This map indicates the tactical position in the Pacific in August 1942 when the Allied counter offensive was beginning. Principal bases and shipping and air lines are shown by black triangles and the long arrows. Enemy bases are represented by white triangles. The darker mass indicates the extreme depth of Japanese penetration in the Pacific. In August 1942 the Third Division was returning from Fiji for reorganization.
Headquarters and Communications
Major-General
Headquarters
A Brief Outline of the Activities of
Headquarters of the Third Division
and the8
Headquarters of the Third Division
and the
th
And14
th
Brigades During
their Service in the Pacific
their Service in the Pacific
Published by A. H. andA. W. Reed
for
the Third Division Histories Committee
for
the Third Division Histories Committee
Acknowledgments
This is one of a series of thirteen unofficial narratives detailing the activities of units of the Third New Zealand Division and its base organisation during their service in the Pacific theatre of war from 1940, when the original 8th Brigade Group was despatched to Fiji, until 1944, when the division was disbanded. Between those two dates the brigade group was expanded to become a division, which came under command of American forces and with them took part in the Solomons campaign.
At the conclusion of active operations in the Pacific, unit historical committees were appointed to select editors and arrange for the compilation and collection of all material, photographs and drawings. Final decisions and arrangements for printing and distribution were vested in a Divisional Histories Committee and its editor. All the work associated with the writing and publication of these narratives has been done by-officers, NCOs and men of the units and has been performed anonymously.
Acknowledgment is made for the use of unit war diaries and narratives, to which the writers were given access by the archives section of Army Headquarters. Photographs were collected from private and official sources, both New Zealand and American, and the drawings and paintings of two official war artists who went into the Pacific have also been used.
The copyright is held by the trustees of the Third Division.
This Book is Dedicated to
Those of our Comrades of
The Second New Zealand
Expeditionary Force who
Take their Final Rest on
Pacific Islands
Set Up, Printed and Bound in New Zealand by
Coulls Somerville Wilkie Ltd. Dunedin -
Foreword
Major-GeneralH. E. Barrowclough , CB, DSO, MC, ED GOC 2nd NZEF in the Pacific.
The story of the 2nd NZEF, both in the Mediterranean and Pacific theatres, is destined to be told in a variety of ways First there will be the 'Official History of the War'—a compendious work the preparation and publication of which will involve much careful study and painstaking research. It will not be possible to complete it until some years after the war is ended. To bridge the inevitable gap between the making of history and the official recording of it, the New Zealand Army Board has already published some booklets of a series of short interim histories of which Return to the Attack and From Guadalcanal to Nissan are two examples. There is also in preparation a third series of histories. These are unofficial regimental histories and are concerned with the daily life and experiences of a single unit or group of associated units rather than with the exploits of one or other of our expeditionary forces. The book for which this foreword is intended is one of this third group of regimental histories.
Each one of them has been written primarily for the men who served in the unit whose history is therein briefly recorded. They lay no claim to great literary merit. Most of them are the work of men who had never before regarded themselves as authors and in whose hands the sword was a much more accustomed weapon than the pen. Limitations of space due to shortage of paper and of funds have curtailed these histories to an extent far beyond that which I would have wished and have resulted in the omission of many names and many exploits which might well have been recorded. This has placed an additional burden
To the unnamed and unsung authors of these regimental histories and to the contributors of the articles therein, we owe a profound debt of gratitude. Their unaccustomed and unsought tasks have been undertaken only because of their affection for the units to which they were so proud to belong. Well and nobly have they completed their work, Their only remuneration will be the grateful thanks of their fellow soldiers; but if I have judged these men aright, they will seek no other reward.
Contents
Chapter One
Divisional Headquarters
Divisional Headquarters
As it was in the Beginning
Much has happened to the army in size and organisation, mechanism and arms since the days when the divisional commander rushed busily about a battlefield on horseback wielding a sword and issuing orders in a voice loud enough to be heard above the prevailing din. For one thing battlefields have increased enormously in size. Today a commander's orders are issued from truck, tent, hut or dugout as the situation demands, and communication is maintained constantly by field telephone or wireless or the more human runner when everything else fails, as it invariably does at some vital moment. Divisional head-quarters, therefore, is the site from which the commander directs his campaign, and is usually situated at some place most convenient to all units in the area to which the division has been assigned a task.
The staff of divisional headquarters proper is divided into three recognised departments—the A branch, which concerns itself with personnel (dead or alive) and all their movements; the Q branch, which deals with supplies, food and quarters; and the G branch, which controls all operations and intelligence. A and Q branches work more or less together, though each branch considers itself more important than the others. This is merely a pardonable esprit de corps. Each has its own staff of officers, NCOs and men who, in the field, are rarely off duty. The heads of these three branches, who are considered to be specialists in
One persistent voice at headquarters is that of the camp commandant, who is a perpetually harrassed person and, on his own reckoning, the man who is asked to supply everything and pacify everybody. During a move he is probably right. Naturally with such a concentration of talent there is always much movement at headquarters and this constant stream of vehicles bearing officers to and from the various conferences, as well as visitors and routine traffic, means that a car park is essential if confusion is to be avoided. After leaving New Caledonia this never worried the Third Division very much as the disposal of the few cars and jeeps it used in the forward areas was never a problem. In one of the quieter corners of headquarters there are tents for VIPs, who have to be accommodated as befits their military station. VIPs are very important personages and they never carry the 'unconsumed portion of the day's rations' nor any bedding. Groups of such letters, which have little or no meaning to the outsider, spatter the small talk of the fellows at headquarters. If a shred of conversation included these words, 'The VIP is magging with the GOC and after that you'll get him with G one and the I blokes; his ETD is seventeen hundred,'it would mean that some very important visitor was conferring with the general, after which he would see the senior staff officer and the intelligence staff and that he was expected to leave at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. That, very briefly, is a little about a divisional headquarters in the field and it applies, in skeleton fashion, to the headquarters of a brigade group.
Headquarters Third Division grew quite naturally and normally from Headquarters 8th Brigade Group when Japan entered the war on 7 December 1941 and the threat in the Pacific, so long expected, became the reality which some of the more imaginative writers had predicted for years. Most of the officers holding appointments in the brigade group automatically fitted into the higher appointments of a division, and any newly created ones were filled by bringing additional officers in from units of the force or from New Zealand. Noncommissioned officers and men also remained, though many others arrived from New Zealand as the size of the force increased to the recognised war establishment of a division. Not until the Pacific force returned to New Zealand in 1942 after being relieved in Fiji by the American 37th Division (the personnel of which came from Ohio) did the Third Division achieve its full complement of officers and other ranks, or its correct title. Though the force used the title Third Division in a rather loose way in Fiji and carried out the normal functions of a division, Army Head-quarters referred to it as the Pacific Section 2nd NZEF. The letters IP, meaning 'in the Pacific,' were not attached until the Third Division, as such and correctly titled, went to New Caledonia in late 1942 and early 1943.
The original 8th Brigade Group which was despatched to Fiji in October 1940 began in a modest way and disappeared into the blue with a unique lack of publicity, remaining more or less in that baffling obscurity which envelops the villain of a best-selling thriller until the final chapter. It had no official war correspondents to write of the weary tasks of digging and wiring and building in the heat, no photographers to record the bronzed torsos of the toilers, no broadcasting unit to send weekly messages to 'mum and dad and Aunty Alice and Mrs Twurp.' If the members of the force lost no blood in battle they lost incredible quantities of sweat and probably, secretly and very late at night under their mosquito nets, a few tears from the pain of sunburn, bites and blisters. An occasional photograph did appear in the New Zealand papers but it showed a crowd of shy, bulky Fijians in snowy sulus and European coats of blue serge presenting fruit and vegetables in large quantities to the tropicallyclad New Zealanders. These picturesque ceremonies were proof of the Fijians' desire to help with the war effort and
B Force, as the original 8th Brigade Group was designated for purposes of movement and organisation, opened its first headquarters at Ngaruawahia on 20 September 1940 when a few officers and other ranks marched in, these including
The problem of finding a suitable home for headquarters was solved by leasing Borron's House, which, sited on the crest of a hill about a mile and a-half from Suva, caught every breeze in its spacious rooms and, when it arrived on 20 February 1941, the full force of the hurricane. For several weeks the engineers worked at preparing the new home, the owner of which lived
It would be impossible to write of Fiji (or any other of the Pacific homes of the force) without reference to the rain, which fell in warm, grey sheets and periodically flooded the
Those with naturally curious minds could explore and investigate in Fiji and the hobby experts never found time on their hands, but for those whose thoughts ran in more pedestrian grooves garrison life became arduous and boring. In a general way this applied to all service in the Pacific areas. Work was always a first priority and staffs remained on duty far into the night without grumbling, but there was always time off for a joke and a spicy resume of the day's doings. Among the clerks, drivers, orderlies, cooks and batmen were the usual wags and it is to them and their doings that memory clings fast. It is impossible from this distance to remember all the names but some of those which come to mind are
Early in the history of the force 'the boys' soon learned that bula meant goodday in Fijian, and that when venaka was added to it the greeting became more polite. Then they extended their vocabularies with samothe and a few other of the more general expressions of goodwill. 'The boys' chanted such words and phrases to groups of passing damsels—fine strapping wenches, flat-footed and black—whom they encountered on the dusty highways and byways in the course of duty. The damsels replied in what sounded like a musical and friendly exchange of greetings but when translated on one notable occasion by a police officer who overheard them proved to be a revolting stream of abuse in particularly rude Fijian. But that was only a solitary example, recorded to show how easily the soldier may be deceived; for the most part the greatest goodwill existed between the Fijians and the New Zealand soldiers, who were entertained ceremoniously at villages throughout the islands. Fum in camp always developed from a variety of causes and, among the soldiery, these were sometimes Elizabethan in outlook. There was the diminutive Officers of Combined Headquarters, B Force, at Borron's House, Suva, in 1941.
Left to right. Front rozv: Lieutenant-Commander P. Dearden (Senior Naval Officer); Major G. Kellaway, MC (Q duties); Second rozv: Rear row: Race day at Moindah, New Caledonia. This was formerly the site of the sports ground for Divisional Headquarters which was sited in niaoulis beside the Moindah River in the background
Washing day—a familiar sight on the hanks of any freshwater stream in the New Caledonia camp area. Below Some of the 'boys' from headquarters enjoy a sunbathe at Suva Point, Fiji
But life for the headquarters staff in Fiji was not all fun and games. The paper war, despised by those who do not realise that without it a huge organisation such as an army would become a hopeless muddle and unable to function, goes on day and night and usually reaches a climax in the afternoon and evening when returns, letters and signals arrive. By that time, too, the callers have departed and staff officers can settle down to the job of answering, compiling and planning. At the end of six months the first relief arrived and with it came an almost
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on that historic day of 7 December 1941 altered the Fiji routine. Brigadier Cunningham had insisted that reasonable attention be given to sport for those who worked long hours in offices in a climate which tried even civilians. During Wednesday afternoons and at some time during the weekends all ranks endeavoured to play games, or swim, or to tramp the nearby hills, and liberal leave was permitted for those who wished to visit outlying islands or inland stations. There was little of that after Pearl Harbour. Force headquarters was increased with some speed and by January staffs and departments had attained the strength of a divisional organisation. The happy family idea faded as more units and men arrived from New Zealand. Brigadier Cunningham became a major-general but he was soon afterwards invalided home and Major-General Owen Wahine, with full pack up, we disembarked and climbed into an eight-cwt truck which had been standing for hours in the sun. It was like an oven and we frizzled in there like pork chops in a casserole. I was given a job in the orderly room at HQ and remained there until the end of April when the G staff was given accommodation in a new wing which had been added to the office buildings. Some of the new arrivals were given the job of helping with the excavation of tunnels for an underground headquarters. It was back-breaking work pecking away at the soapstone in the tropic heat. At times we were all called upon to do our share of digging. For one week when there were rumours of the approach of Japanese ships the whole camp was mustered at battle stations in the early hours of the morning, while at night time we were all engaged in digging weapon pits and gun positions.
'On Saturdays and Sundays we sometimes played cricket with other unit teams, mostly on the ground of the police barracks at Nasova. The principal performers were dhobi lost all his workmen and we lost all our laundry. And those were the days when we were well fed. There were times when the mess tables, loaded with cucumbers, tomatoes, spring onions, watermelon, bananas, lettuce and pineapples, looked like a harvest festival.'
Changes of Command
But the Americans were on the way. Late in June headquarters of the 37th American Division arrived, complete with such equipment in the way of folding metal chairs and tables, typewriters and adding machines and fancy telephones, jeeps and trucks and gadgets of every kind that the New Zealanders felt rather like poor relations. The taking over period produced some rather heavy get-together parties. Down in the men's mess everybody became 'buddies' overnight and the sergeants learned new methods of mixing fruit and other drinks. Then, at 6 R. S. Beightler. A week later General Mead was lost off Tonga when the aeroplane in which he was travelling disappeared in a storm, leaving no trace. With him was President Coolidge over a period of weeks, and went to Orford's Camp and Grand View Camp at Manurewa where the spring winds whipped bitterly through the floors of the huts and most people went to bed fully clothed until they became acclimatized. However, the excitement of leave and home comforts stifled most of the objections.
On 12 August 1942
News of the division's move to New Caledonia stirred everyone into action. There was much packing of equipment, sorting of papers and destruction of unwanted files; there were medical and dental examinations and issues of new equipment—in this instance all in large quantities, because of the territory in which the division would be employed. Crescent City on 28 October. General Barrowclough and most of his staff officers left by air and arrived in Nouméa on 7 November 1942. Advanced headquarters was established there, later moving 150-odd miles north to Néméara, a camp site which had been vacated by an American unit. When divisional headquarters was finally established among the niaoulis on terraces near the Moindah River, Néméara became the headquarters of the short-lived 15th Brigade. Moindah meant isolation but few mosquitoes, for it was merely an area of niaouli trees between the one and only main road and the river. But it moulets seemed to exist quite happily on a diet of soap. Each arm of headquarters was assigned a reach of this river and there, in the pools which they built up, personnel washed and swam and battered their clothes clean on the stones. The river issued from reasonably high hills behind the camp and flooded quickly so that new dams had to be built after each downpour, Moindah, despite the eloquent minority who could see nothing attractive in New Caledonia until they left it behind them, was an excellent camp site. A, B and C messes were set up among the trees; office tents occupied the more open spaces, and personnel were housed nearby. The useful niaoulis, which provided bark, posts and beams for huts, as well as firewood, threw a reasonable amount of shade from their sparsely-leafed branches; there were deer in abundance in the river valley until one of Mr. Tuck's cows thoughtlessly walked into a bullet; there were chrome and nickel mines over towards the coast and within walking distance for the energetic. The village of Poya, which consisted of a shop and hotel (though the hotel part functioned legally only for the local inhabitants), a church, a post office, a school and a gendarmerie, all rather blistered by time, was about 15 miles north; Bourail lay about 20 miles south with only succeeding areas of grassy hills and river flats and grey-green niaouli trees between. Headquarters staff arrived piecemeal in New Caledonia, some going by plane and some by the Dutch ship Brastagi, which was celebrated for its supply of Bols. Christmas was a sort of family reunion, with headquarters established in Indian pattern tents, each one pegged high off the ground to give plenty of head-room, and everyone ready to enjoy the American turkey and trimmings in bucolic surroundings made quite attractive with decorative branches of scarlet flamboyant. Soon a scheme was in hand to build bures for messrooms, for which Kanakas were employed to do the thatching. Such is the excellence of construction by these natives, who use only the local materials and the fibre of the aloe plant for binding, that those bures were still in good condition the following year when the division returned from the Solomons. Rains came, as they did everywhere, and periodically turned the black clay into a bog of tenacious mud. The most staggering phenomena of the rains, though, was the
Everyone trained in New Caledonia. There was no option, since it was an instruction that everyone must undergo a fitness campaign and march certain distances. One of the most popular of these excursions was a tramp across the island from the Poya Valley via mountain tracks to Ponerihouen on the east coast; another was a Sunday trek up the Poya River across hill and dale to a rendezvous on the Houailou Road where everyone celebrated his achievement by stripping off and falling into the refreshing pools of the Houailou River. Along those hilly tracks, in June and July, orange and mandarin trees bent under the weight of their golden fruit. The fitness campaign went hand in hand with the sporting instinct. Major Berkeley sometimes returned with wild duck or some fresh fish for the mess, and monsieur, a cunning lad from Marseilles, charged the unwary atrocious prices but provided a dinner which frequently included wild duck and pigeon, as well as a bottle of wine. Another popular outing was to the village of Houailou, where the grasping proprietor of the combined store and hotel sold liquor and wine at prices which could be described only as filthy. Despite his prices, however, some of 'the boys' clubbed together and bought sufficient to add to the infrequent supplies of beer, New Zealand and American, all of which probably accounted for the sounds of hilarity which now and again broke the stillness of the warm nights and echoed among the trees, and doubtless accounted for much of the harmony down by the river. Moindah was certainly far from the madding crowd but when Admiral Ghormley, third from the left, arriving in Fiji in 1942 on his way to New Zealand to take command in the South Pacific. Major-General Owen Mead, CBE, who was then in command of the New Zealand troops in Fiji, is second from the right. He afterwards lost his life when an aero plane disappeared off Tonga
An air photograph of the original Sth Brigade Headquarters built round Borron's House cn a hill over-looking Suva in Fiji. On the extreme right are the administrative buildings, the RNZAF building and Borron's House, a closer picture of which is shown below. The six long huts housed the headquarters personnel whose messroom was the long building opposite
Inset on the opposite page is a view of the New Zealand Club on the waterfront in Suva. This became the meeting place of all soldiers on leave. When the New Zealanders left Fiji the club was taken over by the Americans of 37th DivisionMen and equipment from headquarters units embarking from Juno Beach,
King's Birthday celebrations in New Caledonia. General Barrow-clough and his aide-de-camp, bure fashion, was erected near the sports ground and became the rendezvous for all in the divisional area and the convoy drivers passing through. In the headquarters area proper Padre G. R. Thompson, who, curiously enough, had replaced Padre W. J. Thompson when the unit returned from Fiji, watched over a YMCA and its doings, with Vic Cresswell as his principal assistant. Later, when headquarters moved north to
High on the list of occasions to be remembered at Moindah was Lieutenant Moore's twenty-first birthday party, for which the surrounding countryside was combed for food. Headquarters cooks, who were capable of more than the mere opening of tins, provided a supper worthy of visiting Royalty, or so it seemed to the guests who helped to demolish quantities of cold roast chicken, savoury eggs, fresh fish and other delicacies not usually associated with army messes. Late in the evening
So the dust of November gave way to the mud and the heat and the rain of December and January (although as a rainy season it did not compare with Fiji) and then June and July came with their cool nights. By August 1943 the division was ready for action and all formalities complied with. General Barrowdough had flown to New Zealand for discussions with Army Headquarters, and Colonel Murphy, with others, had flown to Guadalcanal to look over the area to which the division was assigned. In the intervening months there had been some changes. Lieutenant-Colonel Bennett had succeeded Colonel Murphy as AA and QMG. and Major G. B. Gibbons brought in as assistant; Captain Rutherford had returned to New Zealand and Captain H. F. Foster succeeded him as GSO3 (I);
Action Stations
Then, when everything was in order, the hammering and the burning began as rubbish and old files were disposed of and each department folded its tables and stools and packed its security and stationery boxes more securely than ever for a trip which would involve all equipment in much rough handling and a lot of abuse on the way to Guadalcanal via Vila in the New Hebrides. There was nothing amusing in that trip, which was all hard work for the clerical staff. First the jolting journey through the dust and cold of night to Nouméa from Moindah; the clamber up the ropes of the American troopship Fuller from landing barges; the exercises at Mélé Beach, outside Vila Harbour, and that night when the rain came down in a cool torrent from dusk until dawn so that everybody dried out on the beach before returning to ship the following day. Mélé Beach was a sight that morning with many hundreds of the soldiery bathing in the sea or lying in the sun while their clothes and mosquito nets fluttered in a drying breeze on every available shrub and tree behind the beach. After that moist and exacting lesson in amphibious exercises headquarters settled down for a couple of days in the stifling transports and reached Guadalcanal just before midday on 3 September. Guadalcanal was hot. The islands of Florida and Malaita, lying some distance away on a blue-black sea, seemed to wrinkle in the heat. That was only a taste of the kunai grass on the ridges like someone scratching an immense matchbox.
Divisional headquarters was spaced out over two of the grass-covered ridges which ran up from the flat strip of coconut palms skirting the beaches, with the remains of some natural forest in an intervening gully.
General Barrowclough flew off to pay a short visit to General Griswold, officer commanding the American 14th Corps, at Munda, New Georgia, and Colonel Brook went further afield to
The new site on Vella stank of decay and mud and fungus and was hidden far in the jungle under trees of such grandeur and thickness that a bonfire would have been invisible from the air. Jeeps and trucks churned the place into an evil-smelling bog and heavy downpours of rain kept everything in that glutinous state. Water was a problem, despite the rain. At the foot of a boggy track was a trickle of a stream which spread out in a soapy pool and then disappeared into the coral rock. Here hundreds of men tried to bath themselves and wash their clothes, after which they slopped back to their tents and orderly rooms through mud in which writhing tree roots tripped them into whimsical and profane speech. Drying anything was another problem until many of the trees were removed to form a reasonable road.
Officers and NCOs of headquarters worked with their opposite numbers from the headquarters of the 35th US combat team which was being relieved. This wise precaution accustomed the New Zealanders to many of the terms and expressions used by the Americans, some of which were distinctly quaint and odd. As General Barrowclough had taken over command of the whole island defences on 18 September, this meant that all administrative direction came from the New Zealand headquarters. At all hours of the day and night signals went out to heads of commands who were known as 'comgen' of this or that formation, or to Comsopac or Comairsopac or Cigsopac, who were all VIPs. Exposed lights were not permitted at night, despite the impenetrable canopy overhead, and two meals a day with a cup of tea and a biscuit of sorts at midday simplified the work of the
During these weeks succeeding echelons had arrived from Guadalcanal with odds and ends of personnel and equipment so that by the time the move was complete headquarters was almost its old self again as far as staff was concerned. And most of the staff, by this time, had seen headquarters established in some odd places. There was
Life assumed routine when the Japanese were eradicated, and ebbed easily into Christmas and the New Year. There were pictures in the evening as the searchlights played about the heavens, and church services with a native choir at the picture theatre on Sundays; there were visits to Mr. Gill's plantation home, which had become a rest house presided over by Te Kainga Kiwi and the social centre for Div troops, proof of its popularity being the 700 mugs of tea provided on an average each day. The Governor-General, blase about it. Huge Douglas machines departed from Barakoma with a regularity only occasionally upset by tropical storms. Some staff changes included
An impending action means day and night work for the headquarters clerks and they were not sorry to embark for Nissan when everything was ready. If there was any excitement during the journey north most of it was suppressed. The general, accompanied by Colonel Brook and Lieutenant Moore, travelled in the flagship, the US Halford. Other personnel were scattered on the various ships of the convoy. By evening of 15 February 1943 headquarters was set up in the Pokonian plantation and operating. It had been an eventful day, full of movement since the first sight of Nissan in the soft grey dawn, and the hurried disembarkation knee-deep through the water, but happily without any disaster except several personal hates when the tide rose and seeping water flooded the hastily dug funk-holes among the coconut palms. But honest sweat had escaped in prodigious quantities down streaming torsos as gear was hauled from the beaches, tents erected, boxes opened up and offices set in order so that the general and his staff could function readily. Warrant-Officer Russell and his G clerks used the sides of funk-holes for seats that first hot day; the I clerks set up their maps in the open nearby, fixing them to a palm trunk, since few tents went forward on the day of the landing. Q clerks, on whom fell so much of the detail of movement and supply, worked far into the night with their feet in the bog caused by the seeping tide-water. Happily the beach was only a few yards away in either Some of the 'boys' from Divisional Headquarters photographed on the occasion of a farewell to the camp commandant, Captain S. I, Clifford.
Below: Gill's House on
Magnificent native war canoes off the mouth of the Joroveto River, Members of the Divisional Headquarters Defence and Employment Platoon photographed on Nissan Island in 1944 before an order was issued for removal of beards
Two disembarkation pictures are shown below. The untidy picture of bundles and bodies shows troops going ashore at Guadalcanal; the other shows an LST nosing its way ashore at
The end of headquarters began on Nissan with the New Zealand call for manpower. Since arriving there a few more changes had taken place. Captain Foster had been replaced by Rotanian on 15 June. Many of the NCOs camaraderie of the army was proved. No matter how much they had groused and grumbled, when the time came to part it was not without a certain degree of sadness for those for whom the years together had forged enduring friendships.
Only skeleton staffs reoccupied the old site among the niaoulis at Moindah and then only while waiting to return to New Zealand after the usual medical boardings. This same state of affairs existed at Or ford's Camp where the division ceased to function on 20 October 1944. By that time the skeleton staffs had disposed of all departmental records and equipment. What was left of the staff moved over to Mangere Crossing Camp to occupy themselves with the final chores. Those of headquarters staff who did not return to civilian life went to various camps in New Zealand and from there to the, Second Division in Italy where they took part in the final engagements in that theatre of war.
The Others
Wherever headquarters of the Third Division was established there also would be found three units which are always an essential part of a division in the field—in this instance the 5th Provost Company, provost being really the police force of a fighting unit; the 4th Field Security Section, the members of which regard everything unusual with suspicion; and the 3rd Defence and Employment Platoon. These three units moved with the division as it went from island to island and shared its activities on each of them.
The first commander of the provost company was
Ever member of the division who was in Necal will remember 'The Pass' at Moindu and its particular brand of mosquitoes which were incredible both in number and persistence of attack. There were ten hilly tortuous miles of this pass which, because of accidents, had been designated a one-way thoroughfare, with members of the provost company stationed at each end to control the traffic. This they usually did by lowering and raising the barriers from the shelter of mosquito nets, so bad were the attacks of the maddening insects. It was a really grim task. QMS N. W. Curry, who had served with the 35th Battalion in Fiji, was one of the stalwarts who did much to relieve the boredom of the men, but
When the division moved into the Solomons, the provost took charge of the birdcages in the forward areas, but there were few 'birds"' to guard since the Japanese were not keen on surrender-Ing. However, there were a few both on
Soon after achieving divisional status headquarters became security minded and a unit arrived in Fiji from New Zealand with Captain M. Whatman in charge. He and his men settled down in an aura of gossip and suspicion but that soon wore off as the unit's task became more generally understood. Lieutenant O. G. JR. Edwards took charge of a small detachment which watched any suspicious behaviour on the Namaka side of the island, but all the diligence displayed by both sections failed to gendarmes; Sergeants A. W. Williams,
During the latter part of the action on
The Defence and Employment Platoon, more generally known as the D and E, did not materialise as such until the division returned from Fiji and was reorganised at Manurewa.
During the moves to and in the forward area heavy demands were made on the D and E men, whose memories of Guadalcanal are rather jaundiced by the number of fox-holes they dug and the number of tents they erected in the heat when staff officers were in a hurry. On Vella Lavella there was much more digging and tent pitching and many members of Div HQ have reason to be grateful to 'Aussie' Kain, the D and E cook, for the meals he provided in that dank and dismal place far in the jungle and almost knee deep in mud. When headquarters moved out to a brighter and better site in Gill's plantation D and E men aided the engineers in constructing many roads through the area and in constructing more fox-holes, one of which, a dugout, was a real showpiece and would have housed the Governor-General, if the Japs had raided during his visit. Then, after removing thousands and thousands of young palms (any one of which, potted, would have cost half a guinea in New Zealand) they proceeded to beautify the place by planting others in regular rows. One expedition of interest was the reconnaissance of Gizo Island by a combined party of eight of the D and E Platoon under Lieutenant Wade and a similar number of the security section under Captain Lawford. The Japanese had fled and the natives gave the New Zealanders a great welcome, particularly as
With the move to Nissan Captain W. G. Rutherford took command of the platoon and remained with it until the end of the chapter. And on Nissan, where more digging and picket work was necessary and the coral more rock-like, the platoon began to disintegrate with the call of manpower. Like other units D and E had its characters: Lance-Corporal A. Jones, who figured at every boxing tournament; Lance-Corporal M. G. Mark, the familiar orderly room clerk; Privates Smart and Jones, the
Farewell
It is fitting that this necessarily brief reference to Divisional Headquarters and its personnel should conclude with General Barrowclough's final order before the division ceased to exist on 20 October 1944. By that date, however, many close associations of long standing had been broken and former teams of officers, NCOs and men who had worked together for years had been scattered. Soon afterwards many of them were on their way to Italy and the Middle East to join the Second Division, there to lose their identity in the various units to which they were posted. But wherever and whenever two or three of them were gathered together, their conversation invariably turned to the adventures, exploits, discomforts and possibilities of the Third Div. Even in civilian life it always will.
The following is the last special order issued to the Third New Zealand Division by Major-General Barrowclough:—
'The greater part of 2nd NZEF IP has now been dispersed in one way or another, and 3rd NZ Div HO will cease to function as from 1700 hours on 20 October 1944. The manner of our dispersal has unfortunately prevented me from speaking personally to more than a handful of you, and I am unable to say " Goodbye," except through the medium of this special order. Even that may fail to reach many to whom I would have wished to speak.
'I want to tell you how proud I have been of the division and the whole of its base organisation. It was not my privilege to command the force from its inception, nor to have any part
'For most of you the war is not yet over, and your services may be required in another theatre. It is a matter for regret that this further service will not be with the division nor with the units for which we have so warm a love and regard. This is as inevitable as it is regretful. I know, however, that you are qualified to take your place in any formation to which you may be posted, and that you will serve therein with credit to yourselves and to your new units. My own interest in exmembers of 3rd NZ Division and its ancillary services will never wane, and I shall regard it as my pleasing duty to further your interests in any way I can. I wish you the best of good fortune—for the rest of the war and afterwards.'
Chapter Two
8th
Brigade Headquarters
Staff and Work
The decision to send garrison troops from New Zealand to Fiji was made some years before war broke out, but it was not until October 1940 that two battalions with reinforcements and auxiliary troops (about 3,000 in all) were despatched from New Zealand under Brigadier (later Major-General)
With the war against Japan came the necessity for strengthening this garrison in Fiji and the decision to build the force to the strength of a two-brigade division. It is at this time that the story of 8th Brigade Headquarters really begins. The headquarters of the former garrison became divisional headquarters, and 8th Brigade Headquarters, the personnel for which had been assembled at Trentham, was constituted under
After a series of reconnaissances and conferences the first operation order was issued on 14 January 1942 defining the defensive tasks of the various battalions and other units, and the work of extending and strengthening the defences was undertaken and strenuously pushed ahead. At Hedstrom's an underground battle headquarters was constructed by tunnelling into the soapstone, and this was used during the various brigade exercises. Although elaborately constructed, with separate rooms for the various branches of the headquarters, niches for bunks, and duckboards, the stream of water through the main passage and the dampness of the walls during tropical rains is well remembered.
In February and March 1942 there were a number of changes in the staff. Brigadier R. A. Row, DSO, assumed command of the brigade, following Brigadier Goss's appointment to liaison duties in Australia.
In May 1942, just prior to the departure of Brigadier Row for New Zealand where he underwent an operation, Lieutenant Tripp returned to brigade headquarters and commenced the organisation for the Fijian guerilla unit, then known as the 8th Brigade commandos, a unit which later distinguished itself in Guadalcanal and New Georgia. The value of this unit was first
With the attainment of a high degree of efficiency and the near completion of defensive works came news in June of the proposed relief of the force in Fiji by US troops. Aside from the practical hand over by map and by inspection of defensive areas, the period holds pleasant memories of our first association with American units of the 37th Division. Embarkation of the USS President Coolidge was completed by 20 July 1942 and brigade headquarters was opened in D block, Papakura, three days later. A period of leave and reorganisation followed, and after Brigadier Row had again taken over the brigade, the headquarters moved to Opaheke on 22 August 1942, and was there joined by West Point, arriving on 31 December 1942. The stay at Npoui lasted only about six weeks and it is remembered principally on account of the exploits of the I section, referred to elsewhere, and an exceptional flood which occurred in the Népoui River causing a very hurried evacuation of some of the tents and the quartermaster's store.
After the departure of the US garrison from central New Caledonia the brigade was moved to the Bouloupari area and brigade headquarters was opened on 10 February 1943 at the former headquarters of the US 43rd Division. Although the home of a particularly aggressive type of mosquito, and although no bathing was available reasonably close to the camp, the area was well provided for as a headquarters, being blessed with adequate buildings which compensated in part for other discomforts. The brigade was rejoined by the 34th Battalion on 13 March 1943 and by the 36th Battalion one month later, after which the 1st Ruahine Battalion passed to 15th Brigade.
It was while the headquarters was at Bouloupari that the brigade was subjected (if that be the word) to its most concentrated period of training, during the course of which brigade headquarters spent many days and nights in the field. Personnel on brigade headquarters and in the units under command well remember the Dent St. Vincent (the Tonta exercise), the mud and mosquitoes of the Bula exercise, and the long trek from Bouloupari to Moindou. This period was of immense value. Units became familiar with supporting arms, answers were found to questions, 'what should the soldier carry?' and 'what should the soldier eat?' in the field, men became fit and ready for the jobs which followed. Headquarters learned to be mobile and the office truck and its appurtances became as familiar to clerks and runners as the sand floored bures. So intensive and strenuous had been the training during this period of nearly six months that the brigadier's decision to send the brigade to Thio for a week's rest came as a welcome relief, capping off an important and interesting stage in the life of the brigade and headquarters.
In the course of this period of training there were several additions and changes on the staff. The appointment of Major Reidy to the temporary command of the Ruahine Battalion was followed by the appointment of Captain (later Major) Macarthur, brigade major in March 1943. When this officer took over the
With the prospects of amphibious operation ahead, and the immediate task of organising the brigade into combat teams, work began on weight and measurement tables, and for this Captain B. M. Silk, a member of what was familiarly known as 'the brains trust' on divisional headquarters, was attached to brigade headquarters, A start was made on a 'dry land' bridgehead exercise, but this was abandoned on account of the imminence of the move to Guadalcanal.
