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The following email is pretty self-explanatory. Peter is an Australian with extensive Small Ships experience and has spent time in many of the places that we (the 594th) were at during WWII. He has donated considerable time and effort to helping me understand many things. For example, he explained that many of the photos that we have seen in the past were taken by Australian photographers! His observations of the area some 20 to 30 years after we were there are remarkable.
He has sent numerous photos and email information which we hope to share with you. When his website is completed we will link you to his site. Some of his email follows with associated photos as underlined links... Subject: WW2 Milne Bay Hi! Bob My names is Peter J. Bayliss and am calling from Australia. There should be an attachment to this note. Peter I am writing this as an attachment. I live "out in the boondocks" about 100 miles from Cairns, Australia. I can only go onto the net at night when the long distance telephone rates are 50% cheaper. I came across your page a couple of nights ago and was pleasantly surprised by the content. I am not a WW2 vet. In 1952 I raised my age from 16 to 18 with the idea of going to Korea in the Infantry -the army selection board recommended that I go to the Artillery Corps and I was sent to the Corps of Engineers and from there to Australian Army Small Ships which was a "poor relation" of the Engineers(RAE). I served for 24 years. I did serve in Japan/Korea and also three tours of Vietnam - two with Army Small Ships and the last tour in 69/70 with the US Army in the Mekong Delta on LCU's. Most of my service was in New Guinea, 11 years, as master of long range patrol craft and heavy landing craft ending in 1975 as CO of the Squadron. The Australian Navy then took over all seagoing duties of the Army (on the mistaken belief that they could do it better). I remained as CO until a Navy Commander took over as CO and I became XO. I returned to Australia as the Senior Instructor (Navigation/Gunnery/Seamanship) at our school in Sydney only to find that my era was gone. There was a new Transportation Corps, which was nothing like what was before it. I lasted 13 months, which was the longest time I spent on Continental Australia and I resigned. I am writing a page for inclusion on the net of my era in small ships but also for the WW2 vets. It is nearly finished. The WW2 vets have an organization similar to the 594th. They started the "Australian Water Transport Association" in 1946 and it flourished but now the ranks are thinning out. I am endeavoring to put them on the net. Most of the content for the time being is of my era with the content of the WW2 vets being photography. The WW2 vets have a publication called "LOG BOOK" and I intend to take selections from 1946 onwards to be included. I am also a member of the AWTA as I want to see the line continue. On reading your page I came across a reference to the "assembly of LCM-6's at Milne Bay. In 1963 I was skipper of a high speed Army patrol boat and was carrying an EOD NCO on Bomb Disposal tasks in Milne Bay. It had not changed much since the end of WW2. There were plenty of UXB's to blow up. At one location at the Western extremity of the bay was a small mound with trees about 30' high on it and we had a local with us to take us to where the bomb was. It was not a bomb but a small "mound" which was simply a bomb dump. There was a pile of 250 and 500 lb. bombs. At another location in the same area on the Bay's edge on the southern edge between Waga-Waga and Gilli-Gilli was the remains of a US installation. It was a place called Gamadodo and had been in 1942 a repair & Maint. Facility for the Seventh Fleet Amphibious force. There were two small slip ways and close to it was a Workshop still with all the machinery and all were belt driven with the means to provide power being a "Continental" engine next to the Workshop. There was also a heavily rusted Dodge weapons carrier next to the slip way. The thing that surprised me most was that there was two-timber small craft on the slip ways and one had copper sheathing still protruding past the bow. It was as though they had been working on the boats and word was received that either the war was over or they were moving out to go North. The whole area had been under control of a Mission before the war and had reverted back to them after the war and they obviously had not got around to doing anything with it and as far as I know the location is still the same 35 years later. On the Northern side of the bay was a place called "Cameron’s Plateau". The US Army had a large hospital there with what could be called a "small town with facilities" The US at the end of the war offered it to Australia as a going concern. Our government refused the offer as we intended to refurbish Samarai Island as the district HQ as it was before the war. The hospital and facilities were destroyed. As the years went by it was found that Samarai Island was now too small so the Australian Government decided to build a town, which would be closer to the mainland population. They then built a town on Camerons Plateau, which is now called Alotau. I might add that New Guinea is and for a very long time will be a treasure trove of WW2. Regards
