NEW GUINEA VOLUNTEERS

Evening Star, Issue 24409, 22 January 1943, Page 2

NEW GUINEA VOLUNTEERS

AUSTRALIAN UNIT DISBANDED (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) SYDNEY, January 21. The first "men to go to fight for their homes on Australian territory, the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles, to-day celebrated the first anniversary of their call-up for full-time duty. The unit, which did magnificent work hi the early days of the J apanese drive to the south, has now been disbanded. At its peak the unit numbered more than 500, its members being scattered over a vast area, of New Guinea .aud'New Britain. Many have died or are prisoners of the Japanese, but some are stili in action in jungle warfare. The New- Guinea Volunteer Rifles was formed at Rabaul in September. 1939, with subsequent detachments on the New Guiuea mainland at Lae, Salamaua, and Madaug. Mainly it was composed of returned soldiers from the last war, men over the age for enlistment, most of them having had many, years of -experience of the territories in which they were stationed. On January 21 last year, when the alarm was given in llabaul that the Japanese invasion fleet was approaching, the unit took up full-time duty. The detachment fought 'until all its ammunition was expended, and only seven eventually escaped to Australia. In New Guinea the volunteer rifle men took charge of areas from which the civilian populations-bad-been i:vadnated; They were the'only Australian so'diers there when the Japanese landed some weeks later. In patrol activities they inflicted many casualties, and gained vital information concerning the enemy strength and arfrianients and likely plans. To-day those members of the New Guinea Rifles who are still on active service are acting as guides, scouts, and liaison officers in the territories with which they are so familiar. Their local knowledge has been a major factor in many of the jungle warfare successes scored against the Japanese.