Battle of Milne Bay

IT IS pleasing to read that the proposal to erect a museum to remember the extraordinary deeds of the 25th Battalion will soon be a fact.

There is mention of an area of land available to erect such a building and the only area to come to mind is council owned on the eastern side of the escarpment at Highfields.

The salient details of the importance of Milne Bay are well known. It had an almost complete airstrip eminently suited to all types of aircraft. The bay had deep water adjacent to the airstrip so that aircraft could be easily serviced. Its strategic importance was well known by both sides.

In enemy hands, Port Moresby, the allied headquarters, would be an easy target for bombers presently hampered by the storm ridden Owen Stanley Range. In addition, all of Queensland north of Mackay, up till then almost out of range, would be an open target for bombers.

Raiders would attack the coastal towns and be on their way back to base before fighters could be repulse them. In addition, the area was the natural base for MacArthur’s plans.

In allied hands, the enemy base at Rabaul was well within easy range of bombers to hamper their Guadalcanal operations. Port Moresby was relatively safe, because enemy bombers encountered the Owen Stanleys and the enemy ground attack of Kokoda Trail in sight of Port Moresby would have to be abandoned without air dominance.

The coast lines of East Papua New Guinea became allied aircraft territory.

As far as the American telling of the history of World War 11, the Milne Bay battle was a small, insignificant battle. (The fact that it was an almost completely Australian operation had no part of their history!). Small though it was, there is no getting away from the fact that it marked the beginning of the turnaround of the enemy offensive in the Pacific. It was also the first failed offensive landing by the enemy.

It is impossible to over emphasise its significance. Far more important in a way was the acceptance of the militia, the so called “chocolate soldiers”, as an integral part of the Australian Army and the knowledge that the enemy was not invincible. Morale in the Australian Army soared.

It is a battle that Australians and especially the citizens of Toowoomba have to be proud and one never to be forgotten.

The part that the 25th played was outstanding. In the Cabarlah camp, almost without training, they had to walk along Cronin Road to the Highfields escarpment in pitch darkness and somehow clamber down the almost vertical access to the Spring Bluff railway station. This escarpment is the obvious site for the proposed museum.

At Milne Bay, the Australian commander, Major General Clunes placed them in a vital defensive site, the No3 airstrip.

Here, they repelled two attacks killing the enemy commander in the process.

The role of the RAAF Kittyhawks was outstanding working out a novel method of supporting the troops, far better than the method shown in the Rule Book to the ire of some of the senior staff. This later method quickly became the rule. This involved flares and smoke bomb, an appreciated result.

The proposed museum must honour not only the 25th but all the other members of the Australian Defence Force especially those killed.

If the battle had been lost, it would have spelled disaster to the citizens of North Queensland and to General MacArthur’s planning.

The Federal Government, the State Government Council and citizens must all contribute.

A concept plan of the museum appeared in The Chronicle some months ago and can easily be the basis of the final plan.

In addition, the area has wonderful views of the escarpment and areas to the east.

PETER and BETTY SHERIDAN,

Kearneys Spring