PNGAF Mag # 3 of 3 November 2020

AUSTRALIAN FORESTERS in PAPUA NEW GUINEA 1922-1975

PNGAF MAGAZINE ISSUE # 3 of 30th October 2020 Jim McAdam First Director of the Dept of Forests TPNG

“JB” James Bannister McAdam MM 1910-1959 Jim McAdam graduate of University of Queensland and Australian Forestry School and in 1932/33 Dux winning the Schlich Medal. In 1934 joined Queensland Forestry. In 1938 joined TPNG and Chief Forester 1939; 1939-45 World War 2. awarded the Military Medal; 1944/45 Lt Col 1 Aust CRE (New Guinea Forests) 1946 became Director of Forests; died 1959. Photo Credit Dept of Forests PNG

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Editor R B McCarthy1 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS “FORWOOD” J B McAdam Portrait Background to Jim McAdam becoming the first Director of the TPNG Department of Forests 1919 1924 1937-38 1939-42 1943 Transport Issues July 1943 Conference Utilisation Forest Resources May 1944 Forest Inventory Course 17-29 July 1944 Yalu Australian Army Forestry Sawmilling Companies History of the Australian Army Forestry Units Sappers in the West Roll Call TPNG World War 2 Forest Personnel Rebuild 1946 J B McAdam’s 1952 Review of Forestry in TPNG Acronyms

J B McAdam Memorial Park Wau 1968 photo credit John Davidson

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District Forester TPNG 1963-1975

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Page 3 Page 5 Page 7 Page 7 Page 7 Page 7 Page 8 Page 13 Page 14 Page 26 Page 26 Page 29 Page 35 Page 57 Page 62 Page 65 Page 100 Page 108 Page 115

“FORWOOD” The intent of newsletters one and two was to record the actual history of bringing scientific management to PNG Forests from the late 1880’s to the commissioning in 1922 of Lane Poole’s assessment of the TPNG forest resources to 1938 with the appointment of the first Chief Forester Jim McAdam.

This third newsletter is in some ways revisiting the war time situation (1939-45) in PNG. Because of McAdam’s influence on the practice of forestry,; proper scientific and utilisation activities were undertaken and at the same time his protection of the traditional rights of the forest owners led to the establishment of what is today the Department of Forests of PNG, PNG’s forest industry and its allied tertiary forestry training institutions.

During the war years and beyond, McAdam had many prominent foresters and scientists such as Carron, Jacobs, Head, Suttie, Hall, Mair, Chandler, Head, Saxton, CT White, Dadswell, and McIntosh to assist in the development of scientific management of TPNG’s forest resources. The Australian forest industry contributed greatly to TPNG’s forest industrial development as demonstrated by the sawmilling expertise of the Australian Army Forestry Units in TPNG during World War 2.

Throughout all those turbulent times, McAdam’s leadership and foresight was demonstrated through: •

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His use of former Australian army forestry personnel to undertake the running of sawmills for post-World War 2 reconstruction of the towns and out centres of TPNG such as Jim Cavanaugh; Ted Collis, John Lowien, Reay Weidenhofer, Eric Dobson, Robert Cattanach, Alan Fraser, Ken Fraser, Keith Cullen, Darby Munro, Don Fryar, Bill Suttie, George Barrcroft, Bert Gloynes, Dick Reilly, Michael Jackson, Kevin Whit,; Ernie Clifton, Frank Vickery, Frank Holland, Alec Richardson, Col Pittaway, ,Don McIntosh, Bill Jenkin, John Thompson, James Nugen, Larry Edwards.

His initiatives led to the establishment of plantations at Kerevat, Bulolo and Wau. These early initiatives lead to the establishment of a specific forest plantation research section. This has culminated in the viable PNG forest plantation sector of today.

His development by 1948, of the TPNG cadetship scheme for highly qualified and experienced Australian forest officers to implement his visions came into being. The first TPNG forestry cadets included returned serviceman Don McIntosh (third Managing Director Dept. of Forests) together with Alec Hart (later to join CALM WA) and Ted Gray (later to join the World Bank). That same year had returned serviceman Kevin White as a forestry student who was then sponsored by Queensland Forestry but later to join TPNG Forests.

His concept of large-scale ongoing forest resource investigations continued after World War 2. This was coupled with the commencement of detailed research investigations for viable industrial wood processes for the conversion and treatment

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•

of PNG woods such that a structured wood processing and construction industry be established.

His initiatives led to the establishment of PNG’s tertiary forestry training institutions, especially at Bulolo Forestry College under Director Don McIntosh.

During the preparation of PNGAF Mag # 3, all past TPNG officers recognise the invaluable assistance and articles provided by Army Historian and forester Graham McKenzie Smith.

At the same time, all past TPNG officers appreciate the ongoing efforts of Linda Cavanaugh Manning, Cheryl, and Norma Collis in preparing this historical reflection of the past.

R B McCarthy Editor 30th October 2020

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J B McAdam PORTRAIT Foresters all over Australia were deeply shocked to hear of the untimely death of Jim [James Bannister] McAdam, the Director of the New Guinea Forest Service, on the 27th February 1959. He was 49 years of age. 2 James Bannister McAdam (” JB”) (1910-1959), forester and soldier, was born on 6 February 1910 at Presell with Hackinsall, Lancashire, England, son of John George McAdam, railway cashier, and his wife Elizabeth Ann, née Bannister. The family emigrated to Queensland.

James was sent to state schools and to Toowoomba Grammar School. In 1929 he joined the Queensland Forest Service as a cadet.

He proceeded to the University of Queensland, Brisbane, and the Australian Forestry School, Canberra (Dip. For.). Athletic and of robust build, he excelled at sport, particularly Rugby Union football. He was awarded the Schlich medal as the outstanding student in his final year for the quality of his academic and practical work in 1933.

From 1934 he joined the Queensland Forestry Department. At St Paul's Anglican Church, Maryborough, on 19 January 1938 he married Eileen Alexandra Ewing, a schoolteacher.

That month (January 1938) he accepted a permanent position in the Mandated Territory of New Guinea as a Forestry Officer, becoming the Chief Forestry Officer in 1939.

With the threat of war in the Pacific, McAdam enlisted in the Australian Military Forces on 19 September 1940 at Wau. He began full-time duty with the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles on 22 January 1942 and was promoted sergeant within a fortnight. After the Japanese invaded Salamaua in March, he led a party of scouts which established an observation post within a mile (1.6 km) of enemy positions. The intelligence which the team gathered was crucial to the success of the Australian raid on the town in June. McAdam acted as a guide in the foray.

Transferred to the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit in September, he was awarded the Military Medal for his outstanding service at Salamaua. In April 1943 he was commissioned Lieutenant.

Promoted temporary Major, McAdam was appointed Commander, 1 Aust CRE (New Guinea Forests), in February 1944. His unit's task was to assess and map the forest resources of Papua New Guinea, Bougainville, and Manus Island for war needs and for future management in peacetime. He relinquished the appointment in September 1945. Following a brief attachment to Army Headquarters, Melbourne, he transferred to the Reserve of Officers on 8 February 1946 and settled in Port Moresby as Acting-Secretary (later Director) of the Department of Forests, Territory of Papua-New Guinea. Keen and industrious, he had a “passion for protecting the trees”.

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Source McAdam, James Bannister (Jim) (1910–1959) by L. T. Carron Published in Australian Dictionary of Biography Volume 15, (MUP) 2000 accessed online 7 March 2019 and IFA Newsletter, vol 2, no 3, June 1959

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In 1949 he visited Australia to give evidence to the royal commission into timber rights. He was a member (1949-59) of the Territory's Executive Council and an official member (195159) of its Legislative Council.

In the post-war years, with his background knowledge of the forests of New Guinea, gained in the pre-war and wartime periods, he established the New Guinea Forest Service and built it up to the first-class organisation it is today.

McAdam was active in the affairs of the Papua and New Guinea Scientific Society (President 1951). His main hobby was woodcraft. While on leave, he died of hypertensive coronary vascular disease on 27 February 1959 at Margate, Queensland, and was cremated. His wife, son and two daughters survived him.

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The Cavanaugh family were on long service leave in 1958 and visited Jim and Eileen McAdam at their home in Margate Brisbane. Jim was doing handstands and standing on his head a couple of months or so before he died in February 1959. He was still very fit and liked to show off to the children. Only Joan the youngest daughter returned to the Territory. She was the French teacher at Port Moresby High for many years.

4Evan

Shield was interviewed by Jim McAdam - with two others now forgotten - in Brisbane in 1957 ... flown down from and back to Townsville for the occasion ... My cadetship with the Administration resulted ... and I have long regretted the fact that this was my sole acquaintance with the great man ... He died before I completed second year at UQ about two years later and, of course, was replaced by Bill Suttie. His obituary makes mention of his prowess at rugby ... and my guess he would have made a formidable opponent ... it was said that he could run 100 yards in even time .

Linden George (Jim) Cavanagh I knew well ... We worked in proximity for about three years in (the less than salubrious) Forestry HQ, in those days, the former Kone Club building.

In 1963 a magnificent park of some 5000 acres (2024 ha) near Wau in the Bulolo Gorge was named after him. It includes outstanding forests of hoop and klinkii pines in which he had shown interest. Jim received the Coronation Medal for his services to New Guinea.

Plaque to Jim McAdam Memorial Park 1968 Left Chris Borough and right John Smith Photo credit John Davidson 3 4

Personal communication Linda Cavanaugh Manning 9th April 2019 Personal communication Evan Shield 2019

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BACKGROUND TO JIM McAdam BECOMING THE FIRST DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FORESTS IN PNG Les Carron5 described the situation in which Jim McAdam became the first Director of the Department of Forests in PNG. In 1919, C E Lane Poole6 commenced a role for the involvement of the Federal Government in forestry that was to extend over thirty years. In a long article in 1919 titled “A forest policy for Australia” –he saw the remedy in the adoption of a forest policy for the whole of Australia and nominated what he saw as the most important items for it, including land classification and forest reservation, the compilation and implementation of working plans by professional foresters, one professional forestry school, a training scheme for subordinate staff, research institutes for forestry and forestry products and an extensive publicity campaign.

In 1924 the Commonwealth Government took a positive step towards involvement in forestry by the appointment of Lane Poole as its Forestry adviser. After his resignation from the Western Australian Service in 1921, he was commissioned by the Commonwealth in 1922 to report on the forest resources of Papua. This commission was extended to the Mandated Territory of New Guinea in 1923.

In 1937-1938, although nothing had eventuated in Papua or the Northern Territory, an assistant forester had been trained in Canberra and a forest policy had been initiated for Norfolk Island; and a qualified forester J B McAdam had been appointed to the Mandated Territory of New Guinea .

Pit Sawing Photo Credit Ken Granger

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Carron L T 1985 A History of Forestry in Australia ANU Press ISBN 0080298745

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Lane Poole C E Part B A-L page 375-394

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In the period 1939-1942; J K McCarthy7 described the situation where the Territories’ small Australian population was depleted with many young Australians volunteering for the Australian Armed Services.

As an internal defence force, New Guinea raised its own militia – the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles- and the Navy formed a unit of Coastwatchers who would act as intelligence officers and commando guerrilla forces behind enemy lines if New Guinea was occupied by the Japanese. The native constabulary was used as a military force.

The Pacific Islands Regiment (PIR) was formed in November 1944 from an amalgamation of the Papuan Infantry Battalion (PIB) and the 1st and 2nd New Guinea Infantry Battalions (NGIB). Recruiting for the PIB began in June 1940, with the first 63 recruits consisting of current and former members of the Royal Papuan Constabulary. One famous Papua New Guineas included Ben Moide.

Photograph of Ben Moide (Far right) as the Bren-gun instructor, Bisiatabu 1943

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NEW GUINEA -Our Nearest Neighbour J K McCarthy 1968 F W Cheshire Publishing Catalogue Card # 67-28111

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Rotarian Dick McCarthy as Chair of the Port Moresby Rotary Club Organising Committee with Michael Pearson PNG Historian arranged the book launch of NAMELESS WARRIORS8 the Ben Moide Story at the UPNG Vice Chancellor’s residence on 20 July 2012.

“The Ben Moide story is a real war hero’s story of a real life untold National hero” It publicizes and commemorates his story and his accounts of WW2 as a member of the Papuan Infantry Battalion (PIB). These are accounts of his own experiences during the war which have been recorded as he saw them, for the first time. What is written he saw with his own eyes as well as stories told to him by his mates in the PIB, of whom, most no longer walk this earth. These accounts are corroborated with official war history ensuring his story is true for generations to come.

This book is essentially Ben’s life story, which includes his young teenage years in the 1940s in Port Moresby; then, Sergeant Ben Moide (retired) the Soldier throughout his time in the Papuan Infantry Battalion, including the period of the Second World War; and of course Ben Moide, as a true Papuan with a snippet of his love life in the community after the war.

The fact that official WW2 history does not mention his or much of the exploits of his brothers from the PIB does not necessarily mean that they were mere bystanders watching the Australian digger strut it out with the Japanese warrior. Without the tireless efforts and assistance of the PIB, the Japanese would have set up camp on the foothills of Australia, and the official war history, as is written, would have been written in Japanese. In the darkness of the storm, the PIB acted as the eyes and ears of the Australian digger, leading him into the unknown; mostly into places where he himself, in peacetime, wouldn’t have dared to tread, because of tribal animosities and the traditional beliefs of the dark arts.

Lahui Ako, the Author of “Nameless Warriors” is the son of Major (Ret) Chaplain Ray Ako. As a senior diplomat, Lahui developed his skills of writing and storytelling. His ability as an indigenous writer brings forward his skill as a storyteller and talent in capturing the native soldier’s version of the great Kokoda campaign.

His initial work on “Upstream, through endless sands of blessings (2007)” where he writes about “the true story of Hanuabada, the big Motuan Village,” showed his growing ability to capture the original story from Motu and Tok-Pisin(Pidgin). Just as he captured well the thoughts of Motuans then, he once again proves this growing skill level with his third book, “Nameless Warriors”.

Phil Ainsworth9 recalls Ben Moide personally in Port Moresby. I first met Ben the first week of my arrival in July 1960 when I played second row with him in Magani’s through to mid1961 when I gave rugby league away after a series of injuries. After integration came in mid1964, Ben joined PNGVR for a short period in Port Moresby – he was the driver for Assistant

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NAMELSS WARRIORS -the Ben Moide Story -Lahui Ako UPNG Press 2012 ISBN 9789980869579 Phil Ainsworth Personal communication 13 Oct 2020

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Administrator Dr Gunther at the time. Ben was initially a carrier at age 16, then recruited into the Papua Infantry Battalion in 1941/2 where I believe he patrolled in the Mambari/ Kumusi area with PIB before being on the Kokoda Trail.

Ben Moide and family Book Launch 20 July 2012 UPNG Vice Chancellors Residence Port Moresby. Photo credit Dick McCarthy The outbreak of the Japanese War in January 1942 ended all civilian activities in the Territories of Papua and New Guinea. Japan landed in Rabaul conquering the small Australian defence force there. By the end of 1942, the whole of New Guinea was occupied.

A special unit was formed for the purpose of maintaining soldiers in battle. It was called the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU). ANGAU contained many Australians who had lived in the Territory. One of its duties was to recruit, maintain and lead the thousands of native carriers who made allied victory possible in New Guinea. Other responsibilities included running some of the abandoned sawmills and to resurrect abandoned plantations as copra was urgently needed as a material of war.

J K McCarthy described the situation in New Guinea of the war bringing natives and Australians together as they had never been before; the native police, carriers and soldiers shared the same dangers as the white soldiers, and for the first time , the native found himself on an equal basis with the white man. The traditional Master/servant relationship seemed to disappear in the face of enemy bullets.

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Royal Papuan Constabulary (RPC). Photo credit Australian War Memorial Peter Ryan10 described the outbreak of World War II slowing down forestry development.

The Japanese attack stopped all activity for a year but thereafter stimulated development.

In a paper presented to the Fifth National Conference on Australian Forest History11 by Judith A. Bennett, Department of History, University of Otago, New Zealand titled “Allied logging and milling in Papua New Guinea during World War 11� following an extensive study of the records of the National Archives of Australia; she describes the situation in 1940/41 in which there was an enormous need for timber for the advancing armies in TPNG. Because of the distance from supply lines, all armies attempted to utilise local resources as much as possible.

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Encyclopaedia of PNG10, Vol 1 A-K, Peter Ryan (General Editor), Melbourne University Press in association with the University of Papua New Guinea, 1972, Dewey 919.5003, ISBN 0 522 84025 6: 11

Fifth National Conference on Australian Forest History edited by John Dargavel, Denise Gaughwin and Brenda Libbis in 2002 ISBN 0867405309

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Photo Credit Jim Cavanaugh. NGG Ltd sawmill at the mouth of the Binatang Creek Wau. September 1941 In TPNG, Bennet describes the obstacles to the use of local timber resources: 1 2 3

Little was known of the characteristics of the timbers.

The lack of infrastructure to access timber stands. Few sawmills existed before World War 11. Those that did were mainly for mission and domestic use.

Transport.

Bennett identified that the advancing armies had different approaches for procuring local timbers.

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For the USA forces, TPNG was just another tropical island where the war had to be won. It was not one of their territories, so they did not have to worry about post war consequences.

Australian forces worked under a combined military force known as ANGAU from December 1942. ANGAU was concerned with recruiting and supervising thousands of native males for the war effort as well as maintaining administration and health and welfare services of the native population. Although ANGAU’s purpose was to serve the strategic needs of the Allies, its ethos included the protection of both human and non-human resources of the territories.

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By December 1942, • • •

ANGAU had five ex civilian sawmills in Papua producing some 444 cubic metres monthly.

