Chapter 14 Busu River Crossing; Courier of the skies; Torres Straight Force;......

BUSU RIVER CROSSING

TYPICAL of the rivers in New Guinea across which linemen must lay their lines, despite the perpetual rains that turn them into treacherous, raging torrents, is the Busu, on the northern side of Lae.

This river proved a stumbling block during the 9th Division's advance on Lae and a headache to the men who had to lay lines from one side of it to the other. The Busu was reached just as the brigade which was fighting along the coast was preparing to go round the mouth of the river by barge.

As the brigade was moving, the last existing D.111 line failed so it was decided to be more ambitious and lay three pairs of D.VIII, one for each of the brigades.

At the time, the BUSU was in flood and actually consisted of several small streams that had overflowed into each other; consequently the depth of the whole river varied. It was simple enough to lay the lines three-quarters of the way across because the streams were slow and shallow until the main stream-thirty yards wide, ten feet deep and flowing at about twelve miles per hour-was reached.

As much spare cable as possible was reeled off and it was decided to take the cable drums across the stream in a punt. The punt was affixed to a steel cable and pulled backwards and forwards across the river by engineers stationed on each bank. Meanwhile, the Japanese were trying to hit the barges on the ferry service at the mouth of the river. Being inaccurate, the 75-mm. air bursts ranged over a wide area. The linemen were frequently forced to go to ground.

The C.S.M. and a lineman set off in the punt, holding the cable drums. Half-way across, the force of the current proved too

Strong and one line snapped. It was only with the greatest difficulty that they managed to retain their hold on the other two pairs for the strain threatened to pull them out of the boat.

The two men in the punt, with the aid of twelve engineers, tried to salvage the broken cable from the stream just as their efforts were to be rewarded, the tie-back holding it on the far side slipped and the cable snapped, leaving them holding some twenty feet in their hands.

The only solution was to return and bring a light, twin line of American assault cable across. When almost in mid-stream on the return trip, the ropes on the punt fouled and the punt swung beam on, throwing the linemen and two engineers with them into the water. The engineers grabbed the steel cable and managed to drag themselves ashore. The C.S.M. was forced underneath the punt when it capsized but, luckily, did not get entangled with the gear. He came to the surface, grasping a rope.

The lineman clung to the punt for a while but the force of the current was not to be denied and he was washed away. As he was being swept past, the C.S.M., risking his own hold on the rope, grabbed him with one hand and managed to hold on.

It was mere luck that the force of the current swung them on to the bank where they were dragged ashore. One engineer, trying to untangle the ropes, was caught by the water-logged punt, carried downstream and crushed against a post.

There was nothing left to do but to walk down to the beach in the gathering dusk and to get to the other side by barge.

WX8144.

COURIER OF THE SKIES

A small ship was in distress off the coast of New Guinea during a heavy storm. Squally winds, torrential rain and nil visibility made the position worse. Two hours before daylight a pigeon was despatched with an urgent appeal for aid. Although pigeons do not normally fly at night, the bird arrived back at his home loft one hour after sunrise. The message resulted in the ship and its crew being saved, together with a valuable cargo of stores and equipment.

Although pigeons have been used by the British Army for many years, their use by Australian Forces was not introduced until 1941 when Corps Signals began to use them for certain communications during the Syrian campaign. About this time, pigeon-fanciers in the A.M.F. in Australia also became active and lofts were stocked with birds generously supplied by the various homing-pigeon organisations.

The Army pigeon of today is the result of several centuries of intelligent crossbreeding between various strains derived originally from the Rock Dove. The pigeon's homing instinct, not necessarily speed, is the main factor in its choice for Army use.

In 1942, the Australian Pigeon Service began its role as an essential message carrying agency. The use of the birds at that time was mainly for use on the small craft and coastal patrol vessels on the eastern seaboard of Australia. Today, Army small craft without radio rely solely oil pigeons for ship-to-shore communications and even craft equipped with wireless use pigeons when wireless is impracticable.

A number of loftmen of the Australian Corps of Signals Pigeon Service with two small 30-bird lofts and sixty trained pigeons accompanied an Allied Task Force during a recent landing operation oil an island to the north of Australia. Two days later, they were being used with reconnaissance patrols, intelligence posts, observation points and scouts. A small patrol some twenty-four miles from its base sighted an enemy force and immediately released a pigeon with the news. The bird arrived back at the loft twenty-two minutes after and the prompt receipt of the message resulted in the disorganisation of the enemy's attempted counter-attack.

