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It is now possible for me to give you some account of our
part in the Lae campaign, writes Lieut. W. R. Ambrose, to
a friend in Perth. i
You will nave read the newspaper accounts of 4Jie events
leading up to the capture of Lae but they cannot have ex
aggerated the courage, devotion to duty and skill of our
men and commanders. The whole operation was well con
ceived and well executed. It demonstrated claerly the thor
oughness of our training and the importance of high morale
and team spirit.
The brigade landed on Sun
day night, September 5 after
other divisional troops had
established a beachhead and
commenced to move towards
Lae. These troops moved
very quickly so that we were
faced with a long march on
the first day.
The following day, continuing
along the coast, one battalion took
the lead. They pushed steadily
ahead against increasing enemy
opposition so far as the east
bahk of the Busu River.
This river, which is about a quar
ter of a mile wide, provides the main
drainage system of the country
thereabouts.
The river is made up of a number
of channels divided by small islands;
the widest -d deepest channel near
the mouth being close to the west
bank.
The current, against which no man
could stand, was swollen by heavy
rains and swept swiftly to the sea in
a milky flood. On the west bank the
Japanese were dug in in some
strength. .
The battalion immediately com
menced to seek a crossing place near
the mouth and another battalion
moved some distance up the river
also, seeking a place at which . to
cross.
As no easy crossing could be found
the original men were ordered to
cross near the mouth at 1730 hours
on September 9.
RIVER CROSSED
The point for crossing was selected
a little way up the river where the
enemy fire was not so heavy. The
first company carrying their bare es
sentials of arms, ammunition, food
and gear lined up along the east
bank.
In line they started across the
river,. In line they entered the deep
west channel. Swimmers and non
swimmers alike went forward with
out hesitation.
AJU of them were swept down
stream by the current but most of
them kept their feet and reached
the far bank.
Some were swept away. The other
companies followed. They had seep
how the first company crossed . and
they moved higher up the river and
were helped a little by the swirl of
the current.
The whole battalion crossed before
dark and then, sopping wet, short of
arms and ammunition lost in
the crossing, without communication
with the west bank they went on with
their job.
BEACHHEAD
Companies pushed out to defend
;he beachhead which they had won.
Efforts were made to get a signal line
across the river. Men who had been
washed down the river and who were
clinging on to trees and a sandbank
were rescued.
To get. information to brigade a
sergeant swam back across the river.
Finally a telephone line was estab
lished. Engineers worked all night
to bridge the west channel but with
out success.
By the morning they had a
SWAMP, JUNGLE
ferry service with a punt and
wire rope operating. Supplies
and replacements went across and
the battalion commenced to
move forward along the coast.
Meanwhile the second battalion,
which had gone up the river, had
been trying to cross. Three men
swam across the river with a line.
Naked and without arms they spent
the night on the hostile shore trying
to make a bridge for the battalion to
cross.
Their efforts failed and they re
joined the battalion. The battalion
then moved down to the mouth of
the river and were ferried across.
They commenced to push out to the
N.W. towards the Malchang airstrip.
Now a third battalion came into
the picture. They had been doing an
excellent job, road building and han
dling supplies. On September 11 they
were ferried across and pushed for
ward between the original battalions.
Owing to swamp and jungle the
going at this stage was slow compared
with the earlier advance along the
coast. In actual fact it was a steady
and determined push which inflicted
heavy casualties on the enemy and
relentlessly gained ground.
By midday on September 16 the
three battalions were lined up
ready for the final assault on
Lae. After an intense aerial and
artillery bombardment the troops
moved forward.
The first battalion into the town
near the last end of the air strip met
a patrol from one of the units of the
seventh division.
The scenes in Lae in -the following
day or two were typical of the spirit
of the troops. Lean, sunburnt men
who'd washed all their clothes
paraded in gaily coloured sarongs.
Many wore American rag hats or gob
caps. Men rode up and down the
main ioad on little Jap bicycles with
flat or nearly flat tyres. . Broken
down Jap trucks were started and
the troops, got lifts to the river ' to
swim. Souvenirs were eagerly sought
and there were some good ones.
RELAXATION
But the work of cleaning up was
started. Roads were built, bomb
craters filled in, valuable supplies
salvaged and. cleanliness and order
produced from the wreckage of the
town. -
We moved away from the town and
setting up our camp beside a fast
flowing river, proceeded to catch up
with our mail and our sleep. So for
a few days. Then we moved again
and started some training inter
spersed with a little sport.
Situated as we are it is diffi
cult to find much with which to
break the monotony. Sports
meetings were arranged. These
were held on the beach and com
bined swimming and running .
events;
Concerts, swing sessions, news
commentaries, boxing talks all served '
to fill in an hour .or two of the long
nights.
The' men generally are in good
health and their morale is high. They
have met the Jap and beaten him,
and they have found that New
Guinea is not so bad, so far away, as
it has been painted.
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