When the time for departure from New Caledonia drew nigh a number of farewell functions were held, notably two dinners in the officers-mess. The first function was attended by all unit commanders in the brigade group and the commanding officer (Lieutenant-Colonel Williams) and two other officers of the 1st Marine Parachute Regiment which was camped at Tontouta and with the members of which a strong fellowship had been established. The second dinner function was attended by all officers still available who had at any time been on brigade headquarters.
On 21 August 1943 Presidents Jackson, Adams and Hayes. The loading and embarkation was our first introduction to LCVs and LCMs, 'flat tops' and landing nets, which later became so familiar. The Presidents were fine ships, but the troops' quarters below were extremely hot, a condition which became more unbearable as we proceeded northwards.
During the voyage brigade headquarters functioned as such on the Jackson, for the preparation of orders for the exercises to be held on Mélé Beach, Efate, in the New Hebrides. At the conclusion of our five days' stay there a full scale brigade group beach landing exercise was held and brigade headquarters went ashore and set up offices and the usual appurtenances in the scrub just beyond the beach. This was a useful prelude to the unloading task at Guadalcanal where the convoy arrived on the morning of 14 September 1943 and all previous records for times for unloading and turn round of ships were broken. Brigade headquarters camp site was on a small ridge off Wright's Road, about two miles from the waterfront. Although elevated sufficiently to catch what little breeze there was, it was so oppressively hot and so far from bathing water that this was assuredly the least attractive of all camp areas the headquarters ever occupied. Even the mosquitoes of Bouloupari were more readily endured.
The six weeks' stay at Guadalcanal was an exceedingly busy one. The clerical staff was called on for long hours, the I section was fully extended, the staff officers were engrossed in massive load tables and weight and measurement returns, the defence platoon planned and rehearsed by day and night a scheme for all round defence for the headquarters in the jungle, the concert enthusiasts under
For the purpose of the Treasury operation the 8th Brigade Group was placed under the command of the First Marine Amphibious Corps (known familiarly as 'One Mac') then
Numerous conferences were held with both New Zealand and US commanders and on 21 October 1943 commanders of all units assembled at the sandtable and Brigadier Row issued his verbal orders for the operation. Inevitably there were minor changes, but the loading proceeded well and on 25 October 1943 part of headquarters went aboard LCI No. 61 and on the following morning the remainder, including the brigade commander, embarked on the Stringham, an APD.
The journey and the landing of brigade headquarters were uneventful except for the men in the forward report centre on Mono who found to their dismay that they had placed themselves on the fringe of the perimeter formed by the 36th and 29th Battalions. For them there was no rest by day and no sleep by night, and they frequently found themselves carrying on a 'private' war against the occasional Jap and other terrors of the night. The provost section under The 4th Field Security Section on Nissan Island.
Members of Divisional Headquarters Sergeants' Mess on Nissan Island in May 1944Below:The Provost Section photographed on The 'G' staff of Divisional Headquarters in May 1944.
Front row, left to right: j. I. Brook, Lieutenant M. W. Speight, Rear row: Private J E. Grant, Sergeant D. E. Yockney,
The 'A' and 'Q' staff on Nissan Island in May 1944. Front row, left to right:
Although outwardly the set-up was familiar, there was a certain tenseness. For the first time lives depended on the efficient working of headquarters. It can be justly said that the headquarters did function well and that units under command did receive the support to which they were entitled. After the initial days and nights, when the Jap was being systematically exterminated, came the task of settling in. Arriving with the succeeding echelons of LSTs and other ships were more stores, more camp equipment, and the rear parties who had been left at Guadalcanal. The second operation order, for the defence of the Treasury Group, was issued on 12 November and, along with other units, brigade headquarters began to convert the jungle into a habitable place with offices, cookhouses and covered fox-holes. By this time Jap casualties had been definitely established at 205 killed and seven taken prisoner. The number of prisoners later increased to 12 and casualties to 230.
It was during this period that the Governor-General, Sir Cyril Newall, visited the island, and inspected all the New Zealand units, some of the American units and a couple of diminutive Jap prisoners who were temporarily released from the job of washing the provost sergeant's jungle suit. It was fortunate that on that occasion Q was able to acquire some fresh New Zealand mutton and butter from a US naval unit then stationed in Blanche Harbour, for field cooking facilities cannot hope to disguise the all-too-familiar spam and gerkins.
In the course of this settling in process the camp areas were disturbed at night by Jap bombers and during the day by the continual encroachment of Seabee bulldozers sent in obedience of Admiral Halsey's order to 'expedite the strips.' The former, once familiar, and until the flak commenced to fall, were the cause of admiration of the terrific display of colour and pattern with which the ack ack and searchlight units greeted them, and the latter brought forth new and strange oaths from members of the defence platoon, who had frequently to move, replace and rebuild cookhouses and tents to make room for road and runway.
In early December 1943, following the decision to relieve older men and the reshuffle of the staffs in the division, there were further changes in personnel. Brigadier Row, who had attained the staff corps retiring age, returned to New Zealand and his place was taken by Brigadier Goss, Major Macarthur was appointed GSO 2 on divisional headquarters and Major Brace-well became brigade major, his place as DAA and QMG being taken by Captain Silk. Shortly after this Major Bracewell returned to base hospital, and Captain (Temporary-Major)
Meanwhile the camp area had been cleared of undergrowth and many of the larger trees had been felled. The exploits of Sergeant W. R. Bass and Corporal W- J. Cook, experienced axemen, and other members of the defence platoon won the admiration of many a city lubber as giant mahoganies were brought down with amazing accuracy. On one occasion a warning was a little late and the intelligence officer, Captain H. G. West, received the impact of the top branches of a tree, a fractured arm and leg, and a good stiff brandy.
During the period December 1943 to March 1944 the strength of the forces on the island grew to a total of 16,000, and the work of administration grew proportionately. Supplies of food, ammunition, bombs, petrol and building materials poured in as the number of the air units and the extent of their activities increased. The brigade group had passed from the operational command of the First Marine Amphibious Corps to the administrative command of what was then called Forward Area. Later the island became part of Sixth Island Command (New Georgia). The administrative side of headquarters had therefore to become familiar with the returns required by the US army authorities which, contrary to popular belief, are no less tedious and lengthy than our own. The general administration of the island, the traffic control, the supervision of cleanliness and sanitation, the setting up of bomb and petrol dumps, the distribution of incoming cargo, the maintenance and deliveries of supplies of rations were
It is not infrequently the case that the completion of the task of making a camp heralds a move. The beginning of the return to New Caledonia came when the first manpower draft departed on the President Munro on 26 April and a few days later the advanced party of the brigade left for New Caledonia under Tryon, making a fast trip to Nouméa, heading off the advanced party by a few hours, the latter having been held up at Guadalcanal. Back in New Caledonia the brigade moved to the area vacated by the infantry wing of the base training depot in the Tene Valley and here we felt the benefit of considerable leisure during weather which, if to us extremely cold at night, provided days of glorious sunshine, enabling all kinds of sport to be enthusiastically indulged in. Cricket, football, basketball, tenakoits and even badminton were vigorously undertaken. There was little training and as the auxiliary troops had ceased to be under command, leaving only three battalions and the machine gun company, the administrative work was comparatively light, and the staff, with some exceptions, was able to take part in much of the organised recreation.
With ample entertainment in the evenings and the days of sport, the two months during which the brigade and the
The story would not be complete, however, without reference to certain sections of the headquarters which have been purposely omitted from the foregoing survey. Some of these are part of an infantry brigade headquarters proper and others are detachments from other corps, necessary for the full functioning of all services. Their stories are being told separately but it is not to be assumed that they were in any way remote from the life of the headquarters. Although very much of a patchwork of personnel from various corps and many different units, the headquarters acquired a definite personality and atmosphere to which all personnel made their contribution.
The Sections Attached
Intelligence Section.—The intelligence section during the life of 8th Brigade saw many changes in its personnel and in the type of work it was called on to do. On the formation of the unit all the members of the section, with the exception of
One reconnaissance which will live in the minds of the participants was the overland trip from Vatukarasa, Sovi Bay, to Nausori, a distance of some 100 miles. Although the trip was
It was while in Fiji that Sergeant D. V. Stunner left the section to join the 8th Brigade Commandos and
In New Caledonia much intensive training was carried out and many experiments with rations fell to the lot of this department. The most vivid in memory undoubtedly is the one with the American D chocolate ration. It was intended that the party should cross the island from Népoui to Ponérihouen and return via a track to Poya, taking for food only the rich emergency chocolate, to test its sustaining qualities. At first the party found the diet in the solid and drinking forms quite palatable; but after several days all were showing signs of fatigue and sickness. On arrival at the opposite coast all but the officer called off the experiment and enjoyed a hearty meal at a French home and purchased stores for the return journey. On the way back the officer, too, succumbed to the temptation of more satisfying and attractive victuals. Shortly after the arrival of the 34th and 36th
As a result of experience gained in exercises and in anticipation of the scope of work that the I section had to do in jungle warfare, the establishment was increased by the addition of two lance-corporals,
While this reconnaissance was in progress the remainder of the section was very busy making maps, interpreting aerial photos and making sand models of the group in order to familiarize unit commanders and other officers with the terrain. Twenty-four hours prior to the.assault landing Sergeant Cowan and a party of native scouts and three members of the 29th Battalion again landed on Mono in the vicinity of Malsi. An observation post was established inland in order to keep track of the Japanese as they withdrew from Falamai, and also to cut the telephone line from the Jap observation post known to be at Laifa Point. An interesting sidelight on this episode takes us to brigade Stringham. Sergeant Cowan had sent back, by the PT boat which had conveyed him and his party, a message which contained the sentence 'NO increase in enemy strength.' By some unfortunate accident and to the alarm of the brigade commander this message reached the Stringham without the word 'NO.' It was for Sergeant Cowan's work on these two landings prior to the occupation that he was awarded the DCM.
The action period was a very busy time for the section and the full benefit was felt of the numerous exercises and manoeuvres during the static period. After the occupation was completed, map making reconnaissance, compilation of information and intelligence summaries kept personnel occupied. In December 1943 Corporal Bradley, who was evacuated on account of sickness, was replaced by
Not the least of the tasks of the section was the satisfying of mess secretaries, concert producers and sports organisers, whose demands for menus and programmes continually taxed the ingenuity and sometimes the patience of the draughtmen. Whatever the job, the section, except on one or two occasions such as when it reported American Mitchells having bombed Blanche Harbour, produced the right answer.
The Transport Section.—-When the headquarters was formed in Fiji Lieutenant A. Siddall was appointed transport officer and he continued until the force returned to New Zealand. There was only a limited amount of transport available in those early days, but this did not mean there was less to be done. The vehicles then in use were not of recent or standard models and it was not an easy matter to keep them up to pitch.
Prior to the departure from New Zealand to New Caledonia Captain O. G. Davey took over the section, and the scope of its work broadened with the new four and six-wheel drive vehicles which had come into general use. Hill climbing and sand crossing experiments were carried out and the capabilities of the jeeps and trucks tested. There were, of course, diversions from the normal tasks of the transport section. The transport officer was used as an unloading officer at Treasury. The office truck, which
During the rest period in New Caledonia the transport section was the only part of the headquarters which was called on for any serious work, the personnel being loaned to base headquarters for convoy duty to Nouméa. This job was not undertaken with much relish, for it was many months since journeys of more than a few miles had been undertaken. At the end of this tour of duty, however, as always, they took pride in their dusty faces and tired eyes.
The Defence Platoon.—Mention has already been made of the activities of the defence platoon at various periods in our story, but this brief review would not be complete without reference to other aspects of the life and work of the unit. Since our period of contact with the enemy can be reckoned in days, the task of defence implied in the name belies the true function of the platoon. Rather was it an employment platoon called on for the thousand and one jobs behind the scenes, the essential but neither spectacular nor exciting tasks which have to be done in the maintenance of a camp. For most it was a boring round cheerfully accepted in the knowledge that every part of it was a contribution to the general welfare of the headquarters as a whole.
There were, of course, purple patches when special work or training had to be done, breaking the monotony and providing new topics of conversation and new food for argument. As a matter of interest a war diary entry of 17 June 1943 is quoted:— 'Visit of General Freyberg, who inspected and complimented the guard of honour drawn from the defence platoon.' On the training and operational side there was the exercise at Florida, near Tulagi, which was held to familiarise the units with LCIs and APDs which were to be used in the Treasury landing. The defence platoon was the only part of the headquarters which was able to take part in this rehearsal, the claim of the other
At Treasury a number of important patrols and observation post duties were entrusted to the platoon, in addition to the job at the forward report centre which has already been referred to. These patrols took them to the smaller Wilson and Watson Islands and the more remote corners of Stirling Island. In this respect the platoon took its full share of the serious part of the job. Frequent moves had made the platoon expert at camp erection and it never took long for such meagre amenities as were available to be installed. An interesting diversion was provided by the call for lumbermen to clear the camp at Stirling, the call 'Timber' ringing out as each giant mahogany received the final blow from the axeman.
The platoon had its share of the lighter side and initiated a number of well remembered functions. One of these was held on 29 July 1943 at Bouloupari when Lieutenant Lang was fare-welled on his departure to New Zealand and Lieutenant Fitness was welcomed back as commander of the unit. A short time after this the platoon sergeant-major, Warrant-Officer Tremaine, who had been saving his beer ration for some time, announced his attainment of parenthood and the recreation hut was again the scene of much merriment. These are only two of a number of official and unofficial functions, indoor and outdoor, which brightened the off duty hours.
Although the unit was required to find a place for a number of men who were detailed for other permanent jobs on headquarters, it could always find among its members someone to give the advice on or solution for the various problems which arose. From plumbing to bushfelling, from language interpretation to picture theatre operating, there was always someone who had the knowledge or experience to meet the occasion.
Section Signals.—While it is not entirely true, as the signallers generally claim, that a headquarters is built round the signal office, there can be no doubt that J section of the Divisonal Signals played a very important part in all branches of the life and work of the headquarters. When the headquarters was formed in Fiji the section was under Captain (later Major) K. Wilson, and Second—Lieutenant (later Captain)
The equipment available in the early days, and during the training periods in New Zealand and New Caledonia, was of ancient vintage and did not permit the section to display its true worth, although there were rare occasions when the exchange would answer on the first ringing. New wireless sets and other equipment were issued in Guadalcanal and tests there were most heartening.
For the Treasury operation the section was divided, providing a forward report centre on Mono, the situation of which has been referred to elsewhere, while the main part of the section landed on Stirling with brigade headquarters, settling in near the shore at Purple 3 beach. For the linesmen in the section under Sergeant Godbold, the succeeding months were nothing short of hectic, enemy bombers, allied bulldozers and, in the camp area, the merry men of the defence platoon, seeming to conspire to break and entangle every telephone line erected through the jungle. Gradually, however, as location of roads and runways became fixed and enemy bombing ceased, Captain Garters, who was signals officer for the island, put in hand the erection of a pole line with nearly 50 trunk lines, and a specially prepared underwater cable was laid between Stirling Island and Falamai. This work completed, members of the section were able to give a little time to the building of canoes and rafts for the better enjoyment of off duty hours. On returning to New Caledonia the section rejoined the remainder of Divisional Signals and a long and happy association was ended.
Ordnance.—In Fiji the ordnance detachment consisted of only Second-Lieutenant (later Major) E. J. R. Signal as ordnance mechanical engineer, but when the brigade arrived in New Caledonia further ordnance personnel were attached to the headquarters. Warrant-Officer 1st Class A. K. Bristow arrived as ordnance warrant-officer and he was followed shortly after by
The nature of the action at Treasury was such that very few vehicles could be taken forward and as a result it was possible to appoint the ordnance mechanical engineer to duties such as unloading officer and beach commander, Captain Tilly being used in this capacity on numerous occasions prior to his return to New Zealand in December 1943. As the brigade group became remote from the advanced ordnance depot at Guadalcanal a reserve of clothing and other stores was taken forward in the later echelons and two storemen were attached to headquarters to assist Sergeant-Major Bristow in the distribution of these stores. A tarpaulin-covered store was erected on Stirling Island and, as far as possible, units' indents were met from holdings there. This store and staff had a narrow escape when a Jap bomb burst close by, peppering the area with shrapnel. Corporal Fitzgerald, the only casualty on headquarters as a result of enemy action, received a minor wound and was later evacuated. On the departure of Captain Tilley, Captain R. St. J. Keenan joined headquarters, and when Sergeant-Major Bristow returned to Headquarters Divisional Ordnance his place was taken by Warrant-Officer 1 st Class E. C. Rollo. Both these replacements remained until the headquarters dissolved.
The Provost Section,—There was only one occasion on which the Third Division as a whole was engaged in an exercise. For this, 'The Battle of the Kaimai Ranges,' a provost section was attached to 8th Brigade Headquarters, remaining until the curtain rolled down in July 1944. Although like most other units the section was under strength, it was given on this occasion and subsequently in New Caledonia traffic control tasks which required each man to prove his skill and endurance to the utmost. When the brigade was in the Népoui Valley the strength of the section was increased and, tinder
The section contributed to the achievements of headquarters in the field of sport, Privates 'Bill' More and 'Ossie' Osborne being prominent. The honours won by Con Crowley are a source of pride to this section as well as to the defence platoon, for he was a member of the provost for some considerable time. Lack of mobility was balanced by lack of roads in the forward area, but the section found employment in picketing of water points and road junctions, checking of the observance of all important malarial control measures, the control of beaches and theatre areas and the escorting and care of prisoners. Beach and unloading area control, from the time of the first landing when members of the section were among the first ashore (claiming a brace of Japs who dared remain near the beach) to the days when liberty ships drew alongside, the pontoon dock, was the main job at Treasury. A careful check was made of all trucks engaged in the unloading ensuring a continual supply of trucks at the ships' side, and the correct delivery of the various types of cargo. The section was later provided with a jeep and with additional US personnel attached, Sergeant Beyer became responsible for traffic control by day and night, and was frequently called on to search for stolen vehicles. It is understood that when the section left New Caledonia it was in some doubt as to its future employment, but there can be no question that its time
ASC.—When headquarters was formed in Fiji the supply officer was Second-Lieutenant (later Major) A. Lamont, and he continued in that capacity until appointed to command an ASC company in July 1943. During this period the ASC section became as noted for the quantity of its personal impedimenta as for its ability to produce the odd tin of strawberry jam at the right moment, and a ready answer to the complaint or criticism of the husky infanteer. The following entry in the war diary of 19 December 1942 is quoted as a record of the section's achievement in another direction:—'Brigade Headquarters Derby, Captain A. Lamont v.
At Treasury, the section became responsible for the distribution of rations to all personnel on the island, there being altogether about 40 'breaks.' Special problems were encountered with the distribution of icecream (which is a normal US issue in the tropics) and an endeavour was made to make it available to as many New Zealand units as possible. The US units which had the facilities for making icecream cooperated well and made their machinery available for the units not so fortunately placed. Fresh food, brought occasionally by small refrigeration ships called YPs (familiarly 'Yippees'), had to be distributed quickly and certain personnel, notably the aircrews, were provided with special extras. These matters, together with the paper work involved in lease lend transactions, kept the ASC section fully occupied until the return to New Caledonia where, in common with the rest of headquarters, it enjoyed many leisure hours.
AEWS.—
Rugby, soccer and hockey competitions were carried on during the stay at Bouloupari and a number of boxing and wrestling tournaments were held, at one of which the New Zealand heavyweight,
Until it became possible for lectures and study courses to be arranged at Treasury, the AEWS officer was used for liaison and patrol duties, but as soon as conditions permitted the section became responsible for the distribution of films and magazines made available by the US Special Service Department. There were in all 16 theatres on the island, some of which had permanently installed machines, the remainder being serviced by a mobile unit. Although frequently interrupted by air raids, during which the crowd would disperse until the all clear, films were our main source of entertainment.
Study courses, study and discussion groups and clubs (such as the Young Farmers' Club) continued as before, the number of personnel taking study courses at one time being one-third of the brigade group. The troops became so film conscious that on the return to New Caledonia three picture theatres sprang up in quick time and extra films were made available. The time devoted to sport, the interest in visiting lecturers and artists, the continuance of the study courses and the institution of a hobby hut made it necessary for additional staff to be provided; and the work of the section was in full swing until the greater portion of the brigade returned to New Zealand.
Postal.—It was not until the brigade reached Bouloupari that a postal section under Corporal Murphy (later Sergeant Murphy, BEM) was attached to headquarters to handle the mail of all units in that area, a mail which, with the regular arrival of parcels, assumed huge proportions. The post office was located in a small bure on the road into brigade headquarters and each unit delivered and collected mail daily. The desirability for prompt service is recognised by none better than the postal unit itself and it is true to say that the postal section attached to brigade headquarters lived up to this realisation at all times.
Mails arrived regularly at Treasury and, with few exceptions, in good condition. Indeed the further units were from New Zealand the better the service seemed to become. During the stay at Treasury the postal section had several moves, on one occasion the result of damage caused by shrapnel, finally setting up in brigade headquarters area. Wednesday and Sunday were regular mail days, and the letters arrived almost to the minute. As distributors of pleasure and happiness, the members of the section shared the joy of those whose mail was good, meeting the disappointed with a cheery 'Better luck next time.'
Graves Registration Unit.—As the brigade was to become, as it were, independent of the remainder of the division, it was necessary to ensure that personnel of this unit were in the first echelon. Accordingly a small section under Sergeant A. G. Hill was attached at Guadalcanal and remained until departure from Treasury. This section carried out the task of laying out and caring for the cemetery at Falamai, which contained in all some 40 New Zealand and 20 American graves. Arrangements were made for a pen drawing of the cemetery to be photographed and prints were made available to units desiring to send copies to the next of kin of the fallen.
It was probably by some strange accident that this unit also became responsible for maintenance of supplies of stationery. As with some of the other services at Treasury this became an 'island' responsibility and extensive supplies of American as well as New Zealand stationery were stocked. Whether for this reason, or because of the excellent selection of 'pin ups' displayed in the store, there seemed always to be a queue of 'customers' awaiting attention.
The Lighter Side.—Most of the things that a soldier remembers and is pleased to talk about have their beginnings in a football match, a race meeting, a concert, or some other episode or function wherein the ordinary round has for a brief period been forgotten. The work of the Tui concert party under
The Tui concert party was first formed in Fiji, and Corporal Reid was brought to headquarters as organiser and producer. By writing many of his own sketches and rhymes and borrowing artists from various units Corporal Reid was able to produce several good shows in Fiji and again at Cambridge when the division was back in New Zealand. While in New Caledonia the party was augmented and arrangements were made for it to tour all units in the Bouloupari area. With the show which had been so successful during this tour, visits were made to the large open air theatre at Tontouta when some 3,000 American troops gave the party a tremendous reception. A visit was also paid to the 4th General Hospital and in addition to an evening performance items were given in the wards.
The party gave its fiftieth performance at Guadalcanal in what was called The Regent theatre. This was a natural amphitheatre and a huge crowd kept the players going to the exhaustion of themselves and their repertoires. All the familiar songs with words written by or specially for the party were revived. At Treasury, partly because films were so plentiful, there was not the call nor the facilities for the live shows. However, a programme was arranged for Christmas Eve, including items by US servicemen, and later a concert was arranged in conjunction with the band of the 198th AAA and CA Regiment. This was given in various parts of the island, on several occasions going on through teeming tropical rains, with men and vehicles squelching through the surrounding mud to reach the 'stalls.' Lighting was sometimes crude and always difficult, stages were small, but somehow the party always managed.
In the field of sport headquarters has an interesting if not spectacular history. Rugby, which is so near the New Zealander's heart, began in Fiji, where the headquarters had a team in the Suva competitions. Though not reaching championship class the team had many good games, notably one against the team of the 1st Fijian Battalion, the hard, rugged natives proving too good for our lighter side. In the next season, at Bouloupari, we were able to enter senior and junior teams in the competitions. The former, captained by 8th
BrigadeCommanders
Brigadier R. A. Row, DSO and bar, who commanded the 8th Brigade in Fiji after the original force had been expanded. Later he took the brigade into action in the Treasury Islands Below: Brigadier F. L. Hunt, QBE, who commanded the brigade for a brief period in Fiji during the temporary absence of Brigadier RowStirling Island, Blanche Harbour and part of Mono Island as they appeared during the Japanese occupation. The notes were added from photo interpretation and information obtained from natives and American airmen who had hidden in the jungle. The only cleared area was at Falamai Point where the principal landing was made. This air photograph was taken on 19 September 1943. Below is the same area taken on 24 March 1944. The airstrip was 7,000 feet long and 350 feet wide. When this photograph was taken nearly 200 aeroplanes were stationed on the airstrip. Brigade Headquarters was situated on the harbour shore of the large bay on the left of Stirling Island
Cricket was indulged in during only three short periods—in Cambridge, where a number of friendly games and enjoyable teas were provided by St. Peter's School, in Treasury and again in New Caledonia. There were only two games at Treasury, one between brigade headquarters officers and the officers of the 4th Motor Transport Company, and the other between the officers and other ranks of the headquarters. Matting over coral and a rough coral outfield are not conducive to high class cricket. The first game was won by brigade headquarters officers, but in the second game they spent most of the afternoon searching for the ball in the surrounding jungle. Back in New Caledonia headquarters combined with the machine gun company to provide the fourth team in the competition. It remained fourth throughout. Boxing enthusiasts were proud of
One of the most interesting and enjoyable evenings at Bouloupari was that on which the race meeting was held. A floodlit course, colourfully attired jockeys, the inimitable 'Pancho' as clerk of the course and
We became very tenakoit conscious at. Treasury and both officers and men found that the game provided a welcome diversion at the end of each day. While the outdoor games flourished and held our attention there were indoor diversions as well to help pass the hours between sundown and lights out. The 'Rec' hut was always popular with its table tennis, chess, draughts and the ever-present 'tea-a-penny and the biscuits in.' In the background (generally) were such places as 'Dan's Den (for Players and Stayers) ', but even if it were known for what purpose these dives were created, it is doubtful whether such information could be disclosed. One has a suspicion that the 'sheriff' was off duty during business hours. All these institutions contributed much to the personality and well-being of the headquarters.
Decorations and Awards
For services in the Pacific while serving with 8th Brigade Headquarters British and American decorations and awards were made to personnel as follows:—
Bar to DSO.—Brigadier R. A. Row.
The citation reads:—For gallant and distinguished service in the field. Brigadier Row was in charge of the operations which resulted in the capture of the Treasury Islands. These operations extended over the period from 26 October to 20 November 1943, by which latter date practically every Jap on the island had been killed. The landing force comprised numerous technical troops in addition to the normal brigade group and the smooth landing of successive transport echelons and the general development of the whole operation was eloquent proof of the thorough and careful way in which Brigadier Row had conceived and planned the expedition. In the operations ashore he displayed similar skill and aggressive and courageous leadership. His personal appearance at each threatened point of his defences did much to inspire his officers and men with confidence in the general direction of the operation and contributed in large measure to their success.
Distinguished Conduct Medal.—
For distinguished conduct prior to and during operations. Sergeant Cowan was selected to command two patrols to Treasury Islands before the landing of the 8th Brigade Group. The first was sent in to obtain information as to the strength of the enemy and his dispositions. The object of the second patrol was to cut the main telephone line between the enemy observation post on Laifa Point and the Japanese HQ, and to pass information as to enemy movements after the landing had been effected. The first patrol was carried through most successfully under difficult conditions, and resulted in much valuable information being obtained. The second patrol successfully cut the telephone line at 0400 hours on 27 October and thus delayed information of the approach of the assaulting troops reaching the enemy. During the next five days the patrol was continuously active behind the enemy lines and much information was obtained. Throughout Sergeant Cowan showed resource and determination of a high order and his personal example of coolness in face of considerable danger was largely responsible for the successful achievement of the missions.
- MBE.—
Captain N. L. Fitzpatrick . - BEM.—Sergeant A. E. Chamberlain.
-
Mentioned in Despatches—
Recognition of services to the US was made by the following awards:—
- US
Legion of Merit— Degree of Commander.—Brigadier R. A. Row.Degree of Officer.—Brigadier L. G. Goss .Legionnaire.—Captain B. M. Silk.
In addition to the above, two officers received awards while serving with other units. They were
Nominal Roll8
th Brigade Headquarters And Defence Platoon
The following roll has been prepared from records available, and may not be complete, particularly as to personnel who were on headquarters in Fiji only. A number of officers held more than one appointment at various times and they are shown in the senior appointment held with the headquarters. Other ranks are shown in order of rank. All officers, including attached, have been included, but it has not been possible to give the names of other attached personnel.
- Brigadier Goss, L. G., US Legion of Merit
- Brigadier Goss Hunt, F. L., OBE
- Brigadier Goss Row, R. A., DSO and Bar, US Legion of Merit
Brigade Commanders
- Major Biss, G. H
- Major Bracewell, J. G. S.
- Major Cameron, W. B.
- Major Eyre R. J.
- Major Macarthur., I. H.
- Major Reidy, J. M.
- Captain (T/Major)
Louden, K. E. , MC
Brigade Majors
- Captain Fitzpatrick, N. L
- Captain Naismith, S. H
- Lieutenant Tnpp, C. W. H.
Staff Captains
- Captain Berry, J. L.
- Captain West, H. G.
Intelligence Officers
- Captain Davey, O. G.
- Lieutenant Siddall, A.
Transport Officers
- Captain Alison, A.
- Captain McGee, R. H.
- Lieutenant Henderson, H. A.
Lieutenant Leuchars, W. D. - LieutenantProcter, E.
- Lieutenant Rogers A. S
Lieutenant Smith, G. F. Lieutenant Soanes, R. B. - Second-Lieutenant Burton, E. D.
Liaison Officers
- Second-Lieutenant Hodgson, G. P.
Reconnaissance Platoon Officer
- Captain Whatman, M.P.
- Lieutenant Fitness, D. T.
- Lieutenant Kerr, H. A.
- Lieutenant Laing, W.
Camp Commandants And OC Defence Platoon
- Captain Graters, R. A.
- Captain Parkhouse, G. M.
- Captain Wilson, K. H.
- Lieutenant O'Hara, G.
- Lieutenant Gowlana, P. L.
- Second-Lieutenant Korte, F. A
Signals Officer
- Captain Edgerley, T. R.
- Captain Lamont, A.
Supply Officers
-
Ordnance Mechanical Engineers
- Captain Keenan, R. St. J.
- Captain Tilly, A. E.
- Lieutenant Signal, E. J. R.
-
Chaplains
- Reverend Teffreys, H. H.
- Reverend Osborne-Brown, W. St. A.
- Reverend Pierce, J. C.
- Lieutenant Hewland, J. L.
Army Educational Welfareservice
The following officers and other ranks were attached to headquarters for special duties during the Treasury operation;—
Chapter Three
14th
Brigade Headquarters
The 14th Brigade Headquarters was formed towards the end of December 1941 at Trentham Military Camp. Because of the urgency of the Japanese threat to the South Pacific and the pressing needs of the defence system of Fiji, preparations at Trentham were short and brisk, and a few days after formation headquarters embarked on the Rangatira at Auckland and proceeded to Lautoka on the west coast of the main island of Fiji, On arrival on 6 January personnel disembarked and proceeded to Namaka, where they set up camp.
The original brigade staff was as follows (officers' ranks are shown as they were at that time):—
Brigadier Potter was appointed commander of the western area of Fiji and the task of the 14th Brigade Group was the defence of this area, in which the principal object of military importance was the Nandi aerodrome. As brigade headquarters was the administrative headquarters of all the New Zealand units and the Fiji Defence Force in the area, its function was considerably wider in scope than that of an ordinary infantry brigade headquaters and the staff and personnel were kept very busy. Captain Hill of the Fijian Defence Force was seconded to brigade headquarters as liaison officer between his own force and the brigade, and the relation between the two headquarters
Apart from the personnel of brigade headquarters proper, the headquarters in the western area included K section signals. The section remained with brigade headquarters throughout the whole period of the brigade's existence. It would be fitting to place on record here an appreciation of both the splendid work of the section and the sterling qualities of its members. Throughout its long life K section performed prodigies of labour, but everything was done so quietly and efficiently that the section's splendid performances were often unheralded and unsung, though they were never unappreciated. Surmounting the heart-breaking difficulties occasioned by equipment unsuited to tropical climates, and carrying out long hours of duty in hot and oppressive 'dungeons' underground, the section performed its tedious and ungrateful tasks with pleasantness and success, and unfailingly preserved its competence and composure. The men themselves were extremely well liked and it would be true to say that they were not so much attached to brigade headquarters as part of it.
Brigade headquarters remained at Namaka for some two months until it moved at the end of February to a camp at Votua Levu, a distance of three miles away. Apart from this headquarters at Votua Levu, an elaborate battle headquarters and communications centre was established underground at Black Rock. This site was hewn out of the living rock and it was designed for use as an operational headquarters in the event of a Japanese attack.
The first few weeks spent at Namaka Camp were personnel's first experience of tropical conditions and it could not be said that they were pleasant ones. As it was midsummer the heat was most oppressive. In addition, for the first ten days, no mosquito nets were available, and the fantastically prolific mosquitoes of the western area made the most of unrivalled opportunity of
Brigade headquarters also formed cricket and football teams which played a number of matches with enthusiasm, though in the interests of historical accuracy it must be stated that these teams never won a game. However, the football team looked very effective in light blue jerseys and white shorts though the radiance of these colours was somewhat dimmed after about two minutes' play in Namaka mud. On one occasion the cricket team played Commissioner Snow's team of Fijians. The bowling of these stalwart and engaging natives was so fearsome a variety that by comparison the bodyline deliveries of Larwood faded into comparative insignificance. The Fijians won.