For this and similar operations, modern lightweight, collapsible pigeon equipment has been designed with jungle warfare ill mind. Small, collapsible, cardboard containers, about the size of a lunch box and holding two birds, are now in use. Special lightweight lofts, built in sections, have been developed for field units. These lofts can be transported on a jeep trailer or, when dismantled, carried along the jungle tracks. Medium-size lofts have been designed for ship-to-shore communications and large base lofts are in use for long-range work.

A record long-distance flight was made by one pigeon which flew a distance of over 200 miles along the New Guinea coastline. The normal range of flight for a pigeon is 120 miles. In this case, however, the bird was the only means of conveying important information from a patrol back to its base. The maximum speed attained was 66 miles per hour over a distance of 62 miles.

The Australian Pigeon Service is carrying oil the already fine record of the Pigeon Services in other parts of the Empire. In the last war, one British pigeon was awarded the V.C. posthumously. In the early part of this war, a pigeon received all Army citation for meritorious service. First news of the capture of Tunis was conveyed by pigeon. A pigeon also carried the message which enabled a successful evacuation of British and Gurkha troops, who had been cut off for nine days near Cassino, in the Italian campaign.

The pigeon, indeed, is the despatch rider of the skies.

TORRES STRAIT FORCE SIGNALS

THE history of Signals Torres Strait began in March 1941 when a small section known as Fortress Signals, Thursday Island, carne into being in Brisbane from where it sailed. The section's task on arrival on Thursday Island was to provide the communications for the heavy coastal Artillery guns that were needed to guard vital shipping lanes to the mainland.

At this time the civilians were still on the island and they were exceptionally hospitable. The population was a very cosmopolitan one and many different nationalities were represented in this small crossroads of many busy trading routes. A number of pearling fleets used Thursday Island as their base and trading centre before the war and the small community's history was a colorful one.

When Japan entered the war the threat to Australia became apparent. Within a few months it grew into alarming reality as the Japanese swept through Singapore down to the Dutch East Indies, the Moluccas, Amboina, Timor and into New Guinea. The civilians from Thursday Island and the majority of the Government mission staffs from small islands in Torres Strait were evacuated to the mainland.

Only a few civilians remained on Thursday Island. These included four P.M.G. employees who continued to work the civil telegraph channel. This line and a small Army wireless set working to Townsville and Brisbane were the only means of communication with Australia. Fortress Signals took over the post office, replacing those members of the staff who had been evacuated.

About the same time, a batch of reinforcement Signals personnel was flown up to Horn Island from the mainland and sent out to man wireless sets on various isolated in the Straits. These men also did some fine work as aircraft spotters. Reports from one station were responsible for the destruction of at least one enemy submarine.

There was plenty of scope for the use of imagination and initiative by the operators. On some islands the operators organised the natives into coast-watching teams and taught them something of aircraft and shipping recognition. The natives relayed their messages back to the wireless station from where the information was forwarded to the control station on Thursday Island.

Early warning of enemy raids was passed by this means and in most cases all concerned had been notified before the raid took place.

One enterprising operator formed a "V.D.C." organisation amongst the natives on his island and they trained very enthusiastically wi thou t weapons.

News bulletins were written out and displayed by the operators to keep the people informed of current news broadcasts.

The villagers were very pleased with this service and in fact extended the idea by reading the news in some of their churches.

Amongst other things, the operators encouraged the native women to produce articles for use or sale by the Australian

Red Cross Society; native gardens were developed to produce more food and so alleviate the supply problems caused by shipping shortages; village hygiene and water supply were improved where necessary. Occasionally natives came to the operators with their sicknesses and complaints. They preferred the advice of a white man in most cases to their own native medical orderlies. When necessary, the operators called control station and a medical officer was summoned who would advise what treatment to give until a ship could be sent out with medical assistance or to collect any serious cases. Two typical cases were a woman whose arm was bitten off by a shark and a native who swallowed a bottle of disinfectant. Both recovered due to the prompt action taken by the signalmen of the stations.

