Diaries of Thomas Currie Derrick, 1942-1945 - Part 5

EMERGED APPARENTLY WITH INTENTIONS
OF FLEEING, MY SELF WITH
RIFLE, PTE PETER MARTIN BREN 
GUN, CPL FENNEL & PTE McGILL OWEN
GUNS AND { L/CPL WALL PTE HOCKEY PTE DOMALLHANS} RIFLE OPENED
FIRE ON THEM KILLING 4
WOUNDING 1 WHO MADE OFF SCREAMING.
- A FURTHER ENGAGEMENT
WHERE BOTH SIDES EXCHANGED
FIRE AGAIN SEEN US ON TOP. -
MEANWHILE SGT ASHBY WITH PATROL
MOVED AROUND EASTERN SIDE
OF VILLAGE TO KILL 3 MOR JAPS. -
ON LIKELIHOOD OF ENCIRCLEMENT
BOTH PATROLS WITHDREW 
AND SAFELY REACHED BN AT 1700.
OUR COY HAD SHIFTED POSN &
IT WAS RAINING HEAVILY THE TASK
OF SETTLING IN WAS QUITE A
PROBLEM AND WELL INTO THE
NIGHT & MUD WHEN COMPLETED

FRID NOV 12
ALL QUIET ON THE SAT. 

ALDERC FRONT. - OUR ARTY CONTINUE       
TO HAND IT OUT. - RECIEVED PRELIMINARY
INFORMATION ON COMING ATTACK
WHICH I FANCY TO BE MADE
SUNDAY MORNING.
RATIONS GOOD & PLENTIFUL, ALL
TROOPS IN THE PINK & CONFIDENT.

SAT NOV 13^TH
THE HIGH LIGHT OF

WEEK, MELBOURNE CUP DAY. I
HAVE INVESTED £1 ON PRECEPT
5/- EACH WAY, HEARTS DESIRE &
DRAWN CLAUDETTE IN A SWEEP.
THE CUP HAS STOLEN THE THUNDER
FROM THE COMING ATTACK AND
WE ALL FEEL SORRY FOR THE
POOR COWS AT HOME THAT CANT
GET OFF FROM WORK TO SEE THE
CUP, - IT IS A CRUEL WORLD.

SUN NOV 14^TH
SAME PLACE - 9 PL
OUT ON PATROL, RETURNED 1730 HR
DID NOT REACHED OBJECTIVE
ENEMY ENGAGED AT S.S. VILLAGE,
ONE KILLED NO INJURIES IN 9 PL.
ORDER TO MOVE CANCELLED ONE
HOUR AFTER IT WAS GIVEN.
RAIN AGAIN AND THE WHOLE AREA
AND TRACK A QUAGMIRE.
MON 15 NOV
NO CHANGE. - HAVE
BEEN NOTIFIED THE INITIAL ATTACK
COMMENCES IN THE MORNING.
RECIEVED ANOTHER ORDER TO MOVE
IT IS REPORTED [[COLONIST?]] RIDGE

UNOCCUPIED.

TUES NOV 16^TH

UP BRIGHT & EARLY

START TIME IS 0830 HRS COY

 

ORDER OF ADVANCE 8 & 9 FIRST

ENEMY POSNS 300' AWAY.

EVERYTHING GOING TO A PLAN 8

COY WERE 1^ST F.O.P. IN NICE

TIME. - BY THE TIME THE ARTY

OPENED ALL WAS OKAY & EVERYONE

CONFIDENT & EAGER.

7 PL ENCOUNTERED ENEMY ON TOP

OF GREEN RIDGE APPROX 50 STRONG

THEY MOVED TO RIGHT FLANK.

MYSELF WITH 4 SEC WENT TO

LEFT FLANK, ADVANCE VERY SLOW

& DIFFICULT. TWO SECTIONS OF

7 PL MADE FINAL CHARGE KILLING

15 AND DRIVING REMAINDER

FROM RIDGE. PTES OFFR BRECHEN

& MAX TRENGROVE WERE KILLED

BY MACHINE GUN FIRE ON TOP OF

ENEMY DUG OUTS. - 8 PL. THEN

TOOK OVER VANGUARD AND PUSHED

ON SLOWLY WITHOUT MEETING ANY

FURTHER OPPOSITION, REACHED OBJECTIVE
AT 1445 HRS AND FOUND

IT RECENTLY VACATED. - COY

FORMED FIRM [[BARB?]]. DON COY, WHO

WERE OUR RESERVE SUPPORT SENT

OUT A PATROL AND LOCATED JAPS

80 YDS UP TRACK OCCUPYING BN

M.G. POSN. POSN WE OCCUPIED

FOR NIGHT AND NO FURTHER TROUBLE.

WED NOV 17^TH

C. COY AND DON B COY

MOVED UP AT DAWN SUPPORTED

BY ONE TROOP OF TANKS, THEY

ADVANCED 100 YDS AND WERE

FIRED ON BY MGs, THESE

WERE SOON PUT OUT OF ACTION

PTE ZACKEA C COY. WAS KILLED 6

OTHERS WOUNDED. - AT THIS STAGE

& MORTAR FOUND DON COY WOUNDING

 

FIVE. - ENEMY POSITIONS ON

COLONIST RIDGE VERY STIFF. THE 

FORWARD TANK HAVING A TRACK

SMASHED BY A MORTAR, BLOCKING

THE [[?]] MAJOR TANK] TRACK

B COY WERE PUSHED IN AND A

GLORIOUS DISPLAY OF ATTACK DISLODGED
ENEMY FROM [[?]]  DUG IN

POSN. - [[?]] [[?]] [[?]], &

PTE DIXON WERE KILLED AND APPROX

20 WOUNDED INCLUDING [[?]] ROBINS

SGTS BASTION [[?]], [[?]] D O SMITH

GEOFF [[? ? ?]], SQUEAK

HARRIS - JACK REWEN

DON COY MOVED UP TO JOIN

THE 2 F [[?]] [[?]] CONTINUED

ADVANCE ALONG COLONIST RIDGE.

2 LARGE ENEMY BUNKER POSNS

WERE HOLDING UP THE SHOW, &

AT NIGHT FALL THE TANK HAD NOT

BEEN REPAIRED, IT BEING

UNDER FIRE FROM ENEMY M.Gs. -

THE 2/24^th BN FURTHER NORTH HAD

TAKEN THEIR OBJECTIVE WITHOUT

MUCH TROUBLE. THE 2/23 BN ONE

COY ADVANCING UP FROM S.S. VILLAGE

STRUCK ENEMY EARLY, BUT GOT

WITHIN 250' OF STEEPLE TREE AND

WERE HELD UP By A STRONG FORCE.

THURS NOV 18^TH

TANKS NOW OPERATING

AGAIN & RIDGE OCCUPIED

AFTER A BRIEF BUT HARD FIGHT.

A. COY MOVING UP TO TAKE

OVER ADVANCE WITH TANKS. -

ORDER OF ADVANCE 9PL 7PL 8PL,

HAD ONLY GONE 150' ALONG ROAD

WHEN 2 M.Gs OPENED ON THE

FWD TANK AND 9PL WERE PINNED

DOWN. - A DETOUR BY No 2 TANK

FOUND HIM IN BETWEEN BOTH

 

GUNS WHICH KEPT FIRING FOOLISHLY

AT THE TURRET. A MOVE FWD BY

9PL RESULTED IN 2 CASUALTIES, PTEs

STARK & ROWE - FINALLY 8PL SCRAMBLED

OVER THE RIDGE TO SILENCE

THE RIGHT FLANK [[?]] 9PL

MOVED ALONG THE ROAD RECIEVED

4 CASUALTIES CPL TOM WOODALL, CPL

BILL SNIDER, PTES GEORGE CHAPMAN &

JACK STEVENS. TOM WOODALL DIED

LATER. - BY LUCK WE HAD PUSHED

THE JAP OFF & SUPPORTED BY DON

COY CONSOLIDATED THE DON POSN.

FRID NOV 19^TH

A COY TO CONTINUE

THE ADVANCE, MOVING WITH TANKS

A LITTLE OFF THE ROAD & TO THE

RIGHT. - FOR THE NEXT 250' THE

ROAD WAS COVERED BY HUNDREDS

OF GUN POSNS, ALL WERE VACATED

& IN MANY INSTANCES M.Gs

WERE LEFT ALSO ONE 37'mm A TK 

GUN WITH THE CREW A MANGLED

BLOODY HEAP NEAR IT. 300'
FROM OUR START POINT WE CONTACTED
THE JAP AGAIN HOLDING

A HIGH JUNGLE FEATURE ON A VERY

SHARP BEND IN THE ROAD, HE APPEARED
TO BE HERE IN CONSIDERABLE

STRENGTH. - 7 & 9 PLs A COY FIXED

THE ENEMY IN THE FWD SLOPES, 8

PL REMAINED TANK PROTECTION, DON

COY MOVES 2 PLs UP TO COME ON

ENEMY FROM THE REAR, HOWEVER

HE HAD HIS BACK DOOR COVERED

JUST AS WELL & THE SHOW WAS 

HELD UP. DON COY HAD SEVERAL

CASUALTIES TRYING TO STEAL FOOD.

AFTER NUMEROUS PLANS HAD BROKEN
DOWN & DARKNESS WAS APPROACHING,
MR BARRIEs PL DON COY

7PL & 8PL  A COY CHARGED UP

 

THE SLOPE FIRING FROM THE HIP,

THROWING GRENADES, AND GIVING THE

NOW BECOMING FAMOUS HO HO YELL

AND THOROUGHLY DISORGANISED THE

ENEMY WHO FLED IN PANIC, LEAVING

BEHIND SEVERAL DEAD & NUMEROUS

WEAPONS, INCLUDING M.Gs & 75 mm

MOUNTAIN GUNS.

SAT NOV 20^TH

OUR COY REMAINING ON

PRESENT FEATURE WITH DON COY. -

B COY [[ALSO?]] TAKING OVER THE ADVANCE,

THEIR OBJECTIVE THE 2400

FEATURE. 200' AND SLAP BANG

INTO THE ENEMY WHO HAD APPARENTLY
BENEFITED IN EXPERIENCE

AND KEPT FURTHER AWAY FROM

THE ROAD. - FIGHTING WAS HARD

& BITTER WITH CASUALTIES MOUNTING

UP. SGT SNOW RANSFORD

BEING KILLED WHILST USING A

GLORIOUS LONE ASSAULT ON JAP

BUNKER POSNS. - THE END OF A 

DASHING, COURAGEOUS &, FEARLESS SOLDIER

EASILY THE BNS BEST. - THIS MAY

BE GATHERED FROM THE CEREMONY

WHICH TOOK PLACE AT HIS BURIAL

THE NEXT DAY, 50 PER CENT OF

HIS COY ATTENDING TO PAY THEIR 

LAST TRIBUTE TO A GREAT MAN.

BY 1700 HRS B COY HAD CAPTURED

THE POSN, - A COY MOVED UP TO

FORM PERIMETER WITH THEM.

DIGGING IN WAS MOST DIFFICULT &

WAS NOT COMPLETED UNTIL 2300 HRS

SUN NOV 21^ST

I AM SENT FOR BY

THE COL AND PLACED IN COMMAND

OF 11 PL B COY, THEY HAVING 

LOST ALL BUT ONE OF THEIR LEADERS. 

- WAS IMMEDIATELY GIVEN A

 

PATROL WHICH OCCUPIED 6 HOURS.

ALTHOUGH NO ENEMY WERE ENCOUNTERED 

INFORMATION OBTAINED WAS 

VALUABLE.  THE [[?]] WORKED MARVELLOUSLY,

THEY [[?]] A VERY CAPABLE

CREW, ESPECIALLY ACTING SEC COM.

WALLY EVERETT & FWD SCOUT BOB

MCKENZIE. 1630 HRS B COY PUSHED

ON BEHIND A WHO HAD ADVANCED

480' ALONG THE ROAD WITHOUT OPPOSITION.

- 1730 HRS AGAIN MOVED UP

A FURTHER 200' AND AGAIN DUG IN

LATE.

MON NOV 22^ND

MY PL TO GO PATROLLING,

A VERY STICKY ONE UP TO THE 

FORD JUST BELOW SATELBERG, - LEFT

AT 0830 HAD GONE 150' AND HEARD

5 JAPS 50' AHEAD SAW ANOTHER 10

DIGGING IN ABOVE THE FORD, -

REFERRED THIS AND THE PARTY F.O.B

CAPT HENDERSON CAME UP. - RESULT

A LACING FROM OUR 25 POUNDERS.

PATROL PUSHED ON FOUND VERy

RECENT SIGNS OF JAP OCCUPATION

REMAINDER OF COY MOVED UP, PATROL

PUSHED ALONG RIDGE RUNNING PARALEL

TO ROAD UNTIL DIRECTLY ABOVE THE

FORD AND FIRST ELBOW IN ROAD. -

COULD NOT GET DOWN TO FORD, OUR

BOMBING HAVING MADE HUGE LAND

SLIDES AND BLASTED OUT ALL TREES

& OTHER GROWTH, TO MOVE FURTHER

WOULD HAVE PLACED US UNDER JAP

OBSERVATION FROM A RIDGE 200' AWAY.

- THE ROAD & ITS CONDITION COULD

EASILY BE SEEN, ALSO ENEMY MOVEMENT

& POSNS ON SATELBERG. -

WHILST MAKING THIS RECCE FIRING

SPANDO LESS THAN 50' ON OUR

LEFT & UPWARD FLANK. IT WAS C

COY OF THE 2/23 BN IN CONTACT

 

WITH THE POSN, A FLASHED RECOGNITION

SIGNAL AGAIN THE FAMOUS

HO HO GAVE US CONTACT WITH 23^RD

WHO AFTER PUSHING JAPS OFF OCCUPIED

THE GROUND WE WERE HOLDING.

WE [[RESUMED?]] [[?]], OUR FORMER POSN.

TUES NOV 23^RD

A COMPARITIVELY QUIET

& EASY DAY; A COY WERE ON THE

GROUND [[?]] BY OUR PATROL

YESTERDAY. - SHELLING FROM A JAP 

MOUNTAIN GUN NEAR MARARUA LANDED

ON OUR B.H.Q. KILLING BN 2.16

MAJOR BATTEN, AUS CAPT MELOCK, PIONEER

OFFR. LIET BUTLER, REG. SGT LANE,

DRV LIEUT [[SIMMONS?]], SEVERAL OTHERS 

WERE WOUNDED, INCLUDING THE R.M.O.

- RECIEVED 2 PARCELS FROM ∧HOME WHICH

WERE SOON DISPOSED OF NICELY.
XX

WED NOV 24^TH

COY AGAIN TAKING OVER

ADVANCE, THIS TIME OVERLAND TO

PROMINENT FEATURE JUST FWD & BELOW

EASTERN END OF SATELBERG. MY PL

VANGUARD PL & SEC POINT SEC 5 THEN

6. - GOOD & UNOPPOSED PROGRESS

TO SIKI RIVER, THE BANKS OF WHICH

WERE A STEEP DROP. 100' OVER

RIVER COY FORMED FIRM BASE. -

MYSELF, BOB McKENZIE & HAROLD ROBARD

WENT FWD ON A RECCE TO EASTERN

END OF ROAD JUST BELOW THE ELBOW

RAN SLAP BANG INTO 2 JAPS WHO

WERE IN TOO BIG A HURRY GOING

SOME PLACE TO NOTICE US, COULD

HAVE DROPPED THEM QUITE EASILY

BUT DID NOT WANT TO DISLOSE

THE COYS PRESENCE, VERY DISAPPOINTING

HAVING TO LET THEM GO. - 

REPORTED BACK AND COY MOVED

 

FWD 12 10 11 PLs. COY WERE FIRED

ON FROM HIGH GROUND IN FRONT, 

10 PL WERE SENT UP TO CLEAR POSNS

HOWEVER THE GRADIENT WAS FAR TOO

MUCH & M.G. FIRE PREVENTED MOVEMENT. 
[[?]] WAS ORDERED TO TRY

THE RIGHT FLANK WITH MY PL,

FIRST LOOK AT THE GROUND MADE

THE TASK A SUICIDE ONE. - JAP

BUNKERS ON TOP COULD FIRE DOWN

ON US & DROP GRENADES DOWN,

A VERY STICKY POSN INDEED.

DECIDED TO GIVE IT A GO USING

4 & 5 SECS, THE MOVE OFF REQUIRED

GREAT COURAGE AND NERVE AND NOT

A SINGLE MAN HESITATED. THE SLOPE

WAS EXCESSIVELY STEEP & EACH

MAN HAD TO HAVE ASSISTANCE TO

GET STARTED ON THE UPWARD CLIMB

HAD NOT MADE MUCH PROGRESS

WHEN WE WERE FIRED ON & 

THE TASK LOOKED IMPOSSIBLE, I

SENT A RUNNER BACK WITH THAT

MESSAGE. CAPT HILL SENT BACK TO

WITHDRAW HE HAD ALREADY PULLED 10 PL

OUT, DURING THIS EXCHANGE OF MESSAGES

WE HAD A LITTLE SUCCESS; A

JAP BOBBED UP 8 FT AHEAD OF ME,

HE WAS PROMPTLY DROPPED, [[?]] DON

SPENCER USING A CAPTURED JAP L.M.G

& BREN GUNNER DAVIES CLEARED A

BUNKER 10 YDS AWAY & THINGS SEEMED

TO BE COMING OUR WAY, I REFUSED

TO PULL OUT & THE BOYS WERE

KEEN TO KEEP ON WITH IT, A 

FURTHER ORDER TO WITHDRAW COULD

NOT PERSUADE US, I ASKED FOR

20 MORE MINUTES AND WENT BACK

LEAVING THE COY COMM MUMBLING

TO HIMSELF. - FROM THEN ON

IT WAS A MARVELLOUS SHOW.

 

MY SELF, DON SPENCER, STAN DAVIES, 

CHARLIE BARRATT, SLOGGER SUTHERLAND

GRADUALLY MAKING GROUND AND

CLEARING THE BUNKERS REACHED A

FOOT PAD LEADING UP THE HILL, LEAVING     

5 SEC TO HOLD THE PAY JUNCTION,

I MOVED WITH 4 SEC AND

WAS MAGNIFICENTLY COMMANDED BY PTE

WALLY EVERETT UP THE HILL - THEN

BROUGHT THE RESERVE SEC (4) UP

ON THE LEFT OF 4. STILL DOING

GREAT WORK AND ALL GIVING THEIR 

BEST WE MADE TO THE NEAR

EDGE OF A [[RUNAI?]] PATCH WHICH

LED UP TO THE BUILDINGS ON

SATELBERG 120 YDS AWAY! A

SLIGHT HOLD UP CAUSED BY 2

JAPS ON THE FLANK HURLING

GRENADES AT US SLOWED THINGS

UP A BIT. SOME NICE BREN

WORK BY GUNNERS RON LOGUE 4 SEC

& SWANEY WASHBROOK 6 SEC SOON

CLEARED THIS OBSTACLE AND THE

OBJECTIVE HAD BEEN TAKEN JUST

AS DARKNESS FELL. THE PL CASUALTIES 

WERE 3 DON SPENCER,

SHORTY EDMUNDS & RON LOGUE,

NONE OF WHICH WERE SERIOUS. - 

A GREAT VOLUME OF FIRE FROM

THE ENEMY POINTED TO A COUNTER

ATTACK, WE WERE READY FOR

THEM BUT IT DID NOT COME AND 

AFTER 25 MINUTES IT DIED OUT. 

THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT

WAS ONE OF HARD WORK AND

ALERTNESS MADE MORE DIFFICULT

BY A FREEZING NIGHT. - THE 

WHOLE PL WORKED LIKE VETERANS

& NEVER HESITATED TO CARRY OUT

ANY ORDER, SEVERAL TIMES

 

THEY FORGOT ALL CAUTION, STANDING

FULL HEIGHT TO GET AWAY SOME

DECENT SHOOTING. C COY DONE

A MARVELLLOUS JOB BRINGING UP AMMO

AND WATER [[OFTEN?]] A VERY PERILOUS

TRAIL WORKING UNTIL DAY BREAK.

THURSDAY NOV 25^TH

DAYBREAK & ALL IS 

QUIET, A PATROL OUT TO EITHER

FLANK, FOUND NOTHING, SO LIEUT

BUCKLEY WITH 12 PL & MY 11 PL

MOVED CAUTIOUSLY ON TO SATELBERG

OCCUPYING IT AT APPROX

0920 HRS. - - 

THE COL HAD GREAT PRAISE FOR

THE SPLENDID WORK OF THE PL

& INSISTED THAT I HOIST THE

FLAG ON THE HARD FOUGHT FOR

TOWN. - THE NEXT 3 HOURS I

WAS PESTERED BY WAR CORRESPONDANTS 

& PHOTOGRAPHERS, HAVING