SONS OF HEAVEN

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4646, 29 June 1944, Page 4

SONS OF HEAVEN

The Jap. is a dirty fighter. He gets away with a lot, but one day in the Markham Valley, New Guinea, retribution overtook him. Four stretcher-bearers were carrying out a seriously wounded man when they were ambushed. The Japs, waited until the party was close and then opened fire with a light machinegun. Two of the bearers, one a Military Medal winner, were killed and the others wounded. Close by two Bren gunners had been wounded and a stetcher-bearer went forward to attend them. He was bending over one man when the Japs shot him. Another stretcher-bearer ran forward and had just finished bandaging the two wounded men when he fell wounded. The Japanese then concentrated their fire on him and kept on firing until he was killed. Instrument of retribution was Private Richard Kelliher, a young Irishman from Ballybeggan, Tralee, who had been in Australia for 12 years with an uncle who lives in Brisbane. Five of his small party had been killed and three wounded and like the rest, he was seething at the fate of the stretcher-bearers. He took two grenades, charged down the hillside, hurled them into the Japanese ma-chine-gun position and then went

back. Soon after the post began to fire .tgain. This time Keliiher took a Bren gun and charged down, firing from the hip. Again the post was silent. A third time fire came from the post. Keliiher took an Owen gun, charged a third time and this time cleaned up the whole team, an officer and nine men. A second post then opened up and wounded Kelliher’s section officer, who was out in front in an exposed position to give orders to his men. Keliiher went out and brought him in. “1 was only giving a chap a hand,” he said.