It was in Fiji that brigade headquarter's hat patch was chosen. This consisted of a red circle on a blue square as background. According to subsequent reports this was the insignia of Imperial Japanese Headquarters, and whether its choice for 14th Brigade Headquarters was the result of official inadvertance, or alternatively was intended to be an act of the most gallant defiance was never definitely decided!
While in Fiji a number of staff changes took place. During the stay at Namaka Major Reidy transferred to the 37th Battalion as second-in-command of the unit, and
In June 1942 American forces under command of Lieutenant-General Kreuger began to arrive at Lautoka to take over the defences of the western area. A detachment of officers and other ranks from this force came to live at brigade headquarters and Jearnt the layout of the defence and administrative system. On 2 July 1942 brigade headquarters left Votua Levu by motor transport for Suva and on arrival there embarked on the President Coolidge. After a pleasant trip to New Zealand in the former luxury liner, personnel disembarked at Auckland and proceeded to camp at Papakura. After arrival at camp they went on 14 days' disembarkation leave. Upon return from leave the staff and office personnel were engaged in the administration of the brigade, which settled down in camps in the area adjoining the Papakura district, while the remainder of the brigade headquarters personnel engaged in camp duties at Papakura.
In September the establishment of brigade headquarters was altered. The post of brigade MMG officer was abolished and liaison officers, seconded to headquarters from the three battalions, were introduced.
Early in October the brigade moved camp to the
At the end of 1942 the Third Division proceeded overseas again to New Caledonia. Brigade headquarters embarked on the West Point at Auckland immediately after Christmas and arrived in Nouméa harbour just before New Year. Here personnel transferred to a Dutch ship, the Weltevreden, and proceeded up
Brigade headquarters was originally situated on the pleasantly wooded flats by the river, but when the rains came in February the river developed into a roaring torrent and one dark and stormy night it began to lip the river bank so menacingly that headquarters moved hurriedly, and with more haste than dignity, to higher ground. Here, with a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains and valleys, 14th Brigade Headquarters stayed for the remainder of the time at Taom.
During the period spent at Taom the defence platoon was detached for defence duties at Gomen, and while there had the opportunity of carrying out extensive training in jungle warfare under
Several changes of staff took place at Taom. In April Captain G. C. C. Sandston succeeded Captain Muir as staff captain and remained in this position until the brigade was disbanded. Lieutenant (later Captain)
In August 1943 instructions were received that the 14th Brigade Group would proceed north into the forward area of the South Pacific Command—that is, into the Solomon Islands. Immediate preparations were made by the brigade for the move and brigade headquarters had a very busy time arranging for the move of the brigade group and also carrying out its own preparations for the move, such as crating equipment. It was at this stage that the Bren carrier platoons of the three battalions were disbanded and a brigade carrier platoon formed. This platoon became part of brigade headquarters and was commanded throughout its existence by
After making the long dusty trip to Nouméa by motor transport, brigade headquarters embarked with the rest of the brigade group and set sail for the Solomons on 18 August. Upon arrival at Guadalcanal, camp was set up in a mahogany grove by a small stream. This camp was situated near Point Cruz and showed many signs of the previous furious engagements between the Americans and the Japanese. The great mahogany trees were riddled with metal from former shell fire and many were in a dying or dangerous condition, with branches continually falling. There were numerous dugouts in and around the camp, and many grim relics of previous combats. Personnel taking shelter from air raids in old fox-holes found it cold comfort to discover a skull leering at them out of the darkness! Malarial precautions were introduced, as the brigade was now in the malarial belt, and personnel had to wear long-sleeved shirts and long trousers during the hours of darkness and also to take a daily dose of the suppressive drug—atabrin.
Early in September instructions were received that the 14th Brigade Group would go into action, and that it had been given
On 13 September an advanced reconnaissance group including members of brigade headquarters left for
The Japanese, who were estimated to number some 700, were situated in the northern part of Vella and the brigade commander decided to send the 35th Battalion combat team up the western side, and the 37th Battalion combat team up the eastern side, of the island to catch the Nips in a pincer movement. The progress of the combat teams up the coasts was done in a series of 'amphibious leaps.' There were no roads whatever, and the only communication was by small barges which operated from the naval boat pool at Biloa on the south eastern tip of the island. Combat teams estabished a firm base at a suitable spot and then probed forward from that position. As the situation became clearer they moved forward by boat to get closer to the enemy. During the action, advanced brigade headquarters was situated at Matusoroto on the west coast, and rear brigade headquarters at Joroveto on the east coast. Advanced brigade headquarters was the operational headquarters and the principal function of rear brigade headquarters was the coordination and dispatch of supplies and personnel as required by both combat teams. Owing to the terrain, which was heavily broken country with thick jungle interlaced with mangrove swamps, the carrier platoon could not use its carriers but proved most useful as an independent platoon
The action of the brigade group proceeded rapidly and 11 days after they were first contacted by the 35th Battalion combat team in the Timbala area on 28 September the Nips were hemmed in on a narrow strip of coast with the two combat teams on either side of them. Realizing their position was hopeless the Japanese endeavoured, under the cover of darkness, to escape by boat from Vella to Bougainville. In the process of this they were engaged by units of the American fleet, and watchers on the shore had a grandstand view of the naval battle which ensued.
At the successful conclusion of the action the brigade units took up defensive positions around the coast of
After the Vella operation several staff changes took place. Major Waddell was succeeded as brigade major by Major L. E.
In January 1944 instructions were received that the 14th Brigade would shortly take part in the seizing of the Green (Nissan) Island Group, and headquarters, in common with the rest of the brigade, had a very busy period preparing for the move. Nearly all headquarters personnel except for a small rear party went forward in the first echelon, which left
The citation to Corporal Davidson's award reads:—
At Sirot on 17 February 1944 Corporal Davidson was a member of the 14th Bde Def Platoon which was part of a force carrying out a reconnaissance of the island. While patrolling towards the north-western coast the platoon made contact with a party of 16 of the enemy, who suddenly opened fire with grenades and a machine gun at a range of 30 yards. With complete disregard for his own safety Corporal Davidson 8th Brigade Headquarters and attached officers on the Treasuries.
Rear row, left to right: Front row: Captain R. St.J. Keenan, Captain T. R. Edgerley,
Right: Below: A glimpse of Blanche Harbour and some of the 8th Brigade's yachts which were made by some of the men during their leisure hoursThe Governor-General, Marshal of the Air Force Sir Cyril Newall, receiving a gift of fruit from the natives of Mono Island during his tour of the New Zealand areas in the Solomons
The intelligence section and orderly room staff at Bouloupari.
Rear row, left to right: Front row:
The carrier platoon was brought back from Tangalan side of the island to the Pokonian area and placed under command of the 30th Battalion to assist with the clearing of the southern end of the island. On 20 February, at Tanaheran, the platoon encountered a force of over 60 Japanese and under the leadership of Captain Stronach took steps in locating and pinning down the enemy. Subsequently the Japanese were attacked by the medium machine gun personnel, Valentine tanks and part of D company of the 30th Battalion. The final assault was led by
After the Green Islands had been cleared of the enemy brigade Headquarters set up camp at South Point. A lot of work had to be done making roads to the camp and clearing away the jungle, but when the work was finished the camp was undoubtedly the finest ever occupied by headquarters. It was situated among palm and pandanus trees on the edge of a beach of golden sand, and looked across the sea towards the distant island of Buka, which on clear days could be seen etched faintly against the horizon. Bathing on the reef could be had in plenty, and fish was occasionally procured by the expedient of dropping a grenade into a passing shoal (pace Izaak Walton!).
While at Nissan the brigade supply officer, Captain (later Major) Mintaka
Distinguished Service Order—Brigadier L. Potter, NZSC, Commander 14th Brigade.
Member of the Order of the British Empire—Lieutenant (Temporary Captain)
G. C. C. Sandston , staff captain, 14th Brigade.
Mentioned in Despatches—Brigadier L. Potter, DSO, NZSC;
Major J. F. B. Wilson , NZASC;Lieutenant E. G. Taylor . Early in 1945 Sergeant G. P. Walker, orderly room sergeant, 14th Brigade Headquarters, was also mentioned in despatches.The citations to the awards of the DSO to Brigadier Potter and the MBE to Captain Sandston were as follows:—
Brigadier L. Potter.81777 Brigadier Leslie Potter of the 14th NZ Inf Bde has given distinguished service in the field. Brigadier Potter commanded 14th NZ Brigade in the operation at
Vella Lavella in September and October 1943 and also the attack and seizure of the Green (Nissan) Island Group. In both operations his sound appreciation of the tactical problems involved and the plans he made for the deployment of his troops contributed largely to the success which attended our arms. In the operations atVella Lavella the boldness of his initial plan and speed with which he executed it, left the enemy little time to organise his defensive positions and materially lessened the number of our casualties. In both operations he showed marked qualities of leadership. He was throughout in the closest possible touch with his troops and directed their movement with marked success.Captain G. C. C. Sandston .As staff captain of the 14th NZ Inf Bde over a period of nine months, this officer has displayed outstanding ability and
initiative in handling the many complex administrative problems which have arisen both during operations and in static periods. The success of the Bde at Vella Lavella and Green Island has been due in no small measure to his unflagging energy, his thorough grasp of detail and to the help he has at all times given to the brigade units. His work throughout has been of the highest standard and deserves the greatest commendation.Together with the rest of the brigade, the life of the headquarters began to draw to a close at Téné Valley. Further manpower drafts were taken from the brigade in mid-1944 and left little doubt that the end was in sight. Finally it was announced that brigade staff appointments would cease and for official purposes the headquarters may be regarded as having quietly faded away, together with the brigade itself, in August 1944.
Sometimes headquarters, as opposed to units, do not have personalities, but it would be true to say of 14th Brigade Headquarters that to its members it was a very real entity and there was a spirit of comradeship and friendship abroad which stood the test of many weary months in the tropics. That spirit has survived the disbandment of the headquarters and has lived on as a real force among the former members of the staff and the various departments. In the days to come, those who lived and worked and toiled at 14th Brigade Headquarters will look back upon it with pride and affection and with profound gratitude that it vouchsafed to them the true meaning of friendship in its finest form.
Communications
The unofficial history of the New Zealand Corps of Signals with B Force and the Third New Zealand Division in Fiji, with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Pacific and the third New Zealand Division in New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands
Foreword
Lieutenant-Colonel D. M. Burns
It has, no doubt, been difficult for the individual signalman to appreciate fully the extent of the New Zealand Army signal system in the Pacific. Units and sub-units were scattered over widely separated islands, and even when two or more sections happened to be located on the same island there was little opportunity to mix and really get to know one another. Many men who established friendships on the troopships or in base camps lost touch with each other later for months at a time. Although this made it difficult to cultivate a healthy esprit de corps among signal units as a whole, there is no doubt that a strong section spirit was developed in each of the sub-units, and the very many personal friendships formed will stand the test of time. This unit history should serve the double purpose of giving everybody a clearer picture of the signal organisation as a whole, and reviving in the years to come memories of the more pleasant aspects of our service in the Pacific.
Our units have dissolved slowly and there has been no ceremonial finale. We are now scattered over the world and employed on a variety of tasks, But whatever our duties are now, and whatever they may be in the future, let us not underrate the importance of our period of service in the Pacific. The Third Division performed with credit the operational task set it, and this could not have been done without an efficient signal system throughout the force. Every officer, non-commissioned officer and signalman, whether in divisional signals or in the base organisations, played his part in creating and maintaining an extensive and efficient network of communications. In this war the New Zealand Corps of Signals has established a fine reputation, and the work of its members under trying conditions in the Pacific
On your behalf I thank those responsible for the preparation and publication of this history. The task has not been an easy one. I also take this opportunity—the last I will have—to say au revoir and good luck to all those who served with me. I am proud to be able to say that we did what was required of us and did it well.
Wellington,
Contents
Chapter One
Birth of a Division
Birth of a Division
On 28 October 1940 HMS Monowai, escorting the Rangatira, sailed down the Wellington Harbour carrying a contingent of New Zealand troops, among whom was a divisional signal section of one officer and 45 signalmen, for a destination known a few days later to be Viti Levu—the largest of the 250 islands which form the Fiji Group. Suva, its capital, is 1,148 miles from New Zealand. Perhaps this amusing first entry in the war diary, Trentham races postponed, gives some indication of just how wet it was on the day of embarkation. On the wharf as the draft departed were his Excellency the Governor-General, Lord Galway; the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Peter Fraser; and the Minister of Defence, the Honourable F. Jones, who delivered farewell speeches. As the convoy neared Fiji the calm sea brought bunk-confined signalmen to the decks. Open neck khaki shirts and shorts were donned in lieu of battle dress which, with other heavy woollen clothing, was packed into a spare kit-bag for consignment to the hold and return to New Zealand. The signals party was welcomed on arrival by Second-Lieutenant Stevens, who had previously journeyed to Fiji.
This contingent was known as B Force and was under the command of Brigadier (later Major-General)
It was tropically hot in Suva, where tall palms faintly rustled in the cooling breezes. The lazy tides of the Pacific gently lapped against the beaches and from the sea came the low murmur of rollers breaking on the reefs. A strange mixture of races and creeds was immediately noticeable. Tall bushy-haired Fijians lived happily here, and also prominent was the population of some 80,000 Indians. Hindus, Madrassis, Punjabis, and tall impressive Sikhs rubbed shoulders with the happy-go-lucky islanders. They had brought with them the habits and customs of Mother India and added to the variety of tongues to be heard in the streets of Suva. The European population of Viti Levu was approximately 4,000. In the villages, the natives lived under their own communal system. As far as possible their own social laws had been maintained and this no doubt accounted for the success that had attended British rule since the cession of Fiji to Great Britain by the ruling chiefs on 10 October 1874.
An unusual feature of Fiji was the wet and dry sides obtaining in most islands of the group, Suva being on the wet side of Viti Levu. The mosquitoes, fortunately non-malarial, were bad, and the men found it essential to use the mosquito nets with which they had been issued to ensure a comfortable sleep. In Suva native policemen, dressed in colourful blue tunics and white sulus, contrasted with the modern stone buildings such as those occupied by the Government departments where force headquarters and the signal office were first situated. The section's technical equipment was practically non-existent, and what originally did arrive from New Zealand was in such a dilapidated condition that it helped little. A Post and Telegraph type 50-line switchboard was an instance. Of ancient vintage, but reconditioned, it arrived minus the main distributing frame and cable. There were no spares and only a minimum supply of tools. When put into operation this switchboard—in use 24 hours a day—became a mechanician's nightmare, but it was kept working by using any odds and ends available and much ingenuity on the part of the 'tiffies.'
Line construction was not exactly as laid down in the book and members of the cable section, if it could be called such, dubbed themselves 'The Keystone Cable Company' after the
One of the milestone days was 20 February 1941. With little warning a strong wind commenced to blow in from the sea, reaching hurricane velocity at about 10 a.m. The hurricane continued unabated for two hours, then followed a two-hour lull, when the wind changed direction and blew from the opposite quarter. Debris lay everywhere. All wooden buildings either ceased to exist or leaned as if in a drunken stupor. Washing and personal effects which happened to be loose at the time have not seen seen since. Iron telegraph poles twisted as if some Samson had pulled over the top end to form a giant horseshoe of steel. Ships went aground, aircraft on the Nausori airfield were damaged and the wind indicator at Suva Point, with a maximum reading of 130 miles an hour, was unable to cope with the situation. Linemen had an extremely busy period, being loaned to the power board and Post and Telegraph Department to assist in the restoration of power and communication lines throughout the island. It was a quartermaster's dream; for months anything that could not be located was attributed to 'the blow.'
The section was first located in tents at Nasese Camp, on the outskirts of Suva, later moving to the Boys' Grammar School, on the waterfront. With the gradual building up of the force, headquarters was transferred to Borrons, about a mile and a-half from Suva, where a private residence had been taken over for force headquarters. Accommodation at Borrons was comfortable, personnel being housed in 28-men huts. The first section of a relief arrived in May 1941 aboard the Rangatira, the ship returning with a draft under the command of Second-Lieutenant Stevens for New Zealand, leaving half of the original members on the island. Three officers arrived in the May draft—namely,
The receipt from New Zealand of Post and Telegraph Department 25-watt transmitters and receivers permitted the establishment of a wireless net between, force headquarters, Momi, and Namaka, but signal equipment generally was still meagre. This shortage was further illustrated by the fact that only one signalling lamp was available for communication with the island of Nukulau, some five miles from Suva, inside the reef at the mouth of the Rewa River, where the convalescent camp was situated. Typical of the maintenance section's work was the fitting of an ordinary torch with a key to provide communication with the distant station. Telephones in use by the force were D lll's and Ericcson table and wall models. The maintenance section was now provided with a room in which to work and varied was their range of activities. A 20-line switchboard for use in the Samambula Camp and a power ringer for the main exchange were among the items constructed, while electrical installations at headquarters were also within the mechanicians' sphere. A further accomplishment was the designing and construction by Warrant-Officer 2nd Class (now Lieutenant) C R. Anniss and Signalman (later Staff-Sergeant)
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941 was their first major attempt to secure mastery in the Pacific. On 9 December uneasiness grew as the much closer Ocean and Below: Notice board of the Blanche Harbour ferry service
The 8th Brigade Defence and Employment Platoon photographed on Stirling Island. Second-Lieutenant D. T. Fitness, who was in command of the platoon, is seated in the second row, fourth from the rightPrivate C. J. Penny attending to his 'aldershot' oven, which served the officers-mess. The background is a view of Blanche Harbour.
Below: A view of 8th Brigade Headquarters showing, right, the Quonset hut occupied by Brigadier Goss
Wading ashore on Stirling Island soon after dawn on the morning of the landingMonowai and the Rangatira berthed at Suva and Lautoka (on the western side of the island) respectively on 6 January 1942. They carried personnel of the 8th and 14th Brigades, to whose headquarters were attached J and K signal sections, direct from Trentham via Auckland. J section went to Tamavua and K section to Namaka. Captain (later Major)
With a view to security in the event of an attack, engineers of the 24th Army Troop had, early in 1940, tunnelled underground in the soapstone, where divisional headquarters was now situated. Fourteen months later, January 1942, the signal office, switchboard and wireless sets were transferred below ground to this location, and J section occupied similar underground quarters. K section carried out its functions from a variety of buildings, the first of which was a sand-bagged corrugated-iron shed, next the kitchen of a school house, and finally into a native built bure, but on assuming battle stations the signal office operated from the underground 14th Brigade Headquarters at Black Rock. The communications of K section at Namaka were extensive, and included in the many lines radiating from their 100-line switchboard were links to the three battalions of the 14th Brigade and the coastal batteries. The eventual construction by civilian employees of the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department of a three-channel carrier link between Suva and Namaka superseding the previous inadequate and primitive toll-call line, provided direct communication to division from this exchange.
Although the bulk of the traffic for the battalions was handled by telephone, an alternative routing was over the No. 101 wireless stations manned at each terminal by K section operators. Lamp stations were also sited to each battalion, being used daily
Employment for switchboard operators was never short when, for security reasons, operating of the civilian exchanges at Nandi, Lautoka, Mba and Tavua was taken over by the section. There were three trunk lines between J section's switchboard at Tamavua and the exchange at divisional headquarters, and two lines direct to the Suva civilian exchange from the section's busy signal office. The brigade's exchange actually consisted of two linked components—a 10-line UC and a 30-line post and telegraph type board. The former was necessitated by subscribers using a number of D V telephones which, owing to their construction, would not drop the shutters of the larger board.
With the island of Nukulau becoming a centre for mine-laying operations. J section assumed the control of the lamp station there for nightly communications with the mainland. To avoid messages being intercepted by enemy seacraft lurking in the darkness, the 'Freddie' procedure was adopted and no replies were transmitted from the control station. It was often a dreary shift for operators; there were no set times of transmission and a continuous watch was required throughout the night for the commencement of messages. Some months later the lamp stations were replaced by low-power wireless sets. From the divisional headquarters signal office five direct lines were connected to the Suva civilian exchange. In addition to local J and K signal sections were widely separated in Fiji. Despatch riders took the coast road and met at Korolevu Bay
In order to review communications within Fiji, Major (later Lieutenant-Colonel) D. M. Burns arrived in March from New Zealand. Submitting a report on signal activity throughout the colony, the major outlined a comprehensive plan of layout and equipment required to maintain efficient communications for any emergency. In this month, also, four officers—Second-Lieutenant (later Captain) 77 other ranks to swell the signal establishment. They camped at Samambula prior to their dispersal to the sections. Second-Lieutenant (later Captain)
A buried cable was laid from 8th Brigade Headquarters to divisional headquarters, a distance of one mile. In a trench dug" by the 34th Battalion the cable was buried in parts to a depth of three feet. Included in the undertaking was the task of cementing the cable into a culvert under By-Pass Road. It followed a devious route, in some places going through the grounds of private homes. This project, entailing the services of every available signalman from J section and No. 1 company, took some weeks to complete. The outlook became brighter when news was received of the United States Naval Forces locating and defeating in battle a southward bound Japanese convoy in the Coral Sea near the Solomon Islands. Time proved the destruction of this enemy force to be a turning point in the Japanese advance towards Australia and New Zealand.
A school of instruction conducted by Second-Lieutenant Murphy, second-in-command of K section, and Corporal (later Sergeant)
As reinforcements arrived tools and spare parts came to hand a little more readily, and fully equipped line parties were operating at this stage. The general health of the troops was good, but many personnel found themselves attending the regimental aid post (RAP) for the treatment of skin troubles such as dhobies itch, prickly heat and tinea, which are prevalent in all tropical climates. Rations for all messes consisted to a large extent of locally grown fruits and vegetables. Pineapples, paw paw, taro and rice were on the menu for most meals. K section at Black Rock was actually camped in a pineapple plantation. Even the gourmet, with a decided taste for this succulent fruit, could enjoy his fill here at the expense of little or no effort. Although at first a tasty addition to the daily menu, it soon waned in popularity as a dish in a land of such plenty. Judge the looks of surprise and dismay on the faces of many of K section's personnel when, on opening with child-like glee and expectation their National Patriotic Fund Board parcels from New Zealand, they were confronted with tins of pineapple, probably grown and picked within easy reach of their own back doors. To the kind-hearted and well-intentioned donors they would have been a boon, but to troops living and almost subsisting on a pineapple diet, familiarity had bred contempt and although the activating motive was deeply appreciated the substance of the gift was naturally not so warmly received. Nothing tra-la-las (native dances)—the attendance at which functions was a breach of orders—or organised trips to outlying islands and native villages were always popular. Cricket, rugby, soccer, tennis and golf were played with keenness. Imitation 'troppo' acts such as playing a cricket match with all the necessary batting, bowling and fielding movements, but without using any equipment whatsoever, or the figure of Sergeant Fred Stamp sitting with his feet dangling over the end of his bed, playing a length of cotton through a knot hole in the floor, 'fishing,' were not without their humour. In the evenings the wet canteen at divisional headquarters was the meeting place of many 'Sigs' in the area. Signalman (later Lance-Sergeant) kava, brewed from the pounded root of the yangona shrub, was not favourably accepted as a refreshment by the New Zealanders. Highlight of the swimming activities was that of Signalman (Jimmy the seal)
American forces were now more numerous in the South President Coolidge (since sunk) on 3 July 1942. On arrival in Auckland three days later, members of the section went to Papakura military camp before being dispersed to their homes on leave. The President Coolidge was maintaining a fast shuttle service between the Dominion and Fiji, and on the journey which left Suva on 20 July she carried the remainder of the unit. On arrival in New Zealand they went to Orford's Camp, Manurewa, and then also on leave. Left behind was a party of 13 men under the command of Second-Lieutenant Anniss who, in cooperation with the United States Signal Corps, assisted in the construction of an overland open wire circuit across the mountainous country of the interior of Fiji. Also left were two men who had been sent to the Yasawa Group in a coast-watching capacity; time did not permit of their withdrawal to accompany the main body home. The line party returned to New Zealand three and a-half months later after completing 29 miles of the cross-country project.
ISA LEI
Isa, Isa , you are my only treasure,
Must you leave me, so lonely and forsaken,
As the roses will miss the sun at dawning,
Every moment my heart for you is yearning.
Isa Lei , the purple shadows fall,
Sad the morrow will dawn upon my sorrow,
Oh! forget not, when you're far away,
Pr.ecious moments, beside dear Suva Bay.
Isa, Isa , my heart was filled with pleasure,
From the moment I heard your tender greeting.
'Mid the sunshine, we spent the hours together,
Now so swiftly those happy hours are fleeting.
O'er the ocean your island home is calling',
Happy country where roses bloom-in splendour.
Oh, if I could but journey there beside you,
Then for ever my heart would sing in rapture.
Chapter Two
Growing Pains
Growing Pains
The Fiji personnel had returned from a fortnight's leave, and together with reinforcements from the territorial divisions throughout New Zealand they were drafted to Manurewa, Auckland, in August 1942, where headquarters of the reorganised Third New Zealand Division of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force was situated. Major D. M. Burns was appointed commanding officer of the Third Divisional Signals. Signals headquarters was at first established at Orford's Estate but, on the arrival of larger drafts of reinforcements in September, personnel were moved to Nathan's Camp, a short distance further up the hill. The signal office continued to operate from division at Orford's, and communications were maintained the clock round. The maintenance section and main stores were contained in a vacated billiards saloon in the middle of the township.
On arrival in camp each signalman was interviewed by the commanding officer with a view to determining his qualifications and future role in the unit. With this completed, a start was soon made in allocating everyone to sections. These comprised artillery signal sections under the command of Captain (later Major)
At this period J section was stationed at Opaheke, and E and K sections a few miles closer to division at Papakura. The artillery signal sections remained with unit headquarters. In these initial stages new faces appeared daily and changes in personnel occurred until the unit was 'bedded down.' Nathan's, with its Snake Gully, was a muddy camp, but the meals, which are most important with a signalman, were good. It was here, too, that many had their first experience of vaccination with the none too pleasant effects which follow a week later. From Manurewa Corporal R. R. Purdy and
In preparation for the movement of the division to the 76 miles. Throughout the four-day trek the section maintained radio communication with division from two mobile radio stations. Claudelands show grounds, Hamilton, became the location of the Third Division Headquarters, and in the same grounds camped unit headquarters, headquarters company, No. 1 company and the artillery signal sections, which as yet had not joined their respective artillery formations. J section was camped at Forrest Corner, Cambridge; K section was at the wellknown hot springs resort,
Sleeping quarters at Claudelands were the sheep pens, bull ring and cattle stalls. At first rations seemed barely to exist, disapproval of which was expressed by 250 men when they marched out of camp a few days after arrival. Tn perfect formation of three the parade entered Hamilton by the traffic bridge at the southern end of the town, continuing along the main street. So impressive and orderly was the march that people flocked from the shops and lined the streets, unaware that it was not a scheduled function. Most of the personnel returned to camp that evening, but 28 men who boarded a north-bound express and 18 who went south found themselves in the hands of the provost at Auckland and
A wireless section had not commenced to transmit or receive
The enciphering and deciphering of messages liable to fall into enemy hands during transmission had until this stage been the function of the G staff at divisional headquarters, but with the incorporation of this section within divisional signals,
These days were hectic ones for the quartering staff, for train-loads of equipment were being received from ordnance depots. Typical of the items received were 40 No. 11 sets, each of which had 90 separate accessory parts—all to be checked and accounted for, while a particularly weighty item was seven crates containing mechanical cable layers. Unit motor transport began to arrive, and 13 of the 3-ton trucks received were immediately driven to Auckland and delivered to coach-builders for conversion into mobile orderly rooms, cipher office, workshop and battery charging units. Second-Lieutenant Dyson became second-in-command of A wireless section, and Second-Lieutenant Goff filled a similar role in D section. An attachment to divisional signals at Claudelands was the light aid detachment (LAD) comprising 14 other ranks under Second-Lieutenant (later Lieutenant)
About the middle of October signals became engaged in the division's manoeuvres held over the Kaimai Range between Matamata and Tauranga. With the range representing the famous
In the meantime selected personnel from headquarters and No. 1 companies returned to camp in Hamilton to receive a mosquito net and tropical clothing prior to departure as unit representatives in a divisional advanced party for an unknown destination overseas. This party comprised Lieutenant Garters, Sergeant (later Warrant-Officer 2nd Class) N. Jones, Corporal (later Sergeant) H. B. Breach, Corporal (later Staff-Sergeant) Crescent City.
On 30 October artillery signal sections left Claudelands to entrain for Pahautanui and Judgeford camps near Wellington,
This map shows the dispositions of signal sections when the Third Division moved into the Waikato for manoeuvres and reorganisation
Maui, which called at Auckland en route. Embarkation followed the short train journey from the camps to the wharves in blackedout carriages, and the sections did not participate in the seven days' furlough granted the remainder of the unit at this period. The headquarters and headquarters section of artillery signals remained behind, sailing with artillery regimental headquarters from Wellington on the President Munroe on 3 December.
General Barrowclough left Auckland at 6.15 am by Tasman Airways flying boat on 7 November, accompanied by members of his staff, which included Lieutenant-Colonel Burns. Claudelands was a hive of activity. Movement orders were being promulgated, personnel received their tropical issues, the rear party took over the communications and those who found themselves without a task in those last few days saw most of the streets of Hamilton in the course of route marches; Headed by' the Third New Zealand Division Band, members of No. 1 company, attired in full tropical dress and web, left a favourable impression when they paraded along the main street of the town during the last of these marches. The first men to depart in this movement were the messing sergeant, cook and two other ranks under Captain South, who left Claudelands on 16 November for Wellington where they joined the Brastagi as ship's quartermaster and party. Two days later the unit's motor transport left in convoy for Wellington via Waiouru, and three days later again-—21 November—unit headquarters, headquarters and No. 1 companies and the light aid detachment entrained at Frankton for Wellington also to join the Brastagi. The ship sailed the following afternoon at 3 pm. A surprise and disappointment, similar to that experienced by those who sailed on the Maui, was in store for the ship's complement the next day when the Brastagi anchored in the stream of the Auckland Harbour. No one was allowed ashore and to those who could see their own homes it was a case of 'so near and yet so far.' For a while, however, cross harbour ferries hugged in close to the transport as they passed in their journeys, allowing passengers to throw newspapers on to the decks. In convoy with two other transports carrying elements of the 43rd United States Division, and a destroyer escort, the Brastagi sailed from Auckland on 25 November 1942.
Base signals sailed from Wellington on the President Munroe along with artillery signals headquarters on 3 December, and the rear party with a large party of reinforcements from Claudelands under Lieutenant (later Captain) C. W. Watts, plus E, J and K sections, saiied from Auckland with the main division contingent on 29 December aboard the West Point. Just prior to sailing Captain Murray relinquished his appointment as officer commanding K section through being medically regraded, and the section proceeded overseas under the command of Second-Lieutenant Harris. Second-Lieutenant Stewart relinquished his appointment as second-in-command of J section to undertake cipher duties at base headquarters.
The advanced party was not aware of its destination when the Crescent City drew out into the stream from the wharf at Wellington. Hundreds of girls lined the windows and roof-tops of buildings in the vicinity and waved farewell—but the attraction was other allied servicemen, and not the New Zealanders who formed only a minor section of the troops on board. Accommodation was that of all transports. Bunks were narrow strips of canvas lashed inside tubular frames and tiered five high with little space between; in fact it was impossible to lie on the bunk and hold upright an average sized magazine, and the form of the body of the man above as he sagged in his canvas almost rubbed on the soldier below. In this already cramped space were strewn the soldier's sea kit, web gear, rifle, tin hat, respirator and life jacket. A taste of the reception which would be given to any inquisitive enemy aircraft on the journey was provided a few hours after leaving Wellington when every anti-aircraft gun on the ship (and they were numerous) opened fire, in practice, at a drogue being towed by a plane of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Lectures and medical parades were held on board, and fatigues such as sweeping the decks were done hourly in response to orders blared over the ship's sound system. The order in this instance was: 'Sweepers, man your brooms, a clean sweep fore and aft.' Another announcement was: 'Prepare to darken ship; the smoking lamp is out on all weather decks,' which meant no further smoking because of the black-out. The ship zigzagged as it ploughed its way towards a destination now known to be New Caledonia, an island 1,000 miles north of New Zealand in Brastagi when all troops were roused from their bunks and sent scurrying to the decks. Someone had mistaken the blast of the ship's siren for a danger signal, whereas it was merely indicating a change in course to the remainder of the convoy. A reasonable feeling of safety was encouraged on viewing the accompanying destroyer which sped in ever-enlarging circles around the ship to ensure protection from enemy submarines. Daily the colour of the sea changed to a deep blue. It became warmer, too, and battledress was replaced by drill shirts and shorts. Everyone then came under the category of 'white leghorns' because of the colour of their skins.
The first glimpse of land attracted many to the decks. Visible for many miles out to sea were the barrage balloons guarding the skies above Nouméa and also the high wisp of smoke from the nickel works. Passing in through an opening in the reefs which surround New Caledonia, the ship passed a white lighthouse glistening in the sun as it towered above the small colourful atoll on which it is situated, but more breath-taking still was the view which greeted the troops soon after as the ship nosed its way through the submarine boom to the harbour proper. Lying at anchor under a tropical sun were some 90 ships ranged in size from destroyers to 'battle wagons' and aircraft carriers. Of readable interest to signals was the lamp station on the hill to the rear of the town which continuously blinked out messages to the ships in the harbour who in turn replied.
This journey was typical of that made by other transports and took just on four days, but an exception was provided by the dash of the West Point—pre-war pride of the American
A new church was erected at Falamai on Mono Island, to replace one destroyed during the landing. Above is an exterior view; below, the first service
Private B J. M. Pole and 'Hudie,' the sentry dog loaned by the American kennels in New CaledoniaBrigadier Leslie Potter, DSO, who commanded the 14th Brigade from its formation until it was disbanded at the conclusion of the Solomons campaign. Below He is seen with the officers of his headquarters on Nissan Island before the Third Division returned to New Zealand.
