by Alan Tucker
As soon as she mentioned his name Auntie Dorothy leapt up from the kitchen table.
‘I nearly forgot, Thelma, there’s a letter for you.’
She took it from the kitchen dresser and handed it to Mum who ripped the envelope open and read it.
September
1942
Thelma and Arch.
We’re digging in for a final stand-off with the Japs. They’re digging in opposite us on the Ioribiawa Ridge. They’re consolidating their position but at the same time they have patrols probing our defences and perimeter to find a way to outflank us. This is the last main ridge before Moresby. If we fall back from here we’ll be conceding the high ground to the Japs all the way to the coast. And if that happens and they take Moresby, they’ll be in Australia for Christmas. Never fear, Thelma. We won’t let that happen. It’s the furthest thought from our minds. We have no fear of Japs. And we have no thought of letting them push us one step further south. I’m wondering if you’ve seen Des. I heard he was wounded. I expect they put him on a plane south. Hopefully they grant him Leave to visit you. I look forward to the day that I too can take Leave but before then we have the small matter of these Japs to deal with. Be assured, we will deal with them—firmly.
Harold
‘It sounds like a simple matter to hold the ridge,’ Des told us, ‘but it’s not. The Japs will be giving them hell. They haven’t been beaten since they started this war ten months ago—and they’ll be confident of winning this battle too. Defeat’s not an option for them. They’ll die to the last man rather than surrender.’
‘When’s MacArthur going to send US forces up there to help our boys?’ Uncle Jim asked. ‘There’s 60,000 based here in Townsville alone. Many locals I speak to are critical. They believe the Americans are sitting back and letting our Diggers cop the bullets.’
‘General MacArthur met with Prime Minister Curtin last week. I’m sure the question was asked,’ Cousin Stanley replied.
‘I’ve heard US officers say our soldiers are “lacking” and won’t stop the Japs,’ Shirley said. ‘It’s all I can do to keep my mouth shut. They say the only way around the problem is to send in American forces.’
‘Well, what’s stopping them?’ Uncle Jim snapped. ‘MacArthur’s the top dog. It’s his call who fights and who doesn’t. I suppose he’s waiting till our lads have fought the Japs to the point of collapse before he sends his precious Americans against them.’
‘The US has a policy not to send troops into action until they have been trained for twelve months,’ Cousin Stanley explained.
‘My lot had less than three months training before we were shipped to New Guinea,’ Des said bitterly.
Saturday, 26 September
Des and I had a wonderful time yesterday afternoon. He was in a very relaxed mood because he’d heard that both his and Harold’s battalions have been withdrawn from the frontline.
‘Why is that such good news?’ I asked.
‘Because Harold and his mates and all of my mates are safe from Jap bullets for the time being,’ he told me. ‘Mum’s pretty happy too,’
We didn’t do much, just walked along the beach and sat by the river and talked. I was keen to know about the battles he’s been in but he wasn’t keen to tell me any details except to say conditions were appalling and the Japs were tough opponents. When I pressured him to tell me more, he assumed a firm tone.
‘I know you’ve grown up a lot in the past twelve months, Archie, but there are things people never need to know about. The battle for the Kokoda Track is one of them.’ He paused. ‘I’d prefer to talk about what you and Mum have been up to—ordinary, everyday stuff. I can’t wait to get out of the army and back to all this.’
‘It’s not v-very exciting,’ I told him.
‘Where I’ve been has been too exciting for too long,’ he told me. ‘I’d sooner have this,’ he said pointing around at the houses and the boats on the river. ‘And I suspect Harold, despite his previous wild ways, will want a quiet life too. Our brother’s a magnificent fighter, Archie,’ he added eyeballing me.
‘D-Do you think he’ll t-tell me about the war when he returns?’
‘I doubt it. It’s not something you’d want to relive except maybe with the lads who were there.’
He asked me if I’d experienced any bullying in Townsville. I said yes but that I’d sorted it out. He looked surprised and said he was very pleased to hear that. I told him about my friend Slim, described my two jobs and Mum’s work at the hospital.
