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WA DECORATIONS
AWARDS FOR BRAVERY.
New Guinea Fighting.
Evidence of the close-quarter
fighting that took place in the grim
days of August last, when the Jap-
anese were pressing on to the Owen
Stanleys in New Guinea, is pro-
vided with the details of decorations
won during that time by a famous
WA unit which took a prominent
part in the campaign. Of the many
decorations won by officers and men
of the unit either in Syria or New
Guinea, one MC, 1 DCM and, 6 MM'
were awarded for the early New
Guinea fighting, during which the
battalion moved up to meet the
Japanese at Abuari, which is near
Kokoda. Here the West Australians
made first contact with the enemy
at a distance of only 15 yards. The
men had been walking quietly to
get into formation in the jungle
when they saw their first Japanese
who was camouflaged, sitting in the
shadow of a rock. The Japanese
was promptly shot and with the fir-
ing of that shot bedlam broke loose
With bursts of fire the West Aus-
tralians cleaned out the enemy and
accounted for 40 of them.
It was at Abuari that Capt R. H.
Christian won the MC for con-
spicuous gallantry and cool leader-
ship. He led his platoon in attacks
again and again against strongly!
held Japanese positions, inflicting
heavy casualties and destroving
CAPTAIN RON CHRISTIAN, MC.t Help
CAPTAIN RON CHRISTIAN, MC.
several machine guns. Capt Chris-
tian, who is 25, joined the unit in
May, 1940, and went to the Middle
East as a private. He got his com-
mission after the Syrian campaign
and was promoted to captain in
New Guinea in November last. He
had command of a platoon as a
subaltern in the early fighting near
Kokoda.
Other awards went to NCO's and
men. Though severely wounded near
Abuari on August 29, Pte G. Maid-
ment (DCM) took a tommy gun
from his dead section leader,. fired
until all ammunition was exhausted.
was again wounded but continued to
throw grenades at the enemy. He
thereby effectively covered the
movement of his platoon and the
evacuation of casualties. Warrant
Offlcer II J. T. Philbin (MM), re-
organised several small parties
which had penetrated the enemy
lines at. Abuari and successfully led
them in another assault.
Sgt G. Morris, of Harvey (MM),
several times .found himself in com-
mand of a platoon in the Owen
Stanleys. At First Crossing he
single-handed covered the withdrawal
of his platoon, and later dashed back
into the fray to rescue part of an-
other platoon which had been
almost surrounded by the enemy.
Cpl Brian Moloney, of Kalgoorlie
(MM) always volunteered for the
most dangerous tasks. In the attack
on enemy positions at Abuari he
inflicted heavy casualties with his
Bren gun; at Efogi he materially
assisted his company to break
through the Japanese lines by fir-
ing his Bren gun continuously from
his hip, and again at Ioribawa led
a patrol which inflicted heavy
casualties on an enemy advance
guard.
Cpl O. R. O. Osborne (MM) led
his section when the section leader
was .killed. When the platoon ser-
geant was killed a few minutes later
he took over and forced his way
at the head of the platoon through
the Japanese position. Throughout
the fighting he was an inspiration
to the platoon until he was wounded
L/Cpl L. Haynes (MM) covered the
movement of the remainder of his
platoon at Eoro Creek and to do so
had to expose himself and was
severely wounded. Pte J. Myhre
(MM) repeatedly, recovered wounded
under heavy fire. Nothing ever de-
terred Myhre from succouring his
wounded comrades.
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