Authors: Bruce Gamble
“fight with the army as guerillas”
and Scanlan’s response: AWM 54 (81/4/194).
“Send flying-boats”:
quoted in Gillison, p. 360.
Dialog between Scanlan and Dawson regarding food caches:
AWM 54(607/9/3).
“a slaughter house”:
Collins, undated manuscript, p.
1
.
“The battered bodies”:
Bowman, p.
26
.
Conditions in Refuge Gully
: Reeson, p.
139
.
“When the Yanks get here”:
ibid., p.
121
.
Arrival of the
Matafele
, and
“consent was not forthcoming”:
Aplin, p.
26
.
“The action of certain civilians”:
AWM 54 (81/4/194).
Details of RAAF evacuation
: ibid.; Stone, p.
78
; C. Johnson, pp.
72
–
73
.
Chapter 6—Vigorous Youth from Shikoku
Approach of invasion fleet, including “As
we gradually drew closer
”:
Australia-Japan Research Project (hereafter, AJRP).
Pre-invasion environmental conditions:
AJRP; AWM 54 (423/4/1162) and AWM 54 (423/4/158).
“good landmark for reckoning directions in the darkness”:
AWM 54 (608/5/4).
“with a weird beauty”:
AJRP.
General Horii’s landing instructions:
ibid.
2nd Company’s search for coastal batteries:
ibid.
Japanese landing at Vulcan, including
“We allowed most of them”:
Wigmore, p. 403.
Details of Cpl. Hamill’s squad, including
“I didn’t think we’d see them again”:
Pearson diary.
“I told them about the Jap task force”:
AWM 54 (607/9/3).
“An enemy bugler started to blow a call”:
Bloomfield, p.
20
.
“a crescendo of wild, savage yells”:
Selby, p.
40
.
2nd Battalion (IJA) at Nordup:
AJRP.
A Company (AIF) at Vulcan:
Wigmore, pp. 403–04.
Dawson’s experience, including
“On turning the last curve”:
AWM 54 (608/5/4).
“doing a lot of yelling”:
quoted in C. Johnson, p.
61
.
“the Japs very close”:
AWM 54(607/8/28).
“bursting round the truck”:
ibid.
“retreat to special anchorage positions”
and
“to fire signal shots irresponsibly”:
AJRP.
“courageously continuing to land”:
ibid.
Chapter 7—Every Man for Himself
Scanlan’s change of HQ:
Wigmore, p. 406; Harry, “New Britain 1941/42,” p.
6
.
Components of AWA-3B radio:
Feldt, p.
10
.
“the deteriorating situation”:
Harry, “New Britain 1941/42,” p.
6
.
“To CDH, Port Moresby”
and decoded message: Appel, in AWM 54 (607/8/28).
“hopelessly bogged”:
Harry, “New Britain 1941/42,” p.
7
.
“aerial protection for the ground units”:
AJRP.
“I was flat in the side cut”:
quoted by Harry, “New Britain 1941/42,” p.
7
.
Japanese rations (footnote):
Intelligence Bulletin Vol.1, No.l, Section III
, p.
78
.
“He said we were overwhelmed”:
Pearson, AWM 60 (259).
“Vehicles could not travel on the roads”:
AWM 54 (607/7/1).
Death of Pvt. Ascott, etc.:
Parsons, AWM 60 (259).
“about three pannikins of tea”:
Pearson diary.
Situation at Three Ways:
Bloomfield, p.
22
.
“wild and inaccurate”
and
“Over the ridge”:
Selby, p.
41
.
Communications between Appel, McInnes, and Mollard at Three Ways:
AWM 54 (607/8/28).
“Owing to the difficult country”:
AWM 54 (607/8/2).
“The mountain air filled with smoke”:
AWM 54 (423/4/158).
“At intervals in the grass”:
ibid.
“McInnes gave the order”:
Selby, p.
42
.
“completely helpless”:
Bloomfield, p.
22
.
“I wondered”:
Selby, p.
42
.
“Carr rushed off’:
correspondence with author, name withheld by request.
“At this stage”:
AWM 54(607/8/2).
“useless to prolong the action”
and
“every man for himself’:
Wigmore, p. 408.
“for transmission to all companies”:
AWM 54 (607/8/2).
“Austin Creed rode up”:
Kolmorgen, author’s interview.
“In view of doubt”:
AWM 54 (607/8/2).
“known to be attempting”:
ibid.
“The colonel’s orders”:
Selby, p.
43
.
“Were it not for the seriousness”:
Bloomfield, pp.
22
–
23
.
Scanlan’s invitation to Harry, including
“somewhat premature”:
Harry, “New Britain 1941/42,” p.
7
.
“We found there were only two”:
L. Johnson, author interview.
“The Japanese jumped off”:
ibid.