Subject: ww2 Bob; attachment follows Peter Bob; Many thanks for replying. I don't mind if you use the e-mail in your newsletter. A little more for your information. 1. At the Southern mouth of Milne Bay is a place called Kana Kope. It was the base for Cdr. Bulkley's PT Boats before they moved up to Tufi. The boats/landing craft/ships of my era were using Kana Kope for water since 1951. The US put in a 4" pipeline from a stream up in the mountains and the water is still running out of that pipe. The same occurs at Finschafen but not at a wharf. There was a convalescent hospital there and a swimming pool was carved out of the rocks and a pipe was put in. The water was still running from the pipe when I was last there in 1973. 2. There was a cemetery at Finschafen where US forces personnel were buried prior to going back to the States. It was finally cleared in 1947. I've been to the cemetery but all of the structures etc. are completely overgrown with vines. One could not feel anything but emotion standing there. The locals give it a wide berth. 3. One of the more traumatic tasks I was given was in 1963 in Milne Bay. I was asked to bring back to Port Moresby the remains of an Australian Pilot whose aircraft had just been found. He had been shot down on 24/25 Aug 1942 when the Japanese tried to take Milne Bay for the airfield at Gurney (Gurney Field). He had remained MIA for 21 years yet was found 200 yards from the airfield. The crew treated that 12" cubed box with kid gloves and much emotion. All of my crews apart from the engineer were native soldiers and were very loyal. The pilot was buried in the War Cemetery at Bomana,Port Moresby with full military honours with the other 4800 servicemen. We have three military cemeteries in New Guinea with the others at Lae and Rabaul(New Britain). We have at least one in every country we have fought in since 1901 except Vietnam and are fully maintained by us.
I can receive and view photography. I'll send you a few. some b/w and some colour.I have a couple showing what’s left at Milne Bay. Regards Peter
Subject: ww2 Bob; Attached photo is of Nassau Bay NG. I'll send more each night. Peter
Subject: WW2 veterans bob; The attachment is an intro to the ww vets page on the page I am writing. There are a few hundred Returned Servicemens Clubs in Australia and every night at 5:30 all club activities are stopped, lights are dimmed the "ODE" is read. Your html editor should display the text and the ODE. Peter (The text follows) AUSTRALIAN WATER TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION On 30 June 1947 the Second AIF ceased to exist, but this did not mean the end of the comradeship which had been built up in the various Water Transport units during the war. The old units live on in the Association formed in 1946 after the first post-war Anzac Day march. All the units amalgamated into one body and have remained so. The Association has been fortunate in having efficient, hard-working and long-serving secretaries in the persons of John Ccoper-Cotterel, Owen Gyles, John Deane, Fred Holroyd , Frank Linn and Ken Parmeter, supported by energetic committees. Over the years it may seen that nothing very spectacular has been achieved but the Association has assisted members to obtain pensions, tracing relatives, giving cheer to hospitalised members and support to the next-of-kin of departed comrades. About twenty-five years ago The Association's first issue of its magazine "LOG BOOK" was published, and under the same editor, Frank De Wall, it still flourishes today, without seeking advertisers to help keep it afloat. The main function of the year is the Anzac Day reunion which has been held every year since 1946, except in 1984 when industrial dispute by council workers prevented the use of Burland Community Hall. "Lofty" Judd on Reunions "Reunion" what a nostalgic picture the very word conjures up - and how often, what a flop! You build up scenes which never materialise and generally the most unexpected becomes reality. My three score and ten, plus eight, have become an only-too-true reality; the memory slowed, the legs unreliable. My thoughts turned to days in Sydney, when "the world was an oyster" and "King and country called". What a lot of hogwash! ~for most part it was fear of being called a coward, or going because Joe or Tom had gone into the army, joined the Infantry or some mob they had never heard of, to be humiliated and bullied by some bastard of a sergeant who'd never had charge of a dog until someone gave him a bit of authority. However, one can get used to any situation, and the average Aussie has a sense of humour to overcome any situation. General Blaney once said in a recruiting speech, "There's only one thing I can promise you will get out of joining