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The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
Taken on an unknown date, depicted is a portrait of a young, unidentified male soldier kneeling beside a grave in a cemetery. He is dressed in an Australian military uniform. The cemetery pictured is the Arnos Vale Cemetery in Bristol, United Kingdom. There are multiple crosses marking graves in this photograph, all marked in memory of different soldiers who fought with the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during World War I. It is believed that the soldier who is kneeling was also part of the Australian Imperial Force. This can be inferred by the chevron rank insignia visible on the uniform. The placement of this insignia on the sleeve of the right arm suggests that this soldier was either a Warrant Officer or a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO). Another signifier of the Australian Imperial Force uniform are the three inverted chevron stripes positioned on the lower part of the left sleeve, near the wrist. These are called Good Conduct Stripes and were worn by Warrant Officers and NCOs. This patch consisted of a single chevron stripe for each year of military service meeting certain requirements of good conduct. Additionally, the man in this photograph is also wearing a 'Rising Sun' collar badge on his coat. Australia, unlike most other Commonwealth countries, did not adopt metal regimental badges during the First World War. All units were issued with the Australian Army General Service Badge, better known as the 'Rising Sun’ badge. This insignia is almost always identified with the Australian Imperial Force. Furthermore, the grave that this unidentified soldier is kneeling next to is the resting place of Private John James (J. J.) Simpson. He was born in Stanley, Victoria in 1883. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in Melbourne, Victoria on 12 July, 1915, with the service number 4909. John James Simpson was then posted to the 60th Company Depot at Seymour for military recruit training. John James Simpson was reported wounded in action in France on 19 July, 1916. He was admitted to 13th General Hospital, France with gunshot wounds to his legs. From Boulogne, France, he traveled to the United Kingdom aboard the Hospital Ship 'St. Denis' for medical care. Upon arrival, he was admitted to 2nd Southern General Hospital, Bristol, England on 27 July, 1916. John James Simpson passed away from his wounds on 1 August, 1916. He was 33 years old.The record is historically significant due to its connection to World War I. This conflict is integral to Australian culture as it was the single greatest loss of life and the greatest repatriation of casualties in the country's history. Australia’s involvement in the First World War began when the Australian government established the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in August 1914. Immediately, men were recruited to serve the British Empire in the Middle East and on the Western Front. The first significant Australian action of the war was the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force’s (ANMEF) landing on Rabaul on 11 September 1914. The ANMEF took possession of German New Guinea at Toma on 17 September 1914 and of the neighbouring islands of the Bismarck Archipelago in October 1914. On 25 April 1915, members of the AIF landed on Gallipoli in Turkey with troops from New Zealand, Britain, and France. This specific event holds very strong significance within Australian history. The record has strong research potential. This is due to the ongoing public and scholarly interest in war, history, and especially the ANZAC legend, which is commemorated annually on 25 April, known as ANZAC Day.Sepia rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper mounted on card.Obverse: A.I.F. / AUSTRALIA / 441, PTE.T. / T (?) / 26B (?) / 6.1.17 / (?) / LANGTON RD. / ST. ANNES PK. / BRISTOL / A.I.F. / AUSTRALIA. / 708, GNR B.L.CRAWFORD. / FR / 5 D.A.C. / 13.2.17 / A.I.F. / AUSTRALIA. / 4481, P (?) D.MORRIS. / (?) / 31.12.(?) / A.I.F. / AUSTRALIA. / 4909, PTE J.J.SIMPSON. / 608(?) / 1.8.16 / Winchester / LANGTON RD. / ST. ANNES PK / BRISTOL / Reverse: 2641 /military album, military, war, world war i, wwi, australian imperial force, aif, j. j. simpson, uniform, cemetery -
Australian Commando Association - Victoria
Book, The Private War of the Spotters: A history of the New Guinea Air Warning Wireless Company, February 1942-April 1945
The history of the New Guinea Air Warning Wireless Company. This reprinted version contains a map of the dispositions of Spotting Stations August 1943, additional MID awards listed and some additions to the nominal roll. The New Guinea Air Warning Wireless Company was formed in Port Moresby in late January 1942 and was granted “Separate Independent Establishment” status in October 1943. The company’s “founding father” was Major Don Small, who had witnessed Japanese air raids on Rabaul and realised that having lacked an effective early-warning system around New Britain meant that the defenders were taken by surprise. At the time, gaps had also appeared in the coast-watching communications network because the territory administration ordered the withdrawal of civilian wireless operators when Japan entered the war. The first influx of men into the company