PORT MORESBY

Grey River Argus, 3 June 1942, Page 1

PORT MORESBY

MEN BEHIND THE GUNS TOLL OF JAPANESE RAIDERS Australian anti-aircraft gunners in Port Moresby constitute one of the finest units of Australian soldiers and when the story of their deeds and heroism in Australia’s hottest outpost is written in full it will make some of the brightest pages in Australia’s new war history, states F. C. Folkard, a Sydney Sun correspondent . Some of the gunners, says Mr Folkard, came back from the Middle East, went to action stations and were ready to go in against the enemy at once. With the Allied airmen, they are to-day fighting in the front line the battle for Australia’s principal -Papuan fortress. Men manning one particular battery have been' in the A.I.F. for two years. They spent 15 months of inactivity .in Australia, and then about a year in the Middle East, where only a few saw action. They are now seeing plenty of it against lowflying Japanese Zeros. Already they claim nine hits against Zeros and feel certain that five were unable to reach home.

One of their camps was completely wiped out by 60 bombs, the men losing equipment, tents and personal belongings. Some are wearing caps which have been/shot through with shrapnel. They hold an Anzac Day service with New Guinea’s' bishop, Di' Strong, amid yawning bomb craters, while the alert was sounding.

During one strafing a gunner was grazed by three'bullets—on the arm, cheek, and ribs—another had an arm blown off by an accident. He was amazingly cheerful, typifying the spirit of these men. He said to an officer: “You know, sir, I’ve been thinking. I know a number of mon with only one arm. I reckon I could perfect a drill for a one-armed gun team. How about giving me a chance?” ' Another ; odd experience was told They heaf'd a single rifle shot, which by another member- of the crew, is the signal that a raid is on. They jumped into the pit, manned the gun a.’nd immediately started firing at the Zeros, which suddenly appeared from nowhere, claiming a number of direct ' hits. Afterwards they learned that the rifle had been fired accidentally, and that no warning about the Japanese had been received.