USA forces brought their own sawmills and associated equipment.

Ken Granger12 provided details from the US Strategic Bombing Survey of the campaign against Rabaul in 1942-45 of the locations of 29 Japanese sawmills in Rabaul.

Location of 29 Japanese sawmills Rabaul and environs 1943 •

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It was reported that the Japanese forces on New Britain took advantage of the large stands of timber there to supply themselves locally with much of their building material. Both Army and Navy operated sawmills and in 1943 there were some 20 of these with a total output of about 185,000 board feet per week.

Presumably, similar sawmilling operations were operated in areas as Wewak and Madang.

In 1943 the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU) reopened two sawmills which had operated in pre-war Papua. The Allied military forces also commenced timbergetting operations and in a short while Australian, American and New Zealand units were all producing increasing volumes of round and sawn timber.

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Ken Granger personal communication 10 May 2018

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• • • •

Australian Army/ANGAU had two mills in Milne Bay; two mills near Port Moresby, one mill south east at McDonald’s plantation; one mill at Wau in New Guinea, one near Port Romilly Gulf District.

USA forces had two mills near Port Moresby: one mill at Horada near Buna.

Official production was 1179 cubic metres monthly.

Demand was estimated to be 3632 cubic metres monthly.

Herbert Knowles Charles Mair1 was an ANGAU botanist during World War II. He enlisted in the AMF in 1941, transferring to the AIF in 1942, where he had the rank of captain. He served in farm units in the Northern Territory and New Guinea as forest botanist in New Guinea, Labuan, and Sabah. On his discharge in early 1946, Mair started his 24 years with Sydney's Botanic Gardens as a botanist; he became senior botanist in 1948, and director and chief botanist in 1964 (reorganised as divisional chief, Royal Botanic Gardens and National Herbarium, in 1968).

Transport Issues Initially timber was brought from Australia and USA. This took up shipping space that could be better devoted to carriage of medical supplies, food, men, and munitions.

The Allies realised the necessity of rationalisation of supply, milling and distribution along with more systematic assessment and use of local resources.

Timber for access – muddy roads Photo credit Australian War Memorial

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New Guinea. Wau-Mubo area. Native carriers set out along the track in the Wau-Mubo area, carrying supplies to forward areas. Photo credit AWM

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New Guinea. Wau-Mubo area. Native carriers set out along the track in the Wau-Mubo area, carrying supplies to forward areas. Photo credit AWM

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New Guinea. Wau-Mubo area. Native carriers set out along the track in the Wau-Mubo area, carrying supplies to forward areas. Photo credit AWM

Poor road access photo credit Australian War Memorial 17

Constructing timber pole (corduroy) roads photo credit Australian War Memorial

Timber pole road (corduroy) photo credit Australian War Memorial

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Bulldog-Wau road, New Guinea, 1943-07-12. corduroyed section of road and bridge at the 14 1/2-mile point.

Photo credit Australian War Memorial

Timber pole work Bulldog Wau Road Landslide photo credit Australian War Memorial 19

BULLDOG TRACK (also called Bulldog Road; Bulldog-Wau Road; Reinhold Highway.) Originally, the Bulldog Track was a walking track used by local people to cross the mountains. It begins at Bulldog along the Lakekamu River on the south side of the ranges then follows the Aiu River then turns to the northeast crossing the central mountain range and ends at Kudjeru in the Bulolo Valley with other tracks connecting to Wau. After the Australian Army built a vehicle road (1943-44) it became known as the “Reinhold Highway”, “Bulldog Road”, Bulldog Wau road. It spans from Gulf Province to Morobe Province.

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At the start of World War 2, the Bulldog track was only suitable for walking and roughly followed Edie Creek.

In late January 1942, after Japanese aircraft attacked New Guinea, gold miners and civilians from Wau, Bulolo and Edie Creek trekked the Bulolo Track over six weeks, some carrying gold or gold dust they had mined. It took the civilians roughly six weeks to reach the Motu Motu on the southern coast.

During early March 1942, Australian Army Captain Allan Cameron and his men withdrew from Salamua Airfield walking southward over the Bulldog track to the south coast.

Salamaua, 28 kms south of Lae was an early base for the Bulolo Goldfields as it had a safe anchorage compared with Lae. Gold prospectors set off from there in the 1920’s for the new goldfields. They followed the Black Cat Track which links Salamua to Wau. By late August 1942, the Japanese Army advanced from Salamaua to Mubo.

In November 1942, General Blamey approved a secret plan to expand the Bulldog Track into the bulldog Road for vehicles.

In 1943 Australian Army engineers; the 2/1 and 2/16 Field Company RAE, 9th Australian Field Company (AIF), veterans of Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Greece and Crete, the 1st and 3rd Australian Pack Transport Companies and local Papuan labour cut the road with pickaxes and dynamite over a period of eight months. The Chief Engineer, W. J. Reinhold, was later to write "Every foot of progress made on this road exacted the ultimate in courage, endurance, skill and toil. Its construction took a toll from surveyor, engineer, labourer and native carrier alike." During five months of operations over seventy per cent of the 2/1 Australian Field Company contracted malaria.

Along many sections, road-surfacing materials was practically non-existent. The climate ranged from torrid heat to icy cold. The annual rainfall ranged between 150 and 200 inches.

These wet conditions combined with the topographic features made construction extremely difficult. In a few minutes, a landslide would destroy weeks of labour. The construction gangs would stop, repair the work, and move on. As work progressed the problem of maintaining a supply line became formidable. Work was often suspended for lack of petrol, oil, grease, explosives, drill steel, jack bits or other essentials. Nearly all work in the high central section of the road was done with picks, shovels, and crowbars. Since blacksmiths tools were slow in arriving and forges awkward to transport, it was often necessary to use badly blunted tools.

The purpose of the road was to provide a supply line for future military operations in the Markham Valley and on the northern coasts of Papua New Guinea. On the late afternoon of August 22, 1943, the road was finally completed, and two jeeps crossed from Edie Creek to Bulldog.

On September 23, the first three-ton trucks crossed the road successfully and the long supply line was finally open with 114 kilometres of road were now completed. Commencing at Bulldog at an altitude of 59 metres it rose by a series of long loops up through the steep river gorges of the southern watershed to an altitude of three thousand metres, then dropped down a series of ridges into the Wau valley.

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Seventeen bridges were constructed; mostly single, but at least one with multiple spans. More than two thousand Australian army personnel and over two thousand Papuans and New Guineans were involved during nine months of construction. Thus the road, acclaimed as the greatest military engineering feat ever,[1] was completed and for the only time in history motor vehicles crossed the high rugged mountains of Papua New Guinea.

During the middle of 1943, to facilitate the movement of supplies, the Australians built the Bulldog Track Railway (Tram Line) spanning from the barge unloading point at Grim Point (Kunimaina) to Bulldog Base. By early 1943, the railway was abandoned due to a shortage of rails, rolling stock and difficult terrain including sink holes in the sago swamp.

Post-war, the road was disused, several portions had collapsed, and it had reverted to a local walking track.

Bulldog-Wau road, 1943-07-14. troops of Headquarters, Royal Australian engineers, 11th Australian division working on digging out the road with hand tools at the 23 mile point. Photo credit Australian War Memorial

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1944-07-09. a section of the Wau-bulldog road as it passes along the top of a high ridge.

Bulldog-Wau road, 1944-01-19. a small trestle bridge constructed by personnel of the 2/4th Australian field squadron over the Eloa river at the 19 1/2 mile.

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Bridge timbers photo credit Australian War Memorial

Timber with Marsden matting for airfields photo credit Australian War Memorial

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Timber for wharves for shipping facilities photo credit Australian War Memorial

Rabaul, New Britain, 1945-10. The ruins of the Burns Philp Company's warehouse and wharves on the shores of Simpson Harbour. In the background, several barges and ships ride at anchor on the waters of the bay.

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July 1943 Conference re Utilisation of the Forest Resources of TPNG In July 1943, a conference convened to consider the utilisation of the forest resources of Papua New Guinea to meet the requirements of the Allied Forces in the area, recommended to the Commonwealth Government that a central timber control be set up to do this, and that any timber surplus to the needs of the service be sent to Australia. As a result, the Engineer in Chief of the Australian Forces was instructed to raise a New Guinea Forest Service within the Royal Australian Engineers, composed of a headquarters Unit and three or more Survey (reconnaissance) Units to perform in New Guinea those functions normally carried out by a civil forestry department. Its duties were outlined as 1. The implementation of forest policy as determined by the Commander in Chief.

2. Prior allocation and survey, as far as operational conditions permitted of areas to be milled by all Australian Army sawmilling units.

3. The compilation of information on milling necessary for compensation purposes.

4. Liaison with United States of America forces to bring all timber liaison in New Guinea under a common policy and to obtain records necessary for reverse lend lease adjustments.

5. Liaison with Australian New Guinea Administration unit (ANGAU) on civil rights.

6. The undertaking of surveys to provide the maximum forestry information.

7. Correlation and maintenance of forestry information and records in such a manner such that they could be handed over to a civil service at an appropriate time.

At the conference in Melbourne on 29/7/1943 representatives of the Australian and US Armies (including Jim McAdam); ANGAU; the Australian Inspector General of Forests (Lane Poole); the Allied Works Council; the Australian Controller of Timber ; Department of Munitions and Department of External Territories; focused on three main questions shipping, sawmill plant and manpower with a central timber control to come under ANGAU led by Jim McAdam.

May 1994 The ensuing structure to meet the requirements of the July 1943 plan is reflected in the table below describing the Royal Australian Engineers Forestry Units as of 5 May 1944.

UNIT

Strength – established

2/1 Aust Command Royal Engineers (Forestry)

23

2/1 Aust Forestry Coy

165

2/2 Aust Forestry Coy

165

2/3 Aust Forestry Coy

165

1 Aust CRE (New Guinea Forests)

38

1 Aust Forest Survey Coy

127

2 Aust Forest Survey Coy

127

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Jim McAdam graduate University of Qld/AFS; 1934 joined Qld Forestry/ 1938 TPNG as Chief Forester 1939; 1939-45 World War 2; awarded Military Medal; 1944/45 Lt Col 1 Aust CRE (New Guinea Forests) 1946 Director of Forests TPNG. McAdam was tasked with • • • • • • •

organising a survey of possible harvesting areas. assemble all information pertinent to the timber resource and milling of such timbers. advice on sawmill equipment and supervision of all Australian sawmill personnel. maintain records of the quantities of timber milled by Australian and USA forces.

The Australian command had difficulty with USA forces. They were suspicious that such data would be the basis for a claim against the USA. McAdam deserves credit for insisting that all timbers harvested be recorded for eventual recompense to be made to the native owners for use of their trees. This became part of official Australian orders.

In a paper presented to the Fifth National Conference on Australian Forest History13 by Judith A. Bennett, Department of History, University of Otago, New Zealand titled “Allied logging and milling in Papua New Guinea during World War 11 describes in some detail following the war, the compensation program undertaken by McAdam and his officers between 1947 and 1960, paying customary owners for the timbers harvested during the war.

The major tasks were the location of supplies of timber for immediate operational requirements of the various war services, and an assessment of the forest resources of the south-west Pacific Area, for both operational and post-war purposes, to the extent that available transport, communications and enemy occupation permitted. In this, considerable use was made of air-photo interpretation supported by ground reconnaissance and sampling.

To undertake McAdam’s task, the raising of 1 Command Royal Engineers (New Guinea Forests) was complete with the Headquarters Unit, where Lieutenant Colonel Jim McAdam MM (head of pre-war New Guinea Forest Service) as the commanding officer of 1 Aust CRE (New Guinea Forests) (the headquarters unit); Major WT (Bill) Suttie commanded the 1 Australian Forest Survey Coy and Major A E (Bert) Head (Victoria) in command of the 2 Australian Forest Survey Coy were functional by May 1944.

Major Max Jacobs headed the technical unit in Australia responsible for organising wood testing etc.

19 March 1942 Max Jacobs was mobilized in the Militia as a temporary captain and appointed deputy assistant director, engineering services, Army Headquarters, Melbourne.

In 1943-44 he performed staff duties in the directorates of engineering stores and of engineering survey and served briefly in Papua and New Guinea. He transferred to the Reserve of Officers as honorary major on 8 November 1944. Next month he was appointed principal and lecturer in silviculture at the Australian Forestry School, Canberra David Frodin- personal communication of 11/4/19 reported that Jacobs plant collected along the Bulldog Track in 1944. This collection is included in the NGF (New Guinea Forces) Series of collections.

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Fifth National Conference on Australian Forest History edited by John Dargavel, Denise Gaughwin and Brenda Libbis in 2002 ISBN 0867405309

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Bert Head was a VSF (Victorian School of Forestry – with an associate diploma of the School of Forestry Creswick) graduate in 1933. As a lieutenant he ran a sawmill in the top end of the Northern Territory in 1942 with a scratch crew and improvised gear.

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Major Bert Head was made in command of 2 Australian Forest Survey Coy. From July 1944 whilst McAdam spent much time out of New Guinea in Australia and Morotai (June to August 1945), Head was in administrative control during McAdam’s absences.

Bert Head after the war became the General Manager of Heyfield Logging Coy in the 1950s and 60s.

Norm Hall 1906 to 2005 was amongst the first class of students to gain a B For. Sci from the Auckland University College of the University of New Zealand. He commenced his professional career in forestry in 1930 with NZ Perpetual Forests. In 1937 he transferred to Woods and Forests South Australia.

During World War 11, he served (April 1940-September 1945) as lieutenant and captain in the 2/1 Australian Forestry Company, Royal Australian Engineers near Lockerbie in Scotland and later, RAE New Guinea Forests, and (1945-1947) as a technical officer on the staff of the British Element of the Allied Control Commission at Graz, Austria.

He returned to South Australia in 1947 as Superintending Forester to establish the Working Plans Field section. In 1948 he joined the Forestry and Timber Bureau in Sydney and then Canberra in 1952. Norman took a pivotal role in the preparation of a diverse range of publication on Australian trees. One of the first publications in 1957 was Forest Trees of Australia.

In 1958 Norman was appointed a Senior Lecturer (engineering and utilisation) at the Australian Forestry School, a role he retained until 1967 when the Australian National University assumed full responsibility for such education

Captain Rex Jones, a VSF graduate, soldered in UK then 2 Forest Survey Company NG

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Botanical/Surveying/Wood Identification Course 17th to 29th July 1944 Yalu near Lae. Yalu is a large village located in the Markham Valley of Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. It lies along the Highlands Highway 21.5 kilometres north-west of Lae, 7 kilometres southeast of Nadzab airport. The landscape is typically lowland rainforest.

Australian Army Sawmillers Base Camp Yalu New Guinea 1945. Photo credit State Library of South Australia A crash course in surveying methods, botanical and wood identification with lecturers as Dr. Eric Dadswell wood technologist, C T White botanist, L S Smith botanical terminology, and Les Carron on the interpretation of vegetative types from aerial photographs was held.

Les Carron enlisted in the Army’s First Australian Survey Corps. He spent several years mapping vegetation in Queensland and in 1944 joined a Forest Engineering Group in New Guinea undertaking aerial photo interpretation. It was in New Guinea that Les met Dr Max Jacobs who was to play an important role in his personal and professional development.

After the war, Les completed his science course and in 1946/47 attended the Australian Forestry School. He returned to Queensland in 1948 where he worked initially in research and then as a sub-district forester at Beerwah. In 1949, Les accepted an invitation from Dr Jacobs to take up a temporary lectureship at the AFS.

Dr Eric Dadswell (1903-1964) was recognised globally for his work in the field of wood technology. He was Chief of the Division of Forest Products of the CSIRO. During WW 2 he assisted in the school run by the New Guinea Forests Unit to recognise New Guinea species.

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Dr Eric Dadswell Yalu Forest Resource Workshop July 1944 photo credit Linda Cavanaugh Manning.

An example below of a card sorting system like that Dadswell produced for timbers of New Guinea and neighbouring islands in 1958.

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Yalu sawmill 30/7/1945 Headquarters Platoon 2/1 Forestry Coy Photo credit Australian.

War Memorial

TPNG Dept of Forests Housing Yalu after World War 2 Photo credit Cheryl/Norma Collis 1946.

Yalu14 had no houses after the war and these houses were built from scratch with timber from the local area.

4-5 houses and a singles quarter.

14

Personal communication Cheryl and Norma Collis

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Lindsay Stuart Smith Service number QX27776 joined the Australian Army on the 4th November 1940 at Annerley Queensland. He served as a Lieutenant in 1 Aust CRE New Guinea Forests. He was discharged on 11 January 1946. Born and educated in Bundaberg; joined the Queensland Public Service in 1933 as a clerk in the Department of Agriculture and Stock. He became a cadet in the Botany Section in 1935 and remained there, except for active service rising to senior botanist. His botanical interests were wide. He is best remembered for his work on rainforest trees resulting from his early association with C T White and W D Francis and work on New Guinea plants during his army service.

Jim McAdam15 in his paper of 1952 titled “Forestry in New Guinea” to the PNG scientific Society described the basis on which I Aust Forest Survey Group developed its resource inventory techniques and trained its personnel.

McAdam found with some training, it was not difficult to pick out from air photos, the vegetative types described below.

Savannah woodland Grassland Swamps o Mangrove o Nipa o Sac sac o Grass and pit pit o Grass and pit pit o Swampy Rainforests Lowland Forest o Littoral o Rain forest Mid mountain forest Mossy forest Alpine Secondary bush While the unit was in training at Lae, research was carried out into the uses that could be made of air photos in assessing tropical forests.

