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operations in the most expeditious way, an amphibious assault on Buin, were notavailable.18 This was recognised by the commanders on the ground.19 Reportsin the Australian press about the campaign described it as ‘mopping up’ operations,which underplayed the scale and ferocity of the fighting.20 Finally, therewas always an underlying sense, which increased as time went on, that Australianoperations on Bougainville were overly optimistic.21 A major factor was the grossunderestimation of the Japanese strengths on the island. These were reckoned tobe around 18 000 at the start of Australian operations, but after the war were foundto be over 36 000.22 As Gavin Long concluded, ‘by the second quarter of 1945, thetask that the II Corps undertook was too great for its resources’.23Each of these factors impacted upon morale, but were not unique to the 7thBrigade and will only be discussed further where they had a particular impactwithin this formation. As later noted by Brigadier Heathcote Howard Hammer,commander of the 15th Brigade, in the end the fighting soldier had to ignore suchissues ‘and get on with the job in hand’.24 The problems in the 7th Brigade weremuch more a result of its individual circumstances.During a visit to Torokina in February 1945, Gavin Long, Australia’s officialhistorian of the Second World War, noted that Bougainville represented one ofthe largest operations ever undertaken by the Australian Army.25 By July Savigecommanded 32 000 soldiers. His main fighting force was Major General WilliamBridgeford’s 3rd Division, consisting of the 7th, 15th and 29th Brigades and the2/8th Commando Squadron. It soon became apparent that the main enemyconcentration was at Buin, in the south of the island, and the division spent most18 Keating, The Right Man for the Job, p. 149.19 Field’s diary, 24 April 1945, AWM PR6937, Item 7.20 Long’s notes on conversation with Lieutenant Colonel E.H. Wilson, 1 February 1945,p. 45, AWM 67, Item 2/69; Ewen’s diary 2, 1 April 1945, AWM PR89/190.21 For example see Lieutenant General Sir Frank Berryman’s notes on Chapter 3 ofLong’s draft of The Final Campaigns, September 1953, p. 2, AWM 67, Item 3/30, Part4; Berryman’s diary, 26 March 1945, AWM PR 84/370, Item 5.22 ‘Report on Operational and Administrative Activities 2 Aust Corps in the NorthSolomons Area October 1944–August 1945’, pp. 75–6, AWM 3DRL6643, Item 3/83.23 Gavin Long, The Final Campaigns, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1963,p. 240.24 ‘Notes on Bougainville by Major General H.H. Hammer’, p. 2, AWM 67, Item 3/156.25 Long’s notes, February 1945, p. 69, AWM 67, Item 2/69.A tale of three battalions — 5