Bena Force was an ad hoc

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...

formation that existed during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Established in early 1943 to defend the Bena Bena–Mount Hagen plateau south of the

Ramu River The Ramu River is a major river in northern Papua New Guinea. The headwaters of the river are formed in the Kratke Range from where it then travels about northwest to the Bismarck Sea. Along the Ramu's course, it receives numerous tributaries ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

and to prevent it from being occupied by the

Imperial Japanese The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...

. The force undertook defensive tasks and maintenance of the airfields, tracks and roads in the area, and undertook reconnaissance and long range patrols.

History

On 23 January 1943, under instructions from

New Guinea Force New Guinea Force was a military command unit for Australian, United States and native troops from the Territories of Papua and New Guinea serving in the New Guinea campaign during World War II. Formed in April 1942, when the Australian First Arm ...

, the 6th Division dispatched a small force, known as Bena Force, from

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 ...

by air in six Douglas C-47s to the

airfield An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...

Bena Bena Benabena is a stretch of valley that extends to the east of Goroka town in the west and borders with the Upper Ramu area of the Madang Province to the north, the Ungaii District to its south and the Henganofi District to its east. The name "Bena Be ...

. The force consisted of 57 men of the 2/7th Battalion led by

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

Rooke. Under the command of

Kanga Force Kanga Force was the name given to a composite ad hoc formation of the Australian Army that served in New Guinea during World War II. Commanded by Major Norman Fleay, it was formed on 23 April 1942. Made up of elements from the 1st and 2/5th Ind ...

, the force's objectives were to secure Bena Bena airfield against enemy attack, deny the Japanese freedom of movement in the Bena Bena Valley, and to harass and delay any Japanese movement in the area between Bena Bena and Ramu River. Bena Force was also made responsible for the small

Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit The Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU) was a civil administration of Territory of Papua and the Mandated Territory of New Guinea formed on 21 March 1942 during World War II. The civil administration of both Papua and the Mand ...

(ANGAU) detachment under

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

John Black, a detachment of the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

(RAAF) Rescue and Communication Flight and a special operations unit operating out of Bena Bena. The depleted 2/7th Independent Company, under the command of Major Thomas MacAdie, was flown to Bena Bena on 29 May 1943 to augment the force after the Japanese launched strong air attacks on Bena Bena. This brought the garrison up to a total of almost 400 men. During June and July, observation posts were established in the region, patrols were sent out and infrastructure was built with the help of labour supplied by the ANGAU. Later, during August and September, as attacks increased on the garrison, the 2/2nd Independent Company arrived to reinforce Bena Force and patrols were sent out through the Ramu Valley in order to observe the main approaches to Bena Bena.Dexter 1961, pp. 243–244.

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History

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