An incident occurred when a message was received by the wireless operator to the effect that a ship had been sunk by an enemy submarine somewhere in the Gulf of Papua. A launch visiting the island station happened to be the nearest vessel to the site of the sinking and as the message had said "men in water without lifebelts" the launch prepared immediately to pick tip the survivors and set sail within fifteen minutes. Those on board comprised the crew, a member of Fortress Signals who acted as ship's operator for the search, and a medical orderly. After approximately twelve hours' sailing at full speed the position given in the message was reached and many hours of intensive searching in a fierce storm followed. Throughout, wireless communication was maintained almost continuously between control station and the small launch tossing in the heavy open seas.

Wireless reception on Thursday Island was very poor due to the low-power wireless set on the launch working over such a long distance and atmospherics were bad. Five receivers were brought into use on Thursday and the adjacent islands. The listening operators were connected by telephone to one central point where the information picked up at the five different points was collated and interpreted. By this means the control station was informed of the progress of the search. Although the search was thorough, no survivors were found but some of the wreckage was seen.

The system used for receiving the ship's messages proved valuable. The control station was able to send aircraft assistance that was called for by the launch when a submarine was sighted near the scene of the first sinking. The message got through immediately and the flying boat appeared shortly afterwards.

Towards the end of 1942, the A.M.F. began to move into Dutch New Guinea and Signals Torres Strait Force provided the personnel necessary to supply the Australian Army communications to this new area, as well as being responsible for the local installations. Most of the internal work was done very capably in the initial stages by Infantry signallers working with American and Netherlands East Indies troops under extremely adverse conditions.

With the development of the A.M.F. base in Dutch New Guinea more unknown territory had to be opened up. An expedition was arranged and a wireless operator from Signals Torres Strait Force was detailed to accompany a small party who had to travel up the Fly River by launch to a certain rendezvous where it was to contact another party travelling overland through unknown swamps, marshes and jungles to meet them.

The launch eventually arrived in the vicinity of the rendezvous over 500 miles from the mouth of the Fly after an interesting but risky trip. The party waited for two days, searching the banks of the river for the land party. The launch's wireless operator listened continuously for a signal from the wireless set with the land party and worked for two days and nights without a break trying to pick up the other station. It was almost decided to turn back under the impression that the mission had failed when, with a sudden cry of excitement, the operator reported that he had heard another station sending his call sign, though the signal was very weak.

Having established communication it was a question of whether the land party was upstream or downstream from the launch. The operator, to quote his own words "had a feeling" that the party was upstream. After another day's search in this direction the launch met the land party paddling downstream in a canoe with some native "headhunters". They had established their friendship with gifts of trade goods very rare in that part of New Guinea. The success of the mission was due entirely to the wireless contact made between the parties.

In the course of their work, Signals Torres Strait Force have been called upon to provide all types of communication within the Force and frequently for the other arms of the services as well. Although these were often beyond the scope of the unit's training the men learnt with experience and acquitted themselves admirably.

GOODENOUGH INCIDENT

ON the morning of the 25th of August Japanese landing at Milne Bay commenced at 2330 hours that day-information was received that seven landing craft carrying over 200 Japanese troops had landed on the southern shore of Goodenough Island. They had departed from Buna and evidently intended to co-operate with the main enemy landing. It was later revealed that this assumption was correct.

During the morning, the R.A.A.F. paid the landing point a visit with good results. The enemy landing craft were sunk and the Japanese dispersed into the jungle, taking no part in the assault on Milne Bay.

After the successful conclusion of the Milne Bay operations, it was decided to despatch a task force of one battalion to deal with the Japanese on Goodenough. The R.A.N. destroyers Arunta and Stuart co-operated and conveyed the battalion to the scene. Two landings were to be made, one on each flank of the area occupied by the Japanese. A detachment of Signals Milne Force accompanied the force to establish communications between H.Q. at Milne Bay, the destroyers at sea and the assault forces after the landings.

The time of departure was so arranged that the attack would develop at first light. After the expedition had sailed, Milne Force received news that one or more Japanese cruisers were heading for Goodenough. The problem was how to warn Stuart, and Arunta, since neither could break wireless silence at sea. Signals Milne Force, however, had improvised a R/T code which could be used by the destroyers for Army messages after the battalion had gone ashore. Even so, it was necessary to make doubly sure that they would receive the message. It was enciphered In Army cipher and a paraphrased version was encoded in the improvised R/T code. Both were sent by broadcast procedure several times.

