Prisoners-Of-War and Concentration Camp Money of the Twentiet... by Lance K. Campbell

Nearly all the troops in Port Moresby were militia, and there were a few militia men in Rabaul, but the rest were Australian Imperial Force (AIF). In Port Moresby there were another 3000 men and through the arc of New Guinea's outer islands of Bougainville, New Ireland and Manus were a few hundred men from the 1st Independent Company. Sparrow Force, comprising just over 1300 men, was near Koepang in Dutch Timor Gull Force, of 1100 men, was on Ambon and Lark Force, of just over 1400 men, was at Rabaul on New Britain in the Australian Mandated Territory of New Guinea. Those men of the 8th Division not in Singapore and Malaya were at three points across the north of Australia. On Java, with the arrival of men from the 7th Division, off-loaded on their return from the Middle East, there were soon to be nearly 3000 Australians. By the end of January there were over 17,000 Australians on the Malay peninsula and Singapore. The 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion docked at Keppel Harbour on 25 January 1942 and were fascinated by stately junks and small canoes with brown-skinned Malay boys 'shouting to us and cockily giving the V sign' but already the gunners could see the impact of Japanese bombing on the wharves, godowns and city. In August, another brigade of the 8th Division arrived in Singapore. That farewell at sea, seen by 12,000 Australians, was a significant moment in Australian history: for the first time, Australia made a substantial commitment of forces to its near north. The other transports, crowded with Australians and New Zealanders, continued what was now a well-known route to the Middle East and war. The Queen, carrying 5759 troops of the 8th Division, turned north and with one escorting cruiser ran at speed to Singapore. Even after his experiences in battle and as a prisoner on the Burma–Thailand Railway, Don Wall of the 2/20th battalion said: 'this was to be one of the most memorable events of our overseas experience'. The bands of the 2/18th, 2/19th and 2/20th Battalions played on the deck of the Queen, soldiers and nurses on all the ships sang, waved, cooeed and cheered: 'It was a great sight'. The heat of noon in the Indian Ocean was shattered when the Queen Mary gave several blasts on her siren, circled to the rear of the convoy, and at near top speed raced past the other ships. On 16 February 1941 the Queen Mary, once one of Britain's grandest and best-known passenger liners and now a troop ship, was four days' sailing out of Fremantle.

Prisoners-Of-War and Concentration Camp Money of the Twentiet... by Lance K. Campbell