‘How’s Mum getting on?’
‘She had a date with an American officer but it di-didn’t work out.’
‘There are plenty of fish in the sea,’ he said with a smile. ‘Mum deserves a new man now that she’s got us boys out of her hair.’ ‘B-but I st-still live at home,’ I replied.
‘Yeah, but you won’t be there forever, matey. You probably don’t see it but you’ve grown up enormously since I’ve been away. Do you remember what I told you the day before I enlisted?’
‘T-to look after Mum.’
‘Exactly. And I can see you’ve done that admirably.’ He put his hands on my shoulders and looked me square in the eye. ‘You’ve done a great job, Archie. I’m proud of you.’
‘I haven’t d-done much,’ I said nervously. ‘You and Harold have done things to b-be p-proud of.’
‘It’s all a matter of perspective. You’re not seeing you as I’m seeing you. You’re a real little man, Archie. Dad would be proud of the way you’ve turned out.’
‘I wish he hadn’t d-d-died,’ I said.
‘So do I, mate, so do I.’
As we walked home we passed Beefy who called out, ‘Hello, Archie.’
‘Who’s that?’ Des asked.
‘Someone I went to school with.’
‘It’s good to know you’ve got friends up here, mate. Friends are the most important thing in life – along with family,’ Des said.
Uncle Jim had some big news for us when we arrived home – the British army has begun a major offensive against the Japanese in Burma.
‘The offensive will benefit Australian soldiers,’ Cousin Stanley said. ‘Japanese troops engaged on the Burma front cannot reinforce our opponents in New Guinea.’
Sunday, 27 September
We heard wonderful news yesterday. The Japanese have not only been stopped, they’re in retreat. They’ve pulled out of Ioribaiwa Ridge and are heading back up the Track. Des got the news from one of the men at the local army headquarters. It won’t be in the newspapers until it’s confirmed or in case it’s a trick to lure the Australians out of their defensive positions and attack them.
‘From what I heard their pull-back is fair dinkum,’ Des told us. ‘Our boys have already taken their old frontline and report appalling conditions. Japs have not only died of wounds but also starvation. The plan worked: their long supply line brought about their downfall.’
‘We’ve won,’ Auntie Dorothy said.
‘Far from it,’ Des replied. ‘The Japs are fanatical fighters. They’re not allowed to surrender. They’ll keep fighting until they win or die in the attempt.’
‘But the tide has turned,’ Cousin Stanley said. ‘For ten months they have advanced all over the Pacific and Asia. This is their first major setback.’
‘And from what I’ve seen around Townsville in the past week,’ Des told us, ‘I can see that the Aussies and the Yanks have enough men, machinery and supplies to ensure our boys will be well catered for as they push the Japs all the way back to Tokyo.’
Everyone smiled but Mum.
‘I hope Harold’s safe,’ she said quietly. ‘I couldn’t bear to lose him now that we’re gaining the upper hand. I do wish this war would end soon. The Japanese can’t win. They’ve taken on the might of the USA. Why don’t they surrender now and save tens of thousands of lives—Japanese, Australian and American.’
‘It’s a nice thought, Mum, but it won’t happen,’ Des replied.
Cousin S
tanley mentioned that Australia’s highest ranking military officer, General Blamey, has been ordered to Port Morseby to take command of the campaign. Des didn’t seem too happy with the news.
‘He’s got no more idea of the conditions on the Track than MacArthur does. And he doesn’t have the respect of the fighting men. Last time Blamey set foot in New Guinea he lasted three days before hurrying back to his comforts in Brisbane.’
Wednesday, 30 September
The mood around town has improved dramatically since news of the Japanese retreat became public knowledge.
‘People were desperate for good news,’ Uncle Jim said. ‘They’re excited to think we may be getting on top.’
‘We’re still a long way from victory,’ Des warned. ‘My lot withdrew for two months but we made it bloody hard for the Japs to advance. They’ll no doubt cause similar headaches for our boys.’