An area was marked out in the Oomsis forests near Lae and the RAAF made special photos of the area. Every tree on an area of 30 acres was mapped and the air photos correlated tree for tree. Compared with the data which could be gathered from air photos of temperate forests, the amount of quantitative data that could be obtained from photos of the overly complex mixed forests of the tropics was disappointing. Nevertheless, the photos proved a boon for qualitative interpretation and saved a considerable amount of work in the field by

15

McAdam J B Paper “Forestry in New Guinea” Annual Report in The Papua and New Guinea Scientific Society 1952 Report 32

eliminating areas which need not be further investigated and allowed the team to concentrate detailed work on those areas with the greatest productive potential. If they did nothing else the air photos enabled the production of the 1 mile to 1-inch Army series of maps which now covered the northern coastline of New Guinea, Manus, New Britain, and Bougainville. They used those sheets as their basic maps and from the air photos transferred the vegetative data to these sheets, which were then forwarded to the field units as survey instructions for checking in the field. The sheets were arranged in a priority system based on operational requirements. By the time the unit was disbanded, the air phot interpretation for all the published 1 mile to 1-inch series (some 260 odd in number) had been completed but only 59 of the field reports had been finalised. Vegetation mapping included officers as Les Carron.

Cyril Tenison White was Queensland Government Botanist from 1917 to 1950. He was a grandson of F M Bailey, who also held the position of Queensland Government Botanist, and started as his pupil-assistant in 1905. White’s interests were taxonomy, botany, particularly of woody plants and economic botany. He made significant contributions to the knowledge of the flora of Queensland and northern NSW. He was regarded as an authority on tropical plants. His collecting trips took him throughout north eastern Australia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia.

Lae 9/11/1944 Warrant Officer 2 W Spencer using stereoscope on aerial photographs 1 Forest Survey Coy. Photo credit Australian War Memorial

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Australian Forestry Survey Coy units were then located where they could be of optimal use to the allies and at the same time meeting McAdam’s main goals of recording the volume felled by the Allies identifying likely productive forests and felling and milling timber.

Lae 9/11/1944; Lt J S Talbot surveyor; WO 2 W Spencer draughtsman and Sgt H M Crossley outside drawing office of 1 Forest Survey Coy 1944. Photo credit Australian War Memorial The Forest survey units were to record the utilization activities, and to make surveys of forest resources using all the available military resources of aerial photography, operational mapping, and transport.

The units, during the resource survey, gave valuable intelligence data on topography, tracks, anchorages etc. On the areas of easier topography and better forest cover, they laid down actual sample plots and obtained an estimate of the actual timber over a measured acreage.

They collected botanical and wood samples of new species. By the end of the war, the units had collected over 1,500 sheets. The botanists had worked through 620 of them and had listed 295 separate species. These collections formed the basis of the herbarium at Lae. Since then, the forest botanist role was to expand the collection to prepare a flora for the Territory. Great assistance was provided by the late Mr C T White, the Queensland Government Botanist, who came to the Territory and ran a botanical school for the units during the training period.

Copies of the wood samples were sent to the Division of Forest Products of the CSIRO in Melbourne, where Dr. Dadswell accompanied Mr White and lectured to the Australian Forestry School on Wood Technology. The early work of the Division of Forest Products quickly resulted in the development of a card sorting key for the identification of the more 34

common species and the Division later developed similar keys for the Forces as they moved onto Borneo and Malaya.

Two years of intensive work in resource inventory was carried out. Using aerial photographs and criteria evolved from field correlation studies, vegetation types were mapped over an area of some 56,000 square miles, about 30 per cent of the total land area, on one inch to the mile military maps. By the end of the war nearly a quarter of the vegetation mapping had been ground checked. This work provided an excellent base for post-war forestry development.

It mapped and assessed forest areas throughout the country, its work forming the basis of post-war forest planning and industrial expansion, especially during the last few decades. It pioneered the use of aerial photos to map and verify tropical vegetation, and kept resource and production statistics, partly to compensate landowners.

The units were gradually phased out towards the end of 1945, after the war in the south-west Pacific had ended.

In a paper presented to the Fifth National Conference on Australian Forest History16 by Judith A. Bennett, Department of History, University of Otago, New Zealand titled “Allied logging and milling in Papua New Guinea during World War 11 it was estimated conservatively), that a total of some 142328 cubic metres was harvested between mid-1942 to January 1946 for sawmilling. This does not include timbers harvested for use as round logs. There were some 78 mills that operated to late 1944. Recovery rates were given of between 30 to 50 %.

Australian Army Forestry Sawmilling Companies In 1939, the British Government requested that Australia raise three, 200 – man strong companies of foresters to join a force of twenty units drawn from Canada and a further three from New Zealand to support the British Expeditionary Force in France. The French Government requested that all their officers be members of either Commonwealth or State government forest services or employed in the sawmilling industry This was so that wasteful cutting and damage experienced in World War 1 was not repeated.

Graham McKenzie Smith’s following article describes the forestry companies in detail. Two forestry companies were quickly raised in 1940 as part of the Royal Australian Engineers (RAE). The first Forestry Company (2/1) was in Sydney with men from NSW, Queensland and South Australia led by Captain Cyril Richard Cole, a professional forester from the Australian Capital Territory while a second Forestry Company (2/2) was raised in Melbourne under the command of Captain Andrew Leonard (Ben) Benallack from the Forests Commission Victoria with soldiers recruited from Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia. All units included men who had served in the war of 1914–18.

Prior to the War, Britain had sourced much of its timber from Scandinavian countries but then had to rely on its own forests to meet its timber needs. So as the threat of invasion receded the men from the two Forestry Companies were deployed to Northumberland during September 1940. The 2/1 Forestry Company went to Seahouses, south of Berwick-uponTweed while the 2/2 moved to Hexham west of Newcastle upon Tyne.

16

Fifth National Conference on Australian Forest History edited by John Dargavel, Denise Gaughwin and Brenda Libbis in 2002 ISBN 0867405309

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It was intended as part of the plan agreed to at the July 1943 Conference, that the Forestry Companies, which had been ordered to leave England for New Guinea would form a mobile Australian Imperial Force group to produce timber there by milling along lines compatible with policy of this proposed Forest Service run by Jim McAdam.

The Australian forestry units serving in UK (group Headquarters. 2/2 and 2/3 Forestry Coys) were recalled in August 1943. They then needed transporting, leave, reinforcing and refitting.

After their embarkation from England, the Group HQ, 2/2 and 2/3 Forestry Companies returned to Australia via the United States, where with the New Zealand Forestry Companies, they carried out a noteworthy parade down Broadway, New York.

New York. 1943-09. a march through Times Square by 600 Australian foresters (3rd forestry company) on their way back from the United Kingdom. In the front row is Lt Bill Suttie (Second Director of Forests TPNG} and Lt Jack Saxton (Gippsland Timber Family); in the second front row is Sapper Mackay; in the third front row is Sapper Fox. 36

After some months in Australia for re-fitting, training etc. the HQ, 2/2 and 2/3 Companies moved to New Guinea in May 1944, being followed in April 1945 by 2/1 Coy, which spent the intervening period milling in the Northern Territory.

Rob Youl et al17 described the activities of the forestry companies after a long leave, the Australian group was joined by 1 company, retrained at Kapooka, and reorganised on the Atherton Tablelands. It then headed north as 1 Forestry Group, milling timber in the coastal forests and mangroves of New Guinea (Lae, Madang, Wau); New Britain (Jacquinot Bay); Bougainville (Torokina) and on Morotai in Borneo.” Unquote

By May 1944, the 2/3 and 2/2 Coys were based in the Lae area. 2/1 joined then in May 1945 at Nadzab. Platoons of the 2/2 operated near Madang and Aitape in 1944-45; at Jacquinot Bay New Britain in 1944-45 and on Bougainville in 1945.

In PNG, the Forestry Companies operated different machinery in several locations but continued to harvest logs and produce much needed sawn timber including durable material for wharfs and jetties. They worked alongside New Zealand and American forestry companies. Local people, as well as some Japanese POWs, provided labour.

At the cessation of hostilities in 1945 all three Australian forestry companies were progressively disbanded but some men remained as late as 1946 to help with reconstruction.

Bennet18 in her review of the national archives documents, estimated that in TPNG, of wood harvested, 63% was felled and milled by the USA forces; 20 % by the AIF including forestry companies; 12 % by ANGAU and 5 % by the RAAF. Capt. Jack Saxton, (of the Saxton Victorian Timber family) who designed a portable military sawmill for use in north west Europe after D Day. This earned him an MBE. He then designed and fabricating two more military sawmills in Melbourne before re-joining his old unit, 2 Company, at Jacquinot Bay. For the invasion of Europe, the Saxton portable sawmills were designed to be capable of producing approximately 170 cubic metres (6000 super feet) per day.

These were built in sections and each complete mill, including power unit, was packed on a single six-ton truck, which in turn could be driven on to an invasion barge without unloading.

Demonstrations proved that a section of men could set this outfit up and have it cutting under four hours.

17

Youl R, Fry B Hateley R, 2010 CIRCUMSPICE – one hundred years if forestry education centred on Creswick Victoria ISBN9780977524068(pbk) 18 Fifth National Conference on Australian Forest History18 by Judith A. Bennett, Department of History, University of Otago, New Zealand titled “Allied logging and milling in Papua New Guinea during World War 11”

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Photo Credit Australian War Memorial Saxton Portable sawmill ready for loading onto a barge

Unloading the Saxton portable sawmill Photo credit Australian War Memorial

Saxton portable sawmill ready for action. Photo credit Australian War Memorial

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Lae 6/8/1944. The portable sawmill unit of the 2/3rd Forestry Unit. Photo credit Australian War memorial (maybe a Saxton mill but unsure)

Officers outside mess of 2/3 Forestry Coy. Lae NG 21/12/1944. #1 Capt. G Brown; # 2 Lt E J Bates; #3 Lt D H Munro (TPNG Forests); # 4 Capt. J Saxton; # 5Lt K L Ross; # 6 Lt C L Cameron; # 7 Major HR Parke Officer Commanding. Photo credit Aust War Memorial.

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PNG springboard fashion for felling a tree Photo credit Australian War Memorial

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Busu Forest, Lae area, New Guinea. 1944-07-26. members of the 2/3rd forestry Company, Royal Australian Engineers, felling a tree from springboards. The "bush bosses" are attempting to teach the natives how to do it their way.

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Torokina area, Bougainville Island. 1945-02-10. Sapper G. Burke (1) and Sapper F I. Blanch (2) no 3 platoon, 2/2nd forestry company scarfing a large tree before felling.

Photo credits Australian War Memorial 42

Bougainville Island, 1944-11-17. wx2773 Sapper McKinnon (1) and wx15927 Lance Corporal N M Treloar 2/2nd forestry company, using a crosscut saw to fell a large tree Photo Credit Australian War Memorial

Cross Cutting logs ready for extraction. Photo credit Australian War Memorial 43

Sawing logs in New Britain presumably at Jacquinot Bay Photo credit Australian War Memorial

Lae, New Guinea. 1944-07-26. A member of 2/3rd Forestry Company explaining to Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU) natives the correct method of using a crosscut saw, in the Busu Forest.

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Yalu area, New Guinea, 1945-07-30. logging arch and d8 tractor operated by no. 2 platoon, 2/1 forestry company, Royal Australian engineers.

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Bougainville. Corporal Dave Hughan of Jarrahwood, WA, drives the tractor dragging great logs into the Australian Forestry Unit sawmill. Two native men help the operations.

YALU AREA, NEW GUINEA, 1945-07-30. AN M 20 CRANE BEING OPERATED BY MEMBERS OF NO. 3 PLATOON, 2/1 FORESTRY COMPANY, ROYAL AUSTRALIAN ENGINEERS.

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TOROKINA AREA, BOUGAINVILLE ISLAND. 1945-02-10. SAPPER A.W. GLASSBY (1) AND SAPPER F.S. MCARTHUR (2), NO 3 PLATOON 2/2ND FORESTRY COMPANY USING A CATERPILLAR TRACTOR TO HAUL A LARGE LOG TO THE UNIT SAWMILL.

John Henry (Jack) O’Meagher from Karragullen driving a bulldozer in Torokina Bougainville Photo credit Australian War Memorial

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LAE, NEW GUINEA. 1944-12-21. CAPTAIN G W BROWN, (1), AND LANCE CORPORAL T A YOULTEN, (2), 2/3 FORESTRY COY ALONGSIDE A LOG LOADED BY BULLDOZER ONTO A TRUCK AT THE UNTHANK MILL.

TOROKINA AREA, BOUGAINVILLE ISLAND. 1945-02-10. SAPPER E. HAYNES, NO 3 PLATOON 2/2ND FORESTRY COMPANY USING A CATERPILLAR TRACTOR TO LOAD LARGE LOGS ON TO A TIMBER JINKER 48

Barking Logs Lae. Photo credit Australian War Memorial

CAPE CUNNINGHAM, NEW BRITAIN, 1944-12-16. SAPPER A W HEYWOOD, 2/2 FORESTRY COY, ASSISTS MANAM ISLAND NATIVES AS THEY ROLL LOGS TO THE SAW BENCH.

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BOUGAINVILLE ISLAND, 1944-11-17. PERSONNEL OF THE 2/2ND FORESTRY COMPANY ROLLING A LARGE LOG ONTO THE LOG TROLLEY AT THE UNIT SAWMILL. IDENTIFIED PERSONNEL IS: - WX15926 SAPPER V.R. RAPER (1).

.

BOUGAINVILLE ISLAND, 1944-11-17. PERSONNEL OF THE 2/2ND FORESTRY COMPANY CUTTING A FLITCH FROM A LARGE LOG AT THE UNIT SAWMILL. IDENTIFIED PERSONNEL ARE: - NX163574 SAPPER G.D. BROWNE (1); WX2758 STAFF SERGEANT W.A. COLLINS (2); QX56027 SAPPER H. EDWARDS 50

YALU AREA, NEW GUINEA, 1945-07-30. THE CANADIAN BREAKING DOWN SAW AT NO. 2 PLATOON SAWMILL, 2/1 FORESTRY COMPANY, ROYAL AUSTRALIAN ENGINEERS

YALU AREA, NEW GUINEA, 1945-07-30. PERSONNEL OPERATING NO. 1 BENCH, 2/1 FORESTRY COMPANY, ROYAL AUSTRALIAN ENGINEERS,

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Lae New Guinea 6/8/1944 Lt E J Bates QX19131 Section leader of 2/3 Forestry Coy filing teeth of a large circular saw in Unit Workshop. Photo credit Australian War memorial

Bougainville – Australian Forestry Unit sawmill in operation with band saw

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BOUGAINVILLE ISLAND, 1944-11-17. THE SAWMILL, OF THE 2/2ND FORESTRY COMPANY. IDENTIFIED PERSONNEL IS: - VX90808 SAPPER M.F. CONDRON (2).

CAPE CUNNINGHAM, NEW BRITAIN. 1944-11-29. SAWN TIMBER BEING LOADED ABOARD A LANDING BARGE BY PERSONNEL OF THE 2/2ND FORESTRY UNIT. 53

CAPE CUNNINGHAM, NEW BRITAIN, 1944-12-16. THE 2/2 FORESTRY COY SAWMILL LOCATED IN A HEAVILY TIMBERED AREA AT CAPE CUNNINGHAM NORTH.

LAE, NEW GUINEA. 1944-08-11. GENERAL VIEW OF THE SAWMILL OF THE 2/3RD FORESTRY COMPANY. IDENTIFIED PERSONNEL ARE: - VX52515 CAPTAIN J.G. SAXTON (1); QX150032 SAPPER KERR (2); QX19131 LIEUTENANT E.J. BATES, OFFICER- IN- CHARGE (3).

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Geoff Chandler19

Lt Chandler Leading the Parade 1941 UK Photo Credit Pickering Brook Heritage Geoff Chandler joined the AIF in 1940.

He had a distinguished career with the Royal Australian Engineers in England with the 2/2 forestry company, then transferred and saw action in the Middle East and Papua New Guinea leaving as a major in 1945.

Chandler, in late 1941, transferred from 2/2 forestry company to Headquarters 6th Division, Royal Australian Engineers. He commenced with RAE Headquarters in Palestine and Syria, then moved with 2/1 Field Company to Ceylon and the South East Pacific, including the Kokoda Track and ended up commanding the 2/2 Field company in the Aitape/Wewak Campaign.

Chandler remarked “The experiences in New Guinea were the most exacting and horrific of my five and a half years of war service. I was one of the fortunate ones who returned in one piece, even though I was riddled with malaria, dysentery, and tinea.”

On being “demobbed”, he joined the State Electricity Commission in Victoria as Forestry Officer. He was invited by Australian Paper Manufacturers Ltd in 1949 to set up its new private forestry company, firstly as Forest Engineer and later as Forest Development Manager. The first pines were planted in 1950. In 1951, APM Forests Pty Ltd – the wholly owned forest subsidiary was established and in 1961 he became General Manager and held that position until retiring in 1971

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Chandler G Part B A-L pages 80-83

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John Harding Chinner serial number VX46337 enlisted in the Australian Army on 11/7/40 at Caulfield Victoria. He saw active service in the Middle East and Papua New Guinea, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Australian Army Ordinance Corps.

Chinner graduated from Creswick in 1932. He worked for FCV and graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1938. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in 1939 but enlisted in the AIF instead. Following active service in World War 2, he took up his Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University in 1945. Following completion of a post graduate degree in silviculture and forest ecology. Returning to Australia in 1947, he was appointed senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne School of Forestry. He was made Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry from 1978 80.

CAPE CUNNINGHAM, NEW BRITAIN, 1944-12-16. NATIVES FROM MANAM ISLAND AT THE 2/2 FORESTRY COY SAWMILL STACKING SAWN TIMBER ON A TRAILER. Photo credit Australian War Memorial

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HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN FORESTRY UNITS – Author G McKenzie Smith Graham Robert McKenzie-Smith, AM is an Australian historian and forester .Graham McKenzie Smith20 as an Army Forestry Historian provided the profiles for the WW2 Forestry Units that appeared in his book ‘The Unit Guide’.