It was later learned that the messages were received by the Arunta but not by the Stuart prior to the landing of the assault forces. This information was vital to the destroyers as it gave them warning in the event of an unfavorable situation arising. It was also a triumph for the planning of the Signals side of the expedition.

"C" CORPS SIGNALS IN THE WEST

PERHAPS no Australian Signals unit has had to experience the trials and tribulations of an ever-changing war front in the S.W.P.A. as has Signals "C" Aust. Corps.

In March 1942, Southern Command Signals, which was formed after the outbreak of war, was disbanded and took the identity of Signals "C" Aust. Corps. The new formation absorbed H.Q. and Numbers 1 and 2 Companies of the old unit. Three A.I.F. sections upon their return from the "M.E" were also acquired. Lt-Col. W. G. Clementson was appointed C.O. but was stricken with appendicitis shortly after taking command and Lt-Col. H. G. Bridge was recalled from Sigs 3 Aust. Div. to take over. Equipment taken over from Southern Command was far short of the unit's W.E. but, as a move to Western Australia was ordered, the unit was given high priority for Ordnance issues. Vehicles and equipment simply poured in and for three weeks prior to movement all ranks worked day and night checking, distributing and packing.

Movement to W.A.

The ready flow of equipment kept morale high and spirits cheerful. It was anticipated that a very real
danger existed and expectations were that action would be seen at any moment. By the end of May
1942, the unit was established at Bellevue and consisted of H.Q., an administration section, L.A.D., technical maintenance section, three line sections, one line maintenance section, three operating sections, three wireless sections and two D.R. sections. No camp area was available and all ranks were
billeted out. It was not until September that the unit moved to a camp at Melville.

Within ten days of arrival, all Corps communications were taken over and an extensive line construction programme began. Within a very short time, the unit was supplying communications to all troops in the area.

Some of the tasks

Lines were built for use by the R.A.A.F. and the United States Navy on the western shores. Some personnel were given a minor thrill and their first contact with the enemy when Japanese recce planes dropped a few bombs in the area. Recovery of materials from the old east-west telegraph route was carried out by one detachment working between Balladonia and Eucla. While on this job, a batch of press telegrams fifty years old and perfectly preserved was found in an old disused telegraph station.

Another project was undertaken for Anti-aircraft and Fortress communications involving twenty miles of underground cable and fifty miles of open wire. The main route carried twenty-one pairs. Other projects too numerous to mention were undertaken by the line and line maintenance sections. Existing P.M.G. routes were used and the extension of the lines of communication should assist the P.M.G's department after the war. The operating, wireless and despatch rider sections carried out their jobs in all sorts of weather and conditions. A long-sighted policy of training was adopted and superimposed on the normal operational work right from the start and this resulted in increased efficiency and keenness.

When the decision was made and promulgated that Militia units were eligible for transfer to the A.I.F., Signals "C" Aust 7. Corps easily gained the required 75 per cent and the right to be classified as A.I.F. As a matter of fact, six months before the unit was redesignated the quota 97 per cent.

SIGNALS IN DARWIN

EARLY In 1942 a complete reorganisation of the communication system in Darwin became necessary. This naturally resulted in a regrouping of the Signals components there. At the time, the A.I.F. was returning from the -Middle East and Lt-Col. 1. J. Hooker was flown to Darwin ten days after his return from the Middle East and allotted the task of organising the Signals requirements for the field forces there. The L. of C. commitments remained the responsibility of Lt-Col. E. F. Little who was already in the area.

With the Japanese still hammering relentlessly, troop dispositions in the area changed overnight. Lacking in both numbers and equipment, the problem of Signals was serious. The S.O.-in-C. sent Brig. Edwards to attend a conference in Northern Territory out of which emerged the formation, a C.S.O. and his staff and three main Signals units - Northern Territory Force Signals, an L. of C. Signals and Northern Territory Fortress Signals.

Colonel H. J. Chardon was appointed as the C.S.O. Northern Territory and was responsible for the original expansion of the major line project in N.T. He in turn was followed by Colonel R. Sainsbury and later by Colonel J. L. McKinlay, who carried out further extensive construction.

