PIB NGIB
HQ PIR ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

Welcome to the June 2015 edition of the Newsletter.

1.      75h Anniversary Commemorative Celebrations of PIB Formation

Our Association is holding a commemorative celebration in conjunction with a PIR re-union on 20th June at the Rotary Kokoda Memorial Wall in Cascade Gardens, Broadbeach with a lunch and dinner to follow at the Surfers Paradise RSL. We have approximately 60 attending so far. If anyone else would like to attend the ceremony, you may simply turn up although seats may be limited. If you wish to have lunch or dinner then we need to let the RSL know seating / numbers. Please let Greg Ivey know at iveygj@gmail.com or phone (07) 5476 6971 no later than Monday, 15th June. We would love to see as many there as possible.
After many requests to PNG we received confirmation last week from Col Joe Fabila, PNG Defence Attaché in Canberra that no celebrations will be held in PNG. Invitations to the 20th June celebrations have been sent to PNG representatives in Australia to join us with no response as yet. On a positive note, Maj General Jeffery has agreed to be our Keynote speaker. He has a deep affinity with PNG partly because he and Marlena were married at 1 PIR, Taurama Barracks. Because of red tape requirements in holding the event in a public place, including the need for $10 million Public Liability Insurance, we have also been fortunate that the NGVR/PNGVR Association Inc. and the Surfers Paradise RSL Club have stepped in to support us. We sincerely thank them both.
For those unable to attend we have attached a copy of the Program prepared for the day. It is reproduced on pages 5-7 below.

2.      Pavers Project

Thanks to Jay Hooper and Peter Jesser, we hope to have a large stone paver with the inscription ‘ PIB,NGIB,PIR’ laid in the path behind the Kokoda Wall Monument as well as individual pavers for at least four deceased PIB or NGIB members laid by the GCCC by Kokoda Day, August 8th this year. The time and paperwork involved has been considerable and Jay and Peter have done a great job in setting up the process and paver design etc with ‘Talkingstones’.

Thanks also to the 2/14th Association and George Friend, Kokoda Wall Trustee, and several others for their input. Orders are now closed for 2015 but if any member wishes to have a lasting tribute to a family member, in the form of a small paver, installed next to the ‘PIB, NGIB, PIR’ paver please let me know for the 2016 order. Here is the design submitted by Peter for the large paver.

3.      AGM

The AGM will be held after lunch and the dinner speaker, Laurence Quinlivan, at the RSL at approximately 2.00pm on the 20th June. Thank you to those who have put up their hand to help out so far. We’d like to hear from some new willing helpers or from those who haven’t contacted us who are prepared to continue for another year. As we only have one formal meeting a year and most correspondence is by e-mail, the positions are not onerous. As always, if you are not there, be prepared to be “dobbed in” for a position.

4.      Medal Policy

The push to have the PIR 50th Anniversary Medal 1940-1990 formally recognized continues in the background. PNG Defence Attaché in Canberra, Col Joe Fabila has recently indicated his support.

5.      National Service Military Trauma

After letters from member Andrew Reminyi in regard to National Servicemen and Military trauma, a letter on behalf of the Association has been compiled and sent on Assn Letterhead to Vice Admiral Russ Crane and Rear Admiral Robyn Walker pointing out, among other things, that the Suicide database excludes 1965-72 Nashos, a group still coping with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. No responses as yet.

6.      ‘Yesterday and Today’

Our Patron, Maurie Pears has had 50 copies of his booklet, ‘Yesterday and Today’ tracing the history of the PIB,NGIB and PIR printed which will be handed out at the 75th Anniversary service on the 20th. Many thanks for your generosity, Maurie. On line copies have been sent to members already.

