Commando News Edition 13, 2022

some poles in a rough bush shelter. It is raining, but so
far the rain hasn’t got through the roof. There are three
of us writing around a hurricane lamp. I can hardly see
the writing myself, so that’s why I hope you can
understand it. ......We are still wandering. That’s all I can
say darling, “We are still wandering”. I can’t tell you
where, or to what purpose, or to do what job of course.
We have travelled by launch, by native canoe, and by
foot, on swift streams, sluggish streams, flooded
streams, over awful mosquito country, and leech
country, and through some beautiful country........The
last white women we saw before disappearing into the
blue were three Sisters of Our Lady of the Sacred
Heart.......They made us tea, and couldn’t do enough
for us in the way of giving us fresh fruit and tit-bits to
take away with us, God bless them. And these little
things are much appreciated after being on canned
food for some time...’ 12
The historic value of this letter cannot be
underestimated. Written during the first army crossing
of the Owen Stanley Ranges, it is first hand evidence of
the hardships endured though not dwelt on. Most
extraordinary, in the midst of all else, is the reference to
‘some beautiful county’!
Eventually arriving at Bulwa on 12 April they rested
for a couple of days before Roy ‘sent one of his
sections out to Salamaua and the other two down to
Markham.’ 13 ‘On 19 April it was suggested that no
action be taken against the enemy in the Salamaua
area until the forces in the Lae area were ready to
undertake a similar action, thus ensuring surprise.’ 14
General Blainey and General MacArthur agreed that
the Japanese forces in New Guinea had to be engaged
in combat. This meant taking the fight to the Lae, Wau,
Salamaua Region. General Blainey was initially and
rightly concerned about reducing troops at Port
Moresby to concentrate them in this area, however the
defeat of the Japanese Navy at the Battle of the Coral
Sea reduced the threat to Port Moresby, allowing the
New Guinea force to consider concentrating its
resources on the north coast region where the
Japanese had established airfields. Intelligence was
needed. Roy’s platoon was assigned the task.
On 30 April, ‘....a strong patrol had left Diddy Camp
for Lae. It was led by Captain Roy Howard....On
reaching Lae the men set up an observation post about
2 kilometres from Lae airfield. Early on the morning of
3 May the observers watched as two flights each of
seven bombers, passed over Lae heading south
escorted by thirteen fighters from Lae. Soon thereafter
the patrol was fired on by a stronger Japanese patrol
which was only some 75 metres away. Five men,
including Howard and Phillips, managed to flee into
thick scrub, though they had to abandon their
equipment. The men had been surprised in a tent on
the outskirts of Jacobsen’s Plantation while drying their
clothes in the sun and they turned up at Diddy camp
the next day, ‘bare-footed and in their pyjamas’.’ 15
The 2/5 Independent Company arrived at Wau on
23 May having been flown over the Owen Stanley
Ranges in a risky air manoeuvre such that had never
been attempted before. With their arrival, Kanga
Left: Official Photograph, Officers’
Training Wing, Royal Military
College, Duntroon
Left: Hal Crawford and Roy
Howard, New Guinea, 1942
Right: Group including Hal
Crawford, Roy Howard and
Padre Sherwin, New Guinea,
1942
COMMANDO ~ The Magazine of the Australian Commando Association ~ Edition 13 I 2022 35