Left to right, front row: Rear row: West Point carried 8,000 New Zealanders, included in which were approximately 250 divisional signals personnel. So great was the taxation on accommodation that two hours daily was the maximum time allowed any one person up on deck, so that everyone might enjoy the privilege. Although meals provided little attraction for many 'not so good' sailors, on most transports only two meals a day were served—namely, breakfast and dinner. The patience required in the mess queue (or chow line, to use our ally's term) was a good test of discipline. The speediest journey of all was that made by the aircraft in which Colonel Burns travelled. This machine alighted in the Nouméa Harbour after a little over six hours' flying time from New Zealand.
The Brastagi, on which unit headquarters, headquarters and No. 1 companies travelled, did not disembark its complement at Nouméa where it first anchored for two days, but left the harbour again to sail up the coast to berth at the recently constructed wharf at Nepoui, the Brastagi being the largest ship to have tied up there. Wharf accommodation at Nouméa was limited to about four ships, with the result that all transports lay in the stream, and troops disembarked into landing craft or barges for the trip to the shore. Prior to going ashore all watches were adjusted to conform with the standard time of New Caledonia, which is one hour behind that of New Zealand.
Chapter Three
Anchor Block and Allied Base
Anchor Block and Allied Base
Lying approximately 1,000 miles north o£ New Zealand and 800 miles east of Australia is the island of New Caledonia, a French possession, discovered in 1774 by the famous explorer Captain Cook. Little was it imagined, even on the outbreak of present hostilities, that in the year 1942 this island, measuring 249 miles long and 30 miles wide, with a population of 60,000— of whom only 17,000 were white—would become the anchor block and base for a great allied push in the extermination of the Japanese from the South-west Pacific. One thousand miles to the north-west of New Caledonia is Guadalcanal where, at that date, the naval, land and air forces of the United States and Japan were locked together in fierce combat for possession of an island occupied by the Japanese in their unopposed move southward through the Solomon Islands. Fighting was tough as American forces made a bold bid and captured the Henderson airfield from which they could operate their land-based planes and fly in much-needed munitions. This was the turning point of the battle, but it required increasing numbers of men to deliver the ultimate blow which pushed the last Jap into the sea. To achieve this end a call had to be made on the dwindling pool of divisions remaining in New Caledonia.
Reformed in New Zealand after service in Fiji was the Third Division of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, all trained men, under the command of Major-General Barrowdough. So that the last United States division in New Caledonia could be released to go north, the Third Division commenced in
The advanced party landed on the wharf in Nouméa at two o'clock on the afternoon of 2 November. The dry heat was immediately noticeable, and rifles which had become wet from the salt spray coming ashore from the transport showed patches of rust very quickly. The natural thing to expect on arrival, as in Fiji, was natives, so no one was disappointed when he saw the wharf lined with big, muscular, curlytopped Kanakas, allegedly at work. The whole place was alive with activity and every type of crane or gadget which saved the man-handling of the thousands of tons of war equipment being landed seemed to be in use. Few ships could be berthed at the actual wharves, so the loading and unloading of ships in the harbour was carried out by means of self-propelled barges which drew alongside the ships and then ferried back to the shore with their cargo. It was an extremely tedious process. Aircraft droned overhead as they provided air cover for the warships at anchor. From the wharf large laden trucks in convoys, under the direction of military police,
The signals party stayed at Camp Stevens for only two days before it moved further up the island, but its personnel did have the opportunity to 'do the town' and visit the American base message centre—or signal office, as New Zealanders knew it— with its battery of wireless sets, teleprinters and switchboards. The latter carried 1,000 telephone connections and accounted for the many cables straddled along the roadways. Two thousand miles of army cable were in use on the island, while the stocks in store of spare valves alone numbered 75,000. Eyes popped with envy. Apart from 'Hiya Noo Zealand' from American servicemen there was no tumultuous reception for this party, but an incident involving the Sigs was warming in its effect. The party was walking along one of the streets viewing the shops of Nouméa when a Frenchman who had spotted the traditional New Zealand peaked hats through the window from the interior of his emporium came running out on to the pavement to greet them. 'Are you the New Zealanders who fought on the Somme in the last war?' he asked in understandable English. 'They were our fathers/ replied the new arrivals, whereupon he excitedly shook hands and told them he was there too. He then elatedly ran back to the shop to tell the many customers that 'the New Zealanders are here/
Proceeding by truck 130 miles up the island on Route Coloniale, the advanced party passed through the township of Bourail, branched off on a cross-Island road which leads to Houailou, and settled near Néméara in a camp which had just been vacated by the Third Battalion of the 132nd United States Infantry Regiment. A few days later Sergeant Jones and Corporal Breach journeyed back to Nouméa to the United States Army base message centre to observe American signal procedure. On the return of Corporal Breach (Sergeant Jones remained in 7 November, was also present, and the following day, in company with other divisional officers, carried out a preliminary reconnaissance of the proposed site for divisional headquarters at Moindah, some 30 miles further up the island. On the departure of the Americans communications were maintained day and night with the skeleton staff, but traffic was fortunately very light. Lieutenant Garters operated the teletype machine; his batman, Signalman Ralfe, took over the switchboard; Corporal Breach, the signal office; and Corporal Nicol, besides relieving in the signal office, prided himself on the feat of substituting for a missing cook and preparing meals, one of which was a formal dinner for the divisional staff. The menu for dinner on 25 November, American Thanks-giving Day, was unusual in that fresh turkey with cranberry sauce was served to the New Zealanders as well as to all the United States forces on the island that day.
First problem, however, was a fault which developed in the teletype cable to La Foa, caused by an exceptionally heavy electrical storm one evening. So vivid was the lightning that a photograph taken—using the lightning flash as the sole lighting for the exposure—was as clear as if taken by daylight. In order to locate the fault it was found necessary to hire two horses from the mission situated nearby and start on a cross-country trek-over unknown ground. The party was certainly versatile.
Meanwhile the Maui had arrived in Nouméa Harbour from New Zealand with the artillery signal sections. Anchoring on 11 November (Armistice Day), the sections observed the two
X section moved about 160 miles up the island from Dumbea to Plaine des Gaiacs to commence operational duties on the air-field. P section moved up the island 60 miles to Oua Tom where personnel performed a similar function to X section, also on an airstrip. Regimental headquarters of the 33rd Heavy Regiment, to which N section was attached, then moved, together with a battery, to Ile Nou, an island in the Nouméa Harbour; while another battery of the same regiment occupied Point Tierre on the opposite side of the harbour. This gave a complete heavy artillery coverage of the inner entrance to the Nouméa Harbour which was a valuable target for the enemy. To the regimental headquarters and to both the batteries were attached signal personnel from N section. Soon afterwards base headquarters moved up the island to Bourail, and the transit camp at Vallee du Tir was closed down to be re-opened at Vallee des Colons, from where a Sub-Base Headquarters, NZEF JP, commenced to function. The remainder of N section moved too, and in supplying
On the evening of 1 December 1942 unit headquarters, headquarters company, and No. 1 company reached Nepoui after having waited in the inlet most of the day for another ship to sail from the wharf. The general and Colonel Burns were at Nepoui to welcome the troops. On berthing, a ship's unloading party was detailed, and the remainder of the unit came ashore to be whisked by trucks to a tented staging camp which had been erected by the advanced party on the hillside of Nepoui Valley about three miles from the wharf. The camp site had not been cleared of the guava which covered the area, with a consequent result that it was a real scramble to get into the tents, especially in the dark. Candles were issued, however, and the men soon had their gear unpacked, mosquito nets erected, and had turned in for the night, A member of the advanced party who was present had a busy time answering a barrage of questions which covered every topic from the weather to the women on the island. On the following day the ship's unloading party manned the winches and commenced a clock-round unloading of the many tons of unit equipment, ammunition, and motor transport which the ship's hatches had concealed. The dry heat was immediately felt by most, and it was not long before self-appointed barbers were doing a brisk business clipping scalps bald. The changed appearance of each new 'victim' raised many a laugh among his mates. Each day working parties from No. 1 company left the transit camp by truck for the 20-mile journey southward to Moindah, where unit headquarters, headquarters and No. 1 companies were to become established. Major Wilson supervised the layout and construction, and out of the large area of ground allocated to the unit he wisely selected an elevated site for the
With the gradual unloading of the Brastagi's cargo the transit camp became a centre of activity, and unit representatives endeavoured to sort out and claim their own gear from the giant dump which accumulated. A convoy of signals vehicles moved the unit to the new area on 6 December, where each soldier was allocated his future home under canvas. Roads in the camp were designated merely by running a truck through the guava scrub in the required direction, and pushing over with the front bumper any niaouli trees which happened to be in the way. The 67th LAD, attached to divisional signals, also camped in the area and soon established motor transport workshops.
The camp was in close proximity to the Moindah River—a cool, clear stream, ideal for swimming and washing. It was reached by following, for about 300 yards, what became a well-worn track over the grass covered terraces below the tented area. Here the erection of a dam of boulders across the river created a swimming pool 50 feet wide, 250 yards long, and varying from three to six feet in depth, which was second to none on the island. Lined by colourful trees, with the blue cloudless skies reflected in its clear waters, the pool precincts contrasted with the surroundings to such an extent that, apart from being a place to wash sticky bodies, it was a refreshing spot in which to relax both body and mind. The tents were new and camouflaged green. They consisted of an inner and an outer fly, the latter breaking the rays of the tropical sun and making the air reasonably cool inside. Made in India, they were known as IPs (Indian pattern), while a larger size, which was more house-like in appearance and generally used for office accommodation or stores, was known as IPP. Translated, this meant 'Indian pattern, private.' With the IPs the general practice was to raise the height of the centre poles and extend the outer edges of the tent to allow more freedom of movement within. Six men could live comfortably in one, but the number varied according to the rank of the occupants. On the roofs inside the tents were cord loops and tapes from which were slung the mosquito nets. The nets remained tied to these loops and tapes, and the sides were merely lowered and tucked
Uniforms were reduced to a minimum in the jungle. These are the officers of 14th Brigade Advanced Headquarters during the action on
Left to right:
K section signals on Working kit for some of the staff of 14th Brigade Advanced Headquarters at Matsuroto during action on
The orderly room staff at South Point when the 14th Brigade went to Nissan Island. In the front row are Sergeant G. P. Walker, Corpora! G, D. Thorburn, Private T. H. Shaw, The 14th Brigade Defence and Employment Platoon at South Point, Nissan Island, before the homeward trek began
The Carrier Platoon on Nissan Island. Captain Slronach, Officer commanding, is on the extreme right of front row
A group from 14th Brigade Headquarters photographed at
Officers of 14th Brigade Headquarters at Pokonian Plantation. Left to right: Lieutenant R. A. Stokes,
The transport section of 14th Brigade Headquarters at Joroveto. Captain K. D. Page was the officer in command
Simultaneously with settling; in was the job of establishing communications.In this respect A wireless, B cable and D signal office sections were kept busy. The wiring of the divisional area for telephone communications was commenced, and lines of W 110 cable were laid to Nepoui and Bourail (20 and 25 miles respectively on either side of Moindah). A wireless link, using No. 9 sets, was instituted between Moindah and the Nepoui staging camp, while other members of the wireless section were engaged in establishing a wireless station at Koumac (about 120 miles north of Moindah) to provide communication for formations in the northern sector of the island until the arrival of K section, and in erecting a high-power transmitter to form a rear link with New Zealand from base in the township of Bourail. As it was now some time since members of the unit had had access to a canteen, cigarettes and toilet requisites were becoming increasingly scarce. Much appreciated, therefore, was the action of the colonel who, on his return from a conference in Nouméa, filled the available space in his car with comforts which he purchased on the camp's behalf from American sources. This enabled the immediate establishment of a unit canteen,.
Headquarters and headquarters section of artillery signals, together with base signals, arrived in Nouméa on 8 December from New Zealand on the President Munroe and immediately moved to the Dumbéa transit camp where they spent a week before journeying further up the island. Captain Heatherwick established his headquarters alongside those of divisional signals at Moindah. Base signals travelled about 25 miles less distance to establish themselves at the township of Bourail. Acting as an advanced party to base units the section opened the Bourail Camp, and commenced to operate a signal office from a tent erected in a paddock at the northern end of the town. This was only a temporary measure, however, and a house was soon acquired for the purpose but, on its occupation by Headquarters, NZEF IP, the office again moved, this time to a prefabricated hut which had been erected towards the rear of the house. A switchboard was installed and the normal office and despatch rider services commenced operation immediately.
Bourail is the second town of New Caledonia, and is situated
Although the establishment of communications had naturally taken priority over the work of improving sections' camp areas, the approach of Christmas was not allowed to pass without some thought for activities on Christmas Day. On 25 December operational duties were reduced to a minimum, and church services were conducted by padres in the morning. In the afternoon at the Moindah camp a swimming carnival was held in the river, the pool being laid out in lanes with rope lines buoyed by small lengths of cane over a distance of 50 yards. Among the many spectators was the general who honoured the unit with his presence. Excitement ran high as members of the unit battled it out in racing, diving, relay and novelty events. A wireless section won the most points for the afternoon. Highlight of the day was Christmas dinner, which commenced at 5 pm. As yet the unit had no mess room, but tables and forms were arranged on a cleared piece of ground. From wires strung between poles around the area were hung truck loads of branches of brilliant flamboyant blooms. The appearance of the tables as the gathering sat down to dinner was a memorable one. The usual rations had been supplemented by local purchases out of regimental funds, and the allowance made by the army itself of one shilling menu too. Again the general paid a visit, walking around between the tables and chatting to the men. One of the noticeable features of the tropics is the short twilight, so it was not long after mess when, under a starlit sky, festivities were continued in the form of an impromptu concert and community sing. Similarly the three artillery signals sections and base signals had participated in festivities with the units to which they were attached.
Back in New Zealand were the rear party and reinforcements at Claudelands, J section at Cambridge, K section at West Point with the main body of the division for New Caledonia. On arrival at Nouméa the Claudelands rear party plus the 86 reinforcements disembarked, but E, J and K sections remained aboard in the harbour till the early hours of the morning of 3 January when they transferred to the Dutch freighter Welterhreden, which drew alongside. The freighter sailed from Nouméa at 6 am, carrying 1,800 troops (with neither rafts nor life jackets as safety measures) and berthed at Nepoui at 4.30 pm that afternoon. Travelling up the coast in the hot sun on a cramped deck was not an enviable experience. On berthing E and K sections went by truck to the Nepoui staging camp, and J section was whisked direct to its future home with 8th Brigade Headquarters at the head of the Népoui Valley. The following day K section left by truck for Taom, a distance of about 40 miles north of Nepoui, where it became established with 14th Brigade Headquarters. E section remained in the staging camp for a few days before also moving up the Nepoui Valley to the headquarters of the 17th Field Regiment. The whole of the unit of the Third Divisional Signals
The entire division was linked when wireless communications were established between brigades and divisional headquarters at Moindah. J section's immediate task was the erection of a pole line to the brigade units and to E section, while E section was kept busy establishing and maintaining communications with the batteries of the regiment. Every section on the island had a signal office, and an ever-increasing number of despatches and messages was handled daily. With the gradual laying of lines by the respective line parties fullerphones (which in transmission maintained the security of messages without the necessity of enciphering) came into use between the brigade sections and base in links to No. 1 company at division. Exchanges (10-line universal call), through which telephone calls in the respective areas passed, were standard section equipment and, like every signal office and wireless set, they were in operation 24 hours a day. Despatch riders, or 'couriers' as they became more familiarly known, using jeeps for conveyance, left daily from division on scheduled services. Base signals, brigade, field regiment and artillery sections' couriers covered their local areas. Connections were also made with the courier from the United States 43rd Division. Each section periodically issued a duplicated telephone directory of the subscribers in its own area, and for security reasons each unit, telephone, and wireless station had its code name which was changed from time to time. Revised signal diagrams were also prepared as routes of communication varied. Barely had E, J and K sections settled in their respective camps than heavy rains flooded them out. Their camps were quagmires, and in each instance they had to shift their complete organisation to higher sites on ground in the same area. At Moindah, too, the full effect of the prolonged downpour had been experienced, but apart from muddy roads and tracks the camp did not become waterlogged. To No. 1 company became attached a small section of American pigeoneers. Arriving complete with living accommodation, mobile loft, birds and vehicles, these men soon became firm friends with members of the unit. Their birds, gifts from patriotic fanciers in New York and Chicago, were not used extensively to carry messages operationally, but were
In January 1943, with the formation of a third brigade known as the 15th Infantry Brigade, L signal section came into being under the command of Captain Garters. This section was composed of a sprinkling of signalmen and non-commissioned officers from the already established sections, but mainly with reinforcements from the newly arrived contingent. Brigade headquarters was established at Néméara, with the signal office operating from the same building as that which the advanced party had occupied on its arrival in the area two months previously. An exchange was installed, and wireless and fullerphone communications were established with division and base.
The death from sickness of
On 1 February base signals ceased to function as a section of the parent unit and became a self-accounting unit. This did not in any way affect the communications, which continued as before. The same month Captain Heatherwick relinquished the appointment of officer commanding artillery signals to become administrative officer, Third Divisional Signals, and officer commanding headquarters company, with promotion to the rank of major. Captain Clarke assumed command of artillery signals, and Lieutenant Watts filled the appointment of adjutant, previously held by Captain Clarke, and Lieutenant Eady relinquished command of artillery signals headquarters Section to take command of N section attached to the 33rd Heavy Regiment at lie Nou, on Lieutenant Hanson's admission to hospital.
With liberal labour available from reinforcements, the camp was beginning to assume a neat and well laid out appearance. To anyone wishing to locate it from Route Coloniale, they turned into a camp road identified by a signboard bearing the numbers 24, 25 and 3 painted on a background of the signals colours of blue and white. These numbers represented unit headquarters, No. 1 company, and headquarters artillery signals, and were to be found not only at the camp entrance, but also on all vehicles
Continuing a little further, the bootmaker's shop and quartermaster stores were reached. The latter consisted of three IP tents joined together in succession and raised considerably from the ground, allowing ample storage and walking space within. Next the store was a large marquee containing the offices of Major Heatherwick, the quartermaster, regimental quartermaster-sergeant, and headquarters company orderly room. The marquee had no covering fly, and the heat inside gave the occupants a fair imitation of a turkish bath. Running at right angles to the camp entrance road was another road, or what may be termed the 'main street' of the camp. Bordering this roadway, in the centre of the camp, was the unit headquarters mobile orderly room and a tented office occupied by the officer commanding, Third Divisional Signals. From a niaouli flagpole in front of the orderly room flew the flag of the New Zealand Corps of Signals. Southwards along 'main street' was No. 1 company quartermaster's store, the officers', warrant-officers' and sergeants-messes and cook-house, and the living quarters of the officers, warrant-officers and sergeants. On the southerly boundary of the unit's area was the 5th Provost Company, but to reach the signal office, cipher office and exchange it was necessary to continue further along this road past the various other units to divisional headquarters where D section carried out its operational duties. Northwards from the centre of the camp Niaouli News, to quip that the mess was 'all lit up.'
Everyone began to settle down in what was to be their home for quite a few months. No effort was spared to make tent life as comfortable as possible and, providing tidiness was maintained, considerable latitude was generally allowed. The cots were comfortable to sleep on and they possessed the added advantage of being collapsible. This enabled a signalman to carry easily his bed with him when the occasion arose for shifting quarters—-and in the army this is frequent. The canvases on the cots were, however, subject to deterioration, and many a man had the dubious pleasure of sleeping on a split canvas until it could be replaced. Candles were generally used for lighting in the tents, although the ingenuity of the average signalman played a part in the devising of lighting either from acquired six-volt car batteries or a wick and kerosene. The cord inside the tents (intended for the suspension of mosquito nets) made an ideal wick. Owing to the low power of lighting within the camp, blackout restrictions were not enforced except during an emergency.
A popular man on ration day was the ration storeman on whom the demand for empty boxes was always great. Arranged alongside men's beds, sometimes fitted with hinged doors or shelves, they were ideal for the storing of clothes and personal effects. Working parties brought back to the camps many truck loads of bamboo, which was found growing up to 50 feet in height along the river banks, Cut and split into short lengths, it was at first thought ideal when bound together for use as sides for the tents, but its eventual riddling by the borer created such a thick dust over articles in the tent that its further use in this manner was discontinued. Eagerly sought after were the
Daily routine consisted of sick parade at 6 am, breakfast at 7 am, lunch at noon, and dinner at 5 pm—all with the inevitable queue up. Because of the number of men always on duty it was also necessary to serve a late or early mess wherever signals were stationed. In the Moindah camp reveille and tattoo were sounded daily but they did not affect those on shift duty manning signal offices and exchanges, cipher personnel or wireless operators. A parade for the inspection of rifles and dress was held daily (except Sundays) at 8 am for all off-duty personnel of No. 1 company, on a small parade ground which extended between unit headquarters and the sergeants' lines. Similarly, unit headquarters and headquarters company held a parade one morning a week on their parade ground alongside the bootmaker's shop. Dress for duty at divisional headquarters consisted of felt hat, open-necked shirt, shorts, half hose, puttees and black boots for other ranks, but camp construction parties were naturally allowed to digress from this order.
Most days were scorching hot, with the consequent result that shirts had a short life owing to the continual sweating of the wearer. In the other sections more latitude was generally allowed in personal dress, and anklets were invariably worn in place of puttees. 'Longs' were worn to evening mess, and they also provided protection against mosquitoes which came to life at dusk. At periods when dengue fever became prevalent long trousers were also worn during the daytime as added protection against the mosquito. In the divisional area, where the operational function of the unit was carried out some distance from the actual living quarters, rifles, steel helmets, and respirators were carried to duty.
Important as they were, fatigues were a bogey to most signalmen, but they had to be done. Daily, at Moindah, Regimental Sergeant-Maj or Holden displayed on the notice board a list of those detailed for duty the following day as mess orderlies, for assisting in the cook-house, or for burning empty tins. Many were employed on camp construction work which consisted
Lieutenant-Colonel D. M. Burns, who commanded the Third Division Signals from the time the division was reformed on its return from Fiji until the end of operations in the Solomons. On his return to New Zealand Colonel Burns was awarded the American Legion of Merit. Before being appointed tu the Third Division he saw service with the Second Division in Middle East
Above; Native built bures at Black Rock, Naraaka, which accommodated K section signals during their operation role as part of 14th Brigade Headquarters in Fiji. On the left is a picturesque glimpse of the Government buildings in Suva, the basement of which housed the first B Force signals. Below is the 8th Brigade Group signal section on 26 October 1941, a year after the New Zealanders went to Fiji. Several of these men later went through the Solomons campaign
In the evenings those who were free wrote letters, lay on their beds, read, or played cards. The popular rendezvous for many more were the road-houses, YMCA huts, or recreation huts in the various camp areas. There one could play cards, read, listen to the radio, just talk or, what was more important to a New Zealander, get a cup of tea. Some evenings there were movies or a concert to attend. Educational lectures for off-duty personnel were held one night a week in the men's mess, at Moindah, over a number of weeks. In the first lecture the colonel outlined the purpose of the talks and continued to speak on 'The Formation of the Division,' a topic of importance to all signalmen. In the series which followed. Captain Hanna discussed many simple 'First Aid' expedients that could be employed in attending a casualty until he was under the care of a medical officer or orderly. Malaria was another topic. Everyone knew that sooner or later he would find himself moving northwards to the malarial zone, and just how much it would be likely to affect normal health if contracted was naturally of paramount importance. One lecture given by Major N. V. North, of the malarial control unit, using films to illustrate the activities of the malaria-carrying anopheles mosquito and the steps employed to reduce to a
To men, rough and tough, camped out in 'the blue' for many long months without the influencing effect of women or the general round of social activities found in normal life, it might be generally conceded that the groomed appearance of an individual would lapse considerably. This, however, was not the case, and the opportunity to 'dress up' in a neatly pressed drill shirt and trousers after duty was the inherent pride of most men. Well used were the petrol irons, and in some instances electric models wired to operate from camp 110-volt electrical systems were available for use in the recreational huts. A simpler expedient to achieve neatness was to fold the clothing as desired, place under a blanket on the cot and sleep on it. This was the more common practice. On Sundays, communications continued as on the other six days of the week, although generally it was regarded as a day off. Church services were conducted every Sunday morning in the recreation huts, and compulsory church parades were held periodically—usually in the open air, but at most times attendance was voluntary. Subject to the applicant's being free from signal duties, leave was always granted to attend services elsewhere should one so desire, and in the instance of
From time to time, too, wireless crews were despatched to different parts of the island, complete with wireless stations, tentage and rations for a few days. Communications were maintained throughout, and valuable experience was gained on these trips, but their best feature was the opportunity of affording personnel a break in the months of monotony. A description of camp routine at Moindah would be incomplete without mention of
To the average person visiting a signals camp there seemed little to justify such a large body of men, but tucked away just off the beaten track were signal and cipher offices, exchanges and wireless stations, together with the necessary linesmen and despatch riders—all in perfect coordination throughout the force —receiving and forwarding hundreds of messages and despatches daily. The unit was not training, it was doing its job. The hour of the day or night, or seeming unimportance of a message was of no consequence. The full facilities were involved to ensure its speediest delivery.
Regimental signallers maintained communications within their own battalions, but attached to each battalion were divisional signals radio operators, conveying traffic by wireless to the respective brigade headquarters. At and to the rear of brigade headquarters the signal personnel were entirely made up of men from divisional signals. From the brigades signal traffic converged to division, and from there to base which was in constant wireless communication with Army Headquarters, Wellington. Coordinated within this setup were the divisional signals sections attached to the headquarters of the anti-aircraft, heavy artillery, and field regiments, with divisional artillery headquarters as the terminal for their transmissions. To enable the early establishment of the rear link to New Zealand, members of A wireless section of No. 1 company left Moindah shortly after their arrival, to install at base high-power wireless equipment in prefabricated huts and to erect aerials at a selected site on the hill just to the rear of the township of Bourail. This became known as Gracefield, the 250-watt transmitter of which went on the air with excellent results on 13 December. Within a few days a steady flow of messages was being sent and received. Messages on this link, however, did not remain confined to operational and administrative traffic, as war correspondents' despatches for distribution to the New Zealand newspapers were also handled. When the French vacated Ballandes provision store in
Within a short period sub-exchanges of 10-line switchboards were in operation at base ordnance depot in Bourail, base reception depot at Tene Valley, and at the 4th General Hospital at Boguen Valley. The main exchange carried 30 lines, which included a trunk to the French civilian exchange for the dissemination of hurricane and air raid warnings. Long hours were being worked by members of the section, and shifts up to 17 hours were not uncommon. Numerous fullerphone circuits were operated covering division, 4th General Hospital, 15th Brigade, and 8th Brigade some 50 miles away at Bouloupari. The fuller-phone and exchange at the hospital were operated by members of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps. Base also had a busy cipher section where all messages for transmission over the rear link to New Zealand were enciphered. In command of this secretive department was
The communications for subbase of HQ, NZEF IP, at the transit camp in Vallee des Colons, Nouméa, was originally provided by N section, which was attached to the 33rd Heavy Regiment in that area, but on base signals becoming a self-contained unit with a proportionately increased establishment, it became possible to provide a subbase detachment of eventually 21 men to relieve N section. It also allowed the taking over from A wireless section of the operation of the rear link transmitter. Actually the same operators became absorbed into base signals. Subsequently officered by
At divisional headquarters No. 1 company commenced to operate within a few hours of entering Moindah camp. D section operated its mobile signal office, with exchange and
Natives were employed to build three separate bures to house the signal office, cipher section, and the exchange, into which the respective elements moved as soon as they were completed. The mobile units were then dispensed with. Cipher was playing an important part in the security of wireless transmissions, and all sections had within their ranks trained cipher personnel. All wireless messages liable to fall into enemy hands were enciphered. Runners on duty at the signal office had a particularly wide area to cover in the delivery of messages, although latterly the acquisition of a bicycle saved many miles of tramping in the daylight hours. It was a good mile from the divisional engineers at one end of the area to divisional ordnance workshops at the other end. A camp road extended between the two units, but its condition varied according to the interest of the units bordering it, and the weather. The use of a bicycle after dark was therefore out of the question. Signal time was Niaouli News in one issue ventured the remark that it was more likely to be the other way round and that it 'rotated' the division.
Hidden away in the niaouli trees in the vicinity of the signal office were three tents containing wireless stations operated by members of the A wireless section of No. 1 company. Using No. 9 sets, links were maintained with the 8th, 14th and 15th Brigades. The link to 14th Brigade at Taom was continuous, with excellent reception, but transmission to 8th and 15th Brigades was commenced only in the event of the fuller/phones going out of operation. Communications with American headquarters and subbase—both in Nouméa—were maintained, the American link being operated from a mobile station by American personnel who became attached to No. 1 company. Signals over this long span were mainly good, although sometimes heavy interference had to be contended with during the night hours. Night operators had other problems, too, besides the recording of dots and dashes which crackled through the ether. It was often bitingly cold, especially around three or four in the morning, while mosquitoes simply lost all sense of proportion in their desire to suck a man dry of blood. M section maintained a steady flow of charged batteries, each No. 9 set requiring four 125 AH batteries a day to keep it on the air, A maintenance man in a jeep visited each station every morning and evening to disconnect and collect the two expended batteries, and to replace them with freshly charged ones.
B cable section of No. 1 company had a full time job ahead of them. Daily two cable wagons left the camp loaded with personnel, reels of cable, ladders, mechanical cable layers and pole climbers. There was very little of the road—or the people on it—which they did not know. French civilian lines ran the length of the island and in many instances advantage was taken of the existing poles to affix the division's lines. The cable laid was mostly American twist (W 110). The procedure was for the section to draw rations each day for the midday meal, of which they partook on the road, returning to the camp each evening. A faultman remained in camp, and in the event of a ouis.
Following the original laying of lines by B cable section to Plaine des Gaiacs and Nepoui, the maintenance of these cables northwards of Moindah became the responsibility of artillery signals. B cable section then continued to operate south of the camp where they erected lines from Moindah to base signals at Bourail, and to the 5th Brigade at Néméara; from base signals to base reception depot in the Tene Valley and to the 4th General Hospital in the Boguen Valley. They also overhauled an existing line from base to 15th Brigade. From this alone can be judged what kept the section on a seven days a week schedule which lasted for two months after arrival. The section then rendered assistance (with artillery signals) to the United States Signal Corps in the construction and maintenance of a new poled line to facilitate communication between the Tontouta and Plaine 'des Gaiacs airfields, which were 118 miles apart. The next task to confront the section was the overhauling of some 40 miles of cross-country line providing a circuit from base signals to J section at Bouloupari. For sheer hard work under trying conditions the men, who worked in relays of eight, excelled themselves.
The route was cross-country to the hospital, whence it followed the Boguen Valley for a distance of nine miles before climbing over mountainous and heavily bushed country, eventually reaching the steep Firano Road and terminating at Saramea. The line had originally been laid by the United States Signal Corps some months previously, but it had deteriorated to such an extent that it became unworkable. Linemen traversed the entire distance on foot as they examined and overhauled the line. Mention of 16 barred pieces requiring reinsulating, in the 12 miles before the hospital was reached, and a further 22 in the first three miles beyond, gives some indication of the work entailed. The detachment had with it a jeep for which it was necessary to hack a track as the party progressed. On this the men carried their gear, and in addition two TP tents in which they camped en route. Expert driving was called for in handling the jeep, for in many parts it was a sheer drop into the river below from the rough rocky trail they blazed over the mountains. Food was often short, while storms (which further damaged the line), excessive heat and mosquitoes added to the privations suffered. Forty-six miles in three days and 58 miles in four days were two walks recorded through the bush when detachments arrived to bring relief.
Within the divisional camp area itself, line construction to the exchange and maintenance was carried out by linemen of D section, pride of their trade being the neat appearance of the multitude of lines which entered the exchange. J section's stay in the Nepoui Valley was of only six weeks duration. Communications and their camp life were just becoming routine when, on the movement from the island of the United States 43rd Division, the 8th New Zealand Brigade (to whom J section was attached) moved southwards to Bouloupari to fill the gap left in the island's defences. From the new location the wireless channel to divisional headquarters was continued, using a No. 9 set. At first this provided a 24-hour continuous service but, on the establishment of a fullerphone line from Bouloupari to base, wireless communication was limited to hourly 'skeds,' No. 11 sets were used to link the 29th, 34th and 36th Infantry Battalions with brigade headquarters, and the section's operators were engaged on all these links. A twice daily despatch rider service covered a route of approximately 30 miles. Manoeuvres with the brigade were frequent and the Mount St. Vincent and Oua Tom areas became very familiar to members of the section, a highlight of one show being the feat of establishing a No. 11 radio station, complete with heavy 85 AH batteries plus spares, on the summit of Mount St. Vincent. The signal office and exchange were located in a native-built bitre vacated by the United States Signal Corps of the 43rd Division.
K section, attached to the 14th Brigade at Taom formed the northern link of the division's communication system, and was in continuous communication with divisional headquarters, using a No. 9 set. In turn brigade was in communication with its own operators who keyed out messages on No. 11 sets from the 30th Battalon stationed 48 miles further north at Koumac. The 37th Battalion, which was camped adjacent to brigade headquarters,
An interesting feature of the brigade's manoeuvres held at the end of April was the movement of K section's complete signal office, exchange, wireless stations, and battery-charging equipment. Leaving Taom, the section journeyed south to Nepoui in trucks, and from there the brigade advanced northwards with the township of Pouembout as the military objective. Accompanying the advanced brigade headquarters, the signal office was completely established en route. The line party had a particularly hectic time. It rained heavily, lines were damaged by bren carriers, and others were 'cut.' The whole advanced operation took place during the night, and included the crossing of the Pouembout River on a bridge constructed by the engineers. Despatch riders had little rest, and the wireless operators had their share in the manoeuvre, the success of which was afterwards expressed by Brigadier L. Potter, DSO, officer commanding 14th Brigade, in congratulating the section on the high standard of communications provided. An unusual service was established when radio operators with four No. 11 sets maintained communication to brigade from mobile wireless stations in jeeps, as they accompanied the infantry on a route march from Taom to Nepoui.
