NGVR Lae / Salamaua
Pre Japanese Invasion WWII
25 Apr 1940.
The Salamaua Platoon of the NEW GUINEA VOLUNTEER RIFLES (NGVR) on parade drilled by SGT Rogers.
(Donor: H Walter)
25 April 1940.
The Salamaua Platoon of the NGVR on parade in front of the district office listen to an address by a Colonial official (Possibly DO Abbott).
(Donor: H. Walter)
NGVR Salamaua Photo courtesy Geoffrey Thwaites
Left and following 2 photos
NGVR building a suspension bridge near Lae
NGVR Guards for Internees.
After the outbreak of war with Germany and the intervention of Italy on the German side, German and Italian nationals were interned in New Guinea prior to transportation to Australia to internment camps.
This was one of the NGVR squads who provided guards on the ship transporting foreign nationals to Australia. This did not sit well with some of the NGVR men who in many cases had worked with the internees for some years and were friendly with them.
After the outbreak of war with Germany and the intervention of Italy on the German side, German and Italian nationals were interned in New Guinea prior to transportation to Australia to internment camps.
This was one of the NGVR squads who provided guards on the ship transporting foreign nationals to Australia. This did not sit well with some of the NGVR men who in many cases had worked with the internees for some years and were friendly with them.
- Harley Armitstead NGVR. NG2279 stated ‘One of our duties was to guard the foreign nationals who were interned. I must say that most of these were people who wanted to join the NGVR or AIF but had left it too late. We were treated well by them, and often used to be taken down to the hotel for morning tea, lunch or afternoon tea. Sometimes they would purchase food and cook us a great meal.”
- R.H (Hedley) Crisp NGVR. NG604 stated “I went out with a patrol officer to bring in a number of Italians. We used to mix and drink with them every Saturday night when they came to town. There were two of us and eight of them. On the way back the sweat was pouring out of me, dressed in uniform and carrying rifle and pack. One of them said “Carry your rifle for you Cruncher?” and I gave it to him.”
- Bob Emery NGVR. NG2001 stated ‘When we were on guard they would cook a wonderful meal, duck, poultry and everything, and would send out half a bucketful for the guard.”
Left and below.
NG45 Sgt John Burch
NGVR Lae 1940
NGVR at Lae
Back L-R. Des Lancraple, Ray Barrett, Hector Baldwin, ?, John Emery, John Cox, Bill King, Harley Armitstead, ?,
Bill Fry, Ernie Kilbourne, Bill Edwards Jnr.
Seated. George Milne, Doug Dickens, W.N. Bernard, Bill Edwards, Sid Neil, Charlie Carpenter,
Front Row. Dick Vernon, George Whittaker, Bob Emery, ?, Ray Woods, John Cooke.
John Emery, Harley Armitstead and Bob Emery's stories are told in "Keepers of the Gate"
Back L-R. Des Lancraple, Ray Barrett, Hector Baldwin, ?, John Emery, John Cox, Bill King, Harley Armitstead, ?,
Bill Fry, Ernie Kilbourne, Bill Edwards Jnr.
Seated. George Milne, Doug Dickens, W.N. Bernard, Bill Edwards, Sid Neil, Charlie Carpenter,
Front Row. Dick Vernon, George Whittaker, Bob Emery, ?, Ray Woods, John Cooke.
John Emery, Harley Armitstead and Bob Emery's stories are told in "Keepers of the Gate"
NGVR Camp at Lae
1940
NGVR Cookhouse Lae 1940
Salamaua, New Guinea, April 1940 . NG88 H.N. Walter, Rifleman in the New Guinea volunteer Rifles (NGVR), in daytime dress of the NGVR. (Donor H. Walter) |
Salamaua, New Guinea, April 1940. NG88 H.N. Walter, Rifleman in the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles (NGVR), dressed in the NGVR evening uniform. (Donor H. Walter) |
Salamaua. 1940. Two members of NGVR after practice at the rifle range.
A native pours boiling water through a funnel to clean one rifle (Donor H. Walter)
Salamaua, April, 1940.
NG 88 RFN H. Walter, at machine gun practice at the rifle range using a Lewis Mk 1 machine gun for the first time.
(Donor H. Walter)
Salamaua. April 1940. NGVR preparing for a weapons shoot on the Rifle Range