McKenzie-Smith has written books about Australian Second World War army units and movements. He has been a regular contributor to Sabretache, the journal of the Military Historical Society of Australia. McKenzie Smith spent some 35 years working on The Unit Guide – a six-volume box set which gives profiles of all 5,700 units that made up the Australian Army in the Second World War. Each profile covers what is known of the unit's formation, role, organisation, movements, operations and place in the army's hierarchy, including references to the unit's war diary at the Australian War Memorial. The series was published in 2018, and led to the Chief of Army awarding Graham a Gold Level Commendation presented at the Army Museum of Western Australia in Fremantle in November 2018.

In the 2020 Australia Day Honours McKenzie-Smith was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for "significant service to military history preservation, and to forestry".

McKenzie-Smith's recent works include a book about the coastal defences of Albany, Bunbury, and Fremantle in the Second World War, and the Royal Australian Engineers in Western Australia.

In the 1980s and 1990s McKenzie-Smith was a forester in Western Australia. When resident in Canberra in the mid-1990s, he was CEO of ACT Forests. He was also a member of the ACT Bush Fire Council in 1998–2000.McKenzie-Smith is currently resident in Perth, Western Australia.

Overview: Forestry Units by Graham McKenzie Smith Early in the war the British requested Australia to supply companies of trained foresters, loggers and sawmillers to avoid the wastage of timber resources that had occurred in the First World War and Australia raised two companies in March 1940. This was expanded to a group of three companies which worked in England and Scotland before returning to Australia in late 1943. A forest survey group was also formed in 1944 to assess and allocate the forest resources of New Guinea and this developed into the post war civilian PNG Forestry Department.

HQ AUST FORESTRY GROUP 1 AUST CRE (Forestry) Two forestry companies had been formed in March 1940 and were already producing timber in northern England when a third was raised in Melbourne (Vic) in March 1941 along with 20

Graham McKenzie Smith McKenzie-Smith, Graham (2018). The Unit Guide: The Australian Army 1939– 1945. Mount Pleasant, Western Australia: Big Sky Publishing. ISBN 978-1-925675-14-6.

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HQ For Gp. They sailed in June with 2/3 For Coy and arrived at Liverpool (UK) in July. GpHQ was established at Troqueer (Dumfriesshire) in August and by January 1943 all three companies were working together in Dumfriesshire. In June 1943 GpHQ moved to Horsham (Sussex) as did 2/2 For Coy and in July 2/3 For Coy joined them. In September GpHQ along with 2/2 For Coy and 2/3 For Coy left for Australia, via USA, arriving at the RAE Trng Centre, Kapooka (NSW) in November. 2/1 For Coy left UK in October, arriving at Kapooka in December 1943 when HQ For Gp was renamed as 1 CRE (For). After rest and retraining, they moved to Wallgrove in March 1944 and to Lae (NG) in May where 2/2 For Coy and 2/3 For Coy operated sawmills at Lae, Wau and Madang. 2/1 For Coy stayed at Kapooka until they moved to NT in July. As the operating companies were widely separated, often working in platoon groups, 1 CRE (For) was disbanded at Lae in November 1944.

War Diaries: AWM 52 5/32/1, References: A.1

A.6

B.6

AWM 52 5/32/8.

B.7

2/1 AUST FORESTRY COMPANY 2/1 For Coy was formed in Sydney (NSW) in March 1940 with men from the forest and timber industries in NSW, Queensland, and South Australia. They sailed in the ‘Third Convoy’ in May 1940 and were diverted to UK, arriving at Liverpool in July. From here they moved to Alton (Hants) and prepared to resist the expected invasion before moving to Chathill (Northumberland) in September 1940 to operate a sawmill until August 1941 when they came under command of the new HQ For Gp and moved to Lockerbie (Dumfriesshire). They left for Australia, via USA in October 1943, arriving at the RAE Trng Centre, Kapooka (NSW) in December.

In July 1944 they moved to a sawmill site at McMinns Siding, 21 miles south of Darwin (NT) where they expanded production under CRE 2 Aust Corps Tps in preparation for a proposed invasion of Java. By December, this project had been cancelled and 2/1 For Coy returned to Kapooka. In April 1945 they moved to Lae (NG) and established a sawmill at Yalu. From here 1 Pl moved to the newly recaptured Wewak in June and these sawmills were maintained in production after the cessation of hostilities in August 1945.

War Diaries: AWM 52 5/32/3.

References: A.1

A.7

B.6

B.7

C.23

D.1

D.4

2/2 AUST FORESTRY COMPANY 2/2 For Coy was formed in Melbourne (Vic) in March 1940 with men from the forest and timber industries in Victoria, Tasmania, and Western Australia. They sailed in the “Third Convoy” in May 1940 and were diverted to UK, arriving at Liverpool (Eng) in July. From here they moved to Alton (Hants) and prepared to resist the expected invasion before moving to Hexham (Durham) in September 1940 to operate a sawmill. In August 1941 they came under command of the new HQ For Gp before moving Thornhill (Dumfriesshire) in 58

October. They moved to Haywards Heath (Sussex) in June 1943 and left for Australia, via USA in September, arriving at the RAE Trng Centre, Kapooka (NSW) in November 1943.

In March 1944 they moved to Wallgrove and then to Lae (NG) in May to operate sawmills at Buso and Butibum. From here 3 Pl moved to Wau in June and 2 Pl to Madang in July. When HQ First Aust Army moved to Lae in October 1944 to relieve US forces for the Philippine Campaign, 2 Pl moved to Aitape to supply 6 Inf Div from a former US sawmill while 3 Pl moved to Torokina to take over another sawmill to supply 2 Aust Corps. In November CoyHQ and 1 Pl moved to Jacquinot Bay to establish a sawmill to supply 5 Inf Div. These sawmills continued in production until the end of the war.

War Diaries: AWM 52 5/32/4.

References: A.1

A.7

B.6

B.7

C.23

C.24

2/3 AUST FORESTRY COMPANY 2/3 For Coy was formed in Melbourne (Vic) in March 1941 with men from the forest and timber industries in all states and they sailed in June with the new HQ For Gp, arriving at Liverpool (UK) in July. From here they moved to Chathill (Northumberland) to take over the sawmill from 2/1 For Coy until January 1942 when they moved to Canonbie (Dumfriesshire) to build and operate a new sawmill. They moved to Rudgwick (Sussex) in July 1943 and left for Australia, via USA in September, arriving at the RAE Trng Centre, Kapooka (NSW) in November.

In March 1944 they moved to Wallgrove and then in May moved to Lae (NG) to relieve a platoon from 2/23 Corps Fd Pk Coy at the Busu Sawmill. Here they supplied the expanding base at Lae, especially after the arrival of HQ First Aust Army until May 1945 when one platoon moved to Morotai to support 1 Aust Corps until after the end of hostilities.

War Diaries: AWM 52 5/32/5.

References: A.1

A.7

B.6

B.7

C.23

C.24

HQ FOREST SURVEY GROUP 1 CRE (NG Forests) Following concern about the over-exploitation of the timber resources in New Guinea, a forest survey group was proposed in early 1944, manned by professional foresters to assess and allocate logging areas to all allied services. HQ For Svy Gp was established at Port Moresby (NG) in March and moved to Yalu, outside Lae in May where 2/1 For Svy Coy and 2/2 For Svy Coy were formed. The unit name was changed to 1 CRE (NG Forests) in May. At their HQ at Yalu were the specialist groups of botany, air photo interpretation and wood technology while the survey companies undertook the field work with 2/1 For Svy Coy concentrating on New Britain while 2/2 For Svy Coy covered Papua and mainland New Guinea. At the end of the war their work continued and 1 CRE (NG Forests) was effectively the basis of the new civilian PNG Forestry Department.

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War Diaries: AWM 52 5/32/2.

References: A.6

A.7

B.6

B.7

2/1 AUST FOREST SURVEY COMPANY Following concern about the over-exploitation of the timber resources in New Guinea, a forest survey group was proposed in early 1944, manned by professional foresters to assess and allocate logging areas to all allied services. 2/1 For Svy Coy was established at Yalu, near Lae (NG) in May 1944 and moved to Busu Road, Lae in December. They had detachments at Jacquinot Bay, Gasmata, Cape Hoskins, Finschhafen and Madang before moving to Jacquinot Bay in April 1945. They saw out the war assessing the extensive forests of New Britain.

War Diaries : AWM 52 5/32/6.

References: A.6

A.7

B.6

B.7

2/2 AUST FOREST SURVEY COMPANY Following concern about the over-exploitation of the timber resources in New Guinea, a forest survey group was proposed in early 1944, manned by professional foresters to assess and allocate logging areas to all allied services. 2/2 For Svy Coy was established at Yalu, near Lae (NG) in May 1944 and moved to Milne Bay in February 1945. They had detachments at Aitape, Torokina, Oro Bay, Manus Island, Lae and Wau before moving to Wau in July 1945. They saw out the war assessing the extensive forests of the Wau/Bulolo area.

War Diaries: AWM 52 5/32/7.

References: A.6

A.7

B.6

B.7

A.1

Long, G

“To Benghazi” Canberra, Aust War Memorial, 1952

A.6

Dexter, D

“The New Guinea Offensives” Canberra, Aust War Memorial, 1961

A.7

Long, G

“The Final Campaigns” Canberra, Aust War Memorial, 1963

B.6

Lennard, W “The Corps of the Royal Aust Engineers in the Second World War 1939-45” Melbourne, Specialty Press, 1947

B. 7

McNicoll, R

“The Royal Australian Engineers 1919 to 1945, Teeth and Tail” Casula, RAE Corps Committee, 1982

C.23 Charlton, P

“The Unnecessary War: Island Campaigns of the South West Pacific 1944-45” Melbourne, Macmillan, 1983

C.24 Gailey, H

“Bougainville 1943-1945: The Forgotten Campaign” Lexington, University of Kentucky, 1991 60

D.1 McKenzieSmith, G

“Australia’s Forgotten Army, Volume 2, Defending the

Northern Gateways, NT and Torres Strait 1938 to 1945” Canberra, Grimwade Publications, 1995 D.4 Rayner, R “Darwin and Northern Territory Force” Sydney, Rubber Press, 2001

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SAPPERS in the WEST Army Engineers in Western Australia. Author Graham McKenzie Smith Published by RAE Association of WA 2015.

Chapter Five WA Sappers in the Second World War in Europe, the Middle East & the Far East 2/2 Forestry Company Soon after the outbreak of war in 1939, the British Government asked Australia for companies of experienced forest workers to work with similar Canadian and New Zealand units supplying sawn timber to the army in France. Two companies were formed with each consisting of a small HQ and four sections (later called platoons) of which one was concerned with transport (holding the vehicles and plant) and the others with logging and sawmilling.

The milling platoons were designed for separate operation but carried no milling plant as unit equipment. Later a GpHQ was formed along with a third company. 2/2 For Coy and 1 Sec were formed in Victoria under Capt AL Benallack (VX11407), an experienced forester from the Forestry Commission of Victoria with 2 Sec from Tasmania.

Lt D Garton-Smith (WX1577) raised 3 Sec and 4 Sec in WA with men from both the Forests Department and the sawmilling industry.

Both companies sailed on the Third Convoy in May 1941 which was diverted to the UK, landing at Liverpool in June. They were sent to the RE Trng Centre at Alton (Hants) to train and had an emergency role during the summer’s invasion scares.

In September they were equipped with trucks and tractors and sent to work. 2/2 For Coy built their own sawmill near Hexham to cut plantation grown Scots Pine with some spruce, larch, beech, and oak. The sawn timber was allocated by the Home Timber Production Department of the Ministry of Supply and used for camp construction, railway wagons and sleepers, repairs to bombed buildings and in aircraft production. The smaller timbers were used for mine props.

In October 1941, 2/2 For Coy moved to Thornhill (Scotland) and mainly produced railway sleepers and crossings, scantling, and round pit props for the coal mines. The men of the forestry companies were highly skilled workers and so that their abilities were not 62

wasted, workers from British Honduras and Italian POWs were used for the less skilled tasks.

The sawmills used were large, fixed mills with high output and a large labour requirement. To allow the units to more effectively carry out their role in more mobile warfare, a small modular sawmill was designed and built by a team which included Sgt R Moon (WX12752) (exManjimup) which could be loaded onto a truck, become operational in 24 hours and worked by a platoon. As with all engineers, the forestry companies were expected to be able to fight as infantry and each platoon spent one day per week training. As well as their specialist roles, each was allocated emergency defence roles in their local area, usually as mobile columns to respond to potential paratroop attacks. 2/2 For Coy moved to Haywards Heath (Sussex) in June 1943.

The rivalry between the Australian and New Zealand forestry companies was intense in both production and sport, with Australia winning the All Britain Axemanship and Sawing Competition in 1943, after the Kiwis held the title in the previous two years. When it was time to leave the UK, the 600 Australians brought home 120 war brides. In September 1943, the group was recalled to Australia and sailed via the US. On 1st October they marched through New York, with fixed bayonets, to a ticker-tape welcome. This is believed to be the only time that armed foreign troops had marched through a US city as this is forbidden in the US Constitution. After leave the forestry group assembled at the RAE Trng Centre at Kapooka (NSW) and the subsequent activities of 2/2 For Coy are covered in Chapter Seven.

----------------------------------------------------Chapter Seven WA Sappers in the Second World War in Northern Territory, the Eastern States, New Guinea, Borneo & Timor 2/2 Forestry Company

@ Kapooka & Wallgrove

After their long stay in Great Britain, 2/2 For Coy arrived home in November 1943 and assembled after leave at Kapooka (NSW) for training and re-equipment at RAE Trng Centre.

They were reorganized into CoyHQ and three platoons, each with their own portable sawmill along with tractors, trucks, and logging gear. Most of the WA sappers joined 3 Pl under Lt WF Brown (WX2755). 2/2 For Coy, now with 4 officers and 143 ORs, left for Wallgrove on 6th March 1944 where they staged, leaving on 19th May, and arriving at Lae (NG) on 27th May 1944.

2/2 Forestry Company Torokina

@ Lae, Madang & Wau, then Jacquinot Bay, Aitape &

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The army’s timber requirements in in New Guinea in 1943 and early 1944 came from a variety of sawmills (often revamped pre-war mills) operated by the field and field park companies. On 27th May 1944, 1 CRE (Forestry) arrived at Lae with 2/2 For Coy and 2/3 For Coy which were equipped with more modern portable sawmills and logging equipment. 2/2 For Coy, with its HQ at Lae had 1 Pl logging in the Labu swamp to win teredo-resistant logs to be used as wharf piles. 2 Pl moved to Madang where they established a new sawmill on Karkar Island with the sawn timber exported to Madang and Lae. The WA sappers of 3 Pl (under Lt Brown) replaced a detachment from 20 Fd Coy which had been operating a sawmill outside Wau cutting Hoop Pine for building timbers, and they increased production by 700% while using large native labour crews for support. After the war, Wau and Bulolo became the centre for a large timber industry based on extensive Hoop Pine plantations.

With the relief of US troops in New Guinea, 2/2 For Coy was divided, with CoyHQ and 1 Pl moving to Jacquinot Bay in November to work with 5 Base Sub Area. They established their sawmill at Cape Cunningham South, initially using local logs and then harvesting moved to Waterfall Bay where they were assisted by a platoon from 17 Fd Coy. 2 Pl moved to Aitape in October to take over a US sawmill to work with a detachment of 2/1 For Coy as part of 3 Base Sub Area. Lt Brown and 3 Pl moved to Torokina in September/October 1944 to take over a modern sawmill from 129 US Eng Bn and work with 4 Base Sub Area. They worked with assistance from a platoon from 5 Army Tps Coy and a native labour force, doubling previous production. As 5 Army Tps Coy had been in New Guinea since March 1943, they were relieved in May 1945 by the WA sappers of 7 Army Tps Coy and their 4 Pl worked the sawmill with 3 Pl, 2/2 For Coy until the end of the war. Following the capture of Wewak by 6 Inf Div, 2 Pl moved to Moem in July.

With the Japanese surrender in August 1945, 2 Pl and 3 Pl were warned to join CoyHQ at Jacquinot Bay before the soldiers with a high priority for discharge left for Australia. 2 Pl moved to Lae in December and a composite platoon of low priority men was formed at Jacquinot Bay which moved to Rabaul in December. The rest of the unit was declared redundant and left in various parties for Australia in January 1946 to be discharged and the unit cadre was disbanded.

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ROLL CALL TPNG WORLD WAR 2 FORESTS PERSONNEL From the forestry survey companies of the NG campaign and other World War 2 campaigns, Jim McAdam gathered personnel to join the TPNG Dept of Forests before and after the war.

Jim McAdam in his address21 titled “Forestry in New Guinea” to the Papua and New Guinea Scientific Society Annual Meeting of 1952, outlines the achievements that this team had accomplished before and after World War 2, especially in New Guinea.. Extracts of that address are on pages 87 to 93.

1938 1939 1939

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Forest Service established in New Guinea with appointment of two Australian Foresters Jim McAdam and Jim Cavanaugh Jim McAdam made Chief Forestry Officer of New Guinea Jim Cavanaugh to PNG with Jim McAdam; then war service PNG 1939-45 Aust Army forest survey group; then 1945 Dept of Forests Resource Management retiring in 1972 then private forest consulting in PNG till 1982 when he retired to Queensland; died 2004 Jim McAdam, Jim Cavanaugh, Reay Weidenhofer signed up with NGVR (New Guinea Volunteer Rifles) on 19th September 1940 Reay Weidenhofer rises to warrant Officer Class 2. After the war with TPNG Forests rising from clerk to executive officer Forest HQ Ted Collis enlists at Casino. Serves with 2/1 Forestry Company. In 1946, joins TPNG forests at sawmill at Yalu, then sawmill Lae then OIC Nursery Bulolo Eric Dobson enlisted at Wollongong. He was a signalman with ANGAU. After the war, he worked at the TPNG sawmill at Yalu.

