III Headquarters Div. Engineers and the 'Squarepeg '
Operation

The name given to this operation, that is, the capture and development of Nissan Island in the Green Islands Group, was no doubt inspired by the shape of the island. This is a perfect atoll, a fringe of coral surrounding a lagoon. Was 3rd Div. to be the unfortunate 'square' peg in the round hole ? In January, 1944, advice was received at Div. Hq that this, or another island situated nearby, was to be captured by the New Zealanders. Preliminary investigation might disclose insurmountable difficulties in the construction of the essential airstrip on Nissan and no knowledge of the ground conditions other than from air photos was available to intelligence. Orders were therefore issued for a preliminary reconnaissance to be carried out some ten days before the day for the actual assault.

After some discussion it was decided to carry out this reconnaissance in force by sending ashore a full infantry battalion to cover the activities of the specialists who were to investigate the island's suitability as the locale of an airstrip. Tentative plans for the actual final operation were made at Div. Hq. Information, however, was so scanty that Hq Div. Engs. persuaded the GOC to send in, with the commando raiders, engineer representatives who would collect all data necessary to enable the formulating of the final plan. The particulars urgently required were first, the possibility of taking assault craft into the lagoon—landings page 99on the seaward side were impossible owing to lack of beaches and the presence in some places of 70 feet high cliffs; and second, to determine whether or not the assault craft could be beached at places most suitable from a tactical viewpoint.

While preparations for this raid were under way, a scale model of the island, developed from aerial photographs, was constructed by sapper personnel in the lines of the 37th Field Park Company. These men were drawn from all engineer units and had been trained in the work in New Zealand per medium of one of the much sought after special courses of instruction. The model proved invaluable in the planning for the operation. It was so well constructed that US senior officers arranged for our men'to instruct opposite numbers in the American services how to build up such models for use in other operations. The benefits of this method of making all concerned familiar with the scene of pending operations is incalculable and is steadily finding special favour with our allies. We of 3rd Div. can rightly claim the title of pioneers in this field of the Pacific theatre.

On 31 January the commando raid took place as arranged. With the 30th Battalion went two sapper officers and two senior NCOs. They had explicit instructions as to the information required. In spite of a diversion, in which one of these officers was led astray from his real task to fight Japs, the data collected and brought back to Hq was accurate and clearly set out. Cross section profiles of each landing place were plotted, on to which scale models of LSTs were placed. These indicated just how close to the shore and in what depth of water the landing ramps would be dropped. From this we were able to advise the American naval authorities that no trestle bridging would be required and to tell our GOC just where the vessels could be placed for the unloading of essential equipment. Also from the surveys of the sapper personnel it was possible for our Hq to estimate the amount of work required at each landing place. Units participating were thus detailed to provide the personnel, tools, materials, and equipment required in the first assault waves of landing troops. Preliminary works to be done ashore and to facilitate the beaching and unloading of the all important LSTs were also made plain. The experiences of one of these shore parties are described in detail elsewhere although, fortunately, the difficulties experienced at this particular spot were not repeated page 100elsewhere. On one of the blue beaches, however, sapper advice was ignored by the naval authorities. The beach chosen by the navy entailed last moment changes in equipment required. This contingency was ably met by the unit concerned, the 26th Field, and its working party had the job well in hand when the larger vessels hove in sight. A little excitement caused the commander of one of these ships to ignore his orders, to leave our working party literally standing, and to beach his ship high and dry on an adjacent sandy beach. Strangely enough this proved to be the very spot originally recommended by Hq Div. Engineers a complete and uncompromising vindication of the accuracy of the information collected by our corps.

The careful planning of ship loading, whether for engineer personnel or equipment, which was generally acclaimed as the highlight of the whole operation, was carried out by engineer corps Hq rather than by the individual engineer companies. These latter had their own problems but it was the task of HO sjtaff to organise and co-ordinate the work of all three units concerned— the 20th, 26th and 37th—as well as moving and working as a subdivided headquarters—part on Vella and part on Guadalcanal. In addition to this work careful estimates had to be made of the possible demands for engineer stores, both during the operation and for a period of one month after D-day. This was complicated by the fact that no definite appreciation of the enemy's reaction to the attack could be made The operation could be truthfully described as one in which we were 'sticking our necks out.' Our objective was closer to very powerful Jap strongholds than to our nearest allied base and anything might be likely to happen if the enemy had decided to blast us off the earth from his nearby bases. If this latter eventuality arose the proportion of the various classes of engineer stores required would be radically altered. A decision had to be made and fortunately it proved to be the correct one. The proper proportions of explosives, sandbags, camouflage netting, digging tools, wire, nails, timber and dozens of other items too' numerous to mention were indented for. The obtaining of these essentials was another headache. By co-operation between ordnance. 37th Field Park and Hq Div Engineers the troops went forward with the bulk of the stores required, taking into account the limitations of shipping space and the availability of the stores themselves.

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Arrangements had also to be completed for the constant replenishment of these stores with succeeding echelons of supply vessels; and when this was arranged the 'buck 'was passed to the hack of the engineer companies—the 37th Field Park—for execution. That this unit, the only New Zealand engineer unit on Guadalcanal, and already 'flat out' on many maintenance jobs, should have done so well in its onerous task of supply is worthy of high commendation. After the landing, Hq Div Engineers had the task of co-ordinating all engineer services within the division and of carrying out the policy and priority of work as ordered by the general staff. This proved to be no easy task with demands for assistance far outnumbering the men and equipment available.

Unit personnel, including officers, saw little of this activity on the part of a headquarters which, to the lay mind, was in existence only for sending reminders for returns of all kinds, for shooting along blasts for work not done to schedule, for demanding regular shaving and camp cleanliness, for annoying officers and men alike with apparently contradictory orders and generally disturbing the even tenor of the sappers' way. Its mere existence, however, was a blessing, albeit very much in disguise. Through its efforts the sapper was diverted from many of the menial tasks of digging ack-ack pits, of filling sandbags, of clearing fields of fire except in very thick jungle, of unloading ships after the assault phases were over and, in one memorable instance, of clearing out a septic tank. This enabled the specialist troops to be concentrated more effectively on the more interesting work which could not be so readily undertaken by the other arms of the service.

The 'Squarepeg' operation is used as an illustration of what went on behind the scenes, to give the ordinary reader of this unofficial history some reasons for the existence of a divisional headquarters, engineers, and to justify the theme song of their little unit paper The People's Vice—' Last with the latest always!'