the Forces ... and that is good fellowship". How true! You'd get into trouble in camp, or in pub brawls, and someone you'd only known for a few weeks would line up alongside with a casual, "Having a little trouble Lofty?" When and if you mistakenly proffered thanks, you'd get - "Forget it! It may be my turn next. Suffering is a great leveller. The days spent in the bullring at Sydney Showgrounds learning rifle drill with giggle hats and sticks, the route marches and guard drill, all bred a mateship which grew into a bond. To a bushman like myself, who had self-reliance bred into his life, making him able to cope with almost any emergency, it was easier than for someone who had always been told which train to catch and what to do, by a boss. But we all learnt to survive and to laugh at the good things - keeping quiet about the bad. I was in the Commemorative Building with a bedboard in the middle of a row, with fifteen hundred other men, and to come home drunk and find your bed was an experience one can never forget. (The language; honestly, it was shocking!) We wended our way to camps within Australia, off to the Middle East, then Tobruk with its dirt and dust, bad water and bombings and then the South West Pacific - all helped to cement friendships. The Islands gave us their malaria and constant sweat-breeding tinea, plus other diseases we had never heard of. Those episodes where the jungle seemed to close in around you like a mantle, with seven knot currents in the rivers, broken engines and propellers ... all became a way of life for four and a half years. Our memories, as well as our bodies, are failing and our ranks are thinning. I marched last year and was shocked to hear that we were fourteen (that we knew of) short in the roll call since last year. I watched the men with more guts than sense, struggle to the finishing line in Hyde Park. I listened to the stories they told and, as the memories came flooding back, thought, "How true. Good fellowship is the one good prevailing keynote". How their faces lit up as old friends appeared, not to be seen for another twelve months - when the tally will have dropped again. God forbid that the cream of our youth has to go through all this trauma again! Will we never learn to let the big brass that sit behind their desks sending other men off to their deaths, go out and fight the wars they make, all by themselves? See how they enjoy it! THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD
Subject: 594th Bob; It's about 2300 hrs local and I'm afraid I'm bushed and will have to retire. I've been scanning 594th photos that I have "picked" up. I had about 20 of them and a few minutes ago I deleted 12 by mistake. Did you know a Pte. P. Fannin of "B" co. He was killed/died at Jacquinot Bay. Attached is one of three photos of his funeral. The caption states: " The Funeral of Pte. P. Fannin of "B" Co. 594th Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment U.S. Army, at Jacqinot Bay 1944. The Chaplain is N.G. Pardy of HQ 5th Division (Aust Army).” I'll send some more of the LCM's over the weekend and next week. Regards
Subject: 594th Bob; Attachment follows. I have put my page on the net. It is not being publicised at this time as I have not completed it fully and I want to check it for mistakes etc. The URL is as follows;
(something screwed up when i sent this the first time. It's what I get for living in the bush) Five photos accompanied this email.
Subject: 594th Bob; A few more photos. I have about 25 to go. I'll send a photo of myself as soon as I get the scanner repaired. I'm afraid that I don't have many of myself as I always seem to be the one taking photographs. regards Bob; a few more photos are as follows: 1. lcm-808 (lcm808) Landing Craft of the 594th landing Australian Infantry New Britain 1945 2. US1 - Australian troops unloading Australian Comfort Funds(ACF) "goodies" from landing craft of the 594th New Britain 1945 (ACF was a volunteer organisation in Australia that gathered together gifts etc. and were delivered to Australian servicemen all over the world including POW camps but it seemed that none got through to the Jap POW camps.) 3. US12. Cooks of the 594th preparing Thanksgiving Dinner 1944. 4. US15. An Australian Navy Sub-Chaser (802) preparing to escort landing craft of the 594th carrying Australian Infantry to a night landing up the coast from Jacquinot Bay. 5. US16. A "J" boat of the 594th. (somewhat different from the "J" boats that were in Vietnam)
Subject: 594th Bob; 1.US21. Equipment and supplies for the Aust. 5th Inf. Div. Being unloaded from LCM's of the 594th. 2.US22. Jeep & trailer being unloaded. 3.US23. U.S. Cargo ship with Aust. 5 Division troops being embarked on LCM's of the 594th 4.US4. T4 Judge of "B" Co. 594th being decorated by his Commanding Officer with the United States Soldiers Medal for bravery off OPI, New Guinea, 19 Apr 44 5.US46. Wide Bay, New Britain. Two gunners of "B" Co. 594th stand by as their LCM approaches Henry Reid Bay. |
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