Geoff Chandler enlists with Nedlands. Rank Major MBE. Serves with Australian Army Engineers forestry unit UK then transfer to active service Middle East and PNG. After the war SEC forester then GM for APMF Robert Cattanach enlists at Rockhampton Serves as private with 2/25 Infantry Battalion with war service in Middle East and PNG. After the war, at Kerevat plantation and then Bulolo Roading supervisor till 1972; retired to Queensland. Died 1996 Lindsay Smith joined the Australian Army at Annerley Qld. He served as a Lieutenant in 1 Aust CRE (New Guinea Forests). He was a senior botanist in the Queensland Dept of Agriculture and Stock. He is best remembered for his work on rainforest trees resulting from his early association with C T White and work on New Guinea plants during his army service. He returned to the Queensland public service after the war.

John Chinner enlists at Caulfield. Serves with Australian Army Ordnance Corps with rank of Lieutenant Colonial. After the war, joins School of Forestry Melbourne University rising to Dean of Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry.

Alan Fraser enlisted at Maryborough. He served with 2/15 Infantry Battalion in North Arica He was a prisoner of war in Germany. After the war, OIC Kerevat plantations and then Technical Officer Bulolo

21

Address “Forestry in New Guinea” by J B McAdam Papua and New Guinea Scientific Society 1952 Annual Report.

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1940

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1941 1941 1941 1941 1941

1941

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1942 1942

Keith Cullen enlists Manly Qld. He serves as sergeant with 5 Field Survey Coy. After the war in 1946, Keith Cullen recruited from Queensland Forestry

by Jim McAdam to work in Lae on aerial photography; then Konedobu. Left 1971 Darby (Douglas Henry) Munro joined at Ayr. He served as Lieutenant with 2/1 Forestry Company. After the war, with TPNG Forests at Yalu and then Regional Office Lae. Don Fryar enlists at Rose Park. He served with 2 Provost Company. He was a forest ranger with TPNG Forests.

Bill Suttie enlists at Brisbane.UK. Service with 3 Forestry Company in UK then in 1944 becomes OIC 1 Forest Survey Coy under Jim McAdam. Rank major. In 1956 he resigned from Qld Forestry to join TPNG Forests rising to become the second Managing Director of Forests Herbert Charles Mair enlisted at Hawthorn Victoria in 1941. He served as a botanist with ANGAU and was discharged in 1946 with the rank of Captain.

George Barrcroft enlists at Toowong as a sapper. Serves with 2/3 Forestry company. After the war at TPNG sawmill at Yalu.

Bert Gloynes enlists at Toowoomba. He serves as a sapper with 5 Independent Company in NG. After the war, Forest ranger Bulolo plantations.

Dick Reilly enlists at Matraville. He serves with 3 Forestry Company in UK and NG. After the war, OIC Kerevat Sawmill John Saxton enlists at Moe; serves with 2/3 forestry company in UK and NG. Rank Captain and awarded OBE for designing portable sawmills for D Day and NG. Sawmiller Gippsland Gerard (Gerd) Strehler who was a cartographic draftsman in the drawing office. He was recruited to draw topographical maps from the drawing office’s stereo plotting machines, initially a US machine and later Wild B2s stereo plotters. He was trained in cartography prior to WW2, and during WW2 Gerd was a German artillery soldier who served on the Russian front but was fortunate to be transferred to the Italian front and survive the war. After WW2 Gerd resumed his cartographic career with the US military.

Michael Jackson enlists in Brisbane with RAAF as a Flying Officer with 455 Squadron. Forest ranger with TPNG Forests. Later he rises to a senior position in the Trade and Industry Department.

Kevin White enlists at Bulwa. Serves as corporal with 2/2 Infantry Battalion in NG to 39 Light Wireless Air Warning Section as an electrician and later returned to Australia for radio technician training. Then back to NG where he was attached to the 2nd Australian Corps Signals at the transmitter centre of the Sattelburg Trail above Finschhafen and later at Torokina on Bougainville.

After the war, completes Forestry studies at AFS rising to Assistant Director Dept of Forests.

Ernie Clifton enlists at Bexley. Serves with 2/25 Field park Company. After the war, HQ Clerk Forests.

James Nugent enlists with Army in North Sydney. He serves as a private with 17 Infantry Battalion. In Oct 1942 he transfers to the RAAF as a leading aircraftman with 348 Radar Station POM. After the war Forests HQ clerk.

Civil administration susp ended J K McCarthy and Frank Holland (a timber getter) rescue some 200 Australian soldiers after the fall of Rabaul. Frank Holland then served with Z Force in

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1943 1943 1944

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East Timor and Borneo. After the war he returned to Rabaul, timber harvesting and road construction.

Bert Head enlists at Mataranka. In TPNG, Bert Head commanded 1 Forest Survey Group PNG; graduate Creswick 1933; After the war; General Manager Heyfield Logging Company in 1950’s and 1960’s.

Max Jacobs enlists at Caulfield. Rank Captain with RAE works including assistance with1 CRE (New Guinea Forests) for McAdam. Max Jacobs PNG war service including collecting on Bulldog track in 1944. Returned to Australia in 1944 to become Principal AFS Frank Vickery enlists at Wau. Serves as Warrant Officer Class 2 with ANGAU. Then forest ranger Bulolo. He is father in law of forester Robin Morwood Ken Fraser enlists at Adelaide. Serves with RAAF as a corporal with Air defence HQ Port Moresby. After the war, a forest ranger with TPNG Forests Larry Edwards enlisted at Darley and served as a sapper with HQ2 Aust Corps. Later he joined TPNG forests as draftsman and 2IC to Keith Cullen including time at BFC Bulolo teaching Alec Richardson Queensland forester enlisted in Melbourne with RAN as a petty officer Mech (wireless) with HMAS Leeuwin. He was Regional Forester Rabaul in 1957 John Lowien enlists at Urbenville. Rank Private with 15 Infantry Battalion in Bougainville NG. After the war with TPNG Forests technical officer Highlands region.

Herbert Mair ANGAU Forest Botanist After discharge from AIF in 1946 joined Sydney Botanical Gardens.

Col Pittaway joins 9 Battalion VDC. After the war, he works at TPNG sawmill Yalu.

Alec Floyd enlists at Brighton Victoria with Royal Australian Navy. He served as an ordinary seaman on HMAS Lonsdale. Later qualified as a forester and served in TPNG as a botanist at Lae. During the SECOND WORLD WAR, Forestry matters including cutting and milling of timber controlled by the Army through the 1 CRE (New Guinea Forests.) The OIC was Major Jim McAdam who commanded two forest survey companies. He was awarded Military Medal MM. McAdam became first Director of Forests Papua and New Guinea 17-29 July 1944 Forest Resource workshop for forestry units at Yalu near Lae with C T White Government Botanist Queensland; Dr Eric H E Dadswell CSIRO; Lt Les Carron and Lt Lindsay Smith Govt Botanist Brisbane Dr Eric Dadswell (1903-1964) was recognised globally for his work in the field of wood technology. He was Chief of the Division of Forest Products of the CSIRO. During WW 2 he assisted in the school run by the New Guinea Forests Unit to recognise New Guinea species Les Carron enlisted in 1944 at Kalinga. Served as Lieutenant with Australian Forestry Survey Group Lae. Then AFS Canberra Cyril Tenison White was Queensland Government Botanist from 1917 to 1950. He was a grandson of F M Bailey, who also held the position of Queensland Government Botanist, and started as his pupil-assistant in 1905.

White’s interests were taxonomy, botany, particularly of woody plants and economic botany. He made significant contributions to the knowledge of the flora of Queensland and northern NSW. He was regarded as an authority on 67

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1946 1946

tropical plants. His collecting trips took him throughout north eastern Australia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia.

Don McIntosh enlists in May 1945 as able seaman with HMAS Wilcannia. He is discharged in 1947 and then completed forestry studies at AFS. He rises to become the third MD of Dept of Forests in PNG First announcement of formal forest policy, army forestry records and equipment taken over by the administration. Former army personnel recruited to form the nucleus of the forest department e.g. Jim McAdam and Jim Cavanaugh Ted and Norma Collis to sawmill at Yalu near Lae then to Bulolo where he was responsible for the plantation nursery. He retired in 1975 to Bribie Island Queensland. Died 2011 Bill Jenkins served with occupational forces in Japan 1945-49, then sawmill at Yalu then forester on Forest resource Surveys throughout PNG then harvesting and marketing officer. Retired to Tasmania. Died 2004 John Thompson served with Occupational Forces Japan, then Yalu sawmill: then technical officer for Leon Clifford’s forest research then Field Manager Bulolo Forestry College Alex Hart Cadet Forest Officer; graduated 1952; Papua; 1956 departed PNG for CALM WA John Womersley Forest Botanist Lae; departed PNG 1975 for Adelaide

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25/2/1944 The top portion of the Wau airstrip which is unique in that it runs up the slope of a hill requiring pilots to use judgment in landing. The aircraft are, from left to right, a CAC Wirraway of 4 Squadron RAAF (coded QE-L), a Douglas A-24 Banshee 41-15801 of the USAAF and a Stinson L-5 Sentinel 42-98060 of the 25th Liaison Squadron USAAF.AWM

Wau Airstrip 1976 Photo credit Ian Whyte

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Jim Cavanaugh, Geoff Archer & Jim McAdam (NGVR) taken by war photographer Damien Parer near Mubo in March 1942. Photo Credit Australian War Memorial “JB� James Bannister McAdam MM 1910-1959. Jim McAdam was a graduate of University of Queensland and Australian Forestry School. In 1932/33 he was dux winning the Schlick Medal. In 1934, he joined Queensland Forestry. In 1938 he joined the TPNG administration and made Chief Forester 1939.

With the threat of war in the Pacific, McAdam enlisted in the Australian Military Forces on 19 September 1940 at Wau. He began full-time duty with the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles on 22 January 1942 and was promoted sergeant within a fortnight. After the Japanese invaded Salamaua in March, he led a party of scouts which established an observation post within a mile (1.6 km) of enemy positions. The intelligence which the team gathered was crucial to the success of the Australian raid on the town in June.

McAdam acted as a guide in the foray. He was awarded the Military Medal for his outstanding service at Salamaua.

From 1944/45 he was Lt Col 1 Aust CRE (New Guinea Forests). In 1946 he became Director of Forests TPNG. He died in 1959

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Salamaua isthmus after capture by the 5th Division on 11 September 1943.

Source Australian War Memorial

22

3

L to R Geoff Archer (gold miner Wau), Jim Cavanaugh (forester,) Jim McAdam (forester). Photo taken by war photographer Damien Parer in July 1942 just after the famous Salamaua raid. Photo Credit Australian War Memorial

22

Details from Linda Cavanaugh Manning 9 April 2019

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.

Bob McKeowen23 referred to the book titled ‘Commando Double Black’ by Andy Pirie.

Commando double black : an historical narrative of the 2/5th Australian ... later the 2/5th Cavalry Commando Squadron, 1942-1945 / by A.A. (Andy) Pirie It mentions Jim Cavanaugh as an NGVR scout escorting Australian commandos on raids on Jap positions in Lae and surrounds. Bob commented that they would have to be the gamest and bravest blokes he had ever heard of.

The 2/5th Commando Squadron was one of twelve independent companies and or commando squadrons of the Australian Army formed for service during World War II. Initially formed in 1942 as the "2/5th Independent Company", the 2/5th served in New Guinea, taking part in a major commando raid on Salamaua in June 1942. It was later withdrawn from New Guinea and reformed as the "2/5th Cavalry (Commando) Squadron", as part of the 2/7th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment which saw service in Borneo in 1945. It was disbanded in early 1946.[1] Much information re the Salamaua raid in July 1942 is detailed in the National Archives of Australia.

Observation Tree Mubo Photo Credit Australian War Memorial 1942

23

Bob McKeowen personal communication 11 May 2018

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24Jim

Cavanaugh First Divisional Head Resource Management

Jim Cavanaugh visited New Guinea in 1938 and joined the New Guinea Public Service in 1940. In 1941, he enlisted and served - first with the New Guinea Volunteer Riflemen (NGVR) and later with the 2nd Australian Forest Survey Company. He also conducted intelligence work with the Central Bureau. He spent almost all the war years outside Australia often behind Japanese lines. He was a commissioned officer and was demobilised in December 1945.

In January 1946, he returned to Papua New Guinea as a forester and was put in charge of the Northern Region. He was based in Kerevat near Rabaul and he set himself the task of getting the sawmill at Kerevat working to produce timber to rebuild the town of Rabaul after the ravages of the war. When he needed engines and gearboxes, Jim converted abandoned Japanese motors and gearboxes to power the mill. He initially ran a team of Chinese labourers that had been abandoned in Rabaul by the Japanese army and later a team of Papuan New Guineans. Pat, his wife, did the books.

Jim and Pat Cavanaugh’s retirement from Dept of Forests in 1972. Director Don McIntosh is standing behind Pat. Photo Credit Linda Cavanaugh Manning 24

Jim Cavanaugh Part B A-L pages 71-79

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The New Guinea Volunteer Rifles (NGVR) had the distinction of being the only Australian army militia unit raised, mobilised, fought and disbanded overseas in the Mandated Territory of New Guinea between 1939 and 1943. Raised on 4 September 1939, the NGVR's 74

headquarters were originally in Rabaul with sub-units located at Wau, Salamaua, Lae and Madang. Fit men between the ages of 18 and 50 were accepted.

In August 1941, after the arrival of the 2/22nd Battalion (Lark Force) in Rabaul, the NGVR moved its headquarters to Bulolo on the mainland, keeping a unit in Rabaul. After Japan attacked, the Battalion was placed on full-time duty and mobilized on 21 January 1942. When Rabaul was invaded on 22 January 1942, the NGVR was under the command of the CO of the 2/22nd Battalion and fought until resistance was of no avail.

Over 80 NGVR personnel died when the Japanese prison ship Montevideo Maru was sunk in the South China Sea on 1 July 1942 by an American submarine, the worst single Australian maritime tragedy in WWII. A number of NGVR soldiers were massacred with about 150 others at Tol Plantation on Wide Bay in early February 1942.

When Lae and Salamaua were invaded on 8 March 1942, the NGVR was the only administrative representative of law and order and assumed responsibility for several thousand indentured labourers recruited from many outlying districts. These labourers would otherwise have been without support and unable to return to their homes. Establishing depots, the NGVR fed them and they became the first of the army of carriers and labourers who proved so vital in supporting the Allies in the fighting that followed, contributing to that success.

The 2/5th Independent Company AIF, with supporting attachments, flew into Wau from Port Moresby on 23 May to reinforce the 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.

Raids on Salamaua and Heath's Plantation, west of Lae, were successful but the deprivations of continuous operations in hostile terrain without adequate supply and medication took their toll with many falling sick with fever and tropical diseases. The number of fit men dwindled.

Food was not getting through so the soldiers were 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.

When the focus shifted to Milne Bay and the Kokoda Track battles, the NGVR continued to man its posts overlooking the Japanese. By early 1943 there were too few left to be effective.

Because of their knowledge of the country and its problems, the remaining NGVR soldiers were filtered into ANGAU, the Coastwatchers, “Z” Special Unit, the Papuan Infantry Battalion, branches of the regular AIF and US forces. Of interest a "United States Distinguished Unit Citation" (later known as "Presidential Unit Citation (Army)") was awarded by the United States Army to the NGVR Battalion for the participation of NGVR members in the US-led Brewer Force engaged in a "reconnaissance in force" of the Japaneseheld Los Negros Island, 29 February – 4 Mar 1944. The NGVR is the only Militia Battalion in the Australian Armed Forces ever to have received such an award. Downs, Ian “The New Guinea Volunteer Rifles NGVR, A History”.

The Papua New Guinea Volunteer Rifles (PNGVR) was activated on 17 March 1951, mostly with Australians who had served in WWII. The role of the PNGVR was to maintain sub-units capable of providing information and advice on topography, local customs and personalities, guides and interpreters, and assistance in the organisation and training of indigenous and irregular forces, if required. By the end of 1951, there were detachments at 75

Port Moresby, Lae and Rabaul. Eventually other detachments were raised in Wau, Samarai, Madang, Wewak, Goroka, Mt Hagen, Banz, Kainantu and Kavieng. A platoon was raised in April 1970 at the University of Papua New Guinea. Sec. Lt Pascal Idok of the UPNG platoon became the first Papua New Guinean to be commissioned in PNGVR in July 1971.

By January 1963 PNGVR was a 550 strong all Australian force but by 1964 the PNGVR became a multi-racial unit with the enlistment of Papua New Guineans and others. When PNGVR was disbanded on 1 December 1973, 80% of its members were Papua New Guineans. Two-week annual training camps were held, initially at Goldie River, then after integration in 1964, at Mt Ambra near Mt Hagen and, in later years, near Lae. In 1962, PNGVR was presented with NGVR's WWII battle honours: Rabaul, Wau and South West Pacific. On 17 May 1969 the Administrator, DO Hay, presented the Queen's and Regimental Colours to PNGVR at Igam Barracks, Lae. 350 soldiers from Port Moresby, Lae, Rabaul, Goroka, Banz, Mt Hagen, Madang and Wewak attended the last annual camp held in August 1973 at Finschafen. The PNGVR was disbanded on 1 December 1973 with its colours being laid up at the Australian War Memorial on Anzac Day 1974.

