​Troopers at their training camp

On 1st September 1943, Colonel Kinsler assembled his commanders and briefed them on their mission, the 1st airborne drop to take place in the Pacific theatre. Lieutenant Colonel John Britten would jump with his 1st Battalion directly onto the airstrip and clear it of any enemy troops. Intelligence suggested that these would be very few. Lieutenant Colonel George Jones would lead his 2nd Battalion and jump north of the airfield to provide flank protection.  Lieutenant Colonel Jack Tolson’s 3rd Battalion would jump east on the airfield and secure the nearby village of Gabmatzung.

 In 1943, the 503rd PIR had no attached or organic artillery and so for this mission, 31 non-jump qualified volunteer artillerymen of the Australian 2/4 Field Artillery Regiment and their two 25 pound artillery pieces were temporarily attached. Lieutenant Robert Armstrong of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion had the formidable task of training these Australian volunteers and make them ready for a combat jump.  By 5th September 1943 everything was set and the Aussies were ready.

In August, the 503rd PIR received orders to leave their Australian training camp and move to Port Moresby on the southern tip of New Guinea and prepare for combat. General MacArthur had set his sights on taking the key coastal town of Lae.

​PART 1

Australian volunteers with their 25 pounder

Australian Artillerymen in training

  503rd PIR AT NADZAB, MARKHAM VALLEY

August 1943 found General MacArthur and his planners plotting his return to Manila, but they were all too well aware that this would only be achieved by gradually forcing the Japanese to retreat, northward from New Guinea, yard by yard, island by island. The Japanese had occupied New Guinea since March 1942 and early raids by Allied forces were met with tremendous ferocity, and they were often beaten back by the Japanese occupiers. Much of the Allied response was led by forces from Australia, as they were most threatened by the presence of the Japanese in that area.

1943

MacArthur’s concept was to advance into northeast New Guinea with his largely Australian force, under the command of General Blamey, and seize and occupy a sector containing the towns of Salamana, Lae, Finchafen and Madang; Lae being his first objective as its capture would breach the vital gateway into the Huon Peninsula.​

The Plan

​From their bases in southern New Guinea, on 4th September 1943, the attack on Lae would be launched by the Australian 9th Division, moving from their amphibious landing point, along the coast, to strike from the east. At the same time another column of the Australian 7th Division would strike from the west by way of Markham Valley after being transported there by plane from Port Moresby. The success of this second strike would depend upon the seizure of an unused airfield at Nadzab, which would then be quickly made operational and receive troop carrying planes. This would close the gap between the allied troops and effectively envelop the enemy forces in Lae. The 503rd PIR would be allocated the task of capturing and holding the airfield until it was fully operational.

T43rd Bomber Group Map of New Guinea

The tide began to turn in December 1942, as the Australians recaptured Buna—but despite numerical superiority, the Japanese continued to hang on, fighting to keep every square mile they had captured. Many Japanese committed suicide, swimming out to sea, rather than be taken prisoner. In January 1943, the Americans joined the Aussies in assaults on Sanananda, which resulted in huge losses for the Japanese—7'000 killed—and their first land defeat of the war. As Japanese reinforcements raced for the next Allied targets, Lae and Salamauam, in March, 137 American bombers destroyed the Japanese transport vessels, drowning 3500 Japanese, as well as their much-needed fuel and spare parts.