Personnel for the formation of I section (which became attached to the headquarters of the new 15th Brigade) were drawn from a wide variety of sources, but it was not long after the section's commencement of operations at Néméara in January 1943 that it was moulded into a smooth-working and efficient section. Although not exactly flush in appointments, an old two-room concrete and mud shack, previously occupied by an interned
From artillery headquarters in the divisional headquarters area at Moindah artillery signals operated a wireless link to the various regiments under that command throughout the island. No. 11 sets were used but these were not successful for communications under local conditions during the hours of darkness, with the consequent result that transmission ceased daily between 7 pm and daybreak. On the wireless net were N section at Nouméa attached to the 33rd Heavy Regiment; P section at Oua Tom attached to the 28th Heavy Anti-aircraft Regiment; X section at Plaine des Gaiacs airfield attached to the 29th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment; and E section at Nepoui attached to the 17th Field Regiment. Owing to distance, Nouméa was not worked direct, however, and P section had to retransmit its traffic. A 10-line switchboard with a trunk line to D section's main exchange was also operated in the divisional area. Using No. 11 sets, N section wireless crews operated with the 33rd Heavy Regiment a net of three stations at Nouméa, He Nou and Point Tierre. Additional was a warning group wireless net with the United States combined operations headquarters, with Nouméa as the focal point. The 28th Heavy Anti-aircraft Regiment participated in this also, and both N and B sections supplied operators to man transmitters at combined operations headquarters.
N section operated two 10-line UC exchanges from the signal tower on the hill overlooking the harbour, and through these the commander of the harbour defences could issue orders guillotine, and the old fort with the guns still intact, were items of historical and general interest on the island itself.
In June the 33rd Heavy Regiment was relieved of its task by a United States Regiment, and N section moved to Tontouta to replace P section. P section was attached to the 28th Heavy Anti-aircraft Regiment at Oua Tom providing communications for the regiment and the guns around the airstrip. Ten-line exchanges were operated continuously by the section at regimental headquarters, 303rd battery and 208th battery. On the movement from the area of the United States 43rd Division the section also took over and operated two 12-line switchboards at La Foa and Saint Vincent. As in other sections, the cable party was particularly active. Besides the laying of normal communication lines, assistance was given to the Americans in the erection of a bare copper line from Nouméa to Plaine des Gaiacs, by the building of the Tontouta-La Foa section. A No. 177 wireless set was operated on the anti-aircraft warning net with combined operations in Nouméa, a novel feature being the use of a wire fence as an aerial. Other operators were engaged on the Plaine des Gaiacs—-Divisional Artillery Headquarters—Nouméa link, where a No. 9 set was first used but later a No. 11 station provided more satisfactory service on the allotted frequencies. On 20 May some members of the section moved to the Tontouta airstrip to establish communications for the regiment, similar to those at Oua Tom. They were followed within the next day or so by the remainder of the section. Dnrin.g the section's two and
With the arrival from New Zealand of the 38th Field Regiment as an element of the 8th Brigade, P section, still under the command of Lieutenant Garner, moved from Tontouta to Ouenghi, where they assumed the title of G signal section and became attached to the new regiment. This was on 27 July 1943. The gap left at Tontouta was then filled by N section. X section made its home in the red dust alongside the Plaine des Gaiacs airfield, where it established communications to the New Zealand guns defending the strips. The section, like some of the others, was unfortunate in not having a river or creek in the vicinity of the camp, with the result that a four-mile journey was entailed in order to enjoy a plunge or swim. On the movement of regimental headquarters to the Bourail area a detachment of X section moved also to maintain a signal office and wireless communications. The rest of the section remained attached to the 202nd battery at Plaine des Gaiacs.
E section, attached to the 17th Field Regiment, had a varied career, the highlight of which was participation in manoeuvres with the three brigades of the division. Stationed in the Nepoui Valley, in close proximity to J section, two 10-line exchanges from the signal office connected regimental headquarters, the 12th battery, 35th battery, 37th battery, 54th anti-tank and other local subscribers, but on the movement of J section to Bouloupari the section's field of activity was further increased. It now took every man in the section to cope with the job in hand. Wireless communications were also extensive, for on the movement of the 35th battery to the Taom area they had an additional link there, as well as to the 37th battery to the south at Bouloupari. F section operators were attached to these units.
On 16 July the section with regimental headquarters moved out of the valley to establish similar communications, signal office and camp at Taom, about three-quarters of a mile from 14th Brigade Headquarters to which the regiment was now attached. Wireless communication was increased by the addition of a No. John Penn (later sunk by enemy dive-bombers off Guadalcanal). They found little employment on communications, but gained in experience from the net drill and night amphibious landings in which they all participated.
With the establishment of a United States school of instruction in coast watching at Nepoui, Lieutenant Hester and Second-Lieutenant Goff were selected to attend as unit representatives. This course, although presented by American officers, was based on information and instruction which had previously been imparted by the British. Attending were some hundred infantry personnel who, on completion of the course, went out in groups to maintain coast watching stations around the coast of the New Zealand sector, which was the northern half of the island. Lieutenant Hester was detached from the unit to assume command of the entire organisation, and in company with two divisional signal instrument mechanics travelled thousands of miles in the ensuing month, installing, maintaining and reviewing the many outposts. Each station was equipped with an Amalgamated Wireless of Australia (AWA) receiver and transmitter, and a wind-charger for recharging batteries, binoculars and telescope. Losing a code system, each station was in communication with the information centre in Nouméa, reporting to it the movements of all surface craft, submarines and aircraft, friendly or otherwise, 24 hours a day.
In most instances it was a lonely existence, but those who were at Kafeat, a fishing village on the west coast, will long remember the kindness of the Kanakas in that area. On the eventual relinquishment of the stations to the Free French Navy the pastor of Kafeat asked that the New Zealanders be left there. This was not practicable, however, and on leaving their outpost native women insisted on carrying, as evidence of their appreciation of the New Zealanders, all their equipment, including a 180 lbs. tent, to the vehicle at the nearest accessible spot. Eyes 'popped' as the returning coast watchers viewed the rations
Chapter Four
New Caledonia—Anchor Block and Allied Base
New Caledonia—Anchor Block and Allied Base
To employ natives for work in the camp it was necessary to engage them through recognised official channels, the proceedings being controlled by a gendarme, and this was followed when Kanakas from Poya (a small township about 15 miles north of Moindah) were engaged to construct bures in the Moindah camp. The natives, brought from their villages by truck, were for health reasons camped in tents a short distance away and brought into camp each morning for their meals and to do the construction work. Their requirements were supervised by a signalman. Using only niaouli in its natural state, the natives constructed three large bures which provided messing accommodation for the officers, sergeants and men respectively. Some time later a similar building was provided for recreation purposes. With completely water-proof thatched roofs, concrete floors, laid by members of the unit, and suitably furnished, these buildings, probably the finest of their kind on the island, were extremely comfortable.
Paid like the troops in American currency, it was a happy sight to see the faces of the natives beam as they received their reward. During their sojourn in camp they made many excursions to the bootmaker in an endeavour to be favoured with a condemned pair of issue boots, but the Army did not cater for feet so large and wide which had been padding the earth in their natural state for many years. During one extremely wet period quartermaster Captain South loaned them waterproof capes to wear, but the novelty held more appeal than the
From the moment of sailing from New Zealand the censorship of private correspondence came into force. All mail was required to pass through the army post office for transmission. Each section within the unit arranged its own mail box and the men posted their letters unsealed to allow for the censoring by the section officer. Naturally this gave a feeling of hardship to many at first; to use a colloquialism, 'it cramped one's style.' Domestic topics which would normally have been put on paper were left unwritten, but this restraint was gradually lost. Censors found also that, on learning the individual trend of writing by their personnel, it was not necessary to read the average letter. Special envelopes were available to those who desired to communicate on essentially private matters and these were censored at base only. Parcels and papers were invariably accumulated in New Zealand for a few weeks before being forwarded by surface mail so that it was either a feast or a famine, but letter mail was always regular in its despatch and arrival, and no effort was spared to ensure a prompt delivery whatever the hour, day or night. Postman Lance-Corporal C. F. Bell and
A pleasing task for the quartermaster's staff was the issue from time to time of patriotic parcels, contributed and packed by the people of New Zealand. They contained an excellent variety of comforts which were genuinely appreciated by the recipients. Further evidence of the National Patriotic Fund Board's interest in the unit was to be found in the contribution towards the payment of the native-built bure used as a recreation hut in the Moindah camp, in the periodical distiibution of writing
Unit linesmen grouped round an iron telegraph pole which was bent to this shape by the hurricane which swept over Suva in February 1941.
Left: In Fiji distilled water for battery recharging was provided from this still which was made from old tins and tuaing. Below: Fifty and ten line exchanges were operated by J section signals in underground signal office at force head-quarters, Tamavua, near SuvaSignals first Christmas dinner at Moindah in New Caledonia was a great success and was celebrated in the open among the niaonlis. Above is a view of the tables during the meal. Left is a closeup of signals in action, and below are Five of the large cakes iced and decorated by the unit cooks. One of the open-air cookhouses can be seen in the background
New Caledonia has a moderate climate and for nine months of the year the temperature remains between 61 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit—very hot during the day, cool during the night. It was not long after arrival, therefore, that most bodies were displaying a very dark tan. Winter days were very pleasant and could perhaps be compared with summer in New Zealand, but rain was not an unknown quantity, winter or summer. Preceded invariably by heavy thunder and lightning, tropical downpours periodically flooded rivers (which at times delayed despatch riders) and created quagmires of the roads and camp areas. Camp drainage was therefore an important factor. Everyone dug a drain around his tent, and filled it with stones, and throughout the camp areas drains of more elaborate dimensions were dug to carry away the surplus storm water. Frogs appeared in thousands as if they, too, had dropped from the skies, for they were never seen prior to or after the rain. Ablutions were easy on these rainy occasions; this merely meant 'soaping up' and standing outside the tent in a shower. One batman will not forget the afternoon he left a bundle of his officer's clothing on the boulders alongside the Moindah riverbank while he returned to camp. On his return a few minutes later his concern can be imagined as he viewed a river extended double in size and his washing swept away. As it was a beautiful sunny day he did not anticipate such a happening, but it was raining at the river's source ten miles away. Precautions were taken to safeguard property in the event of a hurricane, and bures were wired to the ground for such an emergency.
The health of the troops was good and there were very few instances of serious sickness. In the earlier stages diarrhoea and dysentery were unpleasant experiences for many, but a few trips to the regimental aid post for an administration of 'concrete' usually did the trick. Fly-proofing of the latrines and the provision of bowls of disinfectant for the rinsing of hands saved inestimable discomfort to personnel. From time to time small waves of somewhat similar stomach pains would be evident, but their causes were hard to trace. Extreme care had; to be taken in the cook-houses to ensure that all unfrozen meat was fresh and that all frozen meat was deiced before cooking. The
Field hospitals were established in the brigade areas and the United States 109th Station Hospital, at Kalavere, which was situated five miles from divisional headquarters, continued to function for some weeks after the arrival of the New Zealanders on the island, until the 4th General Hospital at Boguen Valley, a short distance from Bourail, was fully in operation. Consequently some signals personnel had the experience of being-patients in the American hospital. On the movement northwards of the 109th Station Hospital its area was occupied by the 2nd New Zealand Convalescent Depot, where patients recuperated after discharge from hospital prior to return to their units.
On 22 February an infantry weapon training course for members of the unit stationed at divisional headquarters was commenced under the control of
It was during this training period when, at the conclusion of a hard day, Signalman C. M. (Darkie) Patterson decided to have 'forty winks' and turned in on his cot. Waking after a short nap, Darkie inquired the time from his tent mates, who told him it was six-thirty. Being under the impression that he had slept all night and was running late for a parade scheduled early 'that morning,' he leapt from his bed, made a dash to the water cart for shaving water, and commenced to remove the bristles. His tent mates, however, could restrain themselves no longer, and following a round of good-natured banter he was told the joke.
Early in March Major Wilson, officer commanding No. 1 company, returned to New Zealand to participate in a senior command course, and Captain Hanna temporarily assumed command of the company. A visitor to the unit from New Zealand was
Changes in the commands of the officers within the unit saw Lieutenant Wilton transfer from B cable section to officer commanding J section in place of Captain Parkhouse who was returning to New Zealand on a course. Second-Lieutenant Dyson went to Plaine des Gaiacs as officer commanding X section, in place of Captain Murphy who returned to Moindah as officer commanding A wireless section. Lieutenant Hester relinquished his command of the coast-watchers to become officer commanding base signals with Lieutenant H. S. Brown as second-in-command.
News bulletins containing the latest war news were issued daily by the various intelligence sections of the force and the Army Education Welfare Service (AEWS) for display on camp notice boards. Additional reading interest was provided when a news sheet under the headlines of Niaouli News appeared on the notice board in the Moindah camp. Edited and produced by Corporal Nicol, this duplicated sheet written in a lighter vein on the activities of personnel and the camp in general, gradually became looked upon as an integral part of camp life. Because of the shortage of paper some of the earlier copies were limited to a few carbon copies, but assistance from the AEWS and the receipt from New Zealand of a case of newsprint purchased out of regimental funds enabled a wider distribution within the unit. A 'breakfast edition 'produced on toilet paper provided a diversion when issued at breakfast one Sunday morning. Containing radio-received New Zealand news, it was published and printed during the night. The paper economy effected by this move was worthy of note. Some 350 copies took only three-quarters of a roll of perforated tissue. Printed in Bourail under the auspices of the AEWS, and distributed throughout the Kiwi News, a professionally set up, illustrated news sheets with periodically enlarged editions which could be sent home. It contained up-to-the-minute overseas war and New Zealand news. In its production, too, signals came into the picture, as much of the home news was received over the rear wireless link operated by base signals to Wellington. An attractively laid out cyclostyled news sheet entitled Daily News, published at Comsopac Headquarters, was another source of the latest news (with an American flavour) at times available to members of the unit.
When a week's leave in Nouméa became available to a specified number of members of each formation throughout the division signals' allocation was one officer and six other ranks, comprising firstly the advanced party to the island and others who had not participated in the seven days' leave granted prior to embarkation in New Zealand. Conveyed to Nouméa in trucks, the parties camped at the Nouméa transit camp, where they enjoyed the pleasure of sleeping in if they wished and leaving the camp just whenever they pleased, while organised trips included Anse Vata beach and sightseeing on the island of He Nou in the Nouméa Harbour. A novel attraction was a French cinema where the commentaries and dialogue of the newsreels and main features were entirely in French. One also had to go prepared to stand through two verses of the National Anthem, the Stars and Stripes and the Marseillaise as an overture to the programme.
To those who journeyed near Nouméa, interest was always held by the sight of a unique one-metre gauge railway which had been temporarily abandoned by the French and taken over by the United States forces for the haulage of war materials to dumps outside the town. Considerably relieving truck-clogged roads, its patchedup primitive rolling stock was capable of carrying the equivalent freight of 16 motor vehicles making eight trips a day at a speed of 25 miles an hour. Passengers' comfort was not considered, however, and those who made the journey had no alternative but to bask in the hot sun atop the freight. When opportunity permitted, visits to the nickel works in Nouméa or to the various mines were well worth while. The mineral wealth of the island is unique inasmuch as it possesses the richest chrome ore deposits in the world, providing one-twelfth of the world's supply. Even the sands on the beaches contain large percentages La Chaine Centralc which ranged the island, where the red colour of the excavated earth contrasted in disfiguring patches with the green or grey of the hillsides. Japan appreciated New Caledonia's industrial capabilities and was the recipient of almost 500,000 tons of 50 per cent, iron ore annually, exported from the Japanese-owned mines. In fact the Japanese had extensive fifth column machinery poised to assist their forces in their protracted drive southwards.
With the exception of base signals at Bourail, the average signalman, mainly because of His location, had little opportunity to become closely acquainted with the French. Although always polite and warm in their felicitations, the civilian population remained reserved in their relationships and entertained little. The language was, of course, the main difficulty in this respect, although those who delved into their smattering of schooiday French could usually make themselves understood. Generally regarded as signals' interpreter was Captain Gillespie, who could speak the language fluently, and the classes which he held in a store tent during the evenings were enthusiastically attended. Corporal T. S. Mason was certainly among the most ardent students, becoming proficient at both reading and speaking, but it required much patience and forbearance on the part of his tent mates. Perhaps Captain Gillespie's linguist talents were best appreciated during trips to Poya or the native villages where he was able to negotiate on behalf of the unit.
With the organisation of passive air defence (PAD) to contend with air raids and the effects of fire should they eventuate, members of the unit were allocated action stations to which they proceeded on receipt of warnings. In the Moindah camp the PAD was under the control of Captain Murphy, and facilities consisted of drums of water and fire hooks with which to drag burning tents clear. Ammunition and machine guns were
An arrival at the Moindah camp one day was a fox terrier pup which surveyed the surroundings and decided to stay. Never missing a parade, march, manoeuvre or trip, this miniature canine became known as Peep, the camp mascot. Although mastered and fed by Signalman W. Pickering, Peep readily followed anyone in the area. Essentially military minded, Peep showed it in no uncertain terms during a church parade in which members of the unit were participating. It was attended by the general and the Honourable Walter Nash, who had taken up their positions at the head of the hollow square formed by divisional troops. This civilian intrusion was too much for Peep, who, barking very unceremoniously, registered a hundred yards dash up the centre of the parade to tug disapprovingly at the Minister's trousers.
With a view to keeping members of the unit at Moindah fit and at the same time providing some form of diversion from normal duties, hikes across the island were instituted. The trek on which all participated, from the colonel down, entailed leaving camp by troop carrier about 6 o'clock on Sunday mornings to the commencing point at the head of the Poya valley. The first obstacle was within a few minutes of starting where the Poya River crosses the track. Those who removed their boots and hose to make the fording found shortly after that they could have saved themselves the trouble, as it was only the first of dozens of similar crossings necessary in the 18 miles journey and that wet feet were inevitable. Along the track, orange and mandarine trees laden with fruit were plentiful. Each man carried dry rations in his haversack, and the billy was boiled for the midday meal. Following lunch, a stiff uphill climb of a mile and a-half made perspiration flow even more freely, but pleasant pauses were made at the immaculate Kanaka homes situated on the hillside where the islanders came out to offer bananas and
For the first few weeks after arrival in New Caledonia the effects of separation from normal civilisation and its social amenities became apparent. There were no theatres, dance halls, or entertainments where an evening could be spent, so it fell to each section to originate for itself some method of repairing the omission. The artillery signals sections defending the airstrips were fortunate from the beginning in being able to attend already established movie shows held out under the stars almost nightly by the Americans, but at the brigades, divisional headquarters and base a month or two elapsed before similar screenings could be arranged. Shown at outdoor amphitheatres by a mobile projection unit (donated to the force by the Returned Services Association), or from 16 and 35 millimetre projectors belonging to the formations, the latest full-length programmes of 'big pictures' and 'shorts' were screened on regular nights of each week to large audiences. Signals in the divisional headquarters area followed a track through the niaouli trees for about 400 yards to the large comfortable divisional ordnance workshops bure where shows were exhibited twice weekly. The screen in this instance was placed at the end of the bure and an equally large audience could view the show from the rear, the only difficulty being that any lettering or film titles were naturally back to front. The AEWS controlled both the distribution of the films and the mobile projector.
Between the sections and the formations to which they were attached concerts were organised, and rare was the section that could not produce a virtuoso of the mouth organ or a guitar player. Arising from the joint efforts of Captain Hanna and Chaplain G. R. Thompson a concert party of artists from signals and other units in the divisional area was formed. Signalman (later Warrant-Officer 2nd Class) Rex Savers was appointed producer and, following practices held in a camp tent set aside for that purpose, a non-stop variety show was presented on the evening of the opening of the newly erected men's mess at Moindah. Props, costumes and curtains were adapted from anything which could be borrowed or acquired, and the stage lighting controlled by rheostat was the effort of M section. Female impersonators, magician, comedians, musicians and vocalists received deafening applause as they entertained in turn. General Barrowclough with other divisional officers attended the premiere performance which was the forerunner to others of the 'Pacific Kiwis' at DOW, United States 109th Station Hospital, YMCA, at Bourail, Plaine des Gaiacs and the 4th General Hospital.
Following the success of this party applications were invited for the position of producer for an official concert party for the division.
Smokos, although not often held, were a popular feature. These functions were arranged when beer was available in the canteen, and each man was allowed to accumulate part of his
Dances held at base in Bourail were a popular feature for the limited few who were given the opportunity to attend. Partners were the sisters and nurses from the hospital at Boguen, and a few French girls who were usually heavily attended by chaperons. Men in the units invited, who wished to attend these functions, submitted their names, and if the number of names exceeded the stipulated number of personnel allowed to go from the unit a ballot was held to decide who were to be the lucky ones. Those selected had to endure much heckling from their tent mates as they creased trousers and trimmed moustaches in an endeavour to look immaculate—and most of them did! For those who made the journey from division, a trip of 25 miles to Bourail in the back of a truck was necessary, and this over an extremely rough road, with a similar return journey at the conclusion of the dance.
A novel idea was the formation of the Blue and White Racing Club under the chairmanship of Warrant-Officer Holden. The committee accepted horse nominations from members of the unit and acceptances were duly published on the notice board and in an elaborately duplicated race book, complete even to advertisements and a plan of the course. The original 'race' meeting was held in the men's mess before a large crowd from the whole bure had been paid out to represent a race track. Horses were cut out of tin, coloured, and mounted on a stand which the respective 'jockeys' (members of the unit dressed in suitable attire) moved along so many paces, determined by the throwing of two dice. One dice represented the number of the horse to move and the other the number of paces the horse moved forward, the first horse to reach the finishing post being the winner. No effort was spared to make the function as realistic as possible. Totalisator, electric bell, balloon and automatic starting barrier were included in the fixtures, and 25-cent bets could be placed on the tote, which handled 250 dollars on the occasion of the first meeting. Dividends were paid on the first and second placings from the pay out windows of the tote.
With a view to having a track available for future meetings without having to reassemble it every time, a more permanent course was later erected outdoors to the rear of the sergeants-mess. Complete with flood lights, this course attracted even bigger support. The Blue and White shield, manufactured by members of the unit from shell case and packing case, was a much sought after trophy. It was competed for on three occasions. The honour of being first to win it fell to Captain South, whose horse, Yankee Pay by Comparison out of Proportion, was successfully ridden to the winning post by 'Jockey'
On more than one occasion the men's mess at Moindah was packed to the doors for a band recital by the Third New Zealand Divisional Band under the baton of Lieutenant L. R. Fox, whose programme of music covered a wide range of selections in both classical and lighter vein. The acclamation accorded each item was evidence of the band's popularity. It will long be remembered for its frequent presentation of the current musical hit, 'In the mood.' The band also attended other functions within the division, such as ceremonial parades, church services and sports meetings.
A really historical date in the annals of the Third Divisional Signals was 10 May 1943, for on that day a court of inquiry assembled to determine the cause of the disappearance of six tinsof tongues from the ration store. Probably the hardest worked person of the court was the unit headquarters typist,
Sport was high up on the list of activities. This was divided into two categories—first, compulsory sport, in which everybody within the unit participated purely for recreational purposes one afternoon a week, and secondly, inter-unit competitive sport in which selected representative signals teams contested against others in the division and brigade areas. As at home, rugby attracted the widest support and it was inevitable wherever New Zealand forces were situated to see rugby goal posts. The signals first fifteen was led by Signalman M. A. (Torchy) Dobson, a tireless half-back whose team won more games than it lost. Except after rain the playing grounds were like concrete, and an ambulance on the side-line was almost as important as a referee. J section's team had an unbeaten record at brigade headquarters, which was maintained when the team defeated No. 1 company 17-6, but against K section the result was a draw, 3 all. The conclusion of the rugby season came when teams representing all formations in the division met in a knockout contest for a trophy know as the Barrowclough Cup, presented by General and Mrs. Barrowclough. A signals team, drawn from all the sections, went into extensive training some five weeks before the scheduled date of play. The training was tough and included everything from shovelling rocks and 25-mile cross-country treks, to physical training and football, but good as they were the team suffered defeat and was eliminated in the first game. No record would be complete without mention of the 'friendly' officers versus sergeants rugby match. After a battle royal, the sergeants left the field victors, 5-3, but two sergeants were in hospital and
Equally enthusiastic teams were fielded for cricket, soccer, basketball and tenakoits, all of which had their share of success. The playing fields on Mr. Tuck's property, on the north side of the Moindah River in the divisional area, always presented a sporting spectacle, as all games were in progress simultaneously. E section fielded a particularly keen cricket team. Among their successes were victories over teams from the 54th anti-tank unit and the divisional signals officers.
Regulation jerseys, shorts, boots, footballs, boxing gloves and baseball equipment were either purchased with unit regimental funds or donated by the National Patriotic Fund Board. Major Wilson purchased and paid for in New Zealand many pounds' worth of cricket gear. The erection of a boxing ring and the laying out of tenakoit and basketball courts within the camp area also gave opportunity for sport close at hand during off duty hours. Signals boxing teams participated in contests held at base. A fillip to the sport was given by the presence of
Track, field, cycling and tug-o'-war events were not without signals representatives and unit teams faced the starters on numerous functions. These included the divisional championships, also held on Mr. Tuck's property, on 8 May 1943. Thousands of troops from all units of the division thronged to watch the thrilling sport offered, from a specially constructed stadium complete with grandstand and 'tote.' The uniformity of dress of signals competitors at this function was immediately noticeable. Each man wore white shorts and a white singlet bearing the large letters SIGS across the chest and back. An amusing highlight occurred when Peep insisted on running alongside the bicycle on which the colonel was racing, considerably
With ample funds but little opportunity to spend them, the regimental funds committee was formed by representatives of the sections at Moindah. Meeting periodically under the chairmanship of the colonel, and with the adjutant as secretary, this committee had power to spend for the unit any funds held. These were derived from profits made by the camp canteen and from grants made from time to time by the New Zealand Canteen Board. Anything but liquor could be purchased out of regimental funds, but because of the lack of anything suitable to purchase on the island the main expenditure centred around buying sports gear from New Zealand. Additional items to the fare provided by army rations for the messes was an oft-discussed subject, but here again lack of supply was almost limited to oranges and mandarines which were bought by the truck load. The regimental funds of the brigade and regiment sections were pooled with those of the headquarters to which they were attached, and grants made by the Canteen Board were received direct by these sections. Balance sheets were published regularly and, apart from the correctness of procedure, it allowed members of the unit to see how their moneys were being spent.
American coinage was the universal currency of the force. Although a novelty at first, it was not long before nickels, dimes, quarters and bucks were handled with the same ease as New Zealand money, but the dollar bill due to its convenience was
Wherever troops were stationed a demand was immediately created for toilet requisites, cigarettes and other comforts, so whenever these requirements could be shipped without interfering with the normal war supplies, canteens were established, and this was the instance in New Caledonia. A base canteen, supplying in bulk to the whole division, was established at Bourail and from there units could purchase large quantities of goods for resale in their own canteens. Members of the unit had little or no other outlet for their money, so naturally most of their spendings went into this source.
Commencing business a few days after arrival in Moindah, the canteen at unit headquarters was a flourishing concern. Voluntarily manned, under the supervision of an officer, the canteen was open for limited periods during the day to allow purchases to be made. If something new was to be on sale, bush telegraph had probably told the camp about it in advance and a queue soon singled out the canteen tent prior to opening time. A small profit was made on most items, primarily to make the prices a 'round' figure and thereby obviate odd change in cents, but all profits were transferred to regimental funds. Prices on the whole were very reasonable. Change was a major problem as
Varied indeed was the range of articles on sale. Leading brands of American cigarettes at 50 cents a carton of 200 constituted the greatest demand, closely followed by chocolate, candy, biscuits, magazines, washing soap, toilet soap, talcum powder, toothpaste, and razor blades. Beer, too, when available, was sold through the canteen on a rationed basis, but personnel were not permitted to accumulate their rations lest it lead to undisciplined parties. American tinned beer was a novelty, but it required an expert to open it and at the same time prevent a large portion of the contents from blowing out the hole made in the top of the tin (like a factory whistle letting off steam) into the eye of the would-be imbiber. From time to time limited stocks of items such as pyjamas became available and in these instances a ballot was held to decide their distribution. The replenishing of stocks presented little difficulty to base signals whose camp and canteen were adjacent to the base canteen at Bourail. X and P sections stationed at the airfieds shared with the American personnel the wide variety of stocks offered from their canteens, or Pxs as they were better known.
The arrival on the island of Lieutenant-General Freyberg, VC, GOC, of the Second Division, en route to New Zealand from the Middle East by aeroplane, gave opportunity for a reunion between ex-Middle East officers, now in the Third Division, and the general. This event took place at 8th Brigade Headquarters, Bouloupari, and Colonel Burns was a guest at the function. Arriving back from the officers cadet training unit in New Zealand, the six newly commissioned officers were seconded with the rank of second-lieutenant to various sections. Three views of the New Caledonian scene. The men's mess hut at 'Moindah, which seated two hundred men, is shown above. It was built and thatched by Kanakas from native materials and was one of the finest buildings in the Moindah camp. One of the many coast-watching stations manned by Signals is on the right and Below is a water-colour sketcb of part of Divisional Headquarters at Moindah showing the signals office
Nursing sisters and troops of the Third Division watching the horses parade in the birdcage at a 14th Brigade race meeting at Taom, New Caledonia. Brigade units built it
Anzac Day 1943 at Moindah, New Caledonia, when divisional troops paraded and were addressed by General Barrowelough
A despatch rider in Fiji surrounded by natives in a distant village where he had stopped to deliver some messages
A welcome break from the island monotony was offered a small proportion of officers and other ranks from all sections when they returned to New Zealand in batches to attend courses of instruction at Trentham Military Camp and the New Zealand Tactical School at Wanganui. Signal clerking, despatch riding, refresher courses for NCOs, instrument repairing, operating, cable work, small arms, and physical training were among the fields covered. In each instance selected personnel, where practicable, assembled at Moindah, and from there the drafts journeyed in troop carriers to Nouméa prior to embarkation. Members of the first draft had the unpleasant experience of a speedy return to port some hours after sailing on account of enemy submarine activity. Major Heatherwick sailed with this draft to attend a course at the Tactical School, Wanganui, his appointment as officer commanding head quarters company being temporarily assumed by
Officers and non-commissioned officers of the sections took their turn as orderly officer and NCO respectively within the unit to which they were attached. At Moindah, where apart from the attached LAD the camp was entirely signals, officers and NCOs carried out orderly duties in daily rotation. Duties commenced at reveille with the hoisting of the flag, rousing the camp, and conducting the sick parade to the RAP in the divisional headquarters area. Mess parades, lowering the flag, tattoo, and lights-out were indicated by bugle calls blown by Signalman N. K. Freeman, but periods such as smoke and mail call were announced by the sounding of a gong by the orderly NCO. In these instances one ring was sufficient! The gong was an empty 25-pounder shellcase suspended from a niaouli tree in the centre
Due to efficient sanitation, flies were reduced to a minimum, and to this, perhaps, can be linked the low sickness rate in the camp. At home the fly is listed as a nuisance but in the hot islands it is a disease carrier as potential a killer as the enemy. Fly traps installed in the vincity of the cookhouses, men's mess, and latrines proved their worth many times over. Ants were always present, delighting in making a headquarters in cake, candy, or sweet foodstuffs,, and especially in the sugar on the mess tables. However, they were at least found useful on one occasion. Encouraged on to a fly-blown blanket they completely cleared it of eggs in a short time. Black widow spiders, the bite of which can prove fatal, were often found in dark corners. One signal victim was recorded, but without the allegedly fatal consequences. Next came the crickets, which seemed to thrive on perforating holes in woollen garments, such as socks and pullovers, must to the distress of the owners who had to darn them. Rats and mice found themselves equally at home in kit bags or quartermaster's stores. This led
During July, with the disbandment of the 28th Heavy Antiaircraft Regiment and the 33rd Heavy Coastal Regiment imminent, and the probable arrival from New Zealand of two
CO, 3 NZ Divisional Signals
Attached
67th Light Aid Detachment
The colonel did not smoke his pipe much more that day!
Each section possessed its own motor transport in the form of jeeps, six-by-fours (six wheels, four-wheel drive) and quads (British, four wheels, four-wheel drive), all of which travelled many miles transporting men and equipment. Quads were used extensively for the movement of wireless stations during reconnaissance or test schedules from remote parts of the island. In the early months in New Caledonia, to travel anywhere by road in a truck was not an enviable experience. The roads were
Whilst the imposition of a 25 miles an hour speed limit for trucks was governed by the safety factor (in many places it was just a sheer drop down the sides of Route Coloniale) it was certainly slow enough to ensure that passengers riding in the vehicles did not miss any of the bumps, and the driver's head colliding with the roof of the steel cab was a common occurrence. Accidents did happen, but they were mostly confined to vehicles sliding off the narrow roads during the passing of others rather than to actual collisions. On the Moindu Pass, about 11 miles south of Bourail, so narrow was the winding mountain road for a distance of 10 miles that only one-way traffic was permitted. Connected by telephone, controlling stations at either end of the pass gave the movement orders to the waiting queues of vehicles. Later, with the arrival from New Zealand of road graders, engineers lost little time in effecting improvements which were in marked contrast to the pick and shovel efforts of the French and Javanese road gangs.
