G'day John, good to see you here. Hope you enjoy reading and posting on the forum. ...and, what they said!
Owen, Spidge, Andy Thank you all for your welcome. I am interested in the battle that took place on 27/8/1942 in which my cousin was killed by the Japanese at KB mission, Milne Bay New Guinea Regards John
I assume your cousin was with the 2/10th Battalion and from South Australia. You possibly know the events however for the other members: On 26th of August 1942, against heavy opposition from the RAAF, the Japanese were able to land with supplies and heavy equipment including tanks. The Australians were under the impression that the swampy terrain made tank use impossible. The Australian troops did not have much in the way of heavy armoured vehicles and were at a distinct disadvantage. Japanese sniper fire was also responsible for many deaths. On the night of 27 August, 2/10th Australian Infantry Battalion, a South Australian unit, were forced to withdraw with heavy losses.
Hi Spidge, Thank you for your info re Milne Bay. Yes my cousin, Pte Arthur Dakers was in the 2/10th, but he was born in NSW and enlisted in Qld, so I don't know how he ended up in a SA unit John
John, here's a good summary (perhaps more than that) of the RAAF's involvement at Milne Bay: Bluey Truscott and The Battle of Milne Bay