After PNG's Independence in 1975 most ex-NGVR and PNGVR veterans returned to Australia. In the late 1980s the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles & Papua New Guinea Volunteer Rifles Ex-Member Association was formed in Brisbane. Besides participating in the Anzac Day Parade in Brisbane the Association has held annual Memorial Services at the Brisbane Cenotaph on Anzac Day and, for the Montevideo Maru, on 1 July each year. It has held annual regimental dinners and bi-annual mixed bush dinners; and ensured contact with and assistance to sick and bereaved members. Six issues of the Association newsletter, Harim Tok, are published and distributed each year to all members. Phil Ainsworth is the President of the NGVR/PNGVR Ex-members Association.

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Phil Ainsworth25 Head of Dept. of Forests Mapping Bureau (1960-71) and then Economists Forests & National Planning 1971-81 Phil Ainsworth is the current president of the NGVR and PNGVR Association which has a Military Museum at Wacol Brisbane and a committee person of the PNGAA, based in Sydney. He was also President of the Rabaul and Montevideo Maru Society which raised $500,000 and installed the Rabaul and Montevideo Maru National Memorial at the AWM, Canberra in 2012. As part of these organisations he has been involved in the production of several self-publishing books and regular newsletters pertinent to the goals of these organisations.

Two prominent and founding PNG foresters, Jim McAdam and Jim Cavanaugh also had outstanding WW2 military records in the NGVR and later other units, McAdam as OIC PNG forestry and management of timber supplies for the war effort and Cavanaugh in one of the lesser known intelligence organisations. Both were the leading scouts in the Salamaua raid of 29 July 1942 when over 100 IJA soldiers were killed, Australian casualties were one wounded. Many of the earlier forestry and timber workers also served in NGVR and ANGAU. One well recognised person was Frank Holland from Pondo, NB who assisted ADO Keith McCarthy26 in evacuating about 200 men along the north coast of NB and escaping south on the Lakatoi from the Witu Islands after the Japanese occupation of the NG Islands.

Frank Holland was a timber getter at Pondo at the beginning of the War. He heroically assisted Lark Force during their escape from Rabaul and later served as a commando in Timor and Borneo. He enlisted in PNGVR after the War. Serial Number VX102689 and a Lieutenant in Z special force. He was discharged on 5 March 1946.

Son John was evacuated with his mother by DC3 on Christmas Day 1941. Frank and his family returned to Rabaul after the War. I know Frank worked at Keravat constructing bridges and roads, but I do not know if he was a contractor or public servant. Son John joined PNGVR and was the Curator of the NGVR/PNGVR Museum at Wacol from 2005 until his death in 2019.

25 26

Phil Ainsworth Part B A-L page 2-7 PATROL INTO YESTERDAY My New Guinea Years J K McCarthy 1963 F W Cheshire Publishing.

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El Tigre Frank Holland, MBE Commando, Coastwatcher, Wartime Rescue Missions in New Britain, Timor, and Borneo. Editor Peter Stone. Published by Oceans Enterprises ISBN 0958665745

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27Ted

Collis Chief Nurseryman Bulolo Wau Plantations

During World War 2, Ted Collis served as a corporal in the 2/1 Australian Forestry Company.

In 1946, Ted Collis was approached by Jim McAdam to go back to New Guinea to help rebuild Lae. Ted said “no way not going back to that place” but was persuaded when he knew other army mates were going.

He ended up in Yalu 20 miles out of Lae at a sawmill. The only army mates that Norma recalls was George Barrcroft; Darby Munroe plus others that were living there – Alan and Ken Fraser; John Thompson; Eric Dobson; Col Pittaway and Bill Jenkins. Yalu had no houses, and these were built from scratch with the timber from the local area. 5-6 houses were built and a singles quarter. When the mill closed in Yalu in 1955, everyone moved to Lae to a new mill.

In 1960, this mill closed because of competition with private business and then the sawmill became the Lae markets. Ted had to choose transferring to Port Moresby or Bulolo to work for Department of Forestry. Bulolo was his choice as he was put in charge of the nursery at Bulolo. He was responsible for a million and quarter pine –klinkii and hoop-trees to be planted out in the plantation every year. These trees were logged by the Bulolo Gold Dredging Company (BGDC).

L to R Dick McCarthy, Ted Collis and Kevin White Mid 1970’s Bulolo Plantations Photo credit John Davidson

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Ted Collis Part B A-l page 104-105

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Don McIntosh Third Managing Director Dept Of Forests Don McIntosh’s military service was in the Royal Australian Navy Service Number S10526, home port Sydney NSW with the rank of Able Seaman. He enlisted on 31 May 1945 and was discharged on 6 January 1947. (most fitting defence service for sailing the political seas of forestry later in his career)

Presentation of Certificates Bulolo Forestry College. November 1966. L to R. Don McIntosh Director Department of Forests; Sir Leslie Johnson CBE Assistant Administrator TPNG; Horrie Niall Morobe District Commissioner; Leon Clifford Acting Principal Bulolo Forestry College. Photo Credit Janelle Clifford 7/4/20

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Bill Suttie28 Second Managing Director TPNG Forests After graduating from the Australian Forestry School, in 1932 Bill joined the Queensland Department of Forestry. He was a founding member of the Institute of Foresters of Australia in 1935.

Prior to his appointment as OIC 1 Australian Forest Survey Coy in New Guinea, he was with 3 Forestry Company in UK. During the second world war, he was in command of 1 Australian Forest Survey Coy in Papua New Guinea. This was under 1 C R E (New Guinea Forests) as the Headquarters Unit, with J B McAdam (head of pre-war New Guinea Forest Service) as commanding officer, with 1 Australian Forest Survey Coy, with W R Suttie (Queensland) in command and the 2 Australian Forest Survey Coy, with A E Head (Victoria) in command. They began in January 1944, and the units were able to function by May 1944 LT Carron in his book on Australian Forestry described the purpose of these Forest Survey Companies in PNG. Their major tasks were the location of supplies of timber for immediate operational requirements of the various war services, and an assessment of the forest resources of the south-west Pacific Area, for both operational and post-war purposes, to the extent that available transport, communications and enemy occupation permitted. In this, considerable use was made of air-photo interpretation supported by ground reconnaissance and sampling. The units were gradually phased out towards the end of 1945, after the war in the south-west Pacific had ended.

After the war, he held several positions with the Department of Forestry in Queensland, the last being District Forester Atherton in North Queensland until he resigned in 1956 to join the Department of Forests in the Territory of Papua New Guinea.PNG. Here, he rose to be the second Director of Forests in PNG. After retiring from TPNG he lived at Caloundra until his death in 1982.

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Bill Suttie Part B M-Z page 176

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L-R Jim McAdam; Bill Suttie; and Dave Dun Bulolo Plantations. Approximately 1957 Photo credit Linda Cavanaugh Manning

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Bob Cattanach Senior Technical Officer Bulolo Wau29 Robert Gordon Cattanach served in the 9th Division in the Middle East and PNG during World War 2. He enlisted on 14 June 1940 and was discharged on 4 March 1944. In PNG he was in the 2/25 Inf Battalion and discharged while his unit was still in the Finschhafen area, which implies he must have been wounded in the Lae/Finschhafen fighting. His first posting to the PNG administration was as a tractor operator at the Kerevat Government sawmill in the late 1940’s. In 1955 he was posted to Bulolo as a Senior Technical Officer where he was responsible for all the road construction and maintenance work in the extensive reforestation areas of Bulolo and Wau. He retired in 1972.

Frank Vickery30 Forest Ranger Bulolo31 Early in 1944, the Australian Army decided to form under the Engineers, a unit to record the many sawmilling operations and make surveys of the forest resources, using all the advantages of operational mapping, air photos and transport facilities then available. The C.R.E. N.G. Forests and given authority to recruit as many personnel experienced in forestry as I could lay my hands on. Two officers of the pre-war service Mr. Cavanaugh and Mr. Vickery were recruited. The Air force, the Navy, Malaria units, Engineers, the Infantry and Artillery all contributed with result that we had a concentration of foresters representing every state in Australia.

Frank Vickery enlisted in 1942 in Wau TPNG. His rank was Warrant Officer Class 2.

The unit had come together about mid-1944 and for the next three months at Lae were out through an intensive training in recognition of New Guinea species and handling New Guinea conditions. Senior Officers of the unit closely followed the establishment of each new base to report on immediate timber supplies for operational purposes. During this time, a plan was drawn up for the survey of the timber resources of as much of the territories as possible. This survey was launched about the end of 1944 and continued till the War ended, and the units were disbanded about October 1945. One of the functions of the C.R.E. N.G. Forests, written in the instructions at its formation was “the maintenance of forestry records suitable for handing over to a Civilian Forest service at the appropriate time”.

Consequently, when the unit was disbanded, Mr. Vickery, by then the forest ranger at Bulolo, was left in charge of the records. He handed the records to Mr Cavanaugh, who was then the Reserve Settlement Officer, when he returned to the Islands in his civilian capacity.

He was the father in law of Robin Morwood (who died in 1962 in Bulolo) Robin married Franks’ daughter Joan.

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PNGAA Frank Vickery Part B M-Z page 199 31 Linda Cavanaugh Manning personal communication 10th October 2020 30

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Gogol Survey 1963 Evan Shield; John Lowien; Eric Hammermaster; Bill Jenkin; Norm Endacott; Kevin White Photo Credit Mary Jenkin

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Kevin White32 Assistant Director TPNG Forests He completed the first stage of secondary education in 1941 and then worked for a spell in the Queensland Public Service in Brisbane, enlisting in the AIF in 1942 (QX57633/Q144919). He shipped out to New Guinea where he was taken on by 39 Light Wireless Air Warning Section as an electrician and later returned to Australia for radio technician training. Back in New Guinea he was attached to the 2nd Australian Corps Signals at the transmitter centre on the Sattelburg trail above Finschhafen, and later at Torokina on Bougainville. There at Torokina Kevin celebrated his 21st birthday and the end of the Pacific war.

After his discharge (26 Sep 1946), he re-joined the Queensland Public Service but opted for retraining under the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme. He firstly completed his secondary schooling and then became a Cadet Forest Officer of the Queensland Department of Forestry. His four-year degree entailed two years at the University of Queensland followed by two years at the Australian Forestry School in Canberra, graduating with Dip. For. in 1951 and B.Sc. (For.) in 1952.

The next five years were largely spent on rainforest management research in North Queensland, partly at the Forest Research Station at Atherton, where he became familiar with many of the species of the rainforest flora, established a large botanical collection, and discovered new species. He, along with his boss Eddie Volck, were honoured by Dr Lindsay Smith, Queensland Government Botanist, by naming one of the tree species from the vicinity of Kuranda as Neorites kevediana (Fishtail silky oak) (Proteaceae).

Kevin transferred to the Forest Department of the Territory of Papua & New Guinea in 1957 as Assistant Botanist and Plant Ecologist at the Botany Division of the Department in Lae rising to Assistant Director Dept of Forests PNG Bill Jenkin33 Forest Ranger to Harvesting and Marketing Officer 34 Bill Jenkin was born in Sydney. He arrived in PNG in October 1949 after four years serving with BCOF Occupation Force in Japan to the sawmill at Yalu. He joined the TPNG Forestry Administration as a tractor operator/Mechanic until 1951 when he left to serve in Korea. In 1953, he returned to PNG working as a forest ranger to eventually becoming District Forester. Before becoming Harvesting and Marketing Officer in Port Moresby Forests Headquarters. He then studied accounting and in 1968 joined the Transport Department TPNG. In December 1975 he moved to Tasmania, working as an accountant until retirement in 1994.

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Kevin White Part B M-Z page 204-208 Bill Jenkin Part B A-L page 342-348 34 Mary Jenkin personal communication 14th October 2020 33

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John Lowien Technical Officer Highlands Region35 John Charles Lowien born in Pittsworth Queensland, enlisted on the 28th August 1943 at Paddington with 15 Infantry Battalion. He was discharged on 27 Nov 1946 which means he moved to the occupation force at Rabaul after the Japanese surrender. He then joined TPNG forests; based in Goroka Highlands Region.

Graham McKenzie Smith36 Army Historian and Forester provided the following history.

15 AUST INFANTRY BATTALION (Oxley Regiment) 15 Inf Bn was raised in 1921 in the area north of Brisbane as part of 7 Inf Bde and they were linked into 9/15 Inf Bn from 1930 to 1934, then 15/26 Inf Bn from 1934 to June 1939. In July 1940, a company group (known as 15 Inf Bn Details) was raised from Brisbane and moved to Port Moresby (NG) where they became 49 Inf Bn so they were not related to 15 Inf Bn, still training at Brisbane. When mobilized in December 1941, 15 Inf Bn trained at Chermside (Qld) and as part of 7 Inf Bde Gp prepared for a counterattack role, with Brisbane Cov Force holding the off-shore islands of Moreton Bay and 1 Cav Bde Gp covering the flanks north and south of Brisbane. They relieved 61 Inf Bn attached to HQ Brisbane Cov Force in February 1942 and moved to Caloundra until relieved by 9 Inf Bn in March when they returned to Chermside. They again manned the forward defences at Caloundra from mid-April until they handed over to 22 Inf Bn (4 Inf Bde Gp) in early May. On relief, 15 Inf Bn was warned to move to Rockhampton but instead was transferred to 29 Inf Bde Gp and moved to Townsville to join them.

The role of 29 Inf Bde Gp in early May was to develop the Inner Defence Line between Alligator Creek, the Muntalunga Range and Mt Stuart, with 15 Inf Bn near Stuart, preparing positions on the eastern side of Mt Stuart covering the main road to Charters Towers. In late May, HQ First Aust Army issued a new defence directive which withdrew the battalions from beach and prepared positions to bivouac areas, so from June the troops at Townsville concentrated on training while they prepared a set of positions for the Outer Defence Line. 15 Inf Bn moved to Clevedon in early June and in early July, the units of 29 Inf Bde Gp concentrated around Mt Louisa and at Ross River. To make way for the expanding air force installations, the brigade moved in August to Bluewater Creek area north west of Townsville with 15 Inf Bn at Bluewater Creek.

As part of a general movement of units following the end of the Papuan campaign, 29 Inf Bde Gp moved to Milne Bay (NG) in January 1943 to replace 17 Inf Bde Gp in the reserve positions behind 7 Inf Bde Gp in the forward positions along the shores of Milne Bay. After acclimatization 29 Inf Bde Gp replaced 7 Inf Bde Gp in the forward positions in February with 15 Inf Bn relieving 9 Inf Bn in the Gili Gili sector. After 4 Inf Bde Gp replaced 7 Inf Bde Gp in March the battalions were regularly rotated between forward and reserve positions and the standing patrols at and to Taupota, Wedau, East Cape and Mullins Harbour 35 36

Eric Hammermaster personal communication 15th October 2020 Army Historian and forester Graham McKenzie Smith personal communication 15 th October 2020

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were shared between all battalions. In July 1943, 29 Inf Bde Gp moved to Buna to join 11 Inf Div, with 15 Inf Bn at Giropa Point.

Kanga Force and then 3 Inf Div had been slowly advancing from Wau towards Salamaua and in June 162 US Inf Regt had landed at Nassau Bay to commence a coastal advance towards Salamaua. By August they had reached Tambu Bay and 29 Inf Bde Gp was sent forward with the intention of relieving 17 Inf Bde Gp. 42 Inf Bn arrived first and occupied Davidson Ridge in the last stage of the battle for Mt Tambu before advancing to Charlie Hill in September, while 47 Inf Bn took Lewis Knoll before relieving Warfe Force south of the Francisco River, and 15 Inf Bn landed from Dot Inlet to advance down Scout Ridge. 42 Inf Bn advanced to and through Salamaua, and by the end of September 15 Inf Bn was mopping up along the coast to Lae, while the rest of 29 Inf Bde Gp rested at Salamaua. In October they moved to Lae, with BdeHQ and 47 Inf Bn at Butibum River, 15 Inf Bn at Nadzab, and 42 Inf Bn inland at Kunda Bridge. From here all battalions patrolled to mop up stragglers with company patrol bases at Hopoi, Musom and Markham Point. They came together at Lae in early 1944, and in May 23 Inf Bde Gp arrived at Lae to relieve 29 Inf Bde Gp which moved back to Australia. After leave they reassembled at Strathpine (Qld) where they rested and trained until December when they moved to Bougainville to join 3 Inf Div. In late 1944, Australia was assigned to take over from the US garrisons in New Guinea to release the US troops for the invasion of the Philippines. On Bougainville, XIV US Corps had established a perimeter around Torokina and remained there, but when 2 Aust Corps took over they had a more aggressive posture. 3 Inf Div (to include 29 Inf Bde Gp) was to advance in the Southern Sector towards the Japanese base at Buin while 11 Inf Bde Gp held the Central Sector towards Numa Numa and advanced in the Northern Sector towards Buka. 2 Aust Corps was slow to build up and initially 29 Inf Bde Gp relieved 182 US Inf Regt along the southern perimeter with 15 Inf Bn forward towards the Jaba River. With A Coy 1 NG Inf Bn, 15 Inf Bn advanced along the coast in December to the Adele River, while 2/8 Cdo Sqn covered the inland flank. 47 Inf Bn took up the advance and together with 42 Inf Bn occupied Mawaraka. Here 7 Inf Bde Gp arrived to relieve 29 Inf Bde Gp who returned to the Torokina perimeter by the end of January 1945. As 7 Inf Bde Gp advanced south the supply lines lengthened, and in April 29 Inf Bde Gp moved to the developing base at Toko as the reserve brigade for 15 Inf Bde Gp, which was now forward, and to guard their lines of communication. After some rest in the rear areas, 29 Inf Bde Gp resumed the lead in July for the crossing of the Mivo River, with 15 Inf Bn relieving 57/60 Inf Bn along the Buin Road and 42 Inf Bn relieving 24 Inf Bn on the Commando Road. The advance was held up by flooding and then postponed by the impending ceasefire in August.

