Category: FamilyJoe

After enlistment Joe was initially assigned to the 14th Infantry Brigade and sent to Bathurst on 13th July 1942 where he completed
Early training included Small Arms course in September’42 Q90% &
Junior Leaders course in November/December Q65%

He was transferred to the AIF and allotted Army Number on 27th April 1943 & on 19th May 1943 sent to Jungle Warfare Training Camp Canungra. Assigned to the 2/31st Battalion 25th Brigade 7th Division on 19th July 1943 (The members of the 2/31st Battalion had returned to Australia in January of 1943 – only 55 men were fit for duty after campaigns in Kokoda, Gorari & Gona.)

He returned with the 2/31st to New Guinea from 23rd July 1943 to 31st January 1944  where they saw service in the Salamaua – Lae campagn  & Finisterre Range campaign Returning to Australia on 27th January 1944 on board the Kanimbla from Port Moresby arriving Townsville 31st January 1944 to prepare for the next phase of the war.

After a year training in the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland they embarked from Townsville on June 6th 1945 disembarking at Morotai on 15th June 1945  and embarking Morotai on 22nd June 1945 before participating in the landing at Balikpapan with the rest of the 7th Division on July 2nd 1945. The Battalion had been involved in the fighting until July 26th when as a result of high casualities (44 killed and 134 wounded) they were moved to the rear.

Following the end of the War, the Battalion was stationed around Bandjermasin (the capital of Dutch Borneo) for the surrender of the Japanese. Joe did a report on this surrender for his home town of Wagga Wagga -see below.

The final trip home was on 25th January 1946 on board HMAS Kinimbla arriving Brisbane on 4th February 1946. The Battalion was disbanded the following month. Joe was initially transferred for reposting before being discharged on 11th July 1946

Reference Joe’s Service Records  plus On-Line Battalion Report