consisted largely of volunteers from the 39th Infantry Battalion, which was stationed at Port Moresby. Initial training was rudimentary, hasty, and was sometimes even carried out on en route to a new station. The first party of company personnel, or “spotters”, left Port Moresby as early as 1 February 1942, bound for the strategically important Samarai area, at the tip of Papua. In the first month of the company’s existence 16 spotter stations were established on the coast of Papua and in the mountains around Port Moresby. At the end of 1942 there were 61 operational stations being run by 180 men. The company’s high-water mark was in late 1944, by which time over 150 stations had been set up in Papua and New Guinea behind enemy lines. On 3 February 1942 the company issued its first air warning in Papua, when spotters at Tufi saw Japanese aircraft about to attack Port Moresby for the first time. The following month the company was responsible for the first Japanese killed in action in Papua by Australian ground forces, when spotters from Gona engaged the crew of a downed Japanese bomber. And in July 1942 the station at Buna signalled Port Moresby with news of the Japanese landings in Papua, marking the beginning of the Kokoda campaign. The dangers involved in the company’s work had also been made clear by this time. In July 1942 a party of spotters attempting to set up a station at Misima Island, off Milne Bay, was intercepted by a Japanese destroyer, resulting in the company’s first operational losses. Anticipating the direction of the campaign as a whole, the company’s focus moved north and north-west over the three years of its existence. In May 1942 a network was set up in the Wau area in association with the activities of Kanga Force. As part of the Wau network, spotter Ross Kirkwood audaciously constructed an observation post overlooking the Japanese airstrip at Salamaua. Kirkwood’s position was photographed by Damian Parer on the understanding that the pictures would not be published. They nevertheless appeared in a Sydney newspaper. The day after the publication of the photographs the observation post was attacked by the Japanese and Kirkwood was lucky to escape. In June 1944 the company’s headquarters were moved to Nadzab. By that time, spotter stations existed behind Japanese lines, as far north as Hollandia, and the company began to train Americans to perform similar work in the Philippines. In early 1945 the company moved to Balcombe, Victoria, where its members were posted to other units of the Australian Corps of Signals.gray plasticnon-fictionThe history of the New Guinea Air Warning Wireless Company. This reprinted version contains a map of the dispositions of Spotting Stations August 1943, additional MID awards listed and some additions to the nominal roll. The New Guinea Air Warning Wireless Company was formed in Port Moresby in late January 1942 and was granted “Separate Independent Establishment” status in October 1943. The company’s “founding father” was Major Don Small, who had witnessed Japanese air raids on Rabaul and realised that having lacked an effective early-warning system around New Britain meant that the defenders were taken by surprise. At the time, gaps had also appeared in the coast-watching communications network because the territory administration ordered the withdrawal of civilian wireless operators when Japan entered the war. The first influx of men into the company consisted largely of volunteers from the 39th Infantry Battalion, which was stationed at Port Moresby. Initial training was rudimentary, hasty, and was sometimes even carried out on en route to a new station. The first party of company personnel, or “spotters”, left Port Moresby as early as 1 February 1942, bound for the strategically important Samarai area, at the tip of Papua. In the first month of the company’s existence 16 spotter stations were established on the coast of Papua and in the mountains around Port Moresby. At the end of 1942 there were 61 operational stations being run by 180 men. The company’s high-water mark was in late 1944, by which time over 150 stations had been set up in Papua and New Guinea behind enemy lines. On 3 February 1942 the company issued its first air warning in Papua, when spotters at Tufi saw Japanese aircraft about to attack Port Moresby for the first time. The following month the company was responsible for the first Japanese killed in action in Papua by Australian ground forces, when spotters from Gona engaged the crew of a downed Japanese bomber. And in July 1942 the station at Buna signalled Port Moresby with news of the Japanese landings in Papua, marking the beginning of the Kokoda campaign. The dangers involved in the company’s work had also been made clear by this time. In July 1942 a party of spotters attempting to set up a station at Misima Island, off Milne Bay, was intercepted by a Japanese destroyer, resulting in the company’s first operational losses. Anticipating the direction of the campaign as a whole, the company’s focus moved north and north-west over the three years of its existence. In May 1942 a network was set up in the Wau area in association with the activities of Kanga Force. As part of the Wau network, spotter Ross Kirkwood audaciously constructed an observation post overlooking the Japanese airstrip at Salamaua. Kirkwood’s