW MOVING

 

ALONG MOTOR TRACK TO MALAHANG

AIR STRIP, THIS WE OCCUPIED

UNOPPOSED AT 1910 HRS. - THE MOVE

ON TO THE STRIP WAS SHOCKING

AND NOT LIKE THE 48^th [[?]], THIS

I CONSIDER IS THE WEAKNESS OF

OUR BN & COY COMMANDERS.

CONTACTED [[2/?]] BN OF 20^th BDE

WHO MOVED IN ON THE SOUTH

END OF STRIP. - TOOK UP POSN

ON FRINGE OF STRIP FOR THE 

NIGHT.

THURS SEPT 16^th

PUSHING ON AGAIN

AT 0700 TO VILLAGE BUTIBUM.

SHOULD HAVE OUR FIRST SCRAP

HERE. C COY ADVANCE GUARD

AND CAPTURED ONE PRISONER

IN FIRST QUARTER HOUR, HE

WAS IN A SORRY CONDITION, DYSENTRY

AND FLY BLOWN.

PUSHED ON AND OCCUPIED VILLAGE

WHICH HAS BEEN HASTILY

DESERTED A SHORT TIME BACK

OUR MITCHELL BOMBERS HAD

GIVEN THE PLACE A SEVERE

ASTING. SOME OF THE STRAFING

BEING TOO CLOSE TO OUR OWN

ORCES. - ANOTHER LOUSY MEAL

ND ON THE MOVE AGAIN

ROSSED BUTIBUM RIVER AND

OW MOVING AROUND TO ENTER 

E FROM THE NORTH. THE

ING WAS THE HARDEST TO

OMB CRATERS EVERY WHERE

G BLASTED GIANT TREES OVER

ER THE PLACE, STRUCK THE

ARXHAM VALLEY RD 600 YDS

ROM LAW AND ENTERED

1710 HRS, THE 2/32 & 2/2

VING BEEN IN THEIR 2 H

 

THE PLACE WAS DESERTED EXCEPT

FOR A FEW DEAD, IN A FILTHY

CONDITION AND BOMB CRATERS

FILLED WITH WATER AFTER THE

HEAVY RAINS WHERE EVERY WHERE.

NOT A BUILDING WAS LEFT STANDING.

- THE JAP IS FAR DIRTIER

THAN THE PALESTINE WOF. THEIR

WEAPONS ARE DEFINITELY INFERIOR

TO OURS, BEING OLD & CRUDE YET

EFFECTIVE. I CANNOT SEE HOW

THEY CAN POSSIBLY HAVE ANY CHANCE 

AT ALL. - MANY OF THE BOYS

OBTAINED SOUVENIRS FLAGS PISTOLS

SWORDS ETC. - THE ENEMY STREN^GTH

I THINK HAD BEEN GREATLY OVER

ESTIMATED AND MOST OF THEM

HAD ESCAPED. TOOK A SWIM

IN THE HARBOUR BEFORE RETIRING

FOR THE NIGHT

FRID SEPT 17^th

THE QUIET AFTER

THE STORM, A BREAKFAST SLIGHTLY

BETTER THAN THE PAST FORTNIGHT

AN TOOK STOCK OF OUR SURROUNDINGS,

-WE ARE ON THE HIGH

GROUND OVERLOOKING. LAE THE

AIR DROME CAN BE SEEN PLAINLY

WITH SOME 130 DESTROYED AIR

CRAFT LITTERED OVER IT.

A FEW AK AK GUNS MORE MODERN 

THAN HIS OTHER WEAPONS

AND SOME FIELD PIECES OF

ANCIENT ORIGIN.

JUST UNDER A FORTNIGHT TO

TAKE THE PLACE FROM A NEVER 

SURRENDER FANATICAL ENEMY -

HOOEY - OUR GREATEST PROBLEM

WAS TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH

HIM. - MOVED TO DROME

WITH A TASK OF PIQUETING

 

SOME OF THE LESSER DAMAGED 

AIR CRAFT.

SAT SEPT 18^th

AIR CRAFT PICQUET

A SPLENDID JOB ARE ABOUT

2000^yds FROM [[?]] SO NATURALLY

ALL IS LOVELY. - OUR COY COM

IS A POOR WEAK LEADER AS ARE

THE REST OF THE COYS OCs &

THE BN C.O. , THE MAJORITY

OF LIEUTS ARE THE BEST ONE

COULD WANT - SGT HARRY LAKY

LEFT FOR OCT THIS MORNING

WAS A LITTLE DISSAPOINTED BEING

CERTAIN I WAS TO GO NEXT -

WHAT A BREAK.

SUN SEPT 19^th

STILL ON AIRCRAFT

PICQUET AND QUITE CONTENTED,

FIRST PLANES LANDED TODAY.

BUT OUR HOLIDAY ENDS TODAY