Always looked upon as the man who had everything and released nothing was the quartermaster. He was not always a popular person yet, behind the scenes, the quartermaster and his staff (headquarters company) worked long hours to ensure the best available supply of operational equipment and facilities for the unit. Naturally, all that concerned the average signalman was whether he could change his sox or get a new shirt—that was important, too, but only a fraction of the supply problems that surrounded Q. Every single item which helped make the unit 'tick,' from a pair of rusty handcuffs to high power transmitting stations, passed through the stores. In between those were rations, petrol, oil, footwear, clothing, rifles, pistols, web, tents, stationery, tools, machetes, technical equipment, spares, spares and more spares, but they weren't always plentiful. Spares for No. 108 wireless sets which were ordered in Fiji caught up with the unit in New Caledonia. Solder was at times
Still, in spite of this, the turnover of the Q department was large. A 3-ton truck left Moindah on an average of once a week for base ordnance depot at Bourail loaded with worn-out equipment, to return with fresh supplies which were in turn distributed or stored as stock. Unfortunately, procedure for the obtaining and distribution of technical equipment was not just a matter of indenting for it and then 'handing it out, as seemed the simplest expedient in the eyes of the layman. The unit was confined to the army-compiled war establishment table—commonly known as the 'ten ninety-eight' or 'Bible '—which contained a list of most of the equipment required by a unit. Alongside each item was the number or quantity that each respective unit was allowed to have in its possession. This presented known anomalies, an example being hydrometers. Each section was allowed one hydrometer and in the event of its being broken it became necessary to return it to headquarters—a distance sometimes of over 100 miles—for a replacement. It certainly did encourage the care of equipment, but sections often felt that at times they were being victimised through their distance from the parent body. The quartermaster was the chopping block. The accounting work or 'bumph war,' under the regimental quartermaster-sergeant, was sizeable and occupied a full-time staff. Every item received or despatched required listing on packing slips, vouchering, and an entry on a ledger card. The unit possessed some 250,000 individual listed items of equipment covering a range of 5,000 different articles, and they all had to be accounted for. The preparation of ration states, which had to be prepared and despatched to the ASC seven days a week, were but a minor part of the day's activities. Within
Memories will need little reminder of the fare of tinned and dehydrated foods on which everyone lived for the duration of his service in the Pacific. Most of the rations were of American origin, and cooks had to revise their recipes for the preparation of the different types of food, some of which were palatable to the New Zealander and some not. Rations, based on the number of personnel in the camp, were delivered every ten days by the ASC, whose vehicles would roll into the camp area at any hour of the day or night. It was not unusual for the Q staff to be roused from their beds in the vicinity of three in the morning to commence unloading. Although a cook was on the establishment of each section, the sections messed with the formation to which they were attached, and the signal cook went on duty with the other cooks of the camp. In the Moindah camp a 200-men and a 50-men drip feed diesel oil stove were in operation, in the men's and in the officers' and sergeants' cookhouses respectively, in addition to a number of portable cookers. Using white spirit, the latter cookers threw a flame along a trench in the floor of the cookhouse, over which were placed the containers of food to be cooked. Although portable and efficient while working, they were a nightmare to M section fitters who were constantly servicing them.
On the arrival of the rations (two truck loads) they were unloaded into the ration store and packed on packing-case shelves by the ration storeman. A menu for the ensuing ten days was then compiled by the quartermaster and submitted to a messing
An army issue of New Zealand cigarettes, pipe tobacco and toilet soap for general distribution was also received with the rations, but after some period the supply of cigarettes was discontinued. They did not keep particularly well in the hot climate, and in addition, personnel could readily purchase very cheaply the leading brands of American cigarettes which they seemed to prefer. Fresh bread baked by the field bakery was delivered daily. The ration varied according to the flour stocks available on the island, but it was seldom that two full slices a man, each day, were not available. Appetites were not large in the tropics, although admittedly there were times when it was felt that a little more to eat would have been satisfying. Those engaged on manual jobs, such as the linesmen or LAD personnel, found themselves in the Oliver Twist category.
One of the outstanding contributions to this war (for those on the supply side) was dehydration. Effecting enormous savings in shipping space, it also offered the opportunity for troops in the forward areas to receive rations which they would otherwise have been without. Some idea of the saving was illustrated by the fact that a 4-gallon tin contained sufficient potatoes to feed 400 men. Dehydration was confined to vegetables, and potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots and beetroot were items found on the regular diet. They were not very popular. The story is told of 'Darkie' of the LAD leaving camp by truck one day to obtain a load of shingle for the section's workshop floor. On his return to camp some time later, he was greeted by Sergeant-Major G. Bull, who asked the reason for the meagre pile of
A welcome change from powdered eggs was the arrival on a few occasions of a few chilled eggs. In this instance, the extra time entailed in waiting for the eggs to come straight out of the frying pan at the cookhouse was well warranted. Members of the line party and despatch riders who were often on the roads sometimes found opportunity to purchase eggs from the French, and the cooks were only too pleased to assist by cooking them. Tinned fruit, which was to be found on the menu four days out of seven, was naturally popular, and the use of concentrated tinned milk as cream enabled an attractive dessert to be served. No fresh milk was available for consumption by troops. It took more than 800 tins to meet the requirements of the Moindah camp for the 10-day ration period. Grapefruit juice, pineapple juice or synthetic lemon were served in lieu of tea or coffee with the midday meal, but on no occasion was thei'e sufficient to serve the former two refreshments at full strength, or to enable each man to have a mug full. The synthetic lemon drink was commonly known as 'battery acid.'
There were no fewer than 90 items in the rations supplied, ranging through everything from pepper, salt, spices, raisins, cereals, fruit, vegetables, meats, milk, hard biscuits, tinned butter (invariably rancid), sugar, flour, rice, spaghetti, beans et cetera, et cetera, plus items such as toilet paper, sandsoap, and washing powder which were supplied from the same source. Mess
A serviceable fixture was the 'washingup stand, situated in a handy position alongside the path which, at Moindah, ran from the cookhouse to the men's mess room and was built by men engaged on camp construction under the supervision of Major Heatherwick. Made almost entirely of 44-gaIlon petrol drums, a few acquired taps, and heated by a portable cooking unit, the circulators were capable of supplying over 40 gallons of hot water in 25 minutes. A series of four troughs, filled alternatively with soapy and fresh water, allowed the large number of men coming out of mess speedily to wash and rinse their utensils.
July 1943 was a month mixed with rumour and restlessness. Early in August ever-increasing truckloads of equipment arrived from base ordnance, and the quartermaster's staff began to construct wooden cases and to pack. Speculations as to future movements became twopence a dozen. At this period the 8th Brigade was rested on the far side of the island at Thio, and operators from J section were detailed to that area to maintain wireless communication across the island to brigade headquarters. On 4 August unit headquarters received a most secret memorandum from divisional headquarters outlining details of the movement of the division to a more forward area. This was naturally not passed on to the unit, but when all web, anklets and accessories were camouflaged with green paint, and canvas jungle boots with thick rubber soles were issued to all ranks, it was obvious that a move "was afoot. Members of B cable section who had been camped in the bush between base and Bouloupari returned to
To save dislocation of the section and to enable functioning of advanced and rear parties, or for any special assignment, D section was divided into four self-contained groups, each capable of performing the entire duties of a signal office. These subsections were known as A, B, C and D, but remained as before under the command of Captain Wilton. A further new arrangement was the withdrawal from No. 1 company's sections of personnel to form a signal section for attachment to the Field Maintenance Centre (FMC), a new administrative centre for the handling of men and equipment destined for the forward area. This section of 19 other ranks came under the command of Lieutenant Barron. On 11 August Colonel Burns returned by plane to New Zealand for a week to investigate the unit's supply and equipment difficulties. Meanwhile, a detachment from P section at Tontouta left for Nouméa to install telephone communications in the area of the nickel docks in preparation for the division's move. Within the sections, each man was relieved of his kit-bag for deposit in specially constructed kit stores at base until his return. Apart from a haversack and pack, a sea-kit was now all a man had in which to 'pack his troubles.' Shirts with short sleeves and shorts were not allowed to be worn or taken forward and, to maintain security, identification of personal and unit equipment was confined to a serial number only.
With the movement of the division into action imminent, it became necessary to form a pool from which could be drawn trained men as replacements for possible casualties in the forward areas. A large base training depot (BTD) was therefore created in the Tene Valley into which were marched all troops surplus to the division's immediate requirements, plus drafts coming from New Zealand. All formations of the force were represented in the depot, and divisional signals formed what became known as the School of Signals—an integral part of the composite wing. Accompanied by two sergeants and three corporals,
The first call on the school's personnel was made shortly before the division's move, when a number of divisional and regimental signallers were selected to bring the divisional, brigade and battalion signal sections up to strength. On 19 August an advanced party from the school left base training depot for the divisional signals camp at Moindah with the dual purpose of acting as a rear party to unit headquarters, headquarters and No. 1 companies, and establishing a new home for the School of Signals in the vacated area. The area had decided advantages over the Tene Valley location, and the swimming pool was one of them. The entire divisional set-up of signals left the Moindah camp on the night of 21 August, and the following day—Sunday the School of Signals moved in convoy from Tene Valley to this site. The school was still an element of the composite wing of base training depot, and although some 30 miles apart the correct channels of communication with any outside unit remained through the wing headquarters.
On the disbandment of the 28th Heavy Anti-aircraft
The quartering side of the school was kept particularly busy at this time, and on behalf of divisional signals returned to ordnance a considerable quantity of equipment, plus P and L sections'full effects. Simultaneously, the school's stores of training equipment were considerably extended. With liberal equipment, similar to that being used in the forward area, training never became stale through lack of variety in technical appliances. In fact, divisional signal clerks, operators, linesmen, mechanicians, drivers, and cipher personnel trained almost as if doing the routine duties of a section. An exchange with connections to units in the area and trunk lines to base was operated continuously.
Variety and mild excitement were provided personnel one afternoon when advice was received from a French source that Japanese had been landed in the vicinity of Poya from a submarine. Most of the men were engaged in recreation at the sports ground when the warning was received, so were speedily recalled. Each man, with his steel helmet, web and rifle, received an issue of 10 rounds of small arms ammunition, and took up an allocated defensive position within the camp boundaries. A radio crew, with a No. 48 set netted to a similar station in the camp, left by jeep for the reported scene of activity to relay any signals required. The presence of any enemy proved to be unauthentic, and the operators returned to camp as darkness fell. The 67th Light Aid Detachment remained in the same area as the School of Signals.
Third New Zealand Divisional Signals
Chapter Five
Overture to Action
Overture to Action
At last the movement of the division commenced. Large convoys rumbled up and down the main roadways day and night, day after day, as thousands of tons of munitions and equipment were transported to the loading site near the nickel docks in Nouméa. Morale was good, for after nine months of monotony, heat and mosquitoes the unit was to view new surroundings and perhaps see action. Where to? Nobody worried much about that. And the fact that conditions were to be much worse—well, nobody worried much about that either. They were on the move and that's all that counted.
The transplantation of the division to its new location was planned in three successive waves, each of which was to call at the New Hebrides for amphibious landings and training. The first sections began their journey to Nouméa on 14 August 1943 when K section and No. 1 combat team of E section (the section had been split in two) embussed from Taom at 9.15 pm for the bitterly cold and uncomfortable 8-hour night journey which lay ahead. Each man carried in addition to his web and sea-kit his chocolate emergency ration, 24 hours K ration, his field dressing and filled water bottle. The No. 2 combat team of E section journeyed south to Nouméa the following day, and the majority of K section embarked on the President Jackson. K section's rear party handed over the wireless link with division to operators of A wireless section who had journeyed up from Moindah to cover the move of the brigade rear party, and then the rear party together with E section's No. 2 combat team left for Nouméa to embark on the President Adams. Headquarters and No. 1 companies provided a working party from Moindah for
Countless are the number of times a man has to answer 'Present, Sir' to roll calls during his army career, but important though they are, nothing was seemingly more irksome to a signalman than the continual checking of embarkation rolls which took place as each man embarked. Perhaps it was not so much the constant checking which proved so wearying, but the fact of being laden with web, full pack, haversack, steel helmet, sea-kit, and a rifle thrown in for good measure—the latter always appearing to delight in almost strangling its owner as it swayed on the sling around his neck or on his shoulder. This dislike for embarkation rolls may not have been one-sided, however, as the administration staffs who compiled them had, on some occasions, to produce no fewer than 30 copies of each sheet of the rolls, and last minute changes to them were frequent.
To the troops on board it was not just a matter of watching the scenery. Opportunity was taken for net practice which was to be the keynote of speedy landings in future operations. The huge rope nets hung over the sides of the transports and personnel, lined in rows of fours, went over in successive waves, dropping into Higgins boats on reaching the bottom. To the soldier loaded like a pack horse with full web and rifle, with the ship rolling in the surge of the sea, and the small landing craft at the foot of the net pounding against the side of the ship on the crest of a swell, it was no easy task. Access to the decks again was made in the same manner, but it was many times harder going up. The taking of atabrin was commenced from the moment of sailing as a precaution against malaria. One whole tablet was taken daily with the exception of Sundays, when none were taken. To some the small yellow tablets were easy to take, while to others who lacked the art of pill swallowing the linger-longer taste on the tongue offered no attractions. Atabrin had no other effects on the health, but after a short period it was inclined to give the skin a yellow appearance. Section sergeants kept nominal rolls and were responsible for ensuring that each man took his tablet as prescribed. In addition, each man was issued with a bottle of liquid mosquito repellant for Bathing was n all-the-year-round pastime in New Caledonia. Above is a view of the Bourail Beach to which troops were transported in trucks at weekends and on holidays. At Moindah Divisional Signals threw a dam across the river to form a fine swimmingpool. Inset is a water polo match in progress there
General Barrowclough and signals officers watching competitors race to the finishing line during a carnival on Christmas Day 1942From tins transmitting hut at 'Gracefield' in ihc llasr Sianals area at Kourail over fifty thousand coded messages were transmitted to Wellington, Guadalcanal,
Linesmen at the School of Signals, sited among the niaoulis at Ifomdah servicing cable with the assistance of the mechanical cable layers
At Moindah packing was proceeding apace as convoys left both for Nouméa with required equipment for the movement and to base ordnance with surplus stores. Sleeping tents were struck in the area and accommodation was then up to the individual. Some slept under the stars, while others improvised beds in the recreation hut or me?s rooms. X section, attached to the 29th Light AA Regiment, had moved to Ouenghi to await the movement order to proceed to Nouméa, and No. 1 company ceased its communications with J section. On 21 August the signal office at divisional headquarters closed down at 6 o'clock in the afternoon. The packing and forwarding of equipment had been completed, and the personnel of unit headquarters, headquarters company, and No. 1 company, after a supper of fried oysters, cheese, toast and a cup of tea, clambered into the vehicles of a convoy which left for Nouméa at 8.30 pm. They were farewelled by members of the School of Signals. The same day X section embarked on the Hunter Liggett at 10 am at Nouméa. On Sunday, 22 August, a bright sun thawed out cold bodies as the convoy of headquarters and No. 1 companies drew up at the nickel docks, Nouméa, at 8 am. They later embarked on the transport Fuller, being conveyed to the ship in the stream by landing craft. The FMC signal section embarked on the Hunter Ligget, which, with the Fuller, sailed on 24 August from Nouméa at 2.45 pm under similar naval protection as was afforded the earlier convoy. Aboard also, but contrary to orders, was Peep the unit's mascot.
Meanwhile E and K sections had participated in amphibious manoeuvres at Mélé Beach, Vila, the administrative centre of the New Hebrides group which is under the dual administration of Great Britain and France. These involved the full scale landing of troops and equipment. While ashore wireless silence was imposed but linemen reeled out some cable for a few 'phones in the brigade headquarters area. This convoy left Vila, Efate on the morning of 25 August at 6 am. The following day (26 August) saw the Div convoy arrive also at Vila where similar disembarkation exercise and manoeuvres commenced.
That night was spent ashore. No wireless communications were established apart from ship to shore using No. 48 sets, but a signal office was established, traffic being passed by despatch rider. A perimeter defence was established, the guard being relieved at regular intervals. It rained as only rain can fall in the tropics—and everyone tried the impossible task of keeping dry under improvised shelters in a plantation. The mosquitoes, of the malarious type, were thick, and it was thought that a few who eventually contracted malaria received their injection on that night. C and K rations provided meals. Palatable when one is hungry, they were a novelty on this first occasion. The C ration was contained in two small airtight tins, opened with a key. One contained biscuits, coffee, sugar cubes and candy and on emptying out the contents of the tin it could be used as a cup for the coffee. The other contained a meat ration of hash which was eaten cold. K rations were packed in three wax-sealed cardboard containers, one for each of the meals of the day, and between them they contained biscuits, coffee, cocoa, lemon and bullion powders, sugar, cheese, devilled ham, fruit mince, cigarettes and chewing gum. With the increased temperature the desire to drink excessive quantities of water became prevalent, but water was rationed on the ship to one water-bottle full a day. This thirst which haunts a person on each successive move to a hotter climate lasts, fortunately, for only a few days. On return to the ships troops were given a free day following the night in the open. Movies were screened on the transports, whilst a boxing tournament was held on the Hunter Liggett between New Zealand and US troops. On the morning of 30 August a dawn landing practice was carried out satisfactorily Hunter Liggett and Fuller saw the wakes of torpedoes racing past their ships. An official enquiry disclosed that four torpedoes had been fired at the convoy without causing damage. An unconfirmed story stated that a destroyer which detached itself from the convoy located and destroyed the enemy submarine.
The journeys on these transports from New Caledonia to Guadalcanal were not pleasant experiences. Early each morning in the holds hot sticky bodies groped their way in the semi-darkness through rows of canvas bunks tiered five high to reach the decks for fresh air. The dark hours on the deck were the only ones that suggested any relief from the sun. During daylight hours the hot decks offered barely a single sheltered spot. To add to the discomfort, life jackets had to be worn at all times, and tin hats were kept handy for any eventuality. Messing was as on all US transports—twice daily—but even that seemed too often when it entailed moving in a queue which wove along the decks and corridors with snail-like progress to a mess room, the humidity of which heightened the discomfort of a temperature of 140 degrees. Sticky salt water was all that was available for toilet purposes. A shower was of little use, as sweat immediately nullified any sensation of freshness. Fatigues were prevalent. Sweeping decks, fire pickets, duty in the galleys (kitchen police) and look-outs were some of the categories required for the daily round of chores.
The convoy in which E and K sections were sailing had anchored off Point Cruz, Guadalcanal, at 9 am on 27 August. Everyone had been at the deck rails since daylight watching the changing contour of the island. Draped in jungle to the water's edge, with long belts of coconut plantations, the island rose majestically in a range of hills over which lay low clouds, some formed by the steam from the jungle. This was Guadalcanal—an island the name of which had become legend the world over. Along its coast lay wrecked Japanese transports, and on its beaches the remains of Japanese tanks. There wasn't much time to look around for sights of interest—the ships had to be
On 2 September G and J sections embarked at Nouméa on the President Jackson with the commencement of the movement northwards of the 8th Brigade Group. The convoy sailed two days later at 3 pm. On 3 September the convoy, which included the two ships on which unit headquarters, headquarters company, No. 1 company, X section and FMC signals were travelling dropped anchor about half a mile from Guadalcanal's shore at 10.30 am. Everyone had been confined to the almost untenable heat of the holds where they stood in readiness, complete with web, pack and rifle, awaiting the order to disembark. This actually commenced before the ship had stopped moving, and as waves of men went over the sides on the nets they were swallowed up by Higgins boats which speedily plied them to the shore. Many types of barges were soon in commission ferrying equipment from the transports to Kukum Beach, which was on the northern side of the famous Matanikau River. Unloading parties were left in the transports, and on the beach a large party from the unit was utilised in unloading the barges, irrespective of the ownership of the cargo. Once again the transports were prize targets for the enemy torpedo bombers as they lay off shore, and it became necessary to get them away Fuller during the unloading operations, while the unit's allied contemporaries did likewise to the Hunter Liggett. K rations provided the food for the inner man that day, but the exceptional heat on the beach led to many cases of fruit juices being broached as the toilers endeavoured to quench their thirsts. The beach itself soon became a dump of gigantic proportions.
Jap forces which swept south through the Solomon Islands against little or no opposition had been halted at Guadalcanal by US forces some months previously. Prolonged and at times severe fighting had ensued before the enemy were driven from the islands. He poured in reinforcements after the initial landings and contested every inch of ground in a way which made it clear that withdrawal from the Solomons was no part of his plans. The island itself, however, was not entirely out of the danger zone, and air raids by enemy aircraft still prevailed. Large transports off the shore and shore installations were often victims of these attacks. Measuring 92 miles long by 33 miles wide at its greatest width, the 'Canal' had little pre-war background. Its only commonly known commercial aspect was the Lever Bros, coconut plantations which paralleled the shore line in symmetrical rows for almost the length of the island. The coconuts, however, had not been picked since the Japanese occupation of the island in 1942, with the result that coconuts falling from their lofty twigs proved almost as dangerous as falling bombs. To the rear of the plantations was the jungle and ranges of the interior. The highest peak, Popomanasiu, rose to 8005 feet. From these ranges flowed many large rivers and amongst those which readily come to mind are the Matanikau and the Lunga—both scenes of bloody action.
On the conclusion of the unloading, members of headquarters and No. 1 companies, who had been assisting, left the beach to join their respective companies who were now at the divisional area on a grass-covered coral ridge where the battle of the 'Grassy Knoll' was fought. This was about a mile from the landing point. Everywhere there was evidence of the recent conflict, fox-holes, dugouts and shell holes pockmarked the ground. There were live hand grenades and booby traps all over the area, and extreme care had to be taken when moving about.
All the unit's equipment was being gradually transported by vehicles from the beach to the camp area. Tents were erected and sites were prepared for signal installations and cookhouses. Fox-holes were on the priority list, logs being utilised in their construction to provide protection from anti-aircraft shrapnel which seemed more dangerous than the bombs dropped—apart from a direct hit. Extreme difficulties were experienced in maintaining line communication. Some disused lines were taken over by B cable section, but these were found to be in poor condition. Mobile cranes, graders, bulldozers and falling trees contributed to the constant faults that occurred and gave linesmen a foretaste of the setbacks they were going to receive from this source in future operations. E section prided itself in being the first to produce a news sheet, but it was closely followed by other sections who utilised some of their faster operators to 'take off' the Macky radio press news from station KFS, San Francisco. Water was scarce but a water-point about half a mile away provided facilities for clothes washing. Numerous efforts to divine water in camps were made, but in this they were unsuccessful.
FMC signals utilised their own truck to move themselves and equipment from the beach to their area where a signal office commenced to function and the wireless crew reconnoitred for a suitable location to erect the 250-watt transmitter to form the rear link to base, 1,000 miles away in New Caledonia. This was installed in a 4-man prefabricated hut on a ridge, about a mile further inland from FMC. The site had been carefully chosen because of the facilities afforded for the erection of directional transmitting aerials. The power plant, an Onan three kilowatt
From 6 September to 11 September G and J sections participated in amphibious manoeuvres at Efate, New Hebrides, similar to those undertaken by their predecessors, the 14th Brigade and Third Divisional Headquarters. General Barrowclough flew from New Caledonia and Guadalcanal respectively to witness each manoeuvre. The general also visited the transports and chatted with the men.
On Guadalcanal D section's signal office was functioning with a complete setup and the traffic being handled was heavy. Apart from the rear link operated by the FMC section no wireless links were maintained within the force. Members of A section therefore found themselves fair game for camp construction duties. Lines were laid locally and to the 14th Brigade, CCS, 10th Mobile Dental, ammunition dump, 144th Independent Battery, 29th Light AA Regiment, Divisional Artillery HQ, and FMC headquarters. 22nd Field Ambulance and trunk lines to US exchanges. Bombs broke some of these lines during air-raids. A despatch rider service covering all New Zealand and some American units was inaugurated. For protection the exchange was put underground in an over-size fox-hole. In spite of the heavy air losses the enemy continued to endeavour to penetrate the defenses with spasmodic raids. Several alarms—or conditions red as they were officially known—on which nothing seemingly happened, provided the first experience of a speedy retirement to fox-holes. Legend had it that TojoVs son lost his life in the fighting on Guadalcanal, and to avenge his death an air attack-was consistently made on the thirteenth of each month—the date of his death. As if to prove this legend, 13 September 1943 proved no exception, and during the night enemy bombers endeavoured to attack the Henderson airfield. At the first sound of the anti-aircraft guns going into action everyone dived for fox-holes, but the excitement was too much to miss and it was not long before personnel were outside again. The hillside
The approach of enemy planes—or bogeys—was usually detected _by radar stations situated around the coast. A warning was then issued by the American anti-aircraft unit to New Zealand divisional headquarters. From the D office exchange the 'condition red' was relayed throughout the division per medium of the exchanges at each formation headquarters. Each individual unit then sounded an alarm within its own camp. The all clear was announced by the same procedure. X section became the focal point of signal activity during these raids as it supplied the communications within the 29th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment whose 40 mm bofors stood ready during these and the many raids which followed.
An interesting address which gave personnel a fuller appreciation biographically of the islands they were now entering was given by the Bishop of Melanesia, the Right Rev. W. H. Bad-deley, on the history of the Solomons and the customs of the people. The natives on Guadalcanal were of a fine physique. Being missionary trained, they surprised many a conversationalist by answering in perfect English. No attempts have been made, though, to alter the design of their meagre clothing. In many instances army rations replaced their own type of diet, while their smoking tastes extended to the leading brands of American cigarettes. Men, women—and children too—smoked pipes. They could play five hundred like veterans and were as adept at thumbing a ride by truck or jeep as their white brothers. Some of them wxre employed as labourers by the US forces while others performed coast watching duties. The zone of the island occupied by the Allied forces was a seething mass of activity. Trucks, command cars, and jeeps formed an almost endless chain of traffic as they carried supplies and personnel along the coral
Near Lunga Point was the large American cemetery with its rows of gleaming white crosses standing beneath the guardianship of the Stars and Stripes. Further along the road the multitude of American administrative buildings, camps and hospitals contrasted with the jungle and tropical surroundings. It was a miniature city and within this area were the Henderson and Carney airfields and fighter strips, alive with the steady roar of fighter and bomber aircraft taking off and landing. Also from these fields flew the aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force which were playing no small part in the offensive against the enemy. Always of mutual interest was the job of the other fellow, and this was particularly so when personnel of the RNZAF and Third Division met. The hundreds of aircraft going and returning from patrols and raids north of Guadalcanal provided a diversion as they all passed over the signals camp. The RNZAF Hudsons, whose pilots knew the location of the New Zealanders, flew in so low that the wireless section's aerial masts in the camp quivered in the slipstream. In fact a 'Huddy Club' was formed by members of No. 1 company. Its purpose of greeting the passing planes was almost childish, yet it was typical of the small things which men fortunately did to add variety to what would otherwise have been a maddening existence. From the camps could be seen the wrecked Japanese transports along the coastline just south of Cape Esperance—a grim reminder of the thousands of Japs who perished in a vain endeavour to relieve their hard pressed garrison during the fighting for Guadalcanal. Twenty miles north of this scene, across a glass-like surface of tropical green water, could be seen the island of Florida where the Tulagi Harbour provided anchorage and a base for naval shipping. Tulagi is the administrative centre of the group.
Outdoor theatres abounded everywhere amongst the allied camps, so much so that one could really pick and choose which
One of the strangest tricks of nature and a constant source of interest was the presence of many insects and plants which possessed a strange power of luminosity similar to the more familiar glowworm. In the bush at night small beetles flew about in shoals like animated diamonds, each a pin point of light weaving to and fro. Although no more than a quarter of an inch in length these living dynamos could produce sufficient light to illuminate individual words when walking across a newspaper. Catlike eyes which peered from the bases of coconut trees were another luminous phenomenon of the jungle, glowing constantly in the dark, and following the passerby with an uncanny stare. Durig the day white parrots with their coarse screech were a common sight in the bush but the jungle really came to life at dusk, then with all the weirdest of noises imaginable.
Malaria precautions were carried out simply and effectively. At 6 o'clock each evening everyone was required to be dressed with his trousers tucked inside sox or anklets, shirt buttoned up to the neck, and shirt sleeves down; at that time, also, the daily atabrin tablet was taken. Numerous anopheles mosquitoes were seen but the freedom from the harmless but annoying mosquito of New Caledonia was almost too good to be true. However, the unit's anti-malaria squad was constantly on guard using a portable spray (carried on the back of the operator) to spread oil on all pools of water for a wide area around the camp, whether they larvae, thus annihilating the pest before it had a chance to breed and become a serious source of danger through transmitting malaria from natives already infected. It was a crime even to throw a bully-beef tin on the ground; filled with rain water it became an immediate breeding ground. Every signalman appreciated that the regulations were for the good of his own health and abided by them.
E and K. sections had already been on Guadalcanal three weeks, and No. 1 company less than a fortnight, when it became evident that another move northwards was afoot. G and J sections were still on the water. Action became the catchword. The New Zealand press published a war correspondent's report that, 'bronzed, lean and hard, the highly trained Third Division of the NZEF is ready to go into action against the Japanese at any time.' E and K sections with the 14th Brigade commenced to pack their equipment, and personnel of these and the other sections each received an issue of jungle suits. Style was not neglected and there were two distinct patterns in the suitings! One was of American origin, known as a fatigue suit, in light green herringbone twill, the other of New Zealand manufacture with the more familiar neater fitting bush shirt, drill trousers, and a soft cloth hat. The latter suit was heavily camouflaged with a variety of blobs and splashes of paint in far from delicate shades of jungle green, yellow, and black.
To ensure uniformity in signalling between the allied forces the procedure normally used in the transmission of messages by the New Zealand Corps of Signals was replaced by 'Combined Procedure." This entailed classes of instruction within the sections and some swot by the respective operators to enable a speedy readjustment. What transpired to be a last minute practice Hve shoot by the 17th Field Regiment was carried out over the battle-scarred Skyline Ridge, inland from Point Cruz. E section provided the communications which included the laying of a temporary line to control the traffic approaching the target area east of the Matanikau River. G and J sections arrived on 14 September and disembarked on Guadalcanal at 11 am in the same fashion as the other sections in the earlier convoys. Personnel of J section were detailed to assist with unloading
Chapter Six
Signals In Battle
Signals In Battle
North-west of Guadalcanal lies the New Georgia Group of islands. On New Georgia itself, American and Fijian forces landed early in July 1943 to begin the extermination of the Japanese. Six weeks later, on 15 August, American forces landed on the south-east corner of
Overture to the movement of divisional signals was the departure by air of Lieutenant-Colonel Burns and Captain Gillespie (cipher officer) from Guadalcanal at 7.15 am for Munda, New Georgia, on 15 September. No one had been told officially the name of the next location in the protracted move, but the portion of K section under Sergeant P, I. Gould, E section under the command of
Inside the destroyer screen, an assortment of ships carried their quota of men and equipment. This was the division's first movement on ships of these types, a wartime weapon, distinctive from the battle-grey mercantile transports which ventured from the rearward bases to Guadalcanal only. One type of these invasion craft was known as an LST. Of shallow draft, it pushed its bow through the breakers to the beach, opening bow doors and dropping a huge steel ramp. Inside was a vast parking floor from which trucks and tanks were driven ashore. Accommodation and air conditioning were definitely superior to that
An event of unique importance occured when troops on board the ships were given the opportunity of recording their votes for their choice in the New Zealand Parliamentary elections. A similar opportunity was given to the remainder of the division still located on Guadalcanal and New Caledonia, the results of the voting being later transmitted in cipher over the rear link to New Zealand by base signals. That night the moon came up in all its glory. It was a perfect night, perfect for only one thing in that part of the tropics—bombers. A general alarm was sounded during the evening but nothing eventuated. Across the water at Munda the flashing of guns could be seen and fires showed where the enemy bombs had fallen. In the early hours of the morning a further alarm was relayed throughout the convoy, and two protecting destroyers on the flanks opened fire on enemy aircraft. No damage to the convoy resulted from the enemy activity.
As they neared
Unloading was completed by 2 pm and members of No. 1 company were then transported to advanced divisional headquarters area in the jungle, a half mile to the rear of the Barakoma airstrip where the Americans and HQ Island Command were established. This short journey took two hours through a sea of smelly mud which continually bogged down the vehicles. Ground sheets and palm fronds were improvised in an endeavour to provide cover in the wet, dark jungle until tents arrived with later echelons. Fox-holes were dug and suitable spots such as bomb craters in which to dive in an emergency were mentally viewed by members of the company. An Australian coast-watcher warned them that they could expect raids nightly, and the warning was fulfilled shortly after when falling bombs commenced to whistle overhead, landing with a dull crump between the airstrip and the camp. There were seven raids that night, all too close to feel comfortable, and fox-holes were consequently improved the following day. The wellknown trick of dropping beer bottles, bearing the label of the Kirin brewery, Manchukuo, was also resorted to by the Jap. The anti-morale
A No. 9 wireless set in use by members of the School of Signals at Moindah, former site of Divisional Signals camp.
Left: Linesmen at the school using spiked pole climbers with which to scale trees. Tt was good practice for the jungle. Below: Drivers at the school parading with their mobile signal offices and also the wireless vansTwo pictures from the jungle on Vella Lavella.
Above: A group of Divisional Signals personnel taken at Warambari Bay. Below: A composite line party from No. 1 company and E and K sections after spending fourteen days in enemy occupied territory laying cable through jungle country which was often indented with coral inlets
E section landed from its APD at Uzamba, slightly north of where the No. 1 company advanced party landed. From this beach to Gill's Plantation at Joroveto (at the northern end of the American perimeter), where the 14th Brigade Headquarters and 17th Field Regiment were established, was approximately six miles. It was therefore necessary for the section to march this distance along a muddy jungle track. Rifles, full packs and sea-kits were carried on this sweltering trek. Highlights of the march were a hasty retreat to the cover of the jungle during the midday air raid, and the wading of the Joroveto River which at that stage did not possess a bridge. That afternoon the section had an exchange in operation. Linesmen laid lines locally and one almost as far as Maravari to the 35th Battalion switchboard, which in turn was connected to the 12th Battery. This entailed the recrossing of the Joroveto River. There wasn't much life left in some of the bodies as they tumbled into their fox-holes that night, but Tojo was determined there should be no sleep. From 8 pm until 5 am the next morning enemy planes were continually overhead and on one occasion members of the section were sprayed with dirt and shrapnel as a bomb exploded perilously close. Fox-holes became much deeper after that! Pickets were posted each night with the instructions that all objects moving above the ground were the enemy. The portion of K section, plus three personnel detached from X section, who were accompanying the 207th Battery, went ashore at Maravari, An ingenious idea was the transplanting of phosphorous plants along the mud tracks of the area as guidance for the speedy movement required to reach fox-holes during air raids. It rained in tropical quantities every night, and with little sun getting through the dense foliage the ground remained a quagmire. Camped alongside advanced divisional headquarters were the Fijian commandos whose prowess on patrols had become legendary.