position was photographed by Damian Parer on the understanding that the pictures would not be published. They nevertheless appeared in a Sydney newspaper. The day after the publication of the photographs the observation post was attacked by the Japanese and Kirkwood was lucky to escape. In June 1944 the company’s headquarters were moved to Nadzab. By that time, spotter stations existed behind Japanese lines, as far north as Hollandia, and the company began to train Americans to perform similar work in the Philippines. In early 1945 the company moved to Balcombe, Victoria, where its members were posted to other units of the Australian Corps of Signals.world war ii, special operations, new guinea, new guinea air warning wireless company -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Australian War Memorial, The Japanese thrust, 1957
Story of the 8th Division in the campaigns in Malaya, Singapore, Rabaul, Ambon and Timor where most of the Division was captured by the Japanese in 1942. Also the story of the Australian Prisoners of the Japanese, including Changi and the Burma-Thailand Railway.Index, ill, maps, p.715.non-fictionStory of the 8th Division in the campaigns in Malaya, Singapore, Rabaul, Ambon and Timor where most of the Division was captured by the Japanese in 1942. Also the story of the Australian Prisoners of the Japanese, including Changi and the Burma-Thailand Railway.world war 1939-1945 - australian involvement, world war 1939-1945 - campaigns - south west pacific -
Uniting Church Archives - Synod of Victoria
photograph, c.1928
Alec Pederick was born in 1902 and left school at 15 to work on his parents' farm at Wyuna, Kyabrum,Victoria. After receiving a sense of call he trained for the Methodist ministry and was appointed to his first parish at Zeehan, Tasmania in 1927. He was called to serve with the Methodist Overseas Mission in New Britain and New Ireland in 1929. He married Dorothy Clarke just before he left. After four years in PNG he returned through ill-health to Victoria. He was appointed to the Beaufort Circuit in 1933 and then in 1936 to the Methodist Home Missions Department. He was called up as an Army chaplain in 1942 and sent on active service in Papua New Guinea. He was discharged in 1944 and returned to the Home Missions Department. He was appointed acting General Superintendent in 1944 and then General Superintendent in 1946, a position he held until 1962. He also served as Director of the Federal Methodist Inland Mission for a time. He died in 1972.B & W photograph of 16 men and women sitting and standing outdoors. Alec W. Pederick stands 3rd from the left in the back row. The group are probably students and staff of the George Brown Missionary College in Sydney. Photograph is mounted on grey card.alec pederick, methodist, minister, george brown college, zeehan, rabaul, dorothy clarke, methodist overseas mission, papua new guinea, army chaplain,, home missions, methodist inland mission -
Moorabbin Air Museum
Document (Item) - Trans Australian Airlines TAA air fare collusion price rises rationalization Henty house R M Ansett New Guinea Lae Rabaul concession fares two airline policy, Ansett airways correspondence
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Moorabbin Air Museum
Document (Item) - Rabaul flight twin engine Gannet, CAC Australian aviation history
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Ringwood RSL Sub-Branch
Photograph - Rabaul 9/10/1942 harbour picture
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Mrs Aeneas Gunn Memorial Library
Book, Australian War Memorial, The Japanese thrust, 1957
Story of the 8th Division in the campaigns in Malaya, Singapore, Rabaul, Ambon and Timor where most of the Division was captured by the Japanese in 1942. Also the story of the Australian Prisoners of the Japanese, including Changi and the Burma-Thailand Railway.Index, ill, maps, p.682.non-fictionStory of the 8th Division in the campaigns in Malaya, Singapore, Rabaul, Ambon and Timor where most of the Division was captured by the Japanese in 1942. Also the story of the Australian Prisoners of the Japanese, including Changi and the Burma-Thailand Railway. world war 1939-1945 - australia, world war 1939-1945 - prisoners of war - japan -
Mrs Aeneas Gunn Memorial Library
Book, Australian War Memorial, The Japanese thrust, 1957
Story of the 8th Division in the campaigns in Malaya, Singapore, Rabaul, Ambon and Timor where most of the Division was captured by the Japanese in 1942. Also the story of the Australian Prisoners of the Japanese, including Changi and the Burma-Thailand Railway.Index, ill, maps, p.682.non-fictionStory of the 8th Division in the campaigns in Malaya, Singapore, Rabaul, Ambon and Timor where most of the Division was captured by the Japanese in 1942. Also the story of the Australian Prisoners of the Japanese, including Changi and the Burma-Thailand Railway. world war 1939-1945 - australia, world war 1939-1945 - prisoners of war - japan -
Returned Nurses RSL Sub-branch
Book, Catherine Kenny et al, Captives : Australian army nurses in Japanese prison camps
