Conclusion: 1943 and Beyond

Abstract

For the final move of the campaign New Guinea Force (NGF) Headquarters (HQ) had decided that the 5th Australian Division's 8th Brigade would occupy Madang. The 8th Brigade would relieve the 15th Brigade, 11th Division, which had been slowly closing in on the town over the preceding few weeks. The 15th Brigade's commander, Brigadier �Tack� Hammer learned of the decision while on a tour of his brigade's positions with the General Officer Commanding (GOC), of the division Major-General Allan Boase. Seeing the potential prize of Madang being prised from their hands they determined to push the 57/60th Battalion patrols on into the town before 8th Brigade arrived. The major problem for Boase and Hammer was the Gogol River. This wide, deep and fast-running obstacle, which was infested with crocodiles, stood firmly in the battalion's way. The 57/60th Battalion struggled to cross the river and on 24 April, in an effort to outmanoeuvre it, they married up one of their patrols with two US Navy Patrol Boats. With Lieutenant G. H. Atkinson and his men aboard, the patrol boats set out for a landing site past the north bank of the Gogol River. But Boase and Hammer's dream of having the first troops into Madang soon evaporated. Off shore Atkinson's little task force came across four Landing Craft, Mechanised. On board were the HQ and one company of the 30th Battalion, 8th Brigade, 5th Australian Division, bound for Madang harbour. Realising that the chances of success were considerably enhanced by undertaking a unified effort the new, now joint and combined, force of Australian and US personnel went ashore at Ort, 6.5 kilometres south of Madang; soon after, a platoon from the 30th Battalion advanced on the town's airfield while Lieutenant Atkinson's patrol closed in on the town.