The New Guinea Volunteer Rifles

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 headquarters were originally in Rabaul with subunits 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. Several 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 Japanese-held 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.”

28 August 1942. Members of B COY, NGVR, proudly display a Japanese flag they captured at Mubo on 21 July1942. (Negative by D. Parer). Source Australian War Memorial and ANU-Afs archives.

Personnel are (Rank is Rifleman unless stated otherwise) : Back row from the left: NG2423 G.R. Archer, NG2192 J. Cavanaugh, NG2200 Sgt L.E. Ashton, NG2230 H.M. Shutt, NG2214 J.G. Kinsey, NG2113 F.L. Leather, NG2191 Sgt J.B. McAdam, NG2231 S.F. Burns, NG2114 I.H. Patterson, NG2068 J.C. Shay.

Centre Row: NG2461 R. Napier, NG2234 C.L. Cavalieri, NG2380 A.R. Sheat5h (Bending over).

Front row: NG2201 CPL J.A. Birrell, NG2219 H.L. Harris, NG2022 CPL A. Graham, NG2229 R.W. Doyle, NG2211 SGT H.J.W. Farr, NG2325 W. Allen and NG2047 CPL G.R. Rayner.

A map showing the location of Wau and Salamaua.

Source PNGVR/Australian War memorial.

Bulldog to Wau Supply Route. The Bulldog Track (or 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.

Bulldog-Wau road, 194307-14. 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.

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

Bulldog-Wau road, 1944-0119. A small trestle bridge constructed by personnel of the 2/4th Australian Field Squadron over the Eloa river at the 19 1/2 mile.

Phil Ainsworth Head of Dept. of Forests Mapping Bureau (1960-71) and then Economists Forests & National Planning 1971-81 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 McCarthy11 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.

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

11 PATROL INTO YESTERDAY My New Guinea Years J K McCarthy 1963 F W Cheshire Publishing.

After the Japanese invaded Salamaua in March, Jim McAdam 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.

NG2191 Sergeant J B McAdam, New Guinea Volunteer Rifles, and Damien Parer, Official Cinematographer, observe Japanese movements from a secret tree top observation post above Nuk Nuk. This post was established by the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles and was also used by the New Guinea Air Warning Wireless Company (NGAWW). It was manned for a six-week period by Corporal Ross Kirkwood, who narrowly escaped capture by the Japanese. Source Photo Credit Australian War Memorial 1942.

Salamaua area, N G. August 1942 NG2423 Rifleman G. R. Archer, NGVR, observes movements of the Japanese from an observation post in a lofty tree above NUK NUK.

Source Australian War Memorial.

SALAMAUA AREA, NEW GUINEA. August 1942. Members of NGVR, bearded and camouflaged, man a secret observation post above NUK NUK. L to R NG Rifleman 2192 Jim Cavanaugh, NG 2423 Rifleman Geoff Archer & NG 2191 Sgt Jim McAdam taken by war photographer Damien Parer. Photo Credit Australian War Memorial.

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

12 .

Archer was a gold miner in Wau and Bulolo before the war and after the war worked for BGD (Bulolo Gold Dredging) in Bulolo. He later grew coffee at Mission Beach. He died about 1985. Later Archer was awarded the Military Cross for service behind enemy lines with M Special Unit. AWM 127961

Bob McKeowen13 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 11. initially in 1942 as the "2/5th Independent Company". The

12 Linda Cavanaugh Manning 9 April 2019. 13 Bob McKeowen personal communication 11 May 2018.

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.

Bradley in his book The Battle for Wau describes on pages 29-32 Jim’s role in the June 1942 Salamaua raid. The map below shows the raid.

Much information re the Salamaua raid in July 1942 is detailed in the National Archives of Australia.

https://trove.nia.gov.au/newspaper/article/2636013?

Sat 5 June 1943 The Canberra Times ACT 1926-1995) page 2 “Canberra Forestry Student”.

https://trove.nia.gov.au?newspaper/article/145007300

Fri 22 Feb1946 – Daily Advertiser Wagga Wagga NSW 1911-1954 Page 3 “Military Medal awarded to Forestry Officer”.

Opening Strongroom Wau

When Kanga Force needed funds to pay for carriers, labourers and food the Manager of the Bank of New South Wales, A.J. (Bossy) Byrne (NGVR), was flown back to Wau from Port Moresby.

Together with NGVR member, Cpl Horace (Horrie) Harris, the former teller at the Bank of New South Wales, they opened the strongroom, which had survived the bombing of Wau and took out thousands of pounds in shillings.

Byrne is standing in the door and Harris is standing on the wreck of an old refrigerator.

Salamaua Isthmus after capture by the 5th Division on 11 September 1943. Source Australian War Memorial.

Salamaua 19/9/1943 The isthmus connecting the mainland and the peninsula.

In the 1920’s, prospective gold miners used Salamaua as a staging post to explore for gold in the inland areas. When gold was discovered at Wau, miners came from all over for Wau goldfields via the rough Black Cat Track. The town was captured by the Japanese on 8/3/1942. It was retaken by Allied forces on 11/9/1943. Today the villages of Kela and Lagui occupy the site.