Battle Honours: South West Pacific 1943-45, Tambu Bay, Liberation of Australian New Guinea, Adele River, Mawaraka, Mivo Ford.

War Diaries: References: 9

AWM 52 8/3/54.

A.6

A.7

C23.

C.24

87

D.30

F.1

G.11

G.2

Bert Gloynes Forest Ranger Bulolo37 Albert Edward (Bert) Gloynes was born in England in 1914. He enlisted at Toowoomba in 1941. He saw service on the Kokoda track with 2/5 Australian Independent Company. He was discharged in 1945.

After WorldMcKenzie War 2, Bert was38the forest ranger in charge Army Historian and Forester Graham Smith described the activities ofof 2/5the Aust large labourCompany line for the TPNG Of Forests Bulolo plantation program.

Independent during theDept.

NG Campaign.

2/5 AUST INDEPENDENT COMPANY 2/5 AUST CAVALRY (COMMANDO) SQUADRON 2/5 AUST COMMANDO SQUADRON 2/5 Indep Coy was formed at Tidal River (Vic) in March 1942 and they left in April for Port Moresby (NG) where they patrolled the Bootless Bay area waiting for the Japanese invasion which was turned back by the Coral Sea Battle. They were flown to Wau in May to join NGVR in the newly created Kanga Force whose role was to man observation posts and patrol bases in an arc around the Japanese bases at Lae and Salamaua. Following a successful raid on Salamaua in June the Japanese had advanced to Mubo and fearing a further advance to Wau with insufficient troops to stop this, Kanga Force destroyed many stores and facilities so when they were reinforced by 2/7 Indep Coy, the next few months were spent in restoring facilities and patrolling to keep the Japanese under observation with 2/5 Indep Coy covering the Markham Valley routes. In January 1943, the Japanese had a major push towards Wau, and 17 Inf Bde Gp arrived at Wau in time to turn back a determined Japanese offensive. In February, many more reinforcements arrived and by the end of the month the Japanese in the Wau Valley had been eliminated and the front line was again back towards Mubo. In February 2/5 Indep Coy came together from their scattered outposts for a short period of rest at Eadie Creek before returning to forward positions in the Markham Valley in March. By March the position had stabilized with 2/5 Indep Coy overlooking the Markham Valley backed by 2/6 Inf Bn at Bulolo and Bulwa while 2/3 Indep Coy was in the Missim area overlooking Salamaua, 2/7 Inf Bn and 2/7 Indep Coy were close to the forward Japanese troops at Mubo and 2/5 Inf Bn was resting and covering the approaches to Wau. Japanese reinforcement of their garrisons at Madang, Lae and Salamaua pointed towards a need to further reinforce the Wau position so HQ 3 Inf Div was moved to Bulolo in March to take over the area bringing with them 24 Inf Bn. After 13 months in New Guinea, 2/5 Indep Coy were withdrawn in May after being relieved by C Coy 24 Inf Bn and after leave reassembled at Canungra (Qld) in June 1943.

At Canungra they came under command of 2/7 Cav (Cdo) Regt which had become the administrative headquarters for the independent companies then returning to Australia from forward areas. In August they moved to Wongabel where they were retitled in October as 2/5 Cav (Cdo) Sqn before moving to Ravenshoe in January 1944. February saw the title change again to 2/5 Cdo Sqn and when 2/6 Cav Regt and 2/9 Cav Regt were both converted to 37 38

John Godlee personal communication 11th October 2020 Army Historian and forester Graham McKenzie Smith personal communication 14/10/20

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Cav (Cdo) Regts and allocated to 6 Inf Div and 9 Inf Div, the squadrons of 2/7 Cav (Cdo) Regt was reassigned to 7 Inf Div. They moved to Mapee in March and then joined their division in September when they returned to Kairi. Here, 2/5 Cdo Sqn, along with the rest of 1 Aust Corps waited for a role. In early 1945, 1 Aust Corps was assigned the liberation of Borneo with 9 Inf Div to undertake amphibious operations at Tarakan and Brunei Bay, while 7 Inf Div was to land at Balikpapan to capture the oilfields and port. In May 2/7 Cav (Cdo) Regt moved to Morotai (NEI) and in July landed at Balikpapan. 2/5 Cdo Sqn was initially attached to 21 Inf Bde Gp which landed on the right to secure the beachhead and to advance to Sepinggang airfield but later joined 25 Inf Bde Gp advancing inland along Milford Highway until the end of the war.

War Diaries: AWM 52 2/2/57, References: A.4 C.23

A.5

AWM 52 25/3/5.

A.6

C.31

A.7 F.2

C.9 F.3

C.10

C.11

D.36 D.37

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Jim Nugent Clerk Forest Headquarters39 Jim Nugent born in Queenscliff Victoria enlisted as a private in the Australian 40 Alec Floyd Botanist He Laethen Army on 15/10/41. discharged on 5/10/42 from the 17 Australian Infantry Battalion and joined the Royal Australian Air Force as a leading aircraftman in January 1946. His last posting was Madang. He was then a clerk in TPNG Forests headquarters Alec Floyd Alec Geoffrey Floyd was born in Victoria in 1926 and brought up in a home where he was given every encouragement to develop his interest in and knowledge of plant life.

After leaving school he worked initially in banking before joining the Royal Australian Navy. In 1947 he entered the University of Melbourne. At the University he excelled in Botany, and his aptitude in this field continued to be shown when he moved to the Australian Forestry School in 1949. He received the Diploma in Forestry with Distinction from the Australian forestry school at the completion of his studies in 1951, and later graduated as B.Sc., (For) from Melbourne. Joining the Forestry Commission of NSW as a forester, he spent the next two and a half years on the South Coast of NSW. He was largely engaged in forest inventory and was able, both professionally and as a hobby, to advance his interest in the local flora.

On leaving this area in 1953, he joined the Botany division of the Department of Forestry in the Territory of Papua New Guinea as forest ecologist and assistant botanist. His work was concerned with the identification and appreciation of the Territory’s rich and varied flora. Sickness forced him to leave the tropics in 1956 and he re-joined the Forestry Commission of NSW Ernie Clifton Staff Clerk Forests Headquarters 1960-197241 Ernie Clifton born in NSW enlisted in the Australian Army on 3/3/41. He was discharged on 17 Jan 1946. His rank was Sapper withe 2/25 Aust Field Park. Ernie was a staff clerk in the Forests Konedobu HQ Office from 1960 to 1972

Robert Eric Dobson TPNG Forests sawmill Yalu via Lae Robert Eric Dobson was born in Southampton UK and enlisted at Wollongong NSW on 5 August 1940. He was a signalman with ANGAU. He was discharged on 26 Feb 1944.

Dick Reilly OIC Kerevat Sawmill42 39

Richard (Dick) Reilly was born in Sydney. He enlisted on 20 April 1941. He was a th Linda Cavanaugh Manning Coy. personal October 2020 sapper with 3 Forestry Hecommunication was discharged on 26 April 1944.

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Linda Cavanaugh Manning personal communication October 2020 Linda Cavanaugh Manning Personal 2020 sawmill.

After World War 2, Dick ReillyCommunication oversaw the Oct Kerevat 42 John Godlee personal communication 11 October 2020 41

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George Henry Barrcroft TPNG Forests sawmill Yalu via Lae43 George Henry Barrcroft was born in Brisbane. He enlisted on 9 April 1941. He was a sapper in 2/3 Forestry Coy. He was discharged on 27th October 1945.

After World War 2, he worked at the sawmill at Yalu via Lae. Col Pittaway Sawmill TPNG Forests sawmill Yalu via Lae44 Yalu Col Pittaway was an NSW VDC man discharged in December 1943 when only 18 After World War 2, he worked at the sawmill at Yalu via Lae.

Gerd Strehler Cartographic Draftsman 4546 Gerard (Gerd) Strehler who was a cartographic draftsman in the drawing office. He was recruited to draw topographical maps from the drawing office’s stereo plotting machines, initially a US machine and later Wild B2s stereo plotters.

He was trained in cartography prior to WW2, and during WW2 Gerd was a German artillery soldier who served on the Russian front but was fortunate to be transferred to the Italian front and survive the war. After WW2 Gerd resumed his cartographic career with the US military.

Michael Jackson. (Mike) an early Forest Ranger with Jim McAdam. Later a highranking officer in Trade and Industry Department 47 officer in Tarde Department Michael Jacksonand wasIndustry born in Cottesloe WA. He enlisted on 3 February 1941 in Brisbane. He was in the Royal Australian Air Force with rank of Flying Officer with 455 Squadron. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was discharged on 18th February 1946.

Michael Frederick Carew JACKSON was a Flying Officer in the RAAF with 455 Sqn (bombers) as a Navigator. When he enlisted, he was a Forestry Overseer at Kilkivan in charge of logging operations and a sergeant in a militia artillery unit.

He died 30 Jan 74 when his widow was living in Brisbane

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Cheryl/Norma Collis personal communication Cheryl/Norma personal communication 45 Gerd Strehler Part B M-Z page 172 46 Phil Ainsworth Personal Communication 47 Personal communication Eric Hammermaster 18 Oct 2020 and Linda Cavanaugh Manning 10 th Oct 2020 44

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Reay Thiselton Weidenhofer (Ray) Forestry Clerk for Accounts and later Executive Officer Forests Headquarters48 Reay Thiselton Weidenhofer was born in Franklin Tasmania. He enlisted at Wau TPNG on 19Novemebr 1942. He was a Warrant Officer Class 2 with ANGAU. He was discharged on 3 May 1946.

Anthony Lawrence Edwards – (Laurie) was 2IC to Keith Cullen49 Anthony Lawrence Edwards was born in Newcastle NSW. He enlisted on 3 July 1943.

He was a sapper Alex Richardson ex Queensland Forester who was Regional Forester Rabaul in 195750 Compson Alexander Richardson was born in Unley SA. He enlisted on 5 Jan 1943. He was a radio mechanic (W) on HMAS Leeuwin. He was discharged on 7 May 1947 Don Fryar51 was a Forest Ranger killed in an accident on the Kerevat river Bridge in the late 40’s or early 50’s. Fryar logging area in Kerevat is his legacy Donald Fryar service number - SX2836: born in 1919 in Adelaide SA. He enlisted at Wayville SA. He was a forest ranger Kerevat until killed in the late 40’s/early 50’s. in an accident on the Kerevat River Bridge. Fryar logging area in Kerevat is his legacy.

Ken Fraser at sawmill Yalu via Lae and then a forest ranger Kenneth Roderick Fraser service number 422357enlisted on 23 May 1942 in Adelaide and discharged on 5 October 1945.He was a corporal with RAAF at Air Defence HQ Port Moresby. After WW2, he was at Yalu sawmill and then as a forest ranger

Alan Fraser at sawmill Yalu via Lae then Technical Officer Kerevat and Bulolo Alan Munro Fraser service number QX3224 enlisted on 25 Mya 1940 at Maryborough and was discharged on 27 July 1945. He was a private and prisoner of war in Germany. In NG, he was in the 2/15 Infantry Battalion. After WW2 he was at Yalu sawmill and then technical officer and OIC at Kerevat plantations and then moved to Bulolo plantations.

Douglas Munro (Darby Munro) 48

Personal communication Eric Hammermaster 18 Oct 2020 and Linda Cavanaugh Manning 10 th Oct 2020 Personal communication Eric Hammermaster 18 Oct 2020 and Linda Cavanaugh Manning 10 th Oct 2020 50 Personal communication Eric Hammermaster 18 Oct 2020 and Linda Cavanaugh Manning 10th Oct 2020 51 Eric Hammermaster personal communication 18th October 2020 49

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Douglas Henry Munro service number QX7257; rank Lieutenant. he was born in 1909 at Kyogle NSW. He enlisted at Kelvin Grove Queensland. After World War 2, he worked at the sawmill at Yalu via Lae before moving to the Regional Office Lae

Doug and Dulcie Munro Photo credit Cliff Southwell

Officers outside mess of 2/3 Forestry Coy. Lae NG 21/12/1944. #1 Capt. G Brown; # 2 Lt E J Bates; #3 Lt D H Munro; # 4Capt J Saxton; # 5Lt K L Ross; # 6 Lt C L Cameron; # 7 Major HR Parke Officer Commanding. Photo credit Aust War Memorial.

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John Thompson Yalu sawmill, then forest ranger Bulolo with Leon Clifford then field manager Bulolo Forestry College John Thompson served with occupational forces in Japan after the war. He was then in Bulolo as forest ranger working with Leon Clifford on forest research and then field manager for the Bulolo Forestry College

Photo Credit Garry Flegg. 1970 Bulolo Forestry College. Rear: Gary Flegg, XXXX, Heiner Streimann, Jim Riley, John Thompson, Ken Harris, Phil Pope, Gerry Cullen, Herman Kloeti, Chris Burrow. Front: Kathy Thompson, Leon Clifford, Robin Angus (Principal), Val Thompson, Norma Collis, Andy Gillison.

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52Keith

Cullen Chief Draftsman

Keith Cullen born in Queensland enlisted on the 18th Jan 1940 in the 5th Australian Field Survey Coy (a Queensland Unit.). Dad served in many places during the war, including all the way from Brisbane to the Cape (they had to survey the Queensland coast because the maps were very inaccurate), Thursday Island, Merauke, Morotai, Balikpapan, and Makassar. During World War 2 he enlisted in the AIF and served in 1 Survey Corps in the Borneo Theatre. He was apparently a highly efficient & efficient marksman. He reportedly refused a commission. His rank at time of discharge was Sergeant on 13 Nov 1945. In 1946, he joined the TPNG Forest Department as Chief Draftsman.

Kev White & Keith Cullen (back to camera) Kone Club, 1968 Photo credit K Granger

Keith Cullen at work at Konebobu. Photo credit Alan Cullen

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Keith Cullen Part B A-L pages 109-111

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Portrait of Alan’s Dad Keith Cullen - Dad at some army camp somewhere doing his James Dean impression (with a rifle in his arms) Photo Credit Alan Cullen

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Christmas Card - When 5 Field Surveyors got to Cape York one of them made a card to give the bloke who owned the lodge at "Somerset" basically as a "thank you". Photo credit Alan Cullen

Surveyors swimming - this was Dad's section taking a break during the coast survey and having a swim at Lucinda. Phot credit Alan Cullen

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Surveying - Dad and his team surveying somewhere in North Queensland Phot credit Alan Cullen

At camp - could be Atherton area, a huge army camp there during the war Photo credit Alan Cullen

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Dad's unit at Balikpapan Photo credit Alan Cullen

Photo credit Alan Cullen. His Father – Keith Cullen’s Army Portrait.

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REBUILD 1946

Lae 1945 photo credit Australian War Memorial after capture by Australian forces

Lae and Huon Gulf and Lae airstrip 1945 photo credit Australian War Memorial 100

Rabaul after capture by Australian forces 1945 photo credit Australian War Memorial

Rabaul after capture 1945 photo credit Australian War Memorial 101

Above Rabaul after capture 1945 photo credit Australian War Memorial Below Burns Philip Wharf after Allied Bombing Oct 1945.

102

Two war-time sawmills at Kerevat and near Lae were taken over by the Administration and operated by the Department to supply sawn timber and to acquire factual information on local timbers which would be of practical benefit in the development of a local commercial timber industry. One sawmill closed in 1960 and the other in 1961.

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Linda Cavanaugh Manning reported that her father Jim visited New Guinea in 1939 and joined the New Guinea Public Service in 1940. In 1941, he enlisted and served - first with the New Guinea Volunteer Riflemen (NGVR) and later with the 2nd Australian Forest Survey Company. He also conducted intelligence work with the Central Bureau. He spent almost all the war years outside Australia often behind Japanese lines. He was a commissioned officer and was demobilised in December 1945.

Linda Cavanaugh Manning reported that in January 1946, Jim returned to Papua New Guinea as a forester and was put in charge of the Northern Region. He was based in Kerevat near Rabaul and he set himself the task of getting the sawmill at Kerevat working to produce timber to rebuild the town of Rabaul after the ravages of the war. When he needed engines and gearboxes, Jim converted abandoned Japanese motors and gearboxes to power the mill. He initially ran a team of Chinese labourers that had been abandoned in Rabaul by the Japanese army and later a team of Papuan New Guineans. Pat, his wife, did the books.

Kerevat Sawmill New Britain after World War Two

#1 Derelict Kerevat Sawmill as at 1967-68. # 14 Remnants of the old sawdust heap from the mill. Photo credit J D Davidson

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Linda Cavanaugh Manning personal communication 21st May 2018

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Kerevat Sawmill 1946 Pat Cavanaugh standing near one of the stacks of sawn timber.

Photo credit Linda Cavanaugh Manning

One of the saws in Kerevat Sawmill 1946. Photo credit Linda Cavanaugh Manning 104

Part of the sawmill equipment Kerevat Sawmill 1946. Photo credit Linda Cavanaugh Manning

One of the motors for Kerevat Sawmill 1946. Photo credit Linda Cavanaugh Manning 105

Part of Boilers for Kerevat sawmill in 1946. Photo credit Linda Cavanaugh Manning

1946 TPNG Dept of Forests Sawmill crew Yalu after World War 2 Photo credit Cheryl/Norma Collis. Although unclear personnel included Ted Collis; Alan and Ken Fraser; Col Pittaway; John Thompson; Eric Dobson; Bill Jenkin; George Barrcroft; Darby Munro

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TPNG Dept of Forests Housing Yalu after World War 2 Photo credit Cheryl/Norma Collis 1946.

