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History

The New Guinea Volunteer Rifles (NGVR) had the distinction of being the only Australian  Army milita unit raised, mobilised, fought and disbanded overseas in  the Mandated Territory of New Guinea between 1939 and 1943. On 4th  September 1939, Australian Army Headquarters ordered the raising of  NGVR. A cosmopolitan group of men from Europe, the British Isles, New  Zealand, Australia and Asia, whose homes and livelihoods were in New  Guinea, hastened to join.

 The initial strength of the battalion  was limited to 20 officers and 400 other ranks, but this was increased  in June 1940 to 23 officers and 482 other ranks. The enthusiasm in the  early days stemmed mainly from returned soldiers of the 1914-18 War, but  by mid-1941 the unit had lost many of its younger members having joined  the AIF and other services.  While the remoteness of many areas was a  disadvantage, a growing realisation of the danger of war in the Pacific  led to a revival of interest late 1941.

The headquarters of the NGVR was  originally at Rabaul and sub-units were located at Wau, Salamaua, Lae  and Madang. Fit men between the ages of 18 and 50 were accepted.  Enlistment was for a two-year period and there was no pay except for an  allowance of 1 pound per year. The uniform consisted of khaki shirts and  trousers, made from material sent from Australia. The Army supplied  felt hats, bandoliers, leather belts, boots and puttees. Brass NGVR  shoulder badges were worn. Arms consisted of rifles and some Vickers and  Lewis machine guns.

 In August 1941, after the arrival of  ‘Lark Force’ in Rabaul, NGVR, under the command of Major WM Edwards,  moved its headquarters to Bulolo on the mainland. After Japan attacked,  the Battalion was placed on full-time duty and mobilized on the 21  January,1942.

 When the Japanese invaded  Rabaul in  the early hours of the 22 January, NGVR was under the command of the CO  of 2/22nd Battalion. NGVR was positioned on the northern flank of the  Lark Forces defence line around the harbour and   manned medium machine  guns and mortars. NGVR fought until resistance was of no avail, either  sharing the fate of other prisoners-of-war or withdrawing south across  New Britain to the Open Bay and Wide Bay areas for eventual evacuation  south.


36 NGVR personnel of the 1053 plus  Australian POWs and civilian internees from Rabaul and nearby New Guinea Islands died when the Japanese naval prison ship  Montevideo Maru was sunk in the South China Sea on 1 July 1942 by an American  submarine; the worst single Australian marine tragedy in WW2.   Together, with about 150 other Australian soldiers, a number of NGVR  soldiers were massacred at Toll Plantation on Wide Bay by the
Japanese.

 On the mainland, NGVR formed  independent detachments at Wau, Salamaua, Bulolo and Lae. On 21 January,  when 60 Japanese aircraft struck simultaneously at Lae, Salamaua and  Bulolo, the second-in-command of NGVR, Major EW Jenyns, went to the  Administrator in Lae, who then declared a state of emergency and handed  over to Jenyns.

 Assuming a Japanese landing at Lae was  imminent and with NGVR on full time duty, all civilians departed on 24  January. This left six RAAF signalers and six NGVR soldiers in Lae.  Meanwhile, other NGVR groups defended strategic points in the area, with  their headquarters at Mubo.  NGVR was at about company strength in the  Lae area by this time.

 When the Japanese invaded Lae on 8  March 1942, NGVR moved westward towards Nadzab. After the Japanese  landed at Salamaua on the same day, NGVR withdrew across the Francisco  River and  destroyed  the bridge. Positioning a section at the River,  the others moved south to Mubo. Although the Japanese appeared to be in  no hurry to move inland, a party of 60 went to Komiatum, half way to  Mubo, on 18 March and destroyed the NGVR stores
dump.

 While the Japanese kept to the Lae town  area, NGVR faced new problems. As the only administrative  representative of law and order, it assumed responsibility for several  thousand indentured labourers recruited from many outlying districts,  but now without support and unable to return to their homes. The NGVR  established depots and fed them, and they became the first of the army  of carriers and labourers who proved so vital in their support to the  Allies during the fighting that followed.

 Colonel Edwards sent six NGVR soldiers  to find out what the Japanese were doing in Salamaua The Japanese knew  they were there but failed to find them. As the local people were in  trouble with the Japanese for assisting the Australians, NGVR withdrew  to avoid further trouble for them. Similar NGVR posts were established  along the Markham Valley and Heath’s Plantation closer to Lae to watch  the Japanese. NGVR filled a large gap to late
May 1942 by keeping in  touch with and containing the enemy.

 The 2/5th Independent Company AIF, with supporting attachments, flew into Wau from Port Moresby on 23 May to  reinforce NGVR. These units formed Kanga Force, whose role was to start a  limited offensive to harass and destroy enemy personnel and equipment  in the area. The OC Kanga Force considered there were 2,000 Japanese in  Lae and 250 in Salamaua.  Kanga Force had 700 men, of whom only 450 were  fit for operations – a small number to meet the many possible Japanese  threats. To forestall these, the OC ordered raids on Salamaua and  Heath’s Plantation west of Lae. The Salamaua raid was planned quickly as  a result of previous scouting work. Early in the morning of 29 June, 71  members of NGVR and 2/5th Independent Company killed at least 100  Japanese at a cost of three men slightly wounded. This very successful  raid made the Japanese draw on their garrison at Lae to reinforce their  perimeter at Salamaua. Although the 58 man strong raid on Heath’s  Plantation was successful, it lacked surprise and the leader was killed  and two other men wounded.

 Although NGVR remained in good spirits,  the deprivations of continuous operations in hostile terrain without  adequate
supply and medication took their toll, with many falling sick  with fever and other tropical diseases. The number of fit men steadily  dwindled. As food was not getting through, the soldiers became  increasingly dependent on the local
food supply. Japanese air raids,  their intimidation tactics over the local people, and the sheer physical  difficulty of getting rations forward to feed carriers had a cumulative  effect and threatened to stop Kanga Force activity.

 Later, when the focus shifted to the  Milne Bay and Kokoda Track battles, NGVR continued to man its posts  overlooking the Japanese. 1942 was NGVR’s year. By early 1943 too few  were left to be effective. Because of their knowledge of the country and  its problems, the remaining NGVR soldiers were attached to the  Australian New Guinea
Administrative Unit (ANGAU), and NGVR lost its identity.

 The NGVR soldiers came from many walks  of life.  While some were too old to join the AIF, medically unfit or  employed in restricted occupations, they fought well. They also  initiated the organising  Papua New Guinean labour which was to become a  vital contributory feature to the success of the Allied campaign in the  New Guinea archipelago.

 Excerpted from Coady’s article in the
“Australian Territories Magazine”, published 1995-96.

 For a more detailed account of NGVR, see Ian Downes book “NGVR”.


 Footnote: As at 1 January 2011, we are aware that there are about 5 ex-NGVR men alive.
The last of the NGVR soldiers, Shui Hong Wong died on 8th April 2016, aged 98

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