Invasion Rabaul (43 page)

“We weren’t racing down the coast”:
Figgis, author’s interview.

“It wasn’t very nice”:
ibid.

“We lifted out several sheets of iron”:
Lyons, p.
5
.

“as Irish as Paddy’s pig”:
Feldt, p.
7
.

“on all matters edible”:
Harry, “New Britain 1941/42,” p.
13
.

Translation of native words:
Murphy,
The Book of Pidgin English
.

Dialogue between Carr and Dwyer:
quoted by Harry, “New Britain 1941/42,” p.
13
.

“Mollard stressed”:
ibid., p.
14
.

Encounter with native gang at Milim village:
ibid., p.
16
.

Harry’s overland trek, including direct quotes:
ibid., pp.
17
–
19
.

Appel party’s evacuation to Pondo, and list of men’s ailments:
AWM 54 (607/8/2).

“a collection of contradictions”:
Feldt, p.
39
.

“It would have been hard”:
ibid., p.
40
.

“I worked all night and day”:
Baker, quoted in C. Johnson, p.
121
.

“All the rest were sick”:
Feldt, p.
46
.

Account of McInnes’ party:
Aplin, pp.
243
–
65
.

Chapter 11—Escape:
The Laurabada

Dawson’s early struggles:
AWM 54 (607/9/3).

“a wonderfully eloquent gift”:
Selby, p.
111
.

“Morale gradually deteriorated”:
AWM 54 (608/5/3).

“With one exception”:
ibid.

“From where I lay on the floor”:
Selby, pp.
150
–
51
.

“There were some deaths”:
Palmer, AWM 54 (608/5/3).

“every stone and tree”:
Selby, p.
149
.

Struggle of Hannah, Hart, and Taylor:
Taylor diary, p.
14
.

“had very kind faces”
and details relating to Hart’s broken leg: ibid., p.
15
.

Hart’s recovery (footnote), including
“spot on”:
Harry, correspondence with author.

“It was all a diversion”:
Harry, “New Britain 1941/42,” p.
23
.

“jerked them into line”:
ibid., p.
22
.

“Send all men”:
Selby, p.
180
.

“brittle sticks”:
Selby, p.
184
.

“near to weeping”:
ibid., p 187.

“black torrents”:
ibid., p.
193
.

“My last memory of New Britain”:
Bloomfield, p.
58

Figgis, Harry, and the “mystery tin”:
Figgis, author’s interview.

Dawson’s escape and trek on New Guinea:
AWM 54 (607/9/3).

Death of Pvt. Dowse:
Harry, correspondence with author.

Chapter 12—Outcry

“The Public Guardian”:
Smith’s Weekly
, May 16, 1942, p.
1
.

Reunion of Perkins, Taylor, and Webster at Tol:
Harry, correspondence with author.

Chapter 13—Inside the Fortress

“Japanese soldiers fanned out”:
Stone, p.
123
.

“I was left to work on board the ship”:
AWM 3DRL/4005.

Construction of buildings and output of sawmills:
United States Strategic Bombing Survey (Pacific)
, p.
15
.

“On every vacant piece of land”:
Thomas,
Pacific Islands Yearbook, 1950
, p.
31
.

“The days… were filled”:
ibid.

Arrival of
Duranbah
and experiences of POWs:
Hutchinson-Smith, pp.
7
–
11
.

Profiles of Japanese camp personnel:
ibid., pp.
11
–
12
.

Working parties, food, and cigarette racket:
ibid., pp.
16
–
17
.

“They work hard with little rest”:
AWM 55 (12/140).

“Beating, bashing, and bludgeoning”:
Hutchinson-Smith, p.
20
.

“Matsui came out”:
ibid., p.
21
.

“Sergeant Ozaki and others”:
AWM 55 (12/40).

“Colonel Scanlan was interrogated”:
ibid.

“We just ignored him”:
L. Johnson, author’s interview.

“Drunken Japs”:
Bowman, p.
65
.

“an appearance of sublime self-confidence”:
White, quoted in Stone, p.
259
.

“Guide to Soldiers in the South Seas”:
copy by Hisaeda, AWM 3DRL/4005.

Showa swords and beheading:
Cook, et al., pp.
40
–
43
.

Torture and execution of Capt. Gray, including
“in order to study”:
Bowman, p.
70
.

“prisoners and coolies”
and details of POW encampments:
AWM 55 (12/40).

Organization and names of brothels in Rabaul:
AWM 54 (208/2/4).

“We had never dreamt”:
quoted in Park.

“One morning after breakfast”:
Bowman, p.
67
.

“The cathedral had already been desecrated”:
ibid., p.
68
.

Death of Pvt. French:
Cox, p.
108
.

Capt. Fraser and musicians, ibid., pp.
108
–
109
.