After the original conference, there followed days of waiting for the reinforcements of personnel and equipment. In the interim, all tasks were undertaken and completed by the stalwarts of the original 7 M.D. Signals under Lt-Col. E. F. Little. Eventually the urgently needed personnel arrived from South Australia. This completed No. 1 Company and the remainder of Signals N.T. Force was comprised of some sixty ex-members of Signals 6 Aust. Div. and the members of a Tank-attack Signals section. At a later date sufficient personnel became available to augment and reorganize the L. of C. Signals unit. Lt-Col. Little was followed later by Lt-Col. Scott, and in turn he was succeeded by Lt-Col. D. Small.

The L. of C. Signals unit was responsible for the construction of 2,500 wire miles of permanent line and the manning of Signals centres, as well as the maintenance of all permanent line routes in the N.T. operational area.

Over and above the big task that the L. of C. Signals were carrying out in the first six months, the field force Signals manned five Signals centres and 820 miles of tree-slung field cable were constructed and maintained. The field cable work was made possible by the tenacity of Capt. H. L. Thompson, M.C. About this time, Light Anti-aircraft and Air Support Control Signals sections were added to the unit.

Prospects of the impending "wet" drove all units to find ground on which to build a home out of materials hewn from the virgin scrub. This made it necessary for everyone to be on deck all day and every day. During the "wet" linemen of all the Signals units in N.T. tolled continually to replace cables destroyed by lightning and broken by crashed timbers. It was necessary to design and construct efficient lightning arrestors for the telephones, particularly after several senior officers had been "hit" while speaking on the telephone.

As the pressure eased, thoughts turned towards diversions for both the entertainment and physical fitness of the troops. All Australian sports were represented in this community of the north. Even the most active games were played with the temperature around the century mark. A high-light was the organisation by Signals of the first donkey race meeting held in the Territory.

The career of Signals 12 Aust. Div. came to an end in September 1943, when it was relieved by the then Signals 1 Aust. Div. On completion of the relief, the two units changed names and the erstwhile Signals, 12 Aust. Div. departed for places south. Lt-Col. Armstrong became the C.O. of the new Signals 12 Aust. Div.

The new arrivals in Darwin were members of one of the original Militia units. On the outbreak of war, the unit (then Signals 1 Aust. Div.) was in training at Raymond Terrace, N.S.W. Numerous exercises were carried out until Japan entered the war, when all Signals sections were marched out to their respective brigades and regiments. Divisional H.Q. was established at Burwood, N.S.W., and , 'D " Section manned the Signals Office there. In August 1943, the movement order arrived to despatch the unit to Darwin.

About this time, a new C.S.O. was appointed to take over the Mount Isa and Alice Springs areas and Lt-Col. Downey took over these responsibilities. Signals 17 L. of C. gave out an offshoot of a new unit which became Signals 20 L. of C.

As the J was driven still farther from Australia there was time for the pursuit of hobbles to relieve the boredom of the north. Home gardeners were well to the fore and most of the huts had their plots of flowers and vegetables. The manufacture of models, rings and necklaces are still being made from the "first Zero brought down in the area".

During the latter part of the ''wet" of 1944, an air of dampness being fashionable, the unit embarked on an amphibious training programme. Personnel on one particular course will not forget a morning, when a whole battalion made long and fruitless attempts to put to sea in the folding boats but was consistently washed back by the heavy seas. Signals played a trump card when, led by experienced ex-members of the Manly Surf Club, they proceeded to take their craft through the tricky surf and were soon outside the line of breakers, much to the discomfort of the Infantry struggling on the beach.

MAKE WAY FOR THE LADIES

WAR is a great wrecker of age-old ideas. It has always been considered a "game" fit for men only. No one ever gave thought to the idea that women would replace men in the Army.

The serious danger to Australia in 1942 changed all that. Every able bodied man was urgently needed in the forward areas, so the ladies went to war, replacing "A" class men in the rearward areas. And they have proved their worth ever since.

Signals have been given fine service by the members of the Australian Women's Army Service.

Today they are serving as telegraphists, despatch riders, cooks, orderlies, typists and wireless and switchboard operators in Signals units throughout the length and breadth of Australia. The history of their work is closely bound up with the story of the formation of 1st and 2nd Australian Signals Training Battalions (A.W.A.S.) which came into being in June 1942 for the express purpose of training them for their present tasks.