Intimidation of Lt. May:
C. Johnson, pp.
130
–
131
.
“We had little knowledge”:
Pacific Islands Year Book, 1950, p.
31
.
Surrender of civilians at Refuge Gully:
ibid.
Japanese proclamation:
quoted in Reeson, p.
154
; full text in Stone, p. 485.
“They were attacked from all quarters”:
AWM 54 (607/9/5).
“using all available cover”:
Wigmore, p. 410.
“The Japs were firing”:
AWM 54 (607/9/5).
“some retreating Australians”:
quoted in Stone, p.
66
.
“places on the road”:
quoted in Wigmore, p. 411.
Catalog of captured weapons and equipment:
AWM 54 (423/4/158).
Loss of
Kaga
pilot:
Hata, et al, p. 376.
“The Imperial Army”:
AJRP.
Lyrics of
Nankai Dayori:
AWM 3DRL/4005.
Chapter 8—You Will Only Die
“Great quantities of Japanese shipping”:
Harry, “New Britain 1941/42,” p.
8
.
Night journey to Malabunga:
AWM 54 (607/7/1); Harry, “New Britain 1941/42,” p.
8
.
“a concerned group of missionaries”:
ibid., p.
9
.
“a desert”
and
“At its best”:
Feldt, p.
36
.
“The only plan”:
Harry, p.
10
.
Text of Horii’s leaflet:
AWM 54(607/8/2).
“Travers called us together”:
AWM 60 (259).
“Our first thought”:
AWM 60 (259).
South Seas Detachment’s pursuit of Australians:
AWM 54 (608/5/4).
“The position appeared”:
AWM 60 (259).
“The butai could not advance”:
AWM 54 (423/4/158).
“Practically every man”
and details of malaria outbreak among the Japanese: AWM 54 (608/5/4).
“an inspiring and energetic leader”:
Wigmore, p. 657.
“nowhere to be seen”;
“As
I lay awake”
; and other details of the antiaircraft gunners’ trek: Bloomfield, pp.
26
–
30
.
“We discussed plans”:
Selby, p.
47
.
“He gravely doubted”:
ibid., p.
48
.
“My first view of it”:
Pearson diary, p.
13
.
“hanging on like grim death”
and details of river crossing: Selby, p.
50
.
“Each day we felt ourselves growing weaker”:
ibid., pp.
51
–
52
.
“Wherever we tried”:
ibid., p.
53
.
“It was our first real meal”:
ibid., p.
56
.
Bloomfield’s white flag discovery:
Bloomfield, pp.
32
–
33
.
“It seemed unfair”:
Selby, p.
58
.
“The plantation was plainly visible”:
ibid., p.
64
.
Chapter 9—Tol
Details of Pvt. Kennedy’s capture:
Wigmore, p. 406n.
“in the forests”:
AWM 54 (608/5/4).
Details of capture near Reid River:
Lyons.
Captured officer’s interrogation and execution:
Stone, p.
90
. The quoted
account did not identify the officer by name, but Garrard is the most likely candidate based on the date of his death. All of the other officers captured at Tol were spared, at least initially.
Details of bayonet training:
Intelligence Bulletin Vol. II, No. 5, Section I
, pp.
56
–
57
.
“An agonized scream”:
Lyons, p.
6
.
“He put away his sword”
and details of Pvt. Collins’ escape: Lyons, p.
4
; Wigmore, pp. 666–667.
“When my turn came”:
Lyons, p.
5
.
“an evil and terrible omen”:
Selby, p.
67
.
“An excited native”:
ibid.
Conversation between orderlies, including
“You might be sorry”:
Cook, p.
7
.
“The bastards are here!”
and other details of Cook’s escape:
Cook, pp.
7
–
8
.
“waved the paper across the Aussie’s face”:
ibid.
“not a trace of fear”:
Cook, quoted in Cox., p.
99
.
Stabbing by bayonet:
Cook, p.
9
.
Text of Japanese messages posted at Waitavalo plantation:
Selby, p.
75
.
“One can imagine my joy”:
Cook, p.
11
.
“sheer hard logic”:
Selby, p.
85
.
“There was the Commandant”:
ibid., pp.
83
–
84
.
Chapter 10—Escape:
The Lakatoi
“I knew he was the appropriate man”:
Feldt, pp.
38
–
39
.
Disagreements between McCarthy and Cameron:
Wigmore, p. 659.
“There was no lack of courage”:
Feldt, p.
41
.
Messages from Japanese officer Ogama:
AWM 54 (607/8/2).
“The Japanese had covered the distance”:
Hutchinson-Smith manuscript, p.
2
.
“[Joseph] Rokker was ingratiating”:
ibid., pp.
4
–
5
.