7.      Setting up a new Website

Frank Cordingley with assistance from Kevin Smith and Fabian Mamare are continuing the process of setting up a stand-alone PIB NGIB HQ PIR Website to mark the 75th Anniversary. The process has been quite convoluted so many thanks to Frank, Kevin and Fabian for their persistence.
Hoping this brings all members up to date with some of the ongoing agenda of the Association. Looking forward to another interesting year for all.
Em Tasol!
Kev Horton (Hon. Secretary/Treasurer PIB NGIB HQ PIR Assn)

8.      Some key Association objectives by Greg Ivey

It is customary for our Association to communicate to members our objectives, operations and achievements. The above photo provides an opportunity to write about some of our current objectives. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Here is my interpretation of this picture and its relevance to our Association objectives.

Photographer: Jay Hooper, Life Member and oldest son of the late Captain Hooper.
(Our objective – membership and involvement of the children of ex-Servicemen.)

Setting: Bomana War Cemetery, Port Moresby. Note the Cross of Sacrifice, wreaths and flagpoles.
(Our objective – to visit and pay respect at the sites where our fallen Servicemen are buried, or honoured on Plaques)

Occasion: Pilgrimage by six Australian veterans (and family) to Papua in 2007 in honour of the 65th Anniversary of the Kokoda or Owen Stanleys Campaign.
(Our objective – Commemoration of the Campaigns/Battles in which our members fought; and to remember the casualties.)

Subjects: The late Captain A.E. Hooper (PIB, ANGAU) of Qld and the late Lance Sergeant B. S. Moide (PIB) CBE, DMS of Port Moresby. These men served together in the PIB at various times. Alan was one of Ben’s instructors in 1941-42 and they patrolled together later in 1942. Ben was present at Bomana this day only because Alan sought him out and invited him.
(Our objective – to honour the role of the indigenous soldiers and the Australian instructors in the PIB and NGIB.)

Text: Alan Hooper and Ben Moide are discussing Lt. Jack Izatt (PIB) whose grave is on the far right. Undoubtedly, Alan is exchanging with Ben information such as –

• the date of death shown on the gravestone is incorrect. (There were delays in such information reaching HQ.) Alan knew that Jack died on 20/9/42 because Alan and Jack had observed Alan’s birthday the night before and Alan was in the close vicinity on 20/9/42. (Alan had an encyclopaedic memory of the Kokoda Campaign.)
• the cause and place of Jack’s death.(Jack died of cerebral malaria before he could be fully evacuated from the Iema Spotting Station, positioned above Gobi Village, in the Waria River valley.)
• the complementary PIB roles played by Jack, Alan and Ben in that part of Papua in 1942-43.

(Our objective – to explain the infantry roles of the PIB and NGIB: guerilla force, reconnaissance, gathering intelligence and rescuing soldiers and airmen behind enemy lines – although Australian Commanders used them in other roles also).

Conclusion: Through Alan’s participation in many Pilgrimages to PNG and his inclusion of Ben Moide in official Services and social occasions, Alan and Ben raised awareness in Australia and PNG of the contribution of the PIB (and NGIB) to the success of many PNG Campaigns.
(Our objective – To educate interested citizens, ex-Servicemen and school students about the real contribution of the PIB and NGIB to the successful defence of PNG during the Second World War.)

From the violence of the War emerged this friendship between a Papuan warrior and an Australian officer – a human, respectful, frail but enduring friendship. Isn’t this our ultimate objective – to remember the violence of War yet the transcendence of the friendships?
I wish to thank to Jay Hooper for the use of his photo and text. Readers are encouraged to share photos which capture our Association objectives, operations or achievements.

………./………

PAPUAN INFANTRY BATTALION
75th ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM

Master of Ceremonies                       Major Don Graham
National Anthems                              PNG and Australia
Welcome to Guests and Assns.       Lt Col Maurie Pears MC

KEYNOTE ADDRESS
GUEST SPEAKER Honourable, Major General Michael Jeffery AC, AO (Mil), CVO, MC

Response by NGVR/PNGVR Assn President – Phil Ainsworth
PIB NGIB HQ PIR Assn A/President – Don Graham

WREATH LAYING CEREMONY
Distinguished Guests
PIB NGIB HQ PIR Assn.
NGVR/PNGVR Assn.
39th Battalion Assn

2/14th Batt. Assn
Surfers Paradise RSