Papers of Corporal Harry V. Boyne - Part 5

week and Japs never

bothered about burying

them - and were they high!!

Tuesday 15^th -Friday 18^th

Fighting continues

in villages west of GONA

same type of fighting small

parties resisting stubbornly

but gradually being worn down.

terrible country encountered

here swamps everywhere.

some impassable, sand flys

very bad enemy finally

overcome 1800 Hrs 18^th official

figures 147 dead and casualties

light but heavy evacuation

with malaria typhus and

a dozen other complaints.

Saturday 19^th 

Mopping up

in villages no contact with

Japs this day

Sunday 21^st Not feeling the

best a touch of malaria 

had to make up party to go

out on patrol to contact and 

bring back approx 50

Rabaul boys who Japs had

been using as carriers

contact to be made 5 Hos from

rear area moved off (7 in 

party) under police boy

as leader, 0800 Hrs and contacted 

their scouts well in the

jungle at 1200 Hrs. Provided

them plenty Ki-ki and

good treatment if they came

with us then went in seach ^search

of remainder finally rounded 

up 158 boys including

1 half caste Filipino who

had also escaped from

Japs - some good types amongst

them and some spoke very

good English told us several

stories of harsh treatment

by Japs such as using them

as carriers all day and not

giving them anything to eat

all though having plenty

themselves. some badly beaten

made return journey by

track unknown to us which

lead us out on beach. West 

of Gona, had half hour 

break here boys simply flew

up trees and knocked cocoa

nuts down like hailstones

bringing several back with

them. Returned to area

at 1700 Hrs - very tired

otherwise a very interesting

day.

Monday 22^nd Down with

malaria tents 104 evacuated

to A.D.S. and returned

from there Xmas Eve still

feeling very shaky -others a

[[looworse ?]] all hopes of being

back in Moresby area for

Xmas finally abandoned

Friday 25^th Xmas Day    very

quiet (in one way) nobody

feeling well. Church and

Communion service in the 

morning. Bully and rice

spuds and cabbage dinner

every man given 1 x 4oz tin

of boiled sweets for Xmas.

Yes a whole tin each and

you didn't have to

share it with a

dozen others as you usually

do.

Saturday 26^th Boxing Day

Lunch the same as previous

day only we scored

1 tin of camp pie for lunch

but heres the catch the

 1 tin had to do six! few

interesting dog fights

from our point of view

Warraway shot down 

a Zero West of Gona.

Saturday 27^th Much air

activity best dog fight

to date, approx 50 planes

taking part Zeros Lightning

and Sira cobras official scores

15 Zeros 2 Dive bombers shot

down we lost 1 Lightning

Sunday afternoon moved

back up to GONA.

Monday 28^th Moved around

to the point things in this

area pretty quiet and duty

patrols and picquets plenty

of them plenty of company

Mosies sand flies and

this time fleas for a change,

Native desertions from Japs

passing through our area

all tell the same story

of harsh treatment and

no food from Japs.

Tuesday 29^th Much the 

same as previous day -very

wet night and most constant.

Visitor being air Warraway who

passes over many times 

daily.

Wednesday 30th Still on patrol

on the point plenty of aerial

activity (aust) plenty of noise

of firing from Sanananda 

and Duna areas by day

flares and very lights by

night a Jap patrol successful

includes sniping one of our Arty

guns by putting charge of

picnic acid down

barrell (nice work) gun

replaces next day

Thursday 31^st - Leila's birthday

Nothing unusual Japs landed

naval gun at Duna which

was smartly put out of

action by air arty who

scored a direct hit at

point blank range,

So endeth Year 1942.

Friday Jan 1st 1943 What

surprises are in store for

us in the coming year?

Good news. Some talk of

being relieved in a few

days time, five Rabaul boys

sighted at 1st Village at 1800

Hrs evidently getting food for

Japs in 2nd Village these later

proved to be 23 Rabaul

boys who eventually worked

their way around to as 

well spoken but very hungry

we gave them bully and

sent them back to the rear

as usual after getting much

valuable information from 

them. They fell for 20 fair

booby traps but no casualties

Quite an interesting New Years day

Saturday Jan 2^nd Arty

very active during night a 

few new recruits arrived

during the day to replace our

sick (malaria) 1600 Hrs a

spot of excitement - an object

observed well out to sea

which we kept under

observation and later proved

to be two Japs who had

escaped from Duna and

had been in the water

for 48 hours both wounded

and quite willing to surrender

very hungry and thirsty

we entertained them and

sent them back at dusk

we spotted 2 more making

their way into second

village but couldnt do

anything about them

Sunday Jan 3rd Picquet

spotted a Jap in one of thr

huts in our village only

20 yds from our forward

post. closer investigation

and we found 3 of 

them, gave then the

opportunity of surrendering, 

but they were

not having any so 

there was only one thing

to do - we did it -

but not before one 

of them attacked one

of our fellows and bit

him on the face, this 

Jap was of good

build and physically

fit - we formed the

opinion that they had

been in the village all

night as it rained all

night and their clothes

were perfectly dry

these were marines

who we had had

under observation

for several nights in

No 2 Village good days

hunting and the boy

boys were definitely

on their toes better, that

Duna officially in 

our hands.

Monday 4^th Natives 

sighted in Villages

1 and 2 at daybreak

Natives and Japs seen

several times during

day evidently using 

back track between 1 & 2

Tuesday 5^th Fairly quiet day

1 Jap killed at No 1 Village

by our patrol 1 Native

wounded who got away

with Jap. 1900 Hrs 2 figures

sighted making their way

into No 1. We expected

them at daybreak on the

6th but they did not arrive

evidently still working

for the Jap. quiet night.

Wednesday 6^th A lot

of movement in Village

No 2 Visibility bei very

bad all day but picked

out 2 Japs 4 boys

during afternoon

relief arrived - acting

as guide (Panic Merchants)

Thursday 7^th Took out

No 2 patrol with new relief

(sooner gone on my own)

order to return to "B" echelon

took 3 hrs to make the trip pretty

bad this day another wet

night which didn't improve

my condition.

Friday 8^th On the way

out from the lines march

to SUPUTA which took

5 hrs (in 1st gear all the

way) good meal here also

a swim and change of

clothes but informal

talk by Brig and General

Vasey (good bloke)

Saturday 9^th by transport

to POPINDETTA approaching

this place we were directed

to strip 3 and here a shock

awaited us as no

planes landed, had landed

& never looked like 

landing stayed in 

Kinnai patch till 1600

then marched to POPINDETTA

stayed overnight & expecting

to emplane next day

Sunday 10^th Disappointed

wet wicket - no planes

ditto Monday, Tuesday

and Wednesday.

Thursday 14^th March

back to Straife & told 

planes were there but

found out just another

muck up organisation?

Friday 15^th Order to march

to DOBADURA (17 miles across

country marching order)

Another bad attack M.O.

sent me back to POPINDETTA

where I worked my

head and caught plane 

same afternoon 35

minutes trip 20 in plane

Arrived Moresby and 

then up to next Camp

great welcome here.

Only 2 of us from D Coy

saw the distance - new

issue of everything just

like joining up again

good wash, feed and

sheets.

Saturday 16^th Lucky

enough to be in first

draft for Aussie very

pleased but not for

long. another bad attack

of malaria which resulted

in being taken to hospital

2 hrs before boys left

(what would you say

and think.

Sunday 17^th Not the

best under treatment

and told to prepare for

3 weeks here if not so good.

Malaria didn't worry me unduly 

and appreciated good spell and

good food.

Wednesday 20^th Swellings of

hands feet let knee - no pain

but damned awkward

Thursday 21^st OK. Swelling gone

Friday 22^nd Not so O.K. Swelling 

of both feet L. Hand L. eye & L. ear

examined by Maj Ray Col Cameron

& specialist from 2/9th A.G.H. Started

course of injections and tablets

Saturday 23^rd Swelling of

both eyes & throat which went

away during day. Treatment

continued until Feb 18th

feeling very much better

waiting to go to A.G.H. and

catch hospital boat home?

Monday Feb 22^nd Transferred

to 9th A.G.H. (saw first white 

woman for 8 months and

st beds with sheets on them!!!

Friday 23^rd Examined by

three M.Os started

on different treatment

Wednesday 24th Told I would be

here 2 or perhaps three weeks

Thursday Feb 25^th Shifted to ward 6

under Major Sinclair (good chap)

more injections ^(50 ALLTON) until March

19th when I was medically

boarded.

Thursday March 25 Discharged

after 10 11 weeks in hospital

sent to Murray Barracks

(absolutely the worst place I

have ever been in since I

joined up) filthy dirty no

water all day hundreds f

men washing in a 40 Gal drum

no lights in huts. this after

nearly three months in hospital

Friday March 26 TT & TAB injections

slushy in cookhouse.

Saturday 27^th OK during day

bad attack during night.

Sunday March 29 Reported on

sick parade 104.1, evacuated

back to A.G.H. same bed sae

ward wouldn't it? Remained

here for six days, discharged

and reconsigned to 1. Aust

Corps Reception Camp again

(The piggery) on April 3^rd.

Sunday April 4^th Put on draft

for Australia with other

personnel whose units had

returned to the mainland

fell for many jobs such as:

Orderly Corporal Picquet,

I/C mess orderlies and various

other duties - and equipped

from stern to stern into

Moresby for a decent feed and

Troops canteen.

(100 Jap planes [[?]] usually in

daylight 12/4/43,

Monday 12^th Told to report at

orderly room where I was

informed that the confirmation 

of my medical had arrived

with the result that I was 

now "B" class and, would 

NOT be returning to Australia?

Tuesday 13^th De Decided that

if I was to remain here

indefinitely that I would

scout around and try

and be placed in some unit

where I might have a chance

of promotion, as more 

important where my services

would be of the

most use to the army instead

of being strangled into

anything at all.