Training centres were originally located at the Ivanhoe Grammar School, some six miles from Melbourne, and at Ingleburn, N.S.W. Alterations and additions were made to the school to enable it to accommodate and train 500 girls. Twenty-four sleeping huts, showers, cookhouses and mess huts were available at each centre. Classrooms were wired for buzzer and sounder practice. Other rooms were converted into -Q- stores and technical maintenance workshops. Unfortunately, these alterations were still in progress when the first batch of recruits arrived from Tasmania on the 1st of July. The students during the first few weeks had to put up with the inconvenience of lack of hot water for showers and overtaxed sleeping accommodation.

The commanding officers were Lt-Col. R. C. V. Humphery and Lt-Col. T. J. Farrow, while the A.W.A.S. administrative officers were Major jean Wood and Capt. Whitworth. The No. I Companies consisted of sounder, wireless and line telegraphy operating sections. The No. 2 Companies comprised cipher, keyboard and signals clerk sections, while the third companies trained switchboard operators. If a student was found unsuitable for one section, she was transferred to another. The various courses lasted between six weeks and three months. In this time, the girls. reached Morse speed of twenty words per minute.

The keyboard operators received their initial instruction in the unit and later were given practical experience on the instruments at the G.P.O.s in Sydney and Melbourne. The same procedure was adopted with the switchboard operators. During the latter stages of their course they were sent out to "man" commercial switchboards in the two cities.

All students after joining the units had to complete a three weeks' general Signals course, which included squad drill, saluting, badges of rank and general military subjects.

At the conclusion of each course, each was returned whenever possible to her home state.

The social side of each unit received special attention. Mr. and Mrs. Jenkin of Ivanhoe were untiring in their efforts to provide recreation and entertainment for the Melbourne students and staff.

Several concert parties from Sydney visited Ingleburn and entertained the girls. In both states the girls received invitations to spend the week-ends with families in and around Melbourne and Sydney.

When the time came for the girls to participate in their first inspections and marches-past, their bearing and keenness evoked favorable comment from the inspecting officers in both states.

The first course for potential officers commenced in September of the same year and consisted of
twenty-five cadets from all states. The syllabus was a comprehensive one and included, in addition
to Signals subjects, Military Law, Administration, Organisation, Map Reading and practical work
in the field. It was decided to transfer from the units as many male officers as possible to the forward areas and consequently many of the students spent the first part of their commissioned service as
instructors in the ensuing courses both for N.C.O. and officer candidates.

The story of the Australian Signals Training Battalions (A.W.A.S.) would not be complete without mention of the weekly competitions which came into force soon after the units were formed.

Squad-drill competitions were held every Saturday afternoon and the winning sections were granted additional night leave.

These contests were witnessed by all and each companies barracked for its particular section like schoolboys at a football match.

Points were allotted daily for the best sleeping huts and at the end of the week the points were totalled up and the occupants of the winning huts were given extra leave.

On the 24th of November the Melbourne unit moved to Bonegilla and the Ingleburn unit did likewise early in the New Year. As soon as things became settled, huts were wired up for buzzer practice, telephones were installed and loudspeaker systems were put into operation.

Training continued and as the operators became fully trained they were sent out on exercises in the field where they gained practical experience in operating wireless and telegraph instruments.

By this time, all the company commanders were girls. As the ranks of the Corps of Signals became reinforced by the new members, the initial need for trained personnel passed on to the reinforcement stage and so the 1st and 2nd A.W.A.S. Signals Training Battalions were amalgamated into the one unit.

Lt-Col. Humphery, who was responsible for guiding and training the girls at Ivanhoe during their early days in the A.W.A.S., transferred from the Army to the Mercantile Marine last year.

He was appointed senior wireless officer on a passenger steamer that was eventually sunk and Lt-Col. Humphery lost his life at sea.

In recognition of the presence of mind she displayed and the prompt action she took to prevent extensive damage by fire to property at a military camp to which she was attached as switchboard operator on the 27th of June 1944, Signalwoman M. R. Selby was awarded the Commander-in-Chief's Card. Signalwoman Selby is a member of L.H.Q. Signals and the first A.W.A.S. to receive an award during the war.