Des knows he’ll have to report back to camp soon.
‘Don’t worry, Mum. It’s safer there than here. They’ve never had a flying visit from the Japs.’
‘Now that the Japanese are retreating,’ she replied, ‘hopefully our days of being bombed are a thing of the past.’
Saturday, 3 October
General MacArthur flew in and out of Port Morseby yesterday.
‘He’s like Blamey,’ Des said. ‘Keen to make a brief appearance, pose for a photograph, make a big statement then clear off and let the Diggers do his dirty work.’
‘I have heard that General MacArthur and his family have the whole floor of an expensive Brisbane hotel for their exclusive use,’ Cousin Stanley commented. ‘That is a far cry from how Des and his friends have been accommodated.’
‘True,’ Uncle Jim replied. ‘When you think about it, what sort of wartime general travels with his wife and child? Has anyone told him there’s a war on?’
Sunday, 4 October
Mum, Des and I went for a long walk today. Mum’s sad because Des received his orders today: he’s to report to a military hospital on the Atherton Tablelands on Tuesday week. Cousin Stanley located it on the map last night – it’s inland from Cairns.
‘Do you have to go, Des? Can’t you stay home? You’ve done your share of fighting.’
‘My army mates are family too, Mum. Hopefully, when the war’s over, you’ll get to meet them. The majority of the boys are still in New Guinea. They’ll be camped somewhere near Morseby,’ he told us, ‘doing what the army calls rest and retraining. I’d have thought a solid rest minus the retraining would be a fair reward after what they’ve been through for the past three months.’
Many of the soldiers in Des’s hospital will be men recovering from wounds and tropical diseases. He told us there are some deadly bugs in New Guinea.
‘Malaria’s bad enough but scrub typhus is the real killer. You can’t be inoculated against it. It’s particularly lethal to older blokes. Anyone of any age, however, who’s unlucky enough to get it, is as sick as a dog for a couple of months—and on top of that they need a few more weeks to get their strength back.’
‘How do they catch it?’
‘I don’t know, Mum. Apparently it’s a bug that lives in the jungle.’ He smiled. ‘I wish it would stay there. It’s a very nasty disease – it rips a man’s insides out. I consider myself lucky to have only got a bullet in the shoulder.’
‘Don’t make light of being shot,’ Mum told him sternly.
‘Compared to what I’ve seen happen to other blokes, my wound is nothing.’
As we approached the esplanade we walked onto the beach to get a better look at a squadron of RAAF Catalinas. They’re based in Cairns but they land on Cleveland Bay and refuel if they’re on a long flight. Mr Jensen pointed them out to me earlier today. He said that with their big, round undercarriages they look like flying whales.
It was a perfect scene and I felt extremely happy to have my family around me. Mum was at peace too. She stood staring across the water, one arm linked with Des’s and one with mine.
‘It’s hard to believe there’s a war on,’ Des said quietly.
As soon as he spoke, the nearest Catalina’s engines roared into life. The noise was deafening. We all blocked our ears and laughed. The plane manoeuvred into a take-off position, revved its engines even louder, then powered across the bay, thumping into a succession of waves until it lifted off the water. It rose into the cloudless sky, banked and headed north along the coast. As we watched it slowly disappear, our peace and quiet returned.
Des accompanied Slim and me to the snooker hall this afternoon. Slim asked him about the war and what battles he’s been in and if he’s shot many Japs. Des told him bits and pieces but avoided giving much detail. I’m lucky that he’s told me more personal things. At the hall I introduced him to some of the locals. They invited him to join their game. He used the cue rest stick for every shot because of his injured shoulder. The Americans treated him with great respect. Late in the afternoon I noticed a group of them gathered around listening to his every word. As we walked home I asked what they talked about.
‘They want to know what’s ahead of them,’ he replied.
‘What did you t-tell them?’
‘The harsh reality, Archie. Every soldier going into action deserves to know the truth.’
