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Some of the hardest and most costly battles of World War II took place in Papua New Guinea in 1942 and 1943. Australian soldiers were pitted against strong Japanese forces, fighting in inhospitable and treacherous terrain, often with limited supplies of ammunition and food. The Battle of the Beachheads, fought between November 1942 and January 1943, was such an exchange.
In mid 1942, the Japanese had occupied important strategic positions at Buna, Gona and Sanananda; positions that allowed them to support their advance over the Kokoda Track towards Port Moresby.
After Australian forces counter-attacked and advanced back over the mountains, Australian and American forces closed on the Japanese beachheads and battled for over two months and sustained heavy casualties trying to take the Japanese positions. These were bloody and hard fought battles that eventually resulted in the expulsion of the Japanese from the Australian territory of Papua, bringing to an end the first campaign in Papua New Guinea.
Despite the difficulties faced by Australian soldiers, the 'fighting Aussie spirit', as infantryman Private Ray Baldwin remembered it, was never far from the surface. In many ways Private Baldwin, serving in the South Australian-raised 2/27th Infantry Battalion, embodied one of the central elements of that 'Aussie spirit', loyalty. He would stop at nothing to fight alongside his mates in the 2/27th, a fact reinforced by his decision to return to battle after being injured during fighting at Gona. Mr Baldwin recalled the incident:
I was wounded by hand grenades in close quarter fighting. I was severely concussed, and do not remember walking to the Popendetta airstrip and being evacuated to a base hospital in Port Moresby. The wounds were not life threatening, but numerous pieces of shrapnel were removed.
Ray had his wounds dressed at the base hospital and before long was able to walk around again. Much to the annoyance of senior officers and medical staff, Ray left the hospital and decided to return to the battle at Gona.
One day I thought 'bugger this, I'm off' and so I attached a note to the pillow, thanking all for looking after me, then hitched a ride to Ward's airstrip and bluffed my way onto a DC-3. I rejoined my battalion for the latter stage of the fighting at Gona. Everyone thought I was mad, and they were probably right. The hospital heads weren't very happy either and I lost my Corporal's stripes!
Ray was also on the receiving end of another characteristic commonly associated with the Australian 'digger', larrikinism, and the ability to have a laugh at a mates' expense. Mr Baldwin's account of how he became aware of Christmas morning soon after returning to the 2/27th highlights this:
After prolonged fighting [to take Gona] three officers and sixty-seven other ranks were moved to a holding position on the eastern bank of the Ambogi River west of Gona. One morning in late December Captain Charlie Sims MC came over to our weapon pit and said: "What about going over the river and seeing if there are any Japs in the village?" They were located across from our position on the river. On reflection the request sounded a bit like - "How about going down to the deli and getting a pint of milk!"
Not being one to shirk an officer's order, Ray and another member of his battalion set about crossing the river and surveying the area for enemy troops, as he explains:
Les Bond and I used a crudely constructed raft and successfully moved into the village. They (the Japanese) were there all right, and gave us a bit of encouragement to get the hell out of the place, which we did in record time. However not before directing mortar fire onto the Japanese positions, which I had fired upon with my Tommy gun. I doubt that we did much damage however given the excellent field engineering the Japs employed in the construction of their bunkers and weapon pits".
To construct their bunkers the Japanese soldiers would cut down and use coconut trees. Each of the bunkers were interlocking, in that all attacking groups were subject to cross-fire from machine-guns and rifles.
On returning to our side of the river again by a makeshift raft and under fire we returned to our pit. There we were met by the afore mentioned Captain Sims (nicknamed "Chookaboy") who said just two words to us… "MERRY CHRISTMAS"
The material for this article was supplied by Ray Baldwin of SA
08/12/2003
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