Yalu54 had no houses after the war and these houses were built from scratch with timber from the local area.

4-5 houses and a singles quarter.

Yalu Photo credit Cheryl/Norma Collis

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Personal communication Cheryl and Norma Collis

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PAPER BY J B McAdam IN THE PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY’S ANNUAL REPORTOF 1952.55 “Forestry in New Guinea” (The following extracts are taken from the paper) The forests have been making an important contribution to the economy of the native people. From the forests, they have obtained food and the fuel to cook it, clothing and shelter, weapons, and transport. A very wide range of fruits and nuts and leaves feature in the everyday diet of the native people and over large areas – sago – the stored starch in the trunk of a large palm, known locally as Sac sac forms the staple diet. The forests have provided harbourage for birds and animals, which have contributed both to the protein content of the diet of the hunter and to his exterior decoration.

You have seen the Marys staggering home in the evening under vast bundles of firewood, even in Port Moresby. Further afield, you will see houses completely built form the produce of the nearby forests; small round timbers form the framework, larger members the posts and corners, the whole lashed with vines, split rattan or the stripped bark of saplings ; with the roof of sago or nipa palm leaves and the walls of a similar material or plaited bamboo, and very likely with a floor of split palm. You may even find that the salt used with food is produced by burning the bark of certain trees. It is likely that a few pieces of black palm will be hardening and drying in the smoke of the fireplace, the basis of a new bow, the tip of a new arrow, or perhaps the shaft of a spear.

Among the coastal peoples, you will see well-fashioned canoes, double or without-riggers completely made from wood, bound together with fibres from the forest and caulked with fruit of a jungle tree. On the rivers, a dugout canoe from a single log may be the means of transport. On the seashore or in the forest you may find nets used for fishing or pig catching.

These will be made from the best fibres of trees. If you go fishing with a native companion, you will probably find that he will use the fruit of a tree or a piece of vine in a sheltered pool to bring the fish stupefied to the surface, or haul up from just below the surface a bamboo fish trap of excellent workmanship which may have been anchored to a large boulder by many chains of rattan rope. The pas pas or arm ornaments of the natives may be obtained from the fibre bundles of a climbing fern. The sporran type of clothing worn by the Central Highlands natives is woven by the womenfolk first rubbing the best fibres of a highland tree into twine.

The rain cape which may drape that silent man of the forest, the Kuku Kuku, may be taken from the inside bark of a fig tree or one of its relatives. A similar species produces the tapa cloths which the coastal natives colour to adorn themselves or their houses.

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Courtesy Dr Barry Gray

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The fruits of the Betel nut palm or one of its bush relatives is the stimulant which eases many a native through his troubles. It may be made more palatable by the leaf or stem of the piper vine. It is not unusual to find a jaded carrier beating his wilting legs with a branch of a stinging tree, or a similar cure applied to a headache.

Thus, at all stages, the forest has played an important part in the life of most of the New Guinea natives. Most of his demands were for the smaller products of the forests, and apart from a few trees for a “big house”, or a log for a canoe, his demands did not make much impact on the mature forests. Clearing land for gardening made the biggest impact, and even here, the secondary bush quickly recovered the ground which was laboriously cleared and in time returned it to the jungle.

With the arrival of the white man, it was found there was a scattering of valuable trees which were attractive to buyers elsewhere, and some attempt was made to float out easily accessible logs of species such as cedar. However, owing to one difficulty or another, the results of these attempts were inconsiderable. About 1908, the authorities in Papua invited a forest inspector from Queensland, Mr Burnett, to report on the timber position. He reported some difficulty in penetrating into the country, but he produced a report of an optimistic nature and a list of about 120 species, mostly indicated by their native names.

Not much seems to have been done from then till Lane-Poole visited the Territory in 1923.

He penetrated deeply into Papua at many points and when he completed his Papuan inspections, he was invited by the Administrator of New Guinea to conduct a similar survey of that Territory. His report was a valuable document as he made extensive and exceptionally good botanical and wood collections, which reached several hundred in number. These collections were referred to Mr C T White, the Queensland Government Botanist who, from that time until his death recently, maintained a close interest in the forest botany of the Territories. Mr Lane-Poole’s report was not so optimistic about the timber prospects for at that time Australia was well supplied with timbers of the kind available in New Guinea and so did not offer a good market prospect. He also found access within the Territory a difficult and costly matter. He did, however, recommend in 1925 the establishment of a small Forest service with a view to further examining the forests, encouraging the development of a local industry, and making a commencement with plantation work. I quote from his report on Papua: “At present the timber requirements of Papua are negligible; the native requires no sawn wood, using as he does round poles and split timber for his houses. The white population it is true, uses a little timber, but one small mill could supply all the present needs of public and private buildings and works. For some time to come, therefore, the Forest Policy of Papua will feel no great and insistent call from a people wanting cheap wood.”

He considered that the development of minor products, such as barks, gums etc- might yield better export prospects and recommended that more work be carried out on that aspect.

However, he was impressed by the fragmentary hoop pine stands of the mountains and recommended that they be used for reforestation. When it is remembered that plantations of this species were in the incredibly early trial stages in Queensland at that time, it makes remarkably interesting reading in the light of recent developments.

There were various attempts to establish sawmilling operations in Papua. The most tenacious of these was the Port Romilly venture and that, with Kwato Mission sawmill and the Labe Labe sawmill, which was established mainly to produce cases for shipping desiccated coconut form Milne Bay, formed the whole of the milling operations when the Japanese 109

entered the War in 1942. Those three mills, later controlled by ANGAU, but manned with their peacetime personnel, produced a very credible supply of timber during the early days of the struggle.

In New Guinea, there was a sudden interest in log export in 1937, which caused the Administration to revise its legislation and consider the establishment of a forest service. In that territory, there was a mill at Waterfall Bay and mission mills also at Finschhafen, Alexishafen and Marienberg. Mills had also started at Bulolo and Wau, having been flown in from the coast. Sawn and milled timber, however, was still being imported from Australia and the Philippines to Rabaul when McAdam arrived in New Guinea in 1938 to initiate the new Forest Service. From its inception shortly afterwards until 1942, the one mill established in Rabaul led a precarious existence. However, under the stimulus of a depressed copra market and an active interest by American buyer sin the New Guinea walnut, many planters in New Britain and New Ireland commenced harvesting logs. In 1940/41, exports in logs and flitches of this species reached about seven and a half million super feet.

THE WAR PERIOD The outbreak of the Japanese War in January 1942 ended all civilian activities in the Territories of Papua and New Guinea.

1943 Sawmilling remained quiescent for about a year but as the Australian forces commenced to build up and were joined by the Allied Forces, a great demand for sawn timber developed.

Owing to the shortages of supply and difficulties with shipping, it was decided to produce as much as possible of these requirements in the Islands themselves. In 1943, ANGAU reorganised the three pre-war mills and established a fourth at Waigani near Milne Bay. Many engineering units established small operations. The Americans brought in sawmilling units. The Australian Government recalled the three Forestry Companies from England and threw them into the fight for timber in New Guinea early in 1944. The New Zealand Air force also had sawmilling units attached. At the end of the war, as far as can be ascertained , some 80 odd million super feet of sawn timber had been produced by these units and in addition, the forests had yielded thousands of pieces of round timbers for escarpments, corduroy, bridge timbers, telephone poles, fire wood and the many other needs of a vast army. It was roughly estimated that this effort had saved two million pounds worth of Australian timber and over three quarters of a million pounds worth of shipping space. Figures, of course, would be very much higher at present day prices.

Early in 1944, the Australian Army decided to form under the Engineers, a unit to record the many sawmilling operations and make surveys of the forest resources, using all the advantages of operational mapping, air photos and transport facilities then available. The CRE - NG Forests; was thus formed with two Forest Survey Companies. I was placed in command of the CRE-NG Forests and given authority to recruit as many personnel experienced in forestry as I could lay my hands on. Two officers of the pre-war service Mr Cavanagh and Mr Vickery were recruited. The Air Force, the Navy, Malaria Units, Engineers, the Infantry, and the Artillery all contributed, with result that we had a concentration of foresters representing every state in Australia.

The unit had come together about mid-1944 and for the next three months at Lae was put through an intensive training in recognition of New Guinea species and handling New Guinea conditions. Senior officers of the unit closely followed the establishment of each new base to 110

report on immediate timber supplies for operational purposes. During this time, a plan was draw up for the survey of the timber resources of a s much of the Territories as possible. This survey was launched about the end of 1944 and continued till the war ended, and the units were disbanded about October 1945. One of the functions of the CRE-NG Forests written in instructions at the formation was “the maintenance of forestry records in a manner suitable for handing over to a Civilian Forest service at the appropriate time.” Consequently, when the unit was disbanded, Mr Vickery, who is now the Forest Ranger at Bulolo, was left in charge of the records, which he handed over to Mr Cavanaugh, when he returned to the Islands in his civilian capacity.

The next part of the paper describes the vegetation types of TPNG – these will not be elaborated on for this project. Pages 5-14 of the paper.

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Savannah woodland Grassland Swamps o Mangrove ▪ Before the War bark was exported for its tannin- for leather production but produced a red leather and for preserving fishing nets o Nipa ▪ Used for thatching o Sac sac ▪ Production of sago o Grass and pit pit o Swampy Rainforests ▪ E.g. terminalia forests of Bougainville for timber production Lowland Forest o Littoral ▪ Beach calophyllum for ship building o Rain forest ▪ Potentially available accessible millable timber for PNG. Special mention of three sub types • Kamarere forests New Britain • Erima forests • Dipterocarp forest Mid mountain forest o Includes the Araucaria forests of Bulolo Wau and the oak forests for timber production Mossy forest Alpine Secondary bush

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ARMY FOREST RESORCE SURVEY We found with some training it was not difficult to pick out from air photos the vegetative types described above. While the unit was in training at Lae, research was carried out into the uses that could be made of air photos in assessing tropical forests.

An area was marked out in the Oomsis forests near Lae and the RAAF made special photos of the area. Every tree on an area of 30 acres was mapped and the air photos correlated tree for tree. Compared with the data which could be gathered from air photos of temperate forests, the amount of quantitative data we could obtain from photos of the overly complex mixed forests of the tropics was disappointing. Nevertheless, the photos proved a boon for qualitative interpretation and saved a considerable amount of work in the field by eliminating areas which need not be further investigated and allowing us to concentrate detailed work on those areas with the greatest productive potential. If they had nothing else the air photos had enabled the production of the 1 mile to 1-inch Army series of maps which now covered the northern coastline of New Guinea, Manus, New Britain, and Bougainville. We used these sheets as our basic maps and from the air photos transferred the vegetative data to these sheets, which were then forwarded to the field units as survey instructions for checking in the field. The sheets were arranged in a priority system based on operational requirements. By the time the unit was disbanded, the air phot interpretation for all the published 1 mile to 1inch series (some 260 odd in number) had been completed but only 59 of the field reports had been finalised.

The units, during the resource survey, gave valuable intelligence data on topography, tracks, anchorages etc. On the areas of easier topography and better forest cover, they laid down actual sample plots and obtained an estimate of the actual timber over a measured acreage.

They collected botanical and wood samples of new species. By the end of the war, the units had collected over 1,500 sheets. The botanists had worked through 620 of them and had listed 295 separate species. These collections formed the basis of the herbarium at Lae. Which is now being expanded by the forest botanist and ultimately, we hope will lead to the production of a flora for the Territory. We were greatly assisted in our botanical work by the late Mr C T White, the Queensland Government Botanist, who came to the Territory and ran a botanical school for the units during the training period.

Copies of the wood samples were sent to the Division of Forest Products of the CSIRO in Melbourne, where Dr. Dadswell accompanied Mr White and lectured to the school on Wood Technology. The early work of the Division of Forest Products quickly resulted in the development of a card sorting key for the identification of the more common species and the Division later developed similar keys for the Forces as they moved onto Borneo and Malaya.

POST WAR POSITION Since the War, and owing partly to devastation by war, and partly due to the expanded services needed to cope with development of the community, there has been a greatly increased demand for sawn timber in the Territory. This has led to the gradual building up of the local sawmilling industry. For this year, the sawn output will reach about 10 million super feet of timber requiring some 20 million super feet of logs. At this figure and under present circumstances, we appear to have overtaken the demand. Since the War, there has been an embargo on the export of sawn timber, but this has been eased. For some time, we have been sending out six and a half inch square bulks of hoop and klinkii pine to provide battery separator veneer which is in critical supply in Australia. Last year, our exports of this highly 112

selected material exceeded 400,000 super feet. Now general lines can be exported provided the millers keep a sufficient stock in their yards to ensure local supplies.

Since the War, logs have been exported annually but these exports remain constant between one and one and a half million super feet. Recently a tender has been accepted for the purchase of some 70 million super feet of timber on the Trans Busu at about 7-8 million super feet per year. It is expected that this will boost the log export considerably in about twelve months. Within the last few months, exports of private logs from agricultural leases in the Lae area has commenced because of active clearing for the establishment of cocoa crops.

It seems, therefore, that this year’s figures will show a slight improvement. As ownership is clarified, it is the aim of the Administration to make further areas available and to steadily build up this industry.

Very shortly, a modern plywood manufacturing industry will be established for processing the pines of the Bulolo Valley. It is expected that within three years the output will reach 30 million square feet of plywood on a 3/16-inch basis. Already a start has been made on reforestation with the same species. (Hoop and Klinkii). Last year, 45 acres were planted.

This year, 100 acres are being planted and, in the nursery, there is stock for 300 acres of plantation next year. It is expected that the future plantings will eb about 600 to 700 acres per year. At the end of the rotation (50 years), it is calculated that the annual cut will exceed 60 million super feet of logs as against the rationed cut of 10 million super feet from the virgin stands. There will be a great volume of early thinnings from the plantations in about ten years and this may well lead to the establishment of the first pulp factory in the Territory.

At Kerevat, the Department has commenced silvicultural research work on the coastal stands.

Kamarere, teak and balsa are being established on about 100 acres this year. The original kamarere plot of about 10 acres established four years ago (1948) is now over 60 feet high and ready for its first thinning. Some of these thinnings will be going to the Division of Forest Products for testing for pulping and other purposes. The teak, which is established from seed obtained from areas planted by the Germans at Namatanai forty years ago is showing promising growth and may provide the answer to a durable timber for local construction.

Now, samples of our mangroves, the Araucarias and the mixed coastal species are being collected and forwarded to the Division of Forest Products for pulping tests.

Our problem in New Guinea is to find a market for many of our lower grade species; a second problem which may rise if large areas are to be developed agriculturally would be to find a market for the vast quantities of timber which would otherwise be destroyed. Pulping may be the answer.

Modern technology may open great possibilities to the New Guinea forests.

In time, no doubt, New Guinea, with her abundant water, power and her warm climate so adapted to the growing of trees, will follow the path opened by the seven million Swedes.

However, many years must elapse before we can commence on such a path. A people must be trained in the first principles of industrial processes, vast capital must be expended in developing the power resources and opening up access to the natural resources; the basic data must be consolidated; a large percentage of the territory must be set aside for permanent forestry purposes, and the people taught to appreciate the benefits that may result from the proper management of those assets, so that they will protect and guard them. We are only just 113

taking the first faltering footsteps along the road to acknowledge of the forests, and the forest problems and possibilities of the Territories. It needs the interest and support of people such as yourselves if we are to make much progress along the road.

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ACRONYMS ACT AFS AFPNG AIF AMF ANBG ANGAU ANU APMF APPM ASOPA BCOF BFC BGD BUC C cm CALM CFA CNGT CRE CRE

CSIRO CHAH DEPT FAO F &TB FPRC Forkol ha IFA L of N m3 MM NAA NB no.

NG NGF NGIB NZ NSW

Australian Capital Territory Australian Forestry School Association of Foresters of PNG Australian Infantry Forces Australian Military Forces Australian National Botanical Gardens Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit Australian National University Australian Paper Manufacturers Forestry Pty Ltd Australia Paper and Pulp Manufacturers Australian School of Pacific Administration British Commonwealth Occupational Force 1945-52 Bulolo Forestry College Bulolo Gold Dredging Company Bulolo University College Commonwealth Centimetre Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management Commonwealth Forestry Association Commonwealth New Guinea Timbers Bulolo Corps of Royal Engineers CRE is a term inherited by RAE from RE and is the term for the Commanding Officer of a RAE unit which is headed by a Lt Col. Although the officer is called the CRE the name is also used for the name of his unit. E.g. CRE Aust Forestry Group or 1(NG Forests).

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria Department Food and Agriculture Organisation Forest and Timber Bureau Canberra Forest Products Research Centre Hohola Bulolo Forestry College Hectare Institute of Foresters of Australia League of Nations cubic metre Military Medal National Archives Australia New Britain Number New Guinea New Guinea Forces (relates to plant collection of Lae Herbarium) New Guinea Infantry Battalion New Zealand New South Wales 115

PIB PIR PNG PNGAA PNGAF PNGFIA PNGUT POM Q QF RAE RPC UK UN UNE UNI UNITECH UPNG UQ US USA TPNG TA TRP VSF WA WB WW2

Papuan Infantry Battalion Pacific Islands Regiment Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea Australia Association Papua New Guinea Australian Foresters Magazine Series PNG Forest Industries Association PNG University of Technology Port Moresby Queensland Queensland Forestry Royal Australian Engineers/Australian Army Royal Papuan Constabulary United Kingdom United Nations University of New England Armidale NSW University University of Technology Lae PNG University of Papua New Guinea University of Queensland United States United States of America Territory of Papua and New Guinea Timber Area Timber Rights Purchase Victorian School of Forestry Western Australia World Bank WORLD WAR 2

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