Aussie Digger's Diary based on Huon Peninsular Campaign not Kokoda Campaign

 

• Please refer to Discovery of an unpublished poem from a World War 2 (WW II) Australian Diggers hand written diary POST

Well this sure has been an interesting week for me in regards to the above.  I had contacted Australian War Memorial (AWM) and did some research on their website and compared it with the diary and guess what I discovered?  Our Digger served in the Huon Peninsular Campaign in north New Guinea.  All these years I never knew this piece of WWII history, and it's quite ironic it was fought on my side of PNG - New Guinea.  In the region still known as the Momase Region.  I was as ecstatic about this find as I never really knew much about this particular campaign on that side of the country and how successful it was.  I have since found some of these websites in relation to that piece of history that I could not wait patiently for Friday, 18 February to come so I can share it all with you.

Every thing in the websites below that I have seen so far backs up the contents in Leo's diary about linking up with the Americans, mentions General Mc Arthur, about the trail between Sio Mission and Saidor, mentions the  Papuan Infantry Battalion (PIB), (will add more as I refer back to the diary to this.)

Now as I read snippets of information from some of these websites I begin to realise how strategically important this must have all looked with all the back to back battles being fought on the New Guinea and Papua coast with Kokoda in the middle from the American/Australian commands points of view.  Look at the Momase Region hyperlink and click on Papua region see how strategic these battle positions were put in to place.  Now look at where Kokoda is here and see if you can see a pattern.  Kokoda was the final campaign for Australia's greatest battle - The Kokoda Track.  You would also have to read or watch documentaries about America's part in the South Pacific if you really want to get the nitty gritty of it all.

In those days there was Territory New Guinea which was formally German New Guinea and Territory Papua. It was not called Papua New Guinea as we know it nowadays.  On the western side of New Guinea was Dutch New Guinea.  I have since found my father’s coin collection that shows proof of the shillings and pence in those days minted as Territory of New Guinea.

Dad's Territory of New Guinea coins from 1936 to 1945 collection Dad's Territory of New Guinea coins from 1936 to 1945 collection

In a nut shell what is the Huon Peninsular Campaign?  It is a series of battles in the New Guinea Campaign in WWII, where Australian and American forces assaulted Japanese bases on the Huon Peninsula.

In the mean time please refer to some of the hyperlinks from the AWM in regards to the above:

Volume 5 - South West Pacific Area - (1st Edition 1959) - First Year Kokoda To Wau

Volume 6 - The New Guinea Offensives (1st Edition 1961)

Remembering The War in New Guinea 1943 to 1944 - Huon Peninsular

The American versions:

At close quarters - PT boats of the United States Navy (USN)

Pacific Wrecks - Sio - The American version that backs up some of the contents in Leo's diary

Pacific Wrecks - Saidor

The US Army used carrier pidgeons for the last time in their history at Saidor. The pidgeons were used to deliver messages from the offshore boats to troops ashore. But, in their last usage, the pidgeons still beat the radios - arriving before the radios could be setup.

The Red Arrow Veteran Association, the 32nd Division Pt 6 - The New Guinea Campaign

This is just to show you a few examples of the different versions of events in relation to the Huon Peninsular Campaign.  You can google as much information on you want on the above or visits libraries and the information will be endless.

For those of you who are interested in researching your family's history during the first and second WW please click under Pages on your right the page called Researching your Australian and Papua New Guinean military history.  A special page in regards to PTE Leo's unit will be raised later on from information I will be gathering from AWM and NAA.

Disclaimer:  I accept no responsibility or liability of any loss to any incorrect or out dated information some of these websites may contain.  The most accurate up to date information at the time known to me is inserted in these pages.  It is the responsibility of the individual to do their own research in their own time.  This is just a guide to assist people in giving them as much information as I possibly can to assist them in learning about the Huon Peninsular Campaign.  My views and opinions and experiences will not exactly reflect other peoples' views and opinions and experiences.

This material is copyright © Wendy J. Seymour 2011 - Exempt the hyperlinks they are from the World Wide Web (WWW)