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Merauke Force
Merauke Force was an Australian-led military force of World War II which was responsible for defending Merauke in Dutch New Guinea from Japanese attack amidst the Pacific War. The force was established in late 1942 and was disbanded at the end of the war, having never seen combat. The Japanese attack did not eventuate and from mid-1944 the force was progressively drawn down and its assigned units redeployed to Australia or elsewhere in the Pacific. At its height, Merauke Force included troops from Australia, the Netherlands East Indies and the United States, as well as several squadrons of aircraft, including a joint Australian-Dutch fighter unit. History In mid-1942, Merauke, on the south coast of Dutch New Guinea was one of only a few parts of the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) that had not been occupied by Japanese forces, as the terrain had precluded further exploitation. It was garrisoned by a company of infantry from the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL), equipped w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Brigades formed into divisions are usually infantry or armored (sometimes referred to as combined arms brigades). In addition to combat units, they may include combat support units or sub-units, such as artillery and engineers, and logistic units. Historically, such brigades have sometimes been called brigade-groups. On operations, a brigade may comprise both organic elements and attached elements, including some temporarily attached for a specific task. Brigades may also be specialized and comprise battalions of a single branch, for example cavalry, mechanized, armored, artillery, air defence, aviation, engineers, signals or logistic. Some brigades are classified as independent or separate and operate independently from the traditional divi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Horn Island, Queensland
Horn Island, or ''Ngurupai/Narupai'' (pronounced ''Nœrupai/Nurupai'') in the local language, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago located in the Torres Strait, in Queensland in Northern Australia between the Australian mainland and Papua New Guinea. It is within the locality of Horn within the Shire of Torres. The town of Wasaga is on the north-western coast of the island (). In the , the locality of Horn had a population of 531 people. Geography The island is in area. Horn Island is the site of Horn Island Airport, which also serves Thursday Island. Therefore, it is a gateway for travellers to the mainland and outer islands. The present-day population consists of islanders drawn from all islands of the Torres Strait, as well as non-islanders. Residents travel daily by ferry across the Ellis Channel to Thursday Island for work and school. Shire of Torres is the local government authority, providing the island community's municipal services. History Horn Islan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Papua New Guinea In World War II
The New Guinea campaign of the Pacific War lasted from January 1942 until the end of the war in August 1945. During the initial phase in early 1942, the Empire of Japan invaded the Australian-administered Mandated Territory of New Guinea (23 January) and the Australian Territory of Papua (21 July) and overran western New Guinea (beginning 29/30 March), which was a part of the Netherlands East Indies. During the second phase, lasting from late 1942 until the Japanese surrender, the Allies—consisting primarily of Australian forces—cleared the Japanese first from Papua, then the Mandate and finally from the Dutch colony. The campaign resulted in a crushing defeat and heavy losses for the Empire of Japan. As in most Pacific War campaigns, disease and starvation claimed more Japanese lives than enemy action. Most Japanese troops never even came into contact with Allied forces, and were instead simply cut off and subjected to an effective blockade by Allied naval forces. Garrisons ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South West Pacific Theatre Of World War II
The South West Pacific theatre, during World War II, was a major theatre of the war between the Allies and the Axis. It included the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies (except for Sumatra), Borneo, Australia and its mandate Territory of New Guinea (including the Bismarck Archipelago) and the western part of the Solomon Islands. This area was defined by the Allied powers' South West Pacific Area (SWPA) command. In the South West Pacific theatre, Japanese forces fought primarily against the forces of the United States and Australia. New Zealand, the Netherlands (mainly the Dutch East Indies), the Philippines, United Kingdom, and other Allied nations also contributed forces. The South Pacific became a major theatre of the war following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Initially, US war plans called for a counteroffensive across the Central Pacific, but this was disrupted by the loss of battleships at Pearl Harbor. During the First South Pacific Campai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australia In The War Of 1939–1945
''Australia in the War of 1939–1945'' is a 22-volume official history series covering Australian involvement in the Second World War. The series was published by the Australian War Memorial between 1952 and 1977, most of the volumes being edited by Gavin Long, who also wrote three volumes and the summary volume ''The Six Year War''. In contrast to the ''Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918'', the series has a greater focus on the war's impact upon domestic events, including volumes on operations of the Australian Government and contributions made by Australian industry and science. ''Australia in the War of 1939–1945'' includes a series on the history of the Australian military medical services and the problems encountered by these services during the war. Preparations In April 1943 the Australian War Cabinet decided that an official history of Australia's involvement in World War II should be written. Gavin Long was appointed general editor of the pro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Naval Base Merauke
