“Some of us may forget that, of all the Allies, it was the Australians who first broke the spell of invincibility of the Japanese Army.”
- Quote from Field Marshall Sir William Slim, Commander of WW2 Commonwealth forces in Burma (and later Governor General of Australia).
And that first fracture in the Japanese Land Forces strength came at Milne Bay in September 1942. Alongside Guadalcanal weeks later, Milne Bay marked the first land defeats of the Japanese, shifting the Pacific war’s momentum.
One of the militia units destined to fight there was the 25th Battalion from Toowoomba and the Darling Downs, raised before the First World War. These men would soon play a key role in one of the most decisive land battles of the Pacific, along with Guadalcanal. Bear in mind that Midway was not a land battle.
In just six weeks, they had built not only an airstrip but also a 35-tonne radar aerial, assembled with makeshift tools and sheer ingenuity. The radar could only detect medium to high-altitude threats due to the mountains, so coastwatcher observer units, with radios and keen eyes, were positioned to cover the gaps. All this was achieved under a veil of secrecy, knowing discovery could mean annihilation from the air.
Coconut plantations were cleared, and an innovative American “Marston Mat” runway was laid – pierced steel planking clipped together to form a surface strong enough to resist New Guinea’s relentless rain and mud.
A Kittyhawk taxies over 'Marston Mat' pierced-steel planking laid on the mud at Milne Bay.
Within 6 weeks, this team of unlikely heroes managed to work through mud, mosquitoes, malaria and supply shortages; blistering oppressive humidity and heat.
Back in Queensland, the 75th Squadron were rebuilding their strength under the command of Squadron Leader Les Jackson. There was a core of experienced pilots for the RAAF Kittyhawks and these men had fought the Japanese over Port Moresby. They were ably backed up by some veteran RAAF pilots who had been sent from service in England.
The 76th Squadron, a new Kittyhawk squadron had been sent from Townsville in Australia. Led by Peter Turnbull, who had already seen action in Port Moresby and the Middle East. These pilots were also experienced men and even included the Spitfire ace 'Bluey' Truscott.
When these newly arrived pilots splashed down at Milne Bay: I use that word deliberately for splashdown they did. Into a quagmire of mud They were soon joined by detachments of Hudson reconnaissance bombers from the 32nd and 6th Squadrons. RAAF personnel numbers at Gurney Strip rapidly built up to over 600.
Incredibly, without the Japanese having any clue what was going on, by August there were around 7,500 Australian personnel and 1400 American personnel on the ground. All preparing for the inevitable: the attack once the Japanese became aware of what had been going on " below the radar. "
The allies luck ran out on 4th of August and the Japanese started mounting aerial assaults.
By 24th August the threat had become a full on attack and Japanese landing barges were sighted north of Milne Bay. 350 Japanese Marines were marching towards them. The Kitty Hawks swept into action and bombed the landing craft and destroyed the Japanese supplies, thus leaving the Japanese Marines stranded. On the 25th, a convoy comprising two transports carrying more than 1000 Japanese Marines, accompanied by a strong naval escort, was observed heading from Rabaul.
A planned strike by B-17 bombers from Northern Queensland were unfortunately unable to find the convoy as rain clouds obscured their vision. But the Hudsons and Kittyhawks from Milne Bay could fly under the clouds and dive bomb and strafe the enemy forces. A Hudson managed to hit one of the troop transports with a bomb, but when darkness descended that night, the convoy kept coming. Things were looking grim. By dawn on the 26th, the Japanese were on the doorstep.
A stranded landing-barge and wrecked stores litter the Japanese landing site.
The Australian Kittyhawks were immediately on the defensive and destroyed the barges and supply dumps. Between the ground troops, the kittyhawks and the American B-25 and B-26 bombers, the Japanese had been denied their much-needed supplies of fuel and other essentials.
At dawn on the 27th of August, the Kittyhawks were again strafing the enemy.
Japanese Val dive bomber
The death of the commanding officer, Squadron Leader Peter Turnbull when he crashed during a low-level strafing mission, saw the command of 76th Squadron pass to " Bluey" Truscott.
When darkness fell, the Kittyhawks were unable to fly. This gave the Japanese troops time to regroup and they commenced using their tanks to attack the ground troops. However, the relentless mud became a blessing as the Japanese had to abandon their bogged down tanks.
By dawn the following day, the Kittyhawks were back in the air, They were taking off and often firing on the enemy before their landing gear was up. The Japanese, by now, were within 3 km from the airfield. It was the extraordinary teamwork between air and ground troops that, in many respects, saved the day. The boys on the ground let off flares and smoke shells in the area that the kittyhawks needed to bomb. This proved to be a brilliant strategy because the Japanese troops were reluctant to fire on the ground troops and expose their location. The ground troops moved forward.
By the 29th of August there were around 9,500 ground troops at Milne Bay. There was also a new Japanese naval threat that was spotted approaching Milne Bay. This convoy was made up of a cruiser and eight destroyers that carried a total of 750 Japanese reinforcements. The poor visibility made it impossible for the Kittyhawks to respond. By the 30th, the kittyhawks were once again able to do their job and set about the task of strafing the enemy. The Japanese lay low in the jungle and waited for reinforcements. They arrived later that night.
Australian at Milne Bay
By 9 am, on the morning of 31st August, the end was nigh for the Japanese and victory was the allies to be had. The kittyhawks were keeping the Japanese pinned down with their constant aerial bombardment and this allowed the ground troops to push forward. By the 5th of September, the pivotal Japanese supply base had been captured; the Japanese Navy had started evacuating their surviving troops and left their dead in the ruins of a failed campaign.
‘Polly’, an authentic Milne Bay Kittyhawk, displayed in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
Some years ago, I took a tour of a small military museum in Toowoomba dedicated to the Battle at Milne Bay in Papua Guinea and I remember enjoying being guided through the museum by a retired Veteran of that battle. Sadly, the museum is now permanently closed and I believe it is now a fitness centre.
When I cast my mind back to that day at the Milne Bay Museum in Toowoomba, when I first learned about this forgotten battle and forgotten heroism, I often wonder why we, as a Nation are choosing to forget the bravery, the teamwork and the sacrifice that has been made so that we can live the lives we enjoy today? Why are we so quick to forget our unsung heroes, our finest hours, and our indomitable Australian spirit?
Perhaps it’s time to bring them back into the light - to remind ourselves of what was risked and won so that we could live the lives we know today. Lest We Forget is more important than ever.
Monty
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