Regimental Dates*
| 1st Papuan Infantry Battalion: |
Formed – 1st June 1940 Disbanded – August 1946 |
| 1st New Guinea Infantry Battalion: |
Formed – March 1944 Disbanded – 4 June 1946 |
| 2nd New Guinea Infantry Battalion: |
Formed – 11 September 1944 Disbanded – 21 June 1946 |
| 3rd New Guinea Infantry Battalion: |
Formed – March? 1945 Disbanded – January? 1947 |
| 4th New Guinea Infantry Battalion: |
Formed – August 1945 Disbanded – October 1945 |
| HQ Pacific Islands Regiment: |
Formed – 24 November 1944 Disbanded – 24 June 1946 Re-formed – 11 March 1951 |
| Pacific Islands (Regiment) Depot Battalion: |
Formed – December 1944 Disbanded – August 1946 |
| Pacific Islands (Regiment) Training Company: |
Formed – April 1945 Disbanded – August 1946 |
Awards and Decorations*
In the period 21 July 1942 to 15 August 1945, the members of the Papuan Infantry Battalion and the New Guinea Infantry Battalions received these awards and decorations:
| Distinguished Service Order (DSO) | 1 |
| Military Cross (MC) | 6 |
| Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) | 3 |
| Military Medal (MM) | 20 |
| Mentioned in Despatches (MID) | 10 |
| U.S. Legion of Merit | 1 |
| George Medal | 2 |
| 43 |
* Compiled by G.J. Ivey from –
Byrnes, G. M. Green Shadows (Newmarket, Qld: G.M. Byrnes, 1989) and data from staff of the Australian War Memorial.
I hope the names, regimental profiles and record of service of our heros are well kept somewhere in the Australian Military archives. If not they are better known as Green Shadows today, for nobody cared for them after the war.
Both the governments of Australia and Papua New Guinea have not to my knowledge looked into those veterans welfare since 1946. All of those heros have had since departed, perhaps the last lots in the late 90s.
I salute them All.