William Archibald (Bill) Elliott, as a Sergeant, 55/53rd Battalion, interviewed by Daniel Connell for the Keith Murdoch Sound Archives of Australia in the War of 1939-45

Places	Oceania: Australia, Queensland, North Queensland, Townsville Oceania: New Guinea1, Papua New Guinea, Papua, Owen Stanley Range, Buna Area, Soputa Oceania: New Guinea1, Papua New Guinea, Papua, Owen Stanley Range, Kokoda Trail Oceania: New Guinea1, Papua New Guinea, Papua, Port Moresby Oceania: Pacific Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, New Britain, Gazelle Peninsula, Rabaul Area, Rabaul
Accession Number	S00585
Collection type	Sound
Measurement	1 hr 30 min
Object type	Oral history
Physical description	audio cassette; TDK AD60; two track mono
Maker	Elliott, William Archibald (Bill)
Place made	Australia: New South Wales, Newcastle
Date made	14 June 1989
Access	Open
Conflict	Second World War, 1939-1945
Copyright	Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
Copying Provisions	Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction.
Source credit to	The Keith Murdoch Sound Archive of Australia in the war of 1939-45

Description

Discussing pre-war employment; enlistment and training; formation of 53rd Battalion; inadequacy of training period prior to embarkation for New Guinea; arrival in Port Moresby; inadequacy of supplies; bombing of MV Macdhui; moving out of Port Moresby and onto Kokoda Trail; first contact with Japanese Forces; death of Colonel Ward and reaction by battalion; battalion morale; withdrawal from Kokoda to Port Moresby; battalion portrayed as 'rabble'; amalgamation with 55th Battalion and new officers; action at Soputa; high casualty rate in battalion; return to Australia; contact with American forces in Townsville; Japanese atrocities; compound duties in Rabaul; demobilisation; post-war employment.