Naval Base Merauke was a United States Navy base built during World War II at city of Merauke in the South Papua province of Indonesia, then Papua New Guinea. The base was 2 miles from the mouth of the Merauke River. The US Navy built a PT boat base and base dock with anchorage to support the Pacific War and the New Guinea campaign. History Merauke is a tropical city on the south coast of New Guinea Island. Base construction started on May 8, 1943 with the arrival of Seabees of the 55th Battalion. Much of the port had been destroyed by Japanese bombs. Seabee removed debris and repaired that which was usable. With the port dock destroyed, cows and barges were used to bring supply to shore, while a temporary wharf was built. A Seabee camp was built and a water purification plant. A permanent 300-foot pier and a PT boat base were completed on September 3. On June 28 a 6,000-foot runway construction was started and was completed on July 7, 1943. The Empire of Japan had bases on t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Biak
Biak is an island located in Cenderawasih Bay near the northern coast of Papua (province), Papua, an Indonesian province, and is just northwest of New Guinea. Biak is the largest island in its small archipelago, and has many atolls, reefs, and corals. The largest population centre is at Kota Biak (Biak City) on the south coast. The rest of the island is thinly populated with small villages. Biak is part of the Biak Islands (''Kepulauan Biak''), and is administered by Biak Numfor Regency. Geography Biak covers an area of The island is long and wide at its widest point. The highest point is approximately 740 meters elevation, located in the northwest of the island. The island of Supiori Island, Supiori lies close to the northwest, separated from Biak by a narrow, shallow channel. The smaller Padaido Islands lie south and southeast of Biak. Collectively Biak, Supiori, the Padaido Islands, and the island of Numfor to the southwest are known as the Schouten Islands, also called ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jacquinot Bay
Jacquinot Bay is a bay in East New Britain Province, south-eastern New Britain, Papua New Guinea, at . It is near the mountain where twenty-eight people died when a Royal Australian Air Force plane crashed in November 1945. To its west is the Gasmata Bay and the Wide Bay and Rabaul Bay are situated to the north-east. Before the Second World War, a palm tree plantation was started here, known as Palmalmal Plantation (Pal Mal Mal). The area also had a Catholic Mission, headed by Father Edward Charles "Ted" Harris. Wartime history In April 1942, 156 Australian soldiers and civilians gathered at Pal Mal Mal after fleeing Rabaul. They were rescued by MV ''Laurabada'', which then transported them to Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New Z .... Later, the port was take ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2/9th Field Regiment (Australia)
The 2/9th Field Regiment was an Australian Army artillery regiment formed as part of the all volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force in July 1940 for operations during World War II. Assigned to the 1st Australian Corps, the regiment was sent to the Middle East in mid-1941, and served in Palestine, Egypt, and Syria before returning to Australia in 1942. It undertook defensive duties in south-east Queensland before deploying north to Merauke, in Dutch New Guinea, and Cape York. It returned to Australia in October 1944 and sent to the Atherton Tablelands to carry out training as it waited for further deployment. This never came and the regiment was disbanded in late 1945. History The 2/9th was formed in July 1940, as part of the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force, the regiment was raised at Holsworthy, New South Wales, from men largely drawn from that state. Its first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel G.R.L Adams, and it was initially assigned to the 8th Divis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tanahmerah
Tanah Merah (or Tanamerah, literally means ''Red Land'') is a town in South Papua province of Indonesia (not to be confused with Tanahmerah Bay) on the bank of Digul river, located some two hundred miles from Merauke within the interior of Western New Guinea (a town not occupied by the Japanese during WWII). It is the administrative center of Boven Digoel Regency. History The town acted as a Dutch penal colony during the period when Indonesia was a Dutch colony. Under ''Indische Staatsregeling'' Article 37, "those who can be considered by the Government to disturb or have disturbed the public peace and order will be without any legal proceedings exiled for an indefinite period to a specially appointed place" were sent to Tanahmerah. Dr Sutan Sjahrir, first prime minister of the Indonesian Republic, described the political prisoners thus exiled as being in "profound spiritual misery" and "permanently broken in spirit". In 1942, the "Netherlands East Indies Government-in-Exile" ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
26th Battalion (Australia)
The 26th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised in April 1915 for service in World War I as part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), it was assigned to the 7th Brigade and consisted of personnel recruited from the states of Queensland and Tasmania. The battalion fought at Gallipoli in the latter stages of that campaign before being withdrawn to Egypt in late 1915. In mid-1916, it was sent to Europe where it served in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Belgium for the rest of the war, fighting in most of the battles that the Australians took part in between 1916 and 1918. At the end of the war, it was disbanded in May 1919 as part of the demobilisation of the AIF. During the inter-war years, the 26th Battalion was re-raised as a part-time unit of the Citizens Forces, known as the 26th Battalion (Logan and Albert Regiment), based in Queensland. In 1934, the 26th was merged with another Queensland-based infantry battali ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
31st/51st Battalion (Australia)
The 31st/51st Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army, which served during World War II. Raised for service as part of the Militia in 1943 through the amalgamation of two previously existing battalions, the 31st/51st Battalion undertook garrison duties in Dutch New Guinea in 1943–44 before taking part in the Bougainville Campaign in 1944–45. Following the end of the war, the battalion served in the Pacific overseeing the transfer of Japanese prisoners of war and re-establishing law and order until mid-1946 when it returned to Australia and was disbanded. History Formation The 31st/51st Battalion was formed on 12 April 1943 at Yatlee, near Cairns, Queensland, by the amalgamation of two previously existing Queensland-based Militia infantry battalions: the 31st and 51st Battalions.. Upon establishment, the battalion adopted the territorial title of the "Kennedy/Far North Queensland Regiment", in order to perpetuate the designations of its two predecessor u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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