“The sake flowed freely”:
Hutchinson-Smith, p.
36
.

“The Japanese never lost an opportunity”:
quoted in Stone, p.
273
.

Chapter 14—Cruel Fates

Details of first B-17 raid:
Salaker, p.
145
; Steinbinder diary.

“3
enemy planes”:
Hisaeda, AWM 3DRL/4005.

“In March, giant planes appeared”:
Bowman, p.
80
.

Torture of female prisoners:
Stone, p.
263
.

“little monkeys”:
L. Johnson, author’s interview.

Contents of POW letters home, and
“instead of a bomb”:
Cox, pp.
111
–
112
.

Attack on the
Komaki Maru:
GP-22-HI; Cundall, correspondence with author.

“An enemy plane was shot down”:
AWM 55 (12/140).

“looked to be out of control”:
Bowman, p.
81
.

“They must all be very happy”:
quoted in
Intelligence Bulletin Vol. I, No. 6, Section II
, p.
19
.

“That night at muster”:
Hutchinson-Smith, p.
19
.

Details of
Tencho-setsu:
Osaka
Mainichi
, April 29, 1942, p.
1
.

“Still terribly meager”
and
“too busy to be bothered”:
Hutchinson-Smith, p.
33
.

Profile of Capt. Mizusaki: ibid.

“making better progress than expected”:
Japanese monograph No. 45.

“A sleek Jap aircraft carrier”
and
“Day of the Armada”:
Bowman, p.
82
.

“Japanese take Moresby”:
ibid., p.83.

“a battered and dirty replica”:
ibid.

“by radio telegraphy and fires”:
B5563/2 (1911).

“all sorts of silly reports”:
statement of Capt. S. Arnoly, AIF, August 11, 1949.

Character traits of Alfred Harvey:
Arnoly (see preceding note) described Harvey as “a bit queer.” Also, C. O. Harry, in correspondence, referred to Harvey as an “odd bod.”

“dispose of them by shooting”
and details of Harvey family trial and execution: B5563 (CA 3055).

“I remember hearing”:
B5563/2 (2249).

Details of USS
Sturgeon’s
fourth war patrol, including quotes by Lt. Cdr. Wright:
SS187/A12–1, Serial 06, USS
Sturgeon
war diary.

“slightly wounded and scorched”:
Hutchinson-Smith, p.
19
.

POW stockade conditions and health situation, including
“foul in the extreme”
: ibid., p.
40
.

“There is no food left”
:
AWM 55 (12/140).

Fortifications and weapons:
Naval Analysis Division,
United States Strategic Bombing Survey (Pacific)
, pp.
13
–
14
.

“for the transportation of supplies”
and statistics of Imperial Navy shipping:
Japanese Monograph No. 24, p.
9
.

“so much empty camp chatter”
and details of prisoner exodus:
Hutchinson-Smith, p.
42
.

Specifications of
Montevideo Maru:
Cundall, correspondence with author.

Observations of Takamura:
AWM 55 (12/140).

Montevideo Maru
’s voyage and conditions:
Cundall, correspondence with author.

Details of torpedo attack and related quotes by Wright and Nimitz:
SS187/A12–1, Serial 06.

Details of the sinking:
Cundall, correspondence with author, which includes the full text of the loss report issued by the OSK line.

Chapter 15—The Long Wait

Deck tennis platform, and
“an ear bashing”:
Hutchinson-Smith, p.
44
.

Civilian help, foraging for food:
ibid., p.
45
.

“Please, just call me Michael”
and other quotes attributed to Capt. Mizusaki: Bowman, p.
88
.

“Come on, girls”:
ibid., p.
91
.

“Ladies, welcome”:
ibid., p.
92
.

“like an orchestra conductor”:
Hutchinson-Smith, p.
47
.

“pretty bad shape”:
ibid.

“Navy men say”:
AWM 55 (12/140).

“On July 11 we heard”:
Thomas,
Pacific Islands Year Book, 1950
, p.
31
.

Ship’s crew discrepancies and survival accounts:
AWM 54 (779/1/1); AWM 54 (779/1/26A).

“The party was absolutely defenseless”:
quoted in Stone, p.
275
.

“starved, fatigued and near death”:
Extract from OSK report, via Cundall.

Details of Yokohama Yacht Club, and
“Damned good Aussie wool”:
Hutchinson-Smith, p.
54
.

POW life in Japan:
all quotes and details regarding the imprisonment of Lark Force officers are drawn from the Hutchinson-Smith manuscript unless otherwise noted.

Omamori charms:
Tagaya, correspondence with author.

Personalities of Komatsu and “Basher”:
Bowman, pp.
140
–
142
.

Conditions at Totsuka, including
“We were so weak”:
ibid., pp.
151
–
158
.