Assault on Salamaua

15 Brigade Headquarters at Missim showing VX33 Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Henry George Guinn of East Malvern VIC, in conference with his staff. Soldier moves to forward Bren Gun position overlooking the Japanese held village of Orodubi 240 yards away. VX111772 Sgt Ronald Patrick Farrelly 58/59 Bn (on the right – KIA 30 May 1945, Bougainville) gives details of position to VX102640 Major (Maj) Herbert Maxwell (Max) Heward 58/59 Bn of Flemington VIC, (KIA 13 July 1943). Soldier doing up his pack in the rain before starting on ration carrying trip to forward positions. Four soldiers rest under a native shelter. Smoke from bomb burst on Japanese held Salamaua airstrip. B-25 Mitchell bombers making a strafing run on the airstrip. Air supply by Douglas C-47 Dakota transport aircraft at Nunn’s Post in the distance. Three men prepare to place camp. Troops put on packs and move out into jungle. 22 Sqn RAAF Douglas A-20 Bostons attack aircraft straffing Bobdubi Ridge. VX147101 Private Reginald Earl James 58/59 Bn of Shepparton VIC and VX137525 Pte Maxwell James (Bluey) Michelson 58/59 Bn of Brunswick VIC (KIA 17 July 1943) wait in ambush positions in the Uliap Creek. Australians firing three inch mortar. Pte Ferrell ?(possible typographical error in Parer’s shot list – could be N353361 Pte Edward Riland Farrelly KIA 17 August 1943) in a tree observing the fall of the mortar shells. Native boy Oana watches the mortar fire. Vickers gun firing from emplacement. SX2311 Sgt Stanley Robert (Spider) Hoare 58/59 Bn of Adelaide, SA and VX102842 Cpl Francis William (Bill) Mills 58/59 Bn at the Regimental Aid Post (RAP), both were wounded near Orodubi 9 July 1943. New Guinea stretcher carriers carrying wounded over Kunda bridge. Bomb bursts on Vickers position on Bobdubi Ridge. Stretcher cases carried down the Uliap Creek. V45794 Pte Gordon Stuart McDonald 58/59 Bn of Kyabram, VIC carried on stretcher over Kunda bridge. Famous scene of wounded soldier VX132355 Private William Oswald Wallace Johnson 58/59 Battalion (Bn) of Trafalgar, VIC, being helped across a creek and led along a muddy track by VX89711 Sergeant (Sgt) Gordon Raymond Charles Ayre 58/59 Bn of Shepparton, VIC. C-47 Dakota aircraft dropping supplies over mountainous country. Vickers gun crew fire towards Komiatum track from emplacement on Namling ledge. Crew of a 2 inch mortar fire from emplacement hidden in Kunai grass into Orodubi. 2/3rd Independent Company men move along track through Kunai grass. Vickers gun firing. NX76248 Lt Jack Edward (Johnny) Lewin looking through binoculars at the effect of the fire on the Komiatum track. Vickers gun crew prepare to fire from an emplacement on ambush knoll. VX59445 Lt Hubert Leo (Hugh) Egan 2/3 Ind Coy looking through telescope as Vickers gun fires. Weary men of 2/3rd Ind Coy moving along step track. VX24325 Brigadier Heathcote Howard Hammer with VX46 Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Daniel Garsfield Starr and Major (VX186, VX700135) George Radford Warfe 2/3 Ind Coy in conference under a ground sheet in the rain beside Uliap Creek. Brig Hammer gives instructions to Maj Warfe. Maj Warfe speaking to VX52975Lt Denis Dixon (Jock) Erskine 2/3rd Ind Coy. Regimental Medical Officer (RMO) NX34858 Capt Frederick Neil (Fred) Street 2/3rd Ind Coy attending to wounded Lt Jock Erskine. Stretcher carriers take away Lt Jock Erskine. Several scenes showing Australians examining a captured Japanese 70mm Type 92 Battalion Gun hold up an autographed Japanese flag. Australians gather around a Japanese Type 92 heavy machine. Heavy bombs burst on Komiatum dropped by B-24 Liberator bombers. NX12463 Lt Roy Hamilton Dawson, artillery post observation officer ordering fire on Bobdubi Ridge. Lt Lewin and his men discuss their reconnaissance of the Timbered Knoll with Maj Warfe. 25 Pounder artillery shells bursting on Japanese positions. Troops move off. QX11588 Pte John Phillip Humphrey (Jack) Arden 2/3rd Ind Coy drinking from his dixie. Lt Roy Dawson wearing head phones directing artillery fire. Officer firing Boys anti-tank rifle at Japanese pill box. Platoon of 2/3 In Coy led by Lt Lewin awaits start of the attack on Timbered Knoll. RAP men attended to WX2048 Pte Herbert William (Bill) Robins 2/3rd Ind Coy shortly after he was wounded . The assault by 2/3rd Independent Company with grenade on the Japanese position at Timbered Knoll. Aftermath of the assault showing the captured Japanese position and dead defenders. Members of a Vickers machine gun crew dig in on the Timbered Knoll. Maj Warfe, Lt Lewin, and NX114931Lt Sidney (Syd) Read 2/3rd Ind Coy discuss the position. Australians firing captured Type 92 machine gun. Three inch mortar firing six rounds on Japanese positions. Lt Roy Dawson firing captured 70mm Type 92 Battalion Gun. Lt Syd Read lights a pipe. VX46123 John Richard (Lofty) Moran 2/3rd Ind Coy digs a shelter around his tent on the Timbered Knoll. Burial service conducted by VX111284 Padre James Columbus English for VX57539 Sgt Andrew Stewart (Bonny) Muir of Kerang, VIC, WX14133 Cpl Donald Jack Buckingham and WX13821 Cpl Percival Arthur Hooks, the three 2/3 Ind Coy NCOs killed in the Timbered Knoll attack on 29 July 1943. A Vickers gun crew dig in on Timbered Knoll. Two soldiers shelter under a ground sheet sharing a cigarette. Company medical officer Fred Street speaks to camera left. Soldier waits in position in the jungle. Troops move away from camera through jungle. Pte First Class W H Kapp of Montana, USA on guard in the jungle. Capt Cam Bennet of Hamilton, Lt Fred Osterholtz of Seattle and Pte First Class W H Kapp at the post in the jungle. Four scenes showing of the 1st Australian Mountain Battery gun crew firing a QF 3.7 inch Howitzer. Americans carrying their dismantled 75mm M1 Pack Howitzer along a jungle track towards camera. American s prepare their gun emplacement. New Guinea carriers moving along rocky track to Tambu. Americans mortar crew in action. Two Australians and two Americans drink from dixies in a jungle clearing. Pte Joe Meier of Salem, Oregon firing a rifle grenade while other American soldiers look on out of the trench. Another American firing grenade. Grenade bursts on Japanese pill box. Americans in position on perimeter at Tambu and eating meal. See also F01621 for Movietone News newsreel version.