"Hunger and humiliation were just some of the privations endured by those members of the Australian Army Nursing Service who were captives of the Japanese during World War II. Of the thirty-two held in Sumatra and on Banka Island, twenty-four survived the severe physical conditions in the prison camps. Another group captured in Rabaul were held in Japan, where the cold was as bitter as their hunger. This is the dramatic account of those Australian nurses, of their struggles and their support for each other through the long years of war and captivity. In includes the horrifying story of Vivian Bullwinkel, the sole survivor of the callous massacre on Banka Island where twenty-three women were ordered into the sea and shot. It records the degradation of the daily 'tenko', the starvation and appalling lack of hygiene, but also tells how the women were at times able to rise above these miseries through their concerts and the soaring harmonies of the voice choir. Catherine Kenny interviewd many of the nurses and collected photographs, diaries and letters from the Australian War Memorial as well as from the women themselves." Blurb on back cover of book.Colour front cover, drawn image of people carrying a pole with a rectangular bucket suspended on the pole, the people wear hats and the sky is an orangey colour. Back cover has some quotes from nurses featured in the book as well as a blurb describing the book. Book is covered in clear contact.non-fiction"Hunger and humiliation were just some of the privations endured by those members of the Australian Army Nursing Service who were captives of the Japanese during World War II. Of the thirty-two held in Sumatra and on Banka Island, twenty-four survived the severe physical conditions in the prison camps. Another group captured in Rabaul were held in Japan, where the cold was as bitter as their hunger. This is the dramatic account of those Australian nurses, of their struggles and their support for each other through the long years of war and captivity. In includes the horrifying story of Vivian Bullwinkel, the sole survivor of the callous massacre on Banka Island where twenty-three women were ordered into the sea and shot. It records the degradation of the daily 'tenko', the starvation and appalling lack of hygiene, but also tells how the women were at times able to rise above these miseries through their concerts and the soaring harmonies of the voice choir. Catherine Kenny interviewd many of the nurses and collected photographs, diaries and letters from the Australian War Memorial as well as from the women themselves." Blurb on back cover of book.wwii, world war 2, world war two, japan, pow, pows, prisoners of war, prisoner of war, australian army nursing service, mitliary nursing, australian army -
Returned Nurses RSL Sub-branch
Book, Catherine Kenny et al, Captives : Australian army nurses in Japanese prison camps
"Hunger and humiliation were just some of the privations endured by those members of the Australian Army Nursing Service who were captives of the Japanese during World War II. Of the thirty-two held in Sumatra and on Banka Island, twenty-four survived the severe physical conditions in the prison camps. Another group captured in Rabaul were held in Japan, where the cold was as bitter as their hunger. This is the dramatic account of those Australian nurses, of their struggles and their support for each other through the long years of war and captivity. In includes the horrifying story of Vivian Bullwinkel, the sole survivor of the callous massacre on Banka Island where twenty-three women were ordered into the sea and shot. It records the degradation of the daily 'tenko', the starvation and appalling lack of hygiene, but also tells how the women were at times able to rise above these miseries through their concerts and the soaring harmonies of the voice choir. Catherine Kenny interviewd many of the nurses and collected photographs, diaries and letters from the Australian War Memorial as well as from the women themselves." Blurb on back cover of book.Colour front cover, drawn image of people carrying a pole with a rectangular bucket suspended on the pole, the people wear hats and the sky is an orangey colour. Back cover has some quotes from nurses featured in the book as well as a blurb describing the book. non-fiction"Hunger and humiliation were just some of the privations endured by those members of the Australian Army Nursing Service who were captives of the Japanese during World War II. Of the thirty-two held in Sumatra and on Banka Island, twenty-four survived the severe physical conditions in the prison camps. Another group captured in Rabaul were held in Japan, where the cold was as bitter as their hunger. This is the dramatic account of those Australian nurses, of their struggles and their support for each other through the long years of war and captivity. In includes the horrifying story of Vivian Bullwinkel, the sole survivor of the callous massacre on Banka Island where twenty-three women were ordered into the sea and shot. It records the degradation of the daily 'tenko', the starvation and appalling lack of hygiene, but also tells how the women were at times able to rise above these miseries through their concerts and the soaring harmonies of the voice choir. Catherine Kenny interviewd many of the nurses and collected photographs, diaries and letters from the Australian War Memorial as well as from the women themselves." Blurb on back cover of book.wwii, world war 2, world war two, japan, pow, pows, prisoners of war, prisoner of war, australian army nursing service, mitliary nursing, australian army