Thursday, 8 October
Uncle Jim is angry. General MacArthur has been reported as saying he has very little respect for the Australian soldiers in New Guinea. ‘Listen to this,’ he said reading from the newspaper. ‘The extremely light casualties indicate that the Australian soldiers fighting on the Track are making no serious effort to displace the enemy.’ Uncle Jim couldn’t believe that a man, who’d only spent one day in New Guinea, could offer such a harsh opinion. I asked Des if he was hurt by what the general said.
‘Worse than hurt, Archie. I’m offended. His comment shows no respect for the lads who gave their lives along the Track – and no respect for their grieving families.’ We remained in silence for a while before he spoke again. ‘But let’s not allow one man’s negative comments to stop us enjoying your birthday tomorrow.’
Friday, 9 October
I’ve had a wonderful day. Mr Jensen surprised me with a gift. His wife had made me a waterproof apron so my work clothes are better protected. Mum became quite emotional when I wore it home.
‘It shows he holds you in high regard, Archie. I hope you thanked him.’
‘Of course I did.’
The relatives chipped in to buy me a new shirt which Mum thinks is possibly the first new piece of clothing I’ve ever owned. Shirley chose it. Des’s present was very special. He gave me the bullet that had been extracted from his shoulder.
‘D-don’t you want t-to keep it?’
‘No, mate. You have it. Keep it close to you and think of me. I want you and that bullet to be my good luck charm. Who knows how much longer this war’s got to run and how much more luck I’ll need.’
I had another surprise at tea time when Slim appeared at the door. He was all dressed up.
‘I thought you’d like a friend around, ‘Mum said smiling.
Times have changed: a year ago I didn’t have any friends. Slim hadn’t met everyone so Mum introduced him. Des made him very welcome. He sat and talked to him and told him it was a credit to his character that he’d made me, the new boy in town, feel so welcome.
‘Looking after mates is one of the most important things in life,’ he told him.
‘That reminds me,’ Slim replied. ‘I’ve got a present for Archie.’
It was a new diary. Mum must have told him my old one was nearly full.
‘It’s just what I need,’ I told him enthusiastically.
I felt very spoiled. Shirley had made some coconut ice, and Mum and Auntie Dorothy had earlier baked a cake with fifteen candles. When I lit them Uncle Jim joked that the black-out warden would report us to the authorities. I extinguished the candles in one blow after wishing for Des and Harold to remain safe throughout the remainder of the war, an
d for our family to one day live together again.
Mum’s very worried that she hasn’t heard from Harold for a month.
‘Rest easy, Mum,’ Des reassured her. ‘He’s not within cooee of the Japs. His lot will be safely camped somewhere near Morseby.’
‘The Japanese regularly bombed Port Morseby when you were stationed there,’ she replied.
Before I went to sleep I re-read some of my earliest diary entries. It’s strange reading about what you were doing and thinking year ago. I was scared of shifting to Townsville but now I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I’m much happier here.
Sunday, 11 October
Yesterday’s newspaper reported that the Japanese are continuing their withdrawal northwards along the Track.
‘The Aussies have them on the run,’ Uncle Jim said with a pleased look.
‘No one runs anywhere on the Track, Jim. You’re lucky if you can put one foot in front of the other without slipping on your backside. The Japs are well-trained soldiers. They’ll do what we did – set up a series of ambushes to slow down the Australian advance.’ He paused. ‘I wouldn’t want to be one of the fellows in the advance party nipping at the Japs’ heels.’
Monday, 12 October
Today is Des’s last day. He catches the train north tomorrow. Des thanked Cousin Stanley for giving up his bedroom.
‘Mr Curtin said each of us on the home front needs to make sacrifices for the war effort,’ he replied.
‘I app-appreciate everything you’d d-done for me t-too,’ I added.
Cousin Stanley blushed.
Later
Des was delighted when he found a letter from Harold addressed to him in the letterbox. It had been forwarded from battalion headquarters. His face became grim, however, when he read the contents.
