Australian Military History

Having established themselves around the Scarlet Beach and securing the village of Katika, the troops of the 20th Brigade began to push south towards Finschhafen. In their way stood the Bumi River, guarded by Japanese troops as members of the elite Japanese Marines. It was a tough fight just getting there, but a beachhead was soon established. However, the entire battle was now in danger of collapse. Far from being forced onto the defensive, it was becoming apparent that large numbers of Japanese troops were preparing to attack the beach head at Scarlet Beach, the Brigade's only avenue of supply. The 20th Brigade needed reinforcement, but pedantry at higher command would delay the dispatch of troops by a vital three days.

With Lae and Salamaua now in Allied hands, the next step in the expulsion of the Japanese from New Guinea would take place in Finschhafen. The 9th Division's 20th Brigade, veterans of Tobruk and El Alemein, would be the men tasked with making this amphibious attack. With assurances from that the US navy could land the men at the exact spot, the landing craft moved towards the beach in the pre-dawn light. Only a handful would be landed at the appropriate spot while the rest would have to sort themselves out quickly if they were going to push the Japanese back from the beachheads.

While the main focus of Australia's involvement in Vietnam tends to be on the army, the army lads could not have done their job without the support from the Royal Australian Air Force. Whether it was the transport of men and materiel provided by Wallaby Airlines, the combat support of 9 Squadron, the bombing provided by 2 Squadron or the medical evacuation by the medical squadron, the RAAF was there from the start in 1964 and were the last to leave in 1975.

Having held off the Chinese offensive overnight, the Australians of 3RAR were in a tricky spot. They were running dangerously low on ammunition and medical supplies and the extraction of their wounded was problematic. Despite having given the Chinese a bloody nose, 3RAR had no choice but to fall back. But to withdraw while in contact with the enemy is one of the most difficult military operations to conduct. With the easier route cut off, the only way out was along the ridgelines. And then enemy weren't going to make it easy for them.

In April 1951, as troops from 3RAR were resting and preparing for Anzac Day commemorations, the Chinese army launched its largest offensive since its entry to the Korean War. The UN front collapsed and soon the Australians on the right of the Kapyong Valley, with Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Regiment on the left with some minor support units in between, would soon be all that stood between the Chinese army and a devastating victory.

Happy Yule, Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday everyone. If you can't be good, be good at it. And if you're not in bed by midnight, go home......The link to the Hardtack Podcast episode on the Sandakan Death March is here:https://open.spotify.com/episode/43rA9mjEdnNMN8rdR1p6wy?si=e3450ddc61b149c8Or alternatively, search Hardtack Podcast where ever you get your podcasts. Cheers everyone, see you next year.