The defence of the perimeter extending from Barakoma to Joroveto was the responsibility of the 4th US Marine Defence Battalion. Inside the perimeter were the American units, New Zealand Divisional Headquarters, 14th Brigade, the airstrip and a naval boat pool at Biloa, just south of the strip. From an
As K section had not arrived on the island with its full complement it was decided to amalgamate it with E section and then split the combination into two similar working parties. Members of both sections were therefore mixed for the purpose of the campaign.
Almost simultaneously with the departure of the sections from this area was the arrival of the remainder of K section tinder the command of Second-Lieutenant Crawley and a portion of headquarters and No. 1 companies in a further echelon from Guadalcanal. Their mode of travel was similar to that of the original contingents, and was not without its share of tenseness due to enemy activity. After landing at Uzamba and Z beach (nearer Maravari), the signals complement assisted with the unloading of the LSTs and concurrently sampled the enemy's air fury. One LST was badly damaged, but there were no signals casualties. This portion of K section then trekked through the mud to rear brigade headquarters. Similarly, 23 of the 54 other ranks of headquarters and No. 1 companies under Lieutenant Fitchett went to the future area of divisional headquarters, also in Gill's Plantation, Joroveto (near brigade headquarters). Previously, Colonel Burns with other divisional officers had reconnoitred this site and found it suitable for the ultimate location of divisional headquarters. Five other ranks of the draft went to Barakoma where the advanced party of No. 1 company was still operating, and the remaining 26 of this latest draft—members of B cable section—camped with the 20th Field Engineers at a site between Maravari and Joroveto. Later 11 of these were detailed to prepare for their movement to Matu Soroto.
Also set up were the signal office, cipher section and exchange through which passed all inward and outward transmissions together with telephone calls within the headquarters area and to
On the opposite side of the enemy, at the 37th Battalion combat headquarters at Boro, E section quickly settled down to the task in hand. No exchange was set up, but direct lines were laid between the 53rd Anti-tank Battery, 35th Battery and combat headquarters. Attempts to communicate with the 12th Battery attached to the 35th Battalion using a No. 21 set were made but were unsuccessful. A No. 11 set was fully employed on the brigade net and conditions in this area were a little better than those experienced by their contemporaries at K section. It was almost a week before the infantry made any major contact with the enemy, apart from one skirmish on the coast, when a Jap barge was captured and 13 Japs killed. Participating in this successful patrol and action was Con fident and was a familiar sight around the shores of
The dawn of 1 October heralded an eventful day. No. 1 company's No. 11 wireless station on the island net was transferred to the site of divisional headquarters at Gill's Plantation where signals personnel of the second echelon had been actively engaged preparing installations for the movement there of the entire setup from Barakoma. It took almost seven hours to move the distance of six miles to the new site along the roughly hewn roadway which was a sea of mud and fallen coconut logs. In addition to the other wireless links, the American net to Munda was still continued by A wireless section following the move. By this day, too, B cable section linesmen had completed one of the new 'urgently required' trunk lines being laid between Gill's Plantation and Barakoma, thereby enabling the abandonment of the worn out line. Although the smallest, probably no echelon was more welcome than the 15 other ranks who arrived on this day bringing with them three specially designed wireless vans and other technical equipment, including new ZC1 wireless stations. Landing with the 209th Battery at Niarovi were also two divisional signallers detached from X section. As usual the arrival of the convoy had not escaped the watchful eyes of the Japanese and, like its predecessors, the convoy suffered casualties and damage during the unloading operations from ferocious air attacks. The LST from which the 209tb Battery was landing received a direct hit, killing 15 members of a New Zealand bofors gun crew, all in action at their posts on the deck of the landing craft. Among the wounded was divisional signals first battle casualty, Signalman J. J. Ford who, although himself severely wounded, carried a wounded comrade from the hold of the bombed LST—during the actual dive bombing attack—down to the safety of the shore where he collapsed from the loss of blood. The following day, 2 October, No. 1 company moved with advanced divisional headquarters at Barakoma to the new area in Gill's Plantation, Joroveto. About this period the troops on both the east and west coasts witnessed, in the blackness of the night, the glare of naval guns in action, and the curved paths of colourful tracers from the guns of Admiral Halsey's naval forces as they intercepted the enemy attempt to evacuate some 8,000 of his troops from Kolombangara. The navy destroyed over 150 enemy barges during this episode and for weeks after, Jap bodies were seen in the sea and washed up around the coral coastline of
The arrival at advanced brigade headquarters of ten members of B cable section under
Because of the distribution of personnel by the sections, the signal officers, operators, cipher clerks and linesmen were working long hours with little sleep. Every night the enemy was
On 3 October Lance-Corporal D. E. Smith,
On the completion of the composite cable party's task on the 35th Battalion side of the battle, its members were conveyed by barge to the 37th Battalion's field of activity, landing at Tambama to amalgamate with E section's cable party and commence the construction of a line through unpatrolled enemy territory to the 37th Battalion, newly dug in at Warambari. Allowing an extra mile and a-half of cable for the unpredictable route of the jungle, the party carried 882 lbs of WHO cable in addition to their own personal effects and weapons as they commenced their expedition through the jungle—a map distance of three miles. With native guides (who were not always sure of their position in the jungle, but possessed an uncanny sense for 'Smelling out' the enemy) line was laid across knee-deep mangrove swamps and crocodile infested rivers. Visibility at its best was limited to 25 yards—it was usually not more than five yards but protection was still being accorded the party by the field security section. K rations and coconuts provided the only nourishment and at nightfall the party slept in a circle with every fourth man awake for a two-hour picket. To complete the nervous tension, no movement, no talking, and no smoking was permissible. Work commenced again at daybreak. On the second day the cable ran out, necessitating a request (over the line) for further supplies to be brought around the coast by barge. The cable soon arrived, together with a much appreciated replenishment of fresh water, and the barge returned to Tambama with a member of the party suffering from dysentry.
Although in enemy territory no Japs had been seen but it was generally felt that the party's activities had been observed and relayed by the enemy to dive bombers who came over during the second night to bomb, without success, the area in which the linesmen were bivouacked. On the third day the crack of a Jap
Corporal Oldham's party again ran out cable and being uncertain of their location they then left the line to concentrate on reaching Warambari. It was late afternoon when the guide climbed a tree in an endeavour to view their location and reported hearing what was interpreted to be the sound of a battery charger. About 5 pm the fringe of the jungle on the edge of. Warambari Bay was reached, where, across the bay, New Zealanders could be seen bathing. In response to signals from the field security officer, while the remainder of the party stayed under cover, a Higgins boat was despatched from across the bay to effect the party's rescue, but not without precaution, and the protection of three bren guns mounted on the craft in case it should have been a Japanese hoax. A few minutes later, an almost exhausted party was in F. section's encampment at the headquarters of the 37th Battalion combat team. They then learned that their exit from the jungle was covered not only by bren guns but also by mortars, trained on the spot for an eventuality. Over nine miles of cable had been laid on this uncompleted line and, as mentioned before, it was an estimated map line journey of three miles. Throughout the arduous journey the line had been checked for faults every half-mile, and following its completion by linesmen the following day successful telephone communication was established on 9 October.
On the nights of 6 and 7 October it was estimated that nearly 500 of the enemy were evacuated by sea near Warambari but in view of the naval activity which ensued a few miles north of the island it was doubtful whether any of these reached the refuge of another base. The 35th Battalion combat team advanced to Marquana Bay (only a few hundred yards from Warambari) for the conclusion of the campaign and linesmen
During the action natives, proud members of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate Defence Force (BSIPDF) had rendered invaluable service as guides to infantry patrols and line parties whose duties took them through enemy territory. The natives also used walkie-talkie wireless sets over which, in their Biloa and Roviana languages, they passed messages that naturally defied interpreting by the Japanese. Throughout the period signals had virtual radio communication from the front line to Army Headquarters, Wellington. The link commenced from E and K sections to No. 1 company on
E section with the cable men from No. 1 company then returned to Boro where the cable parties commenced the construction of an earth return circuit from Boro to Varusi, a distance of four miles. B cable section linesmen, however, assisted with only the first mile of this project before returning to Joroveto and members of K section moved up to assist in the completion of the line. Further members of E section accompanied an infantry patrol which left for Karaka from where operators
On 10 October No. 1 company was also in wireless
With the invasion of the Treasury Islands on 27 October by the 8th Brigade Group a further wireless link on which the traffic became very heavy came into being. Peak period for transmission and retransmission—for many of the messages were for retransmission to Guadalcanal—was reached on the last day of the month when the number of groups handled in a 24-hour period created a new unit record. The feat was all the more noteworthy because of the shocking atmospheric conditions prevailing. The signals were at times almost too weak to be read. The operators were Lance-Corporal P. R. Back, Signalmen G. D. McDonald,
To enable its functioning during air raids, D section's two BD 72 exchanges were placed underground, and there was plenty of
Unit headquarters, the signal office, exchange, cipher section and wireless stations were all housed either underground, in tents or in wireless vans adjacent to divisional headquarters on a ridge which rose above the actual camp area. Access to this scene of activity from the camp was by steps cut in the hillside and, although they were not exceptionally long or steep, so humid was the atmosphere during daylight hours that the wartime catch line 'is your journey really necessary?' readily loomed before anyone contemplating the climb. Within a few hundred yards of divisional headquarters, too, were E and K sections where each had similar individual camps in the jungle, wireless, telephone and despatch rider channels of communication to their formation units. Progressively received with the echelons were the sections' jeeps, six-by-fours, quads and wireless vans, which became actively engaged in assisting communication tasks. The wireless vans were a new acquisition, in use under active service conditions for the first time. Designed and constructed in New Zealand, the vehicles were complete with ZC1 radio stations and ZA1 50-watt amplifiers, generator for battery charging, electric fans for interior coolness, blackout screens to enable the continuity of transmission during air raids, and built in desks and cupboards. Their mobility, like that of other vehicles in the jungle scene, however, was limited to clearings or prepared pathways.
As the brigade and the divisional headquarters began to settle down in their respective defence areas communications again assumed the more familiar static role with a local coverage embracing the entire island. E section handled the flow of traffic between headquarters of the 17th Field Regiment and its batteries, and was linked by trunk line to brigade headquarters. From brigade headquarters K section transmitted messages and despatches to the two dispersed battalions, to the nearby 30th Battalion and supporting units within the group. The section also established a report centre at Maravari which became the transmission point for all despatches sent by barge to the companies around the coast. The switchboard at K section was then in turn linked to the underground exchange of No. 1 company at divisional headquarters by two trunk lines. From this latter board extended some further 50 telephone circuits connecting division to the naval base, air operations, the field companies, forward ordnance depot, 22nd Field Ambulance, ASC and a host of other New Zealand and American units. To all these areas lines had to be laid and to assist in the maintenance of the myriads of them faultmen were required to remain camped at various points to ensure speedy repairs as faults developed— whatever the hour of the day. The lines received no respect from bulldozers, electrical storms and falling trees. WHO cable was used for the majority of permanent lines while for the trunk lines from Joroveto to the naval base, at Biloa, 'spiral 4' came into use. The neat appearance of the lines as they entered the divisional exchange from their coconut tree terminal was certainly a reflection of credit on the workmanship of D section linesmen who operated under
Not the least spectacular part played by members of the unit was that of exchange operators who in shifts over 24 hours a day plugged through hundreds of telephone calls which were all vital in the operational and administrative employment of the division. For the operators this involved a wide immediate knowledge of code names and formation dispositions to facilitate plugging through the calls of subscribers with the speed generally only expected of a modern metropolis. Typical of the After every rainstorm mud rose to the floors of jeeps on the roads through the jungle.
Left: Sergeant E. Marriot, a member of the cipher section, coding a message for transmission by wireless. Below: A No. 48 wireless set in use during operations in the jungle met with on Linesmen of D section at work on a jungle 'telegraph pole' where a network of telephone cables converged to enter the exchange situated at Divisional Signals in Gill's Plantation
The coast road on Right: Corporal R. Macdonald and
Scene of activity for many personnel was the naval base at Biloa. a short distance past the airstrip. Here, faultmen lived together with operators of both D and A sections who provided wireless and landline communication with divisional headquarters. This location often fell within the target area of Jap bomber sights and those stationed there experienced 'close shaves' on more than one occasion, At the same site was a store of American signal supplies and equipment which came directly under the control of divisional signals. Two B cable section faultmen also remained nearby at air operations headquarters. Fullerphones were used originally in the land link to navy from the signal office at divisional headquarters, but with the arrival from New Zealand of the new long range telegraph sets—a development of the SEE—they were immediately replaced by the latter instruments. The function of the two machines was similar in that they both transmitted morse signals which could not be intercepted by tapping the lines, but the increased range of the LRTS coupled with its crystal clear note, which was music in the ears of operators, made it a more acceptable instrument.
The movement from the island of the First Marine Corps
Chapter Seven
Opposed Landing
Opposed Landing
Within the few weeks following the arrival of G and J sections on Guadalcanal a programme of intensive training commenced. X section, which had arrived earlier on the island, also participated in this schedule. In addition all three sections had been operational from the moment of arrival inasmuch as they continuously maintained signal offices, despatch services, exchanges and general telephone communications within the brigade. Particular attention was paid to practice in laying submarine cables, and the linesmen of each section became as adept at working on the water as they were at laying lines on the land. On 7 October the ranks of J section were increased by the addition of two officers and 47 other ranks of the First US Marine Amphibious Corps who were to participate with the section on impending operations.
Realistic landing trials under a blazing sun on the beaches of Florida Island also occupied the section's time when, with the 8th Brigade, they crossed the channel from Guadalcanal in invasion craft. On the shore wireless and telephone links were established between brigade headquarters and the battalions, but communications were not the feature of the manœuvre, its purpose being to train in amphibious landings. This exercise was repeated on two successive days, a portion of the sections going on each occasion. Later, a jungle shoot carried out on the battlefield known as 'Bloody Ridge,' on Guadalcanal, lacked nothing in realism. These sections also received their allocation of the new ZC1 radio stations, and in exploring their capabilities no efforts were spared. Typical was the action of G section operators who gained valuable knowledge when they took a set
Finally, on about 23 October, the packing of the section's equipment began in earnest for the forthcoming move of the Sth Brigade, announced as the invasion of the Treasury Islands which lay 278 miles north of Guadalcanal and less than 30 miles south of the strong Japanese base of Bougainville. Between the Treasuries and Bougainville lay the Shortland Islands, then the hub of the enemy's float-plane activity and a veritable fortress of both coastal and anti-aircraft guns. At this juncture the northernmost forces in the Solomon Islands were those of the 14th Brigade on
The Treasury Group is a British possession consisting mainly of the larger Mono and smaller Stirling Islands. Their inhabitants are brawny Solomon Islanders. Between these two islands lies the waterway known as Blanche Harbour—a sheltered anchorage ideally suitable for naval purposes and for the amphibious landing of troops on the islands' shores. Sand maps were used as the basis for making every man familiar with the part he had to play in the undertaking and everything was planned to the last detail. Personnel of G and J and X sections embarked on 25 October on LSTs and LCIs with the other elements of the brigade for the journey northwards of the first echelon. Landing and unloading practices were again carried out to ensure that everyone was familiar with the procedure, as a hitch could mean success or failure. Late that afternoon the convoy pulled out into the stream to await sailing orders which
The bombardment ceased at 6.24 am when silence reigned momentarily. Two minutes later the first New Zealanders to make an opposed landing since Gallipoli in World War 1 streamed on to the coral sand beaches in the face of fierce enemy machinegun fire. As the second wave, consisting of LCIs and LSTs, pushed their noses on to the beaches at Falamai the enemy found the effective range for their mortars, causing casualties to men, vehicles and ships, and under heavy fire the beach-head was gradually enlarged by the 29th and 36th Battalions. A number of enemy emplacements within the village were the first to receive attention from the invaders and these were quickly silenced, although one which feigned a knockout later came to life. The only ones to escape attention from this Nip nest were members of J section, under Second-Lieutenant Gowland who, with all their equipment, filed past unmolested in the process of forming their forward report centre near Cutler's Creek.
With each of the two battalions landing on Mono Island were wireless detachments from J section, equipped with ZC1 radio stations, and linesmen to lay assault cable back from the battalion headquarters to the report centre. The wireless sets were protected from salt spray and mud by carrying them ashore in waterproof coverings. It was here that Signalman F. E. Fry, a member of one of these detachments, received shrapnel wounds
Across Blanche Harbour, on Stirling Island, landings were made simultaneously with those on Mono. Here the 34th Battalion and brigade headquarters landed without opposition. A wireless detachment of J section was with the battalion headquarters. Headquarters of the 29th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment and the 38th Field Regiment also became established there, and at each of these, signal offices, exchanges and radio communication were immediately inaugurated by X and G sections respectively. The former section was in contact with the 208th Battery and the latter with Loganforce and brigade headquarters.
Nerve centre of the entire setup was a portion of J section under the command of Captain Parkhouse at brigade headquarters. To and from here flowed all wireless, line and despatch traffic. Here, too, was the rearward wireless link from brigade to divisional headquarters on
Pup and camouflaged tents were used as shelters for the signal offices at most centres, but foremost consideration was the quick excavation of deep fox-holes in which to house and protect the wireless stations, exchanges and cipher clerks, and to this end all available personnel were diverted. A twice-daily task was the recharging of the batteries from the ZC1 stations which were with the battalions. As J section's battery charges on Mono Island were at the report centre this entailed a wearisome trudge with the cumbersome load quite a distance through jungle in which snipers still lurked. Appreciated therefore was the action of a padre who voluntarily acted as bodyguard to the carriers of the recharged batteries.
As darkness fell a Japanese float plane put in an appearance over the islands, presumably with a view to determining the force's anti-aircraft defences, but the guns remained silent. To assist the plane in its mission enemy land forces shot brilliant flares over the New Zealand positions. It then became apparent that the enemy's attention was focused on disrupting communications, as the only bomb dropped landed in close proximity to the underground wireless station at J section's report centre. Although the station escaped unscathed every line leaving the report centre switchboards was ripped to shreds. The linesmen of J and X sections immediately commenced to repair the damage but not without incurring considerable personal danger, as the Jap, well known for his infiltration tactics, was endeavouring to create confusion. The natural noises of the jungle at night were sufficient in themselves as a test of nerves without the unwelcome attentions of the prowling enemy. In the second day the laying of telephone lines across Blanche Harbour to link the two islands became the priority work of linesmen and both J and X sections were engaged in this task. The enemy on Mono Island was being gradually pushed back and exterminated by the battalions, so consequently interference from this source was almost eliminated, although a few snipers still held effective hide-outs from which they shot at small craft plying within the harbour. Due to the
Padre G. R. Thompson of Divisional Headquarters playing nurse-maid to some young Solomon Islanders. Sometimes native choirs would sing at the padre's church services
Through such country as this, depicted by an official artist, signals personnel laid lines and worked wireless sets in operations in SolomonsA view
of Blanche Harbour, Treasury Islands, from Sth Brigade Headquarters. J, G and X sections took part in capture of these Islands. The harbour lay between Mono and StirlingJ section signals, taken in the Treasuries before the 8th Brigade returned to New Zealand to be disbanded
Divisional Signals linesmen at work on lines erected across Stirling Island. This communication system served both the New Zealanders and Americans. On an island barely three and a half miles long by half a mile wide these poles carried well over two hundred miles of telephone cable
This native orchestra entertained A wireless section during a visit to Simbo Island. In the foreground is a gift of tropical fruits.
Below: Solomon Islanders in their large war canoes which were hidden in the jungle during the time of the Japanese occupation. The bow and stern pieces were usually beautifully ornamented with coloured feathers and gums
On the shore, long bladed machetes were a valuable part of the cablemen's equipment for hacking their way through the dense undergrowth. Linesmen carried rifles also but they were found to be heavy and cumbersome, although it was never known when they would provide the means of protection. It was all accepted as part of a day's work, normally unspectacular but tremendously important in the realisation of successful communications. A further line laid that day was one from the 38th Field Regiment Headquarters to brigade headquarters by three men of G section under
Little sleep was enjoyed by any personnel during the night. Communications were maintained throughout and, within an outer circle of foxholes around the respective report centres, pickets did their best to stay awake. No talking, smoking or movement was allowed in their cramped positions but a rope strung between the trenches was tugged to convey pre-arranged signals from one to the other of the guard. This protective task was later undertaken by the provosts and the brigade defence platoon. One of the foremost difficulties confronting the three section commanders was the provision of suitable facilities during the night hours to enable signal office personnel—especially cipher—to work with lights and yet retain security by the complete blackout enforced. It was not particularly comfortable for the
As night fell at the end of the second day's action the enemy ground forces again endeavoured to sow seeds of confusion in the New Zealand lines and some 30 to 40 bombs were dropped by the Nip air force in an unsuccessful endeavour to attain the desired effect. Allied anti-aircraft guns opened up for the first time and balls of coloured tracers ballooned skywards in a ring of defence. To the gunners it was their job; but for the signalmen who had installed the communications and hot loops which enabled the coordination of gun fire and orders, there was that warm satisfaction of being the men who aided such efficiency. Due to the prevalence of snipers during the night on Mono Island it became necessary for the adoption of 'freddie' procedure (no reply) on the receipt of messages to avoid disclosing the presence of some of the radio stations. Further, it was the general belief that the enemy was 'homing' on the sets, as stations were strafed on three successive nights despite a move of considerable distance each day. Further to substantiate their claims X section used a remote controlled station as a decoy and that location was bombed. The busiest of all wireless links was naturally the rearward one on which traffic between the Treasuries and divisional headquarters on
Gradually the sections consolidated their positions, new lines were laid, others maintained and the general facilities for signal offices, exchanges and wireless stations were improved. Together with their equipment the remaining personnel from Guadalcanal arrived in further echelons and with the sections back to their normal strength the initial plan was the reallocation of the men at their respective posts to enable some respite for those weary through the strain of the battle. Air raids continued,
On 3 November the detachment with Loganforce at Soano-talu repulsed Japanese infiltration into its area and
Early in December, Stirling Island commenced to assume a new face as American construction battalions landed on the shores from successive waves of LSTs with thousands of tons of heavy equipment and commenced the construction of an airstrip and base in the matted jungle bordering the locations of J, X and G sections. Giant bulldozers, scoops and cranes worked night and day with ant-like precision tearing the jungle down and levelling the island into a mile and a-quarter strip of smooth-blinding white coral, complete with revetments. The only discouraging aspect of this operation was the fate of the multitude of telephone lines then extending between the exchanges and subscribers along the island. These became open game for the bulldozers and falling trees and provided plenty of scope for airing the extensive vocabulary of the linesmen who were con-. stantly employed repairing them. SCATS flew in under the protective cover of fighter aircraft to drop by parachute vitally needed equipment. By the end of the month the strip was completed and fully operational. This enabled the joining of another link in the daily air carriage of signal safe handbags containing many hundreds of certified official despatches in a service which spanned from the Treasuries to
Despatch rider circuits became scheduled routine from the section signal officers. Jeeps, those rugged defers of the mud and jungle, were used as the means of transportation on Stirling island; on Mono Island the courier used a boat for his daily run around the coast from the report centre at Falamai, to Malsi and Soanotalu in the delivery of despatches. With the number of telephone lines on Stirling Island increasing almost daily it became evident that a more permanent arrangement was required to carry the cross-island lines in lieu of the existing tree-tying method. The erection of a poled line, similar to that used in cities, was decided upon. Sufficient linesmen for the undertaking
Synonymous with the tropical heat of the islands which caused rivulets of sweat continually to run down the men's bodies as they worked, was the torrential rain, deafening thunder and vivid lightning that even succeeded in penetrating the protective and distributing (P and D) frames of the exchanges and bowling operators from their seats. Blown light globes on the exchanges, and shorted rectifiers in the wireless sets, were common victims. Typical of the fortunate escapes experienced by most, at some time or another, was the evening when occupants of a tent at J section avoided injury when a lofty coconut palm crashed across the top of their shelter. It was all thrown in with eradicating the Jap from the South-west Pacific.
Chapter Eight
Sweating It Out
Sweating It Out
With the captured Munda airstrip on New Georgia and the newly constructed coral runway on Stirling Island in use by allied air forces the Jap began to feel the effects of increased bomb loads on his northern Solomon Island bases; consequently enemy air raids on
With a view to providing relaxation during the heat, an order was issued through the division outlining a scheme whereby duties were to be confined to the earlier hours of the day. This was applied where possible throughout signals, although, due to the extensive nature of the communication network which operated 24 hours a day, it was not practical to allow all signalmen to participate. Those who were fortunate in being relieved in the afternoons, however, made the most of it and swimming in the sea was a major attraction. The tepid water was refreshing but like most other things in the jungle arena there was a 'catch in it' and care had to be taken to avoid coral scratches which soon turned septic. Rubber soled jungle boots were the approved bathing costume. Further encouraged pastimes were the making of jungle knives, watch straps, trinkets and other novelties from ivory nuts, teak, mahogany, perspex, duralium and even toothbrush handles. As an antedote to the tediousness of duty in the tropics these crafts proved of immense occupational therapy value. Crashed aircraft on the airstrips of
Centres of attraction for most off-duty personnel in the evenings were the YMCA tents, or as in the instance of those stationed near unit headquarters, Padre Thomson's recreation tent, where cups of tea and biscuits were dispensed daily by the hundred. Much used furnishings were the writing and reading table, where dogeared magazines and newspapers were read many times over. Quiz sessions, which sharpened the minds of audiences and competitive unit teams alike, were another popular evening feature. A further well patronised place for those on
An interesting address attended by many was that given by the An official artist's impression of soldiers unloading equipment from an LST on Falamai Beach, Mono Island. 8th Brigade troops landed here
Japanese radio transmitters and receivers captured by the infantry on
Anti-aircraft guns pointed to the sky and an umbrella of aircraft maintained a watch overhead as the LSTs and LCIs unloaded their complements of men, vehicles and equipment during the Nissan Island landing. These two pictures were taken inside the lagoon, the entrance to which can be plainly seen to the right of the LST unloading in the upper picture
Rations in quantity and quality were not the best. Originally supplied from open dumps which had to withstand the rigours of the climate, the tins of food rapidly deteriorated. From the supply, which was initially light, the loss of 'blown' tins as the ration period progressed further decreased the quantity of food available. Morale correspondingly fell and one signalman who adopted the wrong avenue to express his feelings on the subject of meagre rations found himself the recipient of 90 days' field punishment. From time to time fresh meat and vegetables did arrive from New Zealand but the vegetables were seldom consumable; sugar and tea were luxuries. Perhaps aggravating the situation from the layman's point of view was the fact that American units who camped alongside appeared to receive ample
A notable visitor to all New Zealand camps was his Excellency the Governor-General of New Zealand,
An event which nearly spelt disaster for base signals in New Caledonia occurred one afternoon in November when the crew at the Gracefield radio station noticed the dry grass which covered that area burning fiercely along the river roadway and about 150 yards away from the transmitters on the hill above. They immediately informed their commanding officer who arrived on the scene a few minutes later with the cable party as firemen. A start was made to create a firebreak around the buildings of the station while the five members of the station staff hurriedly gathered together the valuable equipment from the huts. Smartly removed was the petrol, and preparations were made for the quick disposal of the large generators, the 500 and 100 watt transmitters to safety if the situation warranted it. Reinforcement fire-fighters from other units, together with Kanaka prisoners from the nearby French prison, soon gathered to assist in quelling the fast approaching flames which were being fanned by a steady wind. After burning for over three-quarters of an hour, and just as the flames were getting perilously close, a miracle happened—the wind turned around and blew the flames away from the endangered station. The fire, however, continued to travel, and singed the stays of one of the outer aerial masts as it moved right along the rear of the station and township. It was brought under control some hours later.
As a goodwill mission and to enable medical aid to be rendered to the many natives of the twin islands of Naravo and Simbo, whose health had suffered through neglect and lack of supplies during the Japanese occupation of their islands, a party of New Zealand troops journeyed there from en route and from the islands. Long before the barges reached the shores of Naravo native voices could be heard across the calm water singing songs of welcome, and on landing, in addition to fulfilling
There still remained on Guadalcanal approximately 50 members of headquarters and No. 1 companies under the command of Major Heathenvick who were officially supplying the communications for rear divisional headquarters but who were in effect assisting to fill the role assigned to the understaffed FMC signal section. Major Heatherwick's additional task (prior to his own movement to the forward zone) at this centre was the
Life under active service conditions in the tropics and jungle was extremely trying and with a view to maintaining the vigour of the force and at the same time give an opportunity to other officers who had not had battle experience a survey was conducted throughout the division to record the particulars of all officers over the age of 41 and all other ranks over the age of 35. In signals, Major Wilson, officer commanding No. 1 company, Captain Gillespie, cipher officer, and Captain Watts, adjutant, together with a handful of signalmen, came into this category and, with the exception of Captain Gillespie (who was retained for special duty with divisional headquarters) were placed on the New Zealand roll or returned to rearward bases. Captain Clarke, officer commanding No. 2 company, had earlier asked to be allowed to return to New Zealand for business reasons. These movements then commenced a series of changes in commands which affected almost every officer in the unit. Major Clark relinquished his appointment as officer commanding the School of Signals to fill a similar role as officer commanding No. 1 company; Captain Wilton became adjutant vice Captain Watts; Captain Hanson became quartermaster vice Captain South, who became officer commanding the School of Signals; Lieutenant Harris became officer commanding B cable section vice Lieutenant Dreaver, who was transferred to FMC signal section; Captain Hanna became officer commanding K section vice Lieutenant Harris; Lieutenant Gould became cipher officer vice Captain Gillespie; Lieutenant Eady was promoted to captain and became officer commanding No. 2 company vice Captain Clark; Lieutenant Brown relinquished his appointment with base signals to become officer commanding E section vice Captain Eady; Captain Gettins was appointed officer commanding FMC signal section and was replaced as officer commanding
A privilege accepted by many was the opportunity to attend the dedication of the memorial chapel built by the Solomon Island natives alongside the graves of the New Zealanders and Americans killed in action against the Japanese on nara, of highly attractive grain, were the timbers chiefly used. Perched on the thatched ridge of the chapel were carved replicas of native birds from all the islands. One of these birds, foreign to those parts, was that of the kiwi, emblem of the Third Division. The natives scorned the tools offered by the engineers, preferring to use their own primitive implements. At the dedication, natives—women in their bright frocks and men wearing their best clothes—made a colourful setting against the church, palms and blue Pacific National Anthem and the Star Spangled Banner while the colours of both nations were deposited in the chancel. Chaplains of both forces conducted brief services and the act of dedication following which the native choir brought this touching service to a close. The natives were extremely friendly; most of them spoke exceptionally good English and Christian name greetings were always exchanged as friendships grew. Many men took the opportunity of attending the open air church services held by the natives in the jungle on Sundays. Deprived of their churches through enemy action the natives used logs to form a rostrum and seating accommodation for the congregation. The services were in native tongue interspersed with hymns by the Kiwis but the spontaneity of the strange native voices singing familiar hymns in four-part harmony was indeed a musical treat. On one occasion at Maravari the New Zealand band added to this scene of native sincerity which was exemplified by daily conduct and in the assistance given to the New Zealand forces.
Shortly before Christmas permission was granted base signals to become self-contained in a camp of their own. From this authority evolved a camp, known as Hinsdale, of prefabricated sleeping huts, mess rooms, canteen, orderly room and wireless receiving shack on the guava-covered hillside overlooking Bourail. The entire camp was erected by personnel of the unit and the wireless operators who formerly lived and performed their shifts at the Gracefield transmitting station then transferred to Hinsdale with the remainder of signals. The transmitting was then performed through the former transmitters by remote control. The advent of the ZC1 radio stations also brought about another change and enabled the replacing of the No. 9 sets on the Bourail (base)—Nouméa (sub-base) link. In powering these sets the operators had the advantage of being able to utilise the unit's 230-volt generators instead of the usual cumbrous batteries. This link was also remotely controlled from Hinsdale.
In addition to the heat there were deluges of rain with as much as six inches falling in one day. Clothes drying became a major problem and on one occasion on
On Christmas Day the camps near divisional headquarters were awakened by the voices of native choirs which wended their way between the tent lines singing carols. A more fitting introduction to this holy day could not have been imagined. Church services were held in the tropical and jungle settings of the re-spective areas during the day and dinner that evening was as traditional as circumstances permitted. An amusing incident was the arrival at E section's camp by jeep of 'Father Christmas,' who distributed balloons (local pattern) to his 'children.' A few days previously, additional rations had been received to enable plum puddings to be made; fruit cake was supplied by the field bakery and a beer issue (a rare sight for those in the forward area) of seven bottles a man became available for the Christmas-New Year period. There was an air of joviality that night as over 600 officers and men of divisional signals—spread out in sections over New Caledonia,
Each man received a free issue of the division's Christmas card—a reproduction of a painting of a jungle fighter by the official war artist. Coral News (formerly the Niaouli News). Although only duplicated, it was wholly produced within echo of the front line and possessed a two-colour cover with attractively laid out pages of articles and humour. In a message to the unit, Colonel Burns wrote: '… To look back for a moment over 1943, we can say that we have done something really constructive for the war effort. After months of training and preparation we have at last met the enemy in battle and beaten him. Every man in the Corps of Signals, NZEF IP, whether he has been at base or up with the forward troops as a target for snipers, can take some credit for this result. The division could not have been organised, it could not have been moved and it could not have fought without a signal system …'
On Boxing Day a swimming carnival was held for the troops on Auld Lang Syne and wish each other a happy New Year. New Zealand letter mail arrived regularly every week by air and there was no need to announce a mail parade twice on those occasions. Parcels and papers were not so frequent, however, being dependent on shipping space which naturally grew slimmer as the division drew away from its base. A well intentioned thought which went slightly astray due to the unavoidable delays in parcel mail provided a diversion for the recipient's tent mates when the parcel containing the gift was opened by a sweating signalman; it contained a woollen pullover!
Base signals seemed destined to have to withstand further trials and the 80 miles an hour gale which whipped their camp and installations early on the morning of 18 January certainly presented them with a test for ingenuity when communications had to be restored under overwhelming odds. Commencing at
On Vella Lavella and in the Treasuries ants were more plentiful than ever, while land crabs delighted in rummaging amongst personal effects and sharing fox-holes. A familiar sight in the evening hours was large migrations of crabs crossing the roadways to the sea; as often as not many of them became the victims of jeeps or other passing vehicles. Snakes were not so prevalent but quite a few signalmen could testify to meeting one of these unwelcome reptiles. Lance-Corporal Bell will remember the night he was on duty at unit headquarters and, on casually
Bogey of the unit on all the islands was the climate and the resultant condensation which day and night played havoc with wireless sets, switchboards, telephones, tents and personal effects. Mechanical equipment which possessed no apparent technical faults just suddenly ceased to operate due to the tricks of nature, thus keeping constantly employed section technicians and maintenance sections in fulltime opposition; warming devices were required alongside many of the switchboards and many ingenious arrangements were devised to assist. A visual example of the severity of the climate was witnessed when a new canvas kitbag became completely covered in mildew within two
An incident which later raised smiles, but at the time involved considerable energy, was the detection of a 'foreign' radio station intercepted transmitting from somewhere on
Two bright duplicated news sheets which made their appearance on Stirling Island were those of J and X sections and edited by Signalmen G. H. A. Smythe and
Chapter Nine
Twenty Minutes from Rabaul
Twenty Minutes from Rabaul
On Vella Lavella the proverbial crop of rumours began their rounds again. The 'dinkum oil' was that the division was returning to New Zealand; a politician had made the alleged statement that Kiwi troops would remain only a certain number of months in the malarial areas and that time for most had now expired—according to the 'experts.' With so many men deployed to various parts of the island on daily tasks it was only natural on their return to camp each evening that some good stories should eventuate, all of which naturally came from the 'right source.' Fortunately, nobody took the tales very seriously and the rumourmongers were equally quick with the answer 'I told you so' when something else transpired. In spite of it all, General Barrowclough left
Later in the month a detachment from K section was selected and went into training to accompany a reconnaissance which had been planned to be carried out by the 30th Battalion on the Japanese held island of Nissan, one of the Green Islands group lying strategically between Bougainville and New Britain and north of any previous allied landing in the Solomon Islands.
The convoy's journey into enemy waters was uneventful despite it having to move more or less directly under the noses of Japanese coast-watching stations. The objective, Nissan Island, is a horseshoe shaped coral atoll, and although extending over an area of seven miles by four miles, the actual width of the island is only a mile at its widest point and in some places it narrows down to just a few hundred yards. The centrepiece of this ring of jungle is a large lagoon in which is Hon Island, a small islet standing up rather like a plug in a bath. The entrance to the lagoon is formed by a 16-foot deep waterway running between Nissan and the much smaller Barahun Island, which, with Sirot, almost completes the land mass into a complete oval. Although the island had been generously photographed during air reconnaissance, little was known how extensively it was being used by the enemy, what forces he held there, what beaches were suitable for a landing, and to what extent the terrain could be developed for the establishment of an airstrip if the island was occupied by allied forces. The Japanese stronghold of Rabaul
Major-General Barrowclough (using the telephone) and Colonel Brook, GSO1, in a speedily erected wireless station in Tangalan Plantation soon after the Nissan Island landing was made
Below: The switchboard at Divisional Headquarters, Nissan Island, through which calls were sent on at all hours of the day
Signalman Bramble operating a ZC1 set on Nissan Island. He was in communication with a similar set in the TreasuriesD signal office at Divisional Headquarters on Nissan Island which handled delivery and receipt of hundreds of messages and signals daily
A piece of Japanese armament provided this hot-plate for the 'sigs' cooks who became 'flap-jack' experts. Clothing was usually scanty
In 1936 Joseph Conrad through the narrow opening into the lagoon of Nissan Island to beach and clean his ship. Of Nissan he wrote: 'It rained every day, though this was allegedly not the rainy season. The rain poured into the gloomy lagoon, fringed heavily with its monotonous circle of wet trees. The water was not blue on such days, but black; the sun shone seldom, and outside, the Pacific surf pounded on the coral without end.'
On the raid were a number of specialists—both American and New Zealand—whose duty it was to go ashore under the protection of the infantry and obtain the desired information. Arriving off their objective at midnight of the day of sailing the 'commandos' went over the side of their destroyers and down the nets into landing craft for the journey inside the lagoon entrance where they landed without opposition at Pokonian Plantation. Here battalion headquarters was established and patrols were dispersed on their allotted tasks at various points on the island. As the battalion signallers found immediate employment laying lines for field telephones the K section operators assisted them temporarily by manning their low power No. 4$ sets with which they were in communication with similar sets of the investigating parties. Later that day, 31 January, the listening post on
A tour of duty to advanced divisional headquarters on Guadalcanal was then undertaken by Majors Heatherwick and Clark to obtain details of the impending employment of the unit. This information they passed on to the companies under their command on their return to
Additional equipment was received by the quartermaster and once again his department became exceptionally busy crating equipment into 'two man' loads for shipment and in issuing to personnel pup tents, jungle knives, grenades, and jungle rations. The pup tents, as the name implies, were a miniature type of tent constructed in two halves which domed together along the top to form one unit. Each man carried one half of a tent, together with a small collapsible pole, and on bivouacking he linked with a mate to construct a complete shelter for two men. Jungle knives with knuckle duster handles were another new issue. Although nothing pretentious in appearance they offered a light and yet useful weapon for self defence. The enemy's throat-slitting tactics with knives had been well reported and practical experience had now proved the stories no myth. To combat and defeat the Jap entailed being one jump
On the evening of 12 February the sections were ready to move. The now familiar mode of amphibious transport in LSTs and LCTs made their appearance at nightfall off
The following day, Sunday 13 February, sections officers, operators, signal office clerks, cipher men, linesmen and despatch riders together with drivers, cooks, sanitation and anti-malarial men, all attired in jungle suits, jungle boots and full web, moved to the beaches. They carried packs containing D and K rations,
The sea journey up through the northern Solomon Islands past the Treasuries and Bougainville was uneventful. Progressively the faster LCIs and then the APDs closed their gap between the slower LSTs to form one impressive convoy under the protection of destroyers and scooting PT boats. Anti-aircraft gunners kept constant vigil and high in the sky above each LST sailed a silver barrage balloon tethered by a steel cable as a further deterrent to Tojo's dive bombers. From ahead of the convoy came the news of the first attempt at interception by the enemy when a patrol plane reported the destruction of a
Just shortly before 6.30 am the APDs began to despatch their complements of troops in assault craft for the initial landing on the beaches within the lagoon of Nissan. This movement from the open sea necessitated passing through the narrow lagoon entrance which lay between Nissan itself and Barahun Island, a logical enemy defensive position, but the small craft filed through unmolested and moved towards the coral landing beaches which had been given the names of red, blue and green, for practical purposes. The 30th Battalion landed at the Pokonian Plantation and on Barahun Tsland, while the 37th and 35th Battalions entered the Tangalan Plantation on the opposite side of the lagoon, moving to the left and right respectively, with the immediate task of clearing the jungle and plantation of enemy to allow for the construction of an airstrip in this area. With these first waves ashore were the K section wireless detachments with each of the battalions headquarters and further K section personnel who landed at Tangalan with advanced brigade
Meanwhile, the waiting invasion fleet outside the lagoon became the target for enemy planes which broke through the cordon overhead and attempted to bomb the ships. The pilot of one slim black Nip plane, which had dived from high in the sky and successfully dodged the wire hawser of an LSTs balloon, showed exceptional daring as he raced barely thirty feet above the zigzagging ships with the intention of dropping bombs on a destroyer but his mission was unsuccessful and fountains of water and smoke marked the bomb misses. A few seconds later a streaking Corsair made short work of eliminating the intruder. From the guns on the ships, New Zealand bofors on the decks of the LSTs and the fighter aircraft lines of gunfire trailed planes bearing the insigna of the Rising Sun until one by one a further six dropped into the sea. Then it was time for the LCIs and LSTs to move into the beaches within the lagoon to disembark further troops and among the personnel who moved in single file down the bow ramps and waded the last few feet ashore at Pokonian were members of headquarters and No. 1 companies, E and K sections. X section, together with a detachment of ten other ranks from No. 1 company (to provide communications for a divisional report centre) landed in the Tangalan area. Each of the sections or detachments carried with them sufficient ZC1 radio stations, telephones, cable and other technical equipment as was estimated necessary for the immediate establishment of communications in their respective spheres. The bulk of the equipment was in the LSTs which followed in to unload after the LCIs. Once again beaches were transformed into open-air ware-houses of liberal proportions. The entire land forces were under the command of General Barrowclough and under Colonel Burns as commanding officer the Third NZ Divisional Signals and Island Command signals officer the following officers landed in command of companies and sections: Adjutant, Captain Wilton; headquarters company, Major Heatherwick; M maintenance section, Lieutenant Fitchett; No. 1 company, Major Clark; A
Divisional headquarters became established in the Pokonian plantation alongside of whom No. 1 company established its signal office, TC4 exchange, cipher section and wireless stations. This was accomplished by 10.30 am and as the headquarters of the various formations became established a detachment of B cable section laid lines from them to the divisional exchange. By 2 pm a wireless network embracing the distant stations of the rear party at
E section was soon established in its operational area at head-quarters of the 17th Field Regiment in the Pokonian plantation where a pup tent was hastily erected to house a signal office and two 10-line exchanges. Using assault cable, the sections' linesmen laid lines to divisional headquarters, artillery headquarters. 14th Brigade Headquarters, 144th Independent Battery and the 37th Battery, but the fatal fascination bulldozers have for telephone cables once again became apparent and linesmen were kept fully occupied repairing the damage of these giant machines as they churned the beach head into temporary roads. Wherever there was cable it acted like a magnet. The wireless crews were equally in the picture and during the earlier part of the morning
The signal net on Nissan Island included underwater cable across the lagoon linking units stationed at strategic points.
Four miles away in the jungle on the opposite side of the lagoon a detachment from X section had established themselves at the regimental headquarters report centre of the 29th Light AA Regiment by 8,50 am. Here a signal office was established and a ZC1 station was assembled preparatory to going on the on landing was the laying of six pairs of field cable across the lagoon between blue beach at Pokonian and red beach, in the Tangalan area, thus providing direct telephone communication between the divisional report centre, advanced brigade headquarters, and headquarters 29th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment on one side of the battle zone and divisional head-quarters, rear brigade headquarters and the light anti-aircraft battery on the other. Under a scorching sun the linesmen slowly moved across the four miles of lagoon in an assault craft laying the weighted cable as they went. They were fully conscious of their fate had a strafing Zero broken through the protective air cordon overhead of Corsairs, Hellcats, Warhawks and Airacobras. As the morning progressed the LSTs continued to crunch on to the coral sand to unload their vital cargoes of guns, tanks, bulldozers, tractors, fresh water, petrol, trucks, jeeps, wireless vans, rations and thousands of cases of equipment—all labelled with the serial numbers of the respective units —which were dumped in large unsorted heaps along the beaches. In all, 1,000 tons an hour were unloaded for six hours into virgin rendezvous with the waiting destroyers outside the lagoon for the return trip to Guadalcanal.
Everyone dug fox-holes as soon as possible in the hard coral which lay beneath the carpet of mud. Those located at Pokonian were not so fortunate however, as owing to the low lying nature of the terrain and the narrow width of the island—barely 200 yards—the holes began to fill with seeping salt water. In some instances, too, large land crabs decided that they had a more rightful title to the occupancy of the fox-holes than the persons who dug them. Rations on landing were a new kind known as J (for jungle) type. Each one consisted of a wax sealed carton measuring about a foot square and contained sufficient food for one man for four days or for two men for two days. The contents, which included dried milk, porridge, dried fruits, cheese, meat pastes, biscuits, nuts and cigarettes, were found to be quite palatable, especially if a little imagination was used in the preparation of simple meals. As Nissan possessed no source of fresh water, 2-gallon tins of water formed one of the items brought forward from
As darkness fell everyone endeavoured to make themselves as comfortable as possible for the night under ground level, but in a hard coral-fox-hole with seeping water this was not easy. Once again the war of nerves commenced as the island came to life with scuffling pigs, croaking frogs and the many weird noises peculiar only to the jungle. Wireless stations, exchanges and signal offices remained open continuously, maintaining their same 24-hour daily schedule which had never ceased since leaving New Zealand; and again, as on
Dawn on the second day was a welcome relief from cramped quarters and the tasks of transporting equipment from the beaches, erecting new lines and the completing of the submarine circuit across the lagoon, were soon under way. Enemy activity was light although the combat teams saw signs of hastily evacuated positions and they captured some enemy equipment. The Jap apparently had little fight left in him despite the effective weapons which he had at his disposal. Tanks came into use in cooperation with the two battalions on the Tangalan side of Nissan and on Sirot (one of the islands guarding the entrance to the lagoon) a sharp infantry engagement by a company of the 30th Battalion left 20 Japanese dead.
At advanced brigade headquarters in the Tangalan area K section closed down its wireless station at 10.15 am and abandoned their line to the 37th Battalion prior to embarking on an LCT for the journey within the lagoon to the Halis area which had been occupied by the 35th Battalion. The section landed at 12.30 pm and following a reconnaissance of the area advanced brigade headquarters and the signal section became established adjacent to battalion headquarters. The wireless station which had been transmitting for the battalion to brigade headquarters was thus removed and a telephone line was laid between the two headquarters. During the afternoon regimental headquarters of the 17th Field Regiment shifted to Yotchibol village near 14th Brigade Headquarters and consequently E section was required to move its signal office exchange and wireless stations to this new site, the entire change over being effected without the loss of communications. At this same period the forward report centre of the 29th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment was closed down and the wireless station engaged there in communication with divisional artillery headquarters was transferred to the head-quarters of the regiment.
On the second night there were four condition reds but only a few bombs were dropped. Night fighters from Bougainville who were maintaining a patrol overhead shot down two of the Jap
The third day after landing saw the inauguration of a barge courier service between the Third Divisional Headquarters and the Tangalan area for the delivery and collection of despatches. Linesmen of B cable section were again engaged laying lines across the lagoon and on this occasion laid circuits of the considerably heavier insulated 'spiral 4' cable between Pokonian plantation and the shore terminal of the 29th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment Headquarters. At this juncture the TC4 exchange of No. 1 company had 11 trunk lines and 24 local lines attached to it. It was merely necessary for a subscriber to lift the receiver on his field telephone to speak through one of many exchanges to a subscriber on any part of the island occupied by New Zealand or American formations. Without any desire to slight the fine American signal facilities which became established on the island in conjunction with their navy, air and anti-aircraft commands, an interesting comparison in the speed of transmitting a message was made when copies of a message addressed to American Navy Headquarters, Guadalcanal, were lodged with the American Navy message centre and New Zealand D signal office simultaneously. Both organisations had similar radio facilities, with the American link actually terminating with the addressee. The message handled by D office was enciphered, transmitted, deciphered and delivered from the FMC signal office, Guadalcanal, to the American Navy Headquarters by despatch rider—a distance of 24 miles—before the Nissan Island navy office had finished enciphering its copy.
K section with advanced brigade headquarters and the 35th
With the operational duties of advanced brigade headquarters almost completed the K section signal detachment accompanying it concluded its transmissions at South Point and returned to Pokonian. Rear brigade headquarters now ceased to exist as such and reverted to brigade headquarters. Sunday, 20 February, was hot and humid, as most days were, for Nissan is only four degrees away from the equator—but it heralded much activity including the arrival of the second echelon at daybreak. Among the personnel were some of the units" rear parties who had moved to Nissan with further equipment from
Between 21 and 23 February a wireless detachment from K
The signal office and wireless links at rear divisional head-quarters on
Members of headquarters and No. 1 companies quartering staffs found themselves fully engaged in sorting out and loading into vehicles the units' equipment from the voluminous piles that lay on the landing beaches following the arrival of each echelon. Besides almost five hundred cases and packages, hundreds of drums of cable had also to be transported to the mission area. The procedure was for the laden quads to be driven on to LCVs for the journey across the lagoon. Linesmen were to the fore again, climbing the tall trees of the jungle to tie their lines as they laid them in the various areas and around the roadway which, when linked to underwater circuits laid to the PT base at Barahun, almost encircled the island. It was tiring work spread over long hours and involved not only the connecting of all units to the various exchanges by land lines, but also the extension of submarine cables in the lagoon until almost 100 miles of rubber-covered spiral 4 were involved in underwater circuits. A new type of hand cable-layer designed by the signals experimental establishment was used for the first time and found successful. Hot loops to the guns of the batteries were also laid. Scratches turned septic more readily than ever and many yards of sticking plaster and much coloured medical preparations were daily involved in the patching up of these men.
The arrival of tents, kitbags and bed cots offered welcome relief from sleeping in wet fox-holes and under pup tents and tarpaulins, and enabled clothing to be changed for the first time since landing. With the establishment of ration supplies everyone was gradually weaned off the jungle variety for the more familiar tinned foods and dehydrated vegetables. The availability of fresh water, however, did not improve greatly and a signal from divisional headquarters sent to all units gave a picture of the seriousness of the situation. It read: 'Water shortage is and will continue to be acute. Present issue for distillation plants en route to bomb the powerful enemy base of Truk. At night tall sticks of light from searchlights pierced the blackness over the island as a guide to the overdue planes, but many a searchlight operator must have known that his beam was but a silent memorial to men who had paid the supreme sacrifice that day.
Gradually the sections began to settle down in their respective locations and communications by wireless, line and despatch rider embraced all the New Zealand and American units on the island. A telephone traffic diagram issued on 13 March showed 13 New Zealand and four American telephone exchanges at various parts of the island connected by trunk lines in operation to each other. They thus provided a local and long distance telephone service for all units and formations. Many of the exchanges were situated underground and the entire setup involved the use of hundreds of D Mk V, model F, and American field telephones. The barge courier service from divisional headquarters continued to journey daily to scheduled points within the lagoon where it collected and delivered despatches. For despatch riding within the formations, quads were found the most serviceable means of negotiating the roads of feet deep mud. Once again routine changes in the appointments held by officers of the various sections of the unit were announced and progressively during March these were put into effect. Captain Parkhouse relinquished his appointment of officer commanding No. 3 company to become OC
A new and unusual section—originally known as Y section— which joined A wireless section on en route to other bases and the PT boats as they sped out from Nissan at dusk, to disrupt the enemy's attempts to maintain a supply line between New Britain and Bougainville by submarine. On clear days the land masses of
To provide protection for the high power No. 33 station used on the Guadalcanal-New Caledonia link a large excavation in the solid coral was made at unit headquarters. When completed' the hole/ as it became known, represented three weeks of solid toil in the extreme heat for members of A wireless section who, with pick, shovel and explosive (under the supervision of engineers) had formed an underground room lined with coconut tree trunks to house their remotely controlled transmitters. The actual sending and receiving tent was half a mile away near the signal office and a land line connected the two points. At first, four 1 1/2-kilowatt generators supplied the power to transmit but these were later replaced by one 3-ki!owatt Oman generator. This power supply operated automatically as transmission was commenced. Wireless communications generally were good but ionospheric conditions on the link to 8th Brigade Headquarters. Treasury Islands, were often difficult, especially in the night hours. An important radio station on the island was the American joint army-navy (JAN) station, situated in the Halis area and comprising some 20 high powered transmitters. The majority of these transmitters were used for the control of aircraft, and the station became an important link in the network of American communications in the Pacific. An innovation was the employment of a teletype by D section signal office on a circuit with the American Naval Headquarters.
The death of
An enccouraging feature of the Nissan operation was the more
A small incident which did much to brighten the routine and conversation of the camp at unit headquarters was the meeting face to face of a lone Jap by a member of headquarters company in the camp area at 2 o'clock one morning. The Jap made full use of the nearby jungle and quickly disappeared but he was ob viously one of the few still at large on the island who, under the cover of darkness, endeavoured to raid ration stores for something edible. The episode proved too much for the cooks who were quickly out of their beds in an enthusiastic but unsuccessful man hunt. As a searchlight to penetrate the jungle they carried with them a six-volt car battery powering a detached headlamp!
Heavy rain and electrical storms were frequent, wrecking lines, bogging roads and camp areas on which much hard labour had been expended, but it had been experienced many times before. The duties of the anti-malaria spraying squads were as essential as ever and the malarial mosquitoes bred fast wherever water lay. Atabrin tablets were still taken daily by everyone. There were not many cases of serious illness in the unit but very few escaped some minor form of dermatitis or skin complaints, which necessitated treatment at the RAP. Consequently men were to be seen with their bodies highly decorated with coloured daubs of the remedial lotions used. Long trousers were obviously the cause of much skin trouble and the order authorising the
Any intimations of functions always concluded with the words 'Bring your mugs—supper free." Tea was so seldom found on the daily camp menu but at entertainments such as these the messing sergeant had a bounden duty to secure something more palatable to the New Zealander than coffee. Biscuits, prizes for the quiz sessions and many camp recreational facilities such as games of Chinese checkers were contributed by the National Patriotic Fund Board. YMCA tents became a popular rendezvous for a cup of tea. A commendable morale-building organisation was that formed by members of A wireless section under the title of 'The Ancient Order of the Fraternity of Jungle Bums '(hobos). This gathering of off duty personnel originally met nightly in a tent but as the fraternity's membership grew an outdoor rotunda capable of seating 40 was built by bush carpenters of the section to accommodate the increased gatherings, The nightly programme consisted of participating in a community sing, listening to the section's jungle band and enjoying a supper of tea, coffee or cocoa made over an open fire—in fact, membership to this select band could only be gained by regularly contributing 'acquired rations 'to the larder. The 'Jungle Bums 'had a novel and artistically designed membership card printed in New Zealand, and once a week they produced a newsy and humorous bulletin which was read to the assembled members. A feature of the organisation was that the operators on duty at the wireless stations were never forgotten at supper time although
Stories were always prevalent as to the future employment of the division and although the communication setup was extended daily it was generally felt that the time was not far distant when the division—which had been nine months in the combat zone— would be withdrawn and rested. The division had developed into an efficient amphibious organisation, the first of its kind to represent New Zealand, and had fully justified the confidence placed in it. The men had quickly adapted themselves to the jungle and its trying conditions and signalmen had proved themselves competent in providing an efficient communication system in which every message lodged with signals reached its destination irrespective of the conditions or distance involved. The unwritten law 'The message must go through 'had always been upheld. On 5 April the unit received a memorandum from divisional head-quarters outlining an impending scheme whereby members of the force could volunteer for their return to New Zealand to enter essential industries. The categories open were farming, butter and cheese factory work, freezing, building, sawmilling, coal mining and railways, and the appropriate cards were issued to the men for recording their choice. As was usually the case in signals communications had to be maintained and this naturally precluded some personnel from immediate selection. The first draft returning to industry included over 90 men of signals who embarked on the transport Abigail Adams outside the lagoon at Nissan on 24 April for their return to New Caledonia and then on to New Zealand. Captain Eady and Lieutenant Harris became draft conducting officers. Similarly selected signalmen from G and J sections on the Treasuries and men from the FMC signal section returned to base. Opportunity was taken of the returning transports to commence the movement of unit equipment and vehicles. In May the division as a whole commenced to vacate its operational areas and the first signal sections to return to New-Caledonia were G and J who, with the exception of a rear party, embarked on the USS Tyron at Stirling Island on 15 May. The wireless link between Nissan and the Treasury Islands then ceased. The two sections landed at Népoui four days later. J section became detached from the 8th Brigade and moved to
Meanwhile on Nissan signal routine had continued as formerly excepting that the quartering staffs found themselves fully engaged in packing unit equipment for shipping. On Anzac Day members of the unit at divisional headquarters had participated in the ceremonial parade held at the mission. About this period, too, members of M section found a diversion from repairing battle scarred radio stations in installing electric lights and a sound system at the divisional headquarters amphitheatre for a performance given by the Kiwi concert party. Supplies of fresh meat and vegetables arrived and provided a welcome relief from the normal tinned fare. Due to the prevalence of hookworm it became necessary for those still remaining on Nissan to have a blood count taken and a small number of signalmen were subjected to minor medical treatment within their own camp areas. At the end of May the signal offices and communications provided by E and K sections were closed down, and the teletype circuit from divisional headquarters to navy headquarters was discontinued. Preparations were also made for the handing over of all the island land and submarine line circuits to the incoming forces. A 23-foot deep attempt to reach water dug at unit head-quarters was at least found useful as a pit in which to burn camp debris. E and K sections sailed from Nissan on 30 May and went to the Moindah camp on their arrival at Népoui on 8 June. There, Lieutenant Crawley took over the command of K section and Captain Hanna became officer commanding base signals—an appointment held for a short period by Lieutenant Harris following his arrival from the forward area with the industry draft. The FMC signal section arrived In New Caledonia a week later. On 15 June the 44-line switchboard of No. 1 company and the 30-line board of X section, together with their respective signal offices, closed down prior to the embarkation of unit headquarters, headquarters, and No. 1 companies and X section aboard the USS Rotanin which sailed for Guadalcanal and New Caledonia that evening. Left behind was a rear party of No. 1 company comprising three officers and 25 other ranks. The Rotanin berthed at Népoui at 10 am on 21 June and its signal complement of personnel and equipment was transferred to Moindah.
The rear party opened a temporary signal office and exchange in the mission buildings where rear divisional headquarters was and the high power rear link wireless station continued in communication with base until ceasing transmission on 6 July, when the rear party found themselves with but three hours to dismantle the station, in darkness, and pack it in a wireless van for shipment. On the departure of the rear party there were no further members of the unit left in the forward area and on their arrival in New Caledonia the entire Third New Zealand Signals were bivouacked at Moindah. Personnel received their kitbags which had been stored during their absence and there was a general issue of greatcoats, for the cooler temperature of New Caledonia was decidedly noticeable. With the general trend of traffic towards New Zealand a diversion in movements was the arrival from Trentham of Second-Lieutenants Dyer, Clausen, Farrelly and Henry, former non-commissioned officers of the unit who had been newly commissioned. Further drafts sailed progressively for New Zealand to return to civilian occupation under the man-power scheme or for duty with a special army troop company. Early in July two furlough drafts which absorbed over 200 signal personnel left Moindah for base reception depot on the first leg of their journey to New Zealand. A further four signalmen who volunteered for postal duties in the European theatre of war also moved homewards and four members of the unit whose next-of-kin resided in Australia were flown there on furlough. At Moindah every effort was made to keep signal duties to a minimum. The bulk of traffic for transmission was handled by base signals and particularly busy was their rear wireless link to New Zealand conveying the administrative details necessary during the movement of many thousands of troops. Priority task at Moindah was the unpacking and overhauling of unit equipment which had become subject to corrosion and mould during transportation in the humid holds of the ships. In providing a diversion from the camp the Bourail beach became a scheduled trip and the newly constructed Kiwi Club, also at the beach, accommodated those fortunate in being granted a week's leave. This centre had been made possible by a £5,000 grant of the
A memorandum issued on 1 August announced the intention to withdraw the remaining New Zealand personnel in New Caledonia to New Zealand and during the earlier part of the month the personnel at Moindah were medically reboarded, received their battledress and moved to Nouméa for the long awaited sea voyage.
Base signals became attached to the force rear party and continued to maintain communications from Bourail and Nouméa until the conclusion of the party's dismantling and loading tasks. They sailed from Nouméa aboard the USS Talamanca arriving in New Zealand on 14 October, and going to Papakura Camp. From there everyone was issued with rail warrants and ration coupons before being dispersed to their homes on furlough. Being home was a little strange at first, for the reality of smooth roads, no mud, the soothing appearance of the country and the green grass, the air which seemed fresher and easier to breathe and fresh food in place of tinned or dry jungle rations seemed all too good to be true.
Honours and Awards
Following are the awards made to members of Divisional Signals, Third New Zealand Division, in recognition of distinguished service in the South Pacific:—
Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Captain
, MBE, MMO. A. Gillespie
Captain Gillespie, a journalist by profession, was born at Cust, Canterbury, in 1896. He served in the Great War, leaving New Zealand in 1915 as a private in the 1st Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade. He won the Military Medal and was twice mentioned in despatches. In May 1918 he was given commissioned rank while on active service. Captain Gillespie reentered the army in October 1940, leaving immediately for Fiji with the original 8th Brigade Group as intelligence officer. When the brigade was increased to divisional strength he became GSO3. Returning to New Zealand with the division in July 1942 he was appointed cipher officer, and as such went through the Solomons campaign. He was awarded the MBE in 1943 and afterwards appointed divisional historian, and on his return to New Zealand in 1944 he was transferred to archives branch, Army Head-quarters, to write two surveys of the work of the Third Division and to supervise the production of unit histories.
British Empire Medal
Sergeant
, BEMA. T. Blampied
Sergeant Blampied was born in New Zealand in 1919, and in civilian life was employed by the Post and Telegraph Department
American Legion of Merit(Degree of Officer)
Lieutenant-Colonel
D. M. Burns
Lieutenant-Colonel Burns was born in New Zealand in 1910 and educated at Wellington College, Wellington Technical College, and Victoria University, graduating as a Bachelor of Science. In civilian occupation he was assistant telegraph engineer to the Post and Telegraph Department. He was first commissioned with the New Zealand Corps of Signals in 1938 and entered Trentham Camp with 'Special Force' in September 1939. Embarking with the advanced party of the first echelon, Colonel Burns saw varied service in the Middle East, including the Greece and Crete Campaigns, until he returned to New Zealand in November 1941 with the rank of major to take command of the
Mentioned in Despatches
Major
, EMG. W. Heatherwick
Major Heatherwick was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1910, educated at the Wellington Technical College, and later joined the Post and Telegraph Department, where he was employed as a mechanician. He first saw military service with the Wellington Technical College Cadets as early as 1925. After continuous service with the territorial forces and the New Zealand temporary staff, during which time he rose to the rank of captain as DAQMG, 4th NZ Division, he was transferred to the NZEF in October 1942. On joining the Third NZ Divisional Signals in that month he was appointed officer commanding, artillery signals company, which position he held until the company was disbanded in February 1943. He was then appointed administration officer ofdivisional signals and OC, HQ company, with the rank of major. He served with the unit through the Solomons campaign to its windingup in Mangere Crossing Camp, New Zealand. In May 1945 he was appointed DAG, Fiji Section, 2NZEF and embarked for his second trip overseas. Major Heatherwick was awarded the King George VJ Coronation Medal in 1937 and the Efficiency Medal in 1941.
Warrant-Officer (2nd Class)
R. C. Orme
Warrant-Officer Orme was born in Auckland in 1911. Prior to joining the armed forces he was a member of the clerical staff of the Post and Telegraph Department, Hamilton. Entering Trentham Camp as a member of the sixth reinforcement in April 1941, he was posted to the Corps of Signals, and embarked
Members of the maintenance section in their workshop on Nissan Island. Instruments and equipment, victims of the climate, were repaired here
Operators on Nissan receiving messages from a station operating from Guadalcanal, five hundred miles away
Members of A wireless section who formed themselves into an entertainment group and gave impromtu concerts which helped greatly to relieve the boredom of many jungle evenings
Blasted and dug out of solid coral and protected by layers of coconut logs, this large dug-out housed a remote controlled No. 33 high power transmitter on Nissan Island
Major G. W. Heather wick, mentioned in despatches
Warrant Officer 2nd Class R. C. Orme
[Mentioned in Despatches]
[Mentioned in Despatches]
[Mentioned in Despatches]
Prior to entering Trentham Camp as a member of the sixth reinforcements in May 1941, Sergeant Jamieson was a marine engineer in the employ of the Gisborne Harbour Board. In January 1942 he embarked as a corporal with K section, Third Divisional Signals, for Fiji. He remained with this section until March 1943, when he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and transferred to E section, attached to the 17th Field Regiment. Taking part in both the
In civilian life Sergeant Oliver was employed by C. and A. Odlin, Ltd., working in that firm's radio section. On entering Trentham camp in September 1941 he was posted to regimental signals, and later transferred to artillery signals. He served in Fiji, New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, and Treasury Islands with J section, Third NZ Divisional Signals, rising to the rank of sergeant, before being transferred to D section on
Born in 1913, Lance-Sergeant Bennett was in civilian life a
Signalman Casey was by trade a shepherd. Prior to joining the overseas forces at Papakura Camp in April 1941 he already had a year's territorial service to his credit. He sailed with an early infantry draft to Fiji and later, while the divison was located in New Caledonia, transferred to Divisional Signals in July 1943, being posted as linesman to D section. He remained in this capacity through
Signalman Richardson, who prior to the war was a
Nominal Roll, Third Divisional Signals
This is the nominal roll of personnel of the New Zealand Corps of Signals who served with B Force and the Third New Zealand Division in Fiji, with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Pacific, and the Third Division in New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands, † Denotes died of sickness or on active service, * wounded in action, a service in Fiji, b service in New Caledonia, c service in the Solomon Islands.
The complete set of unofficial histories of the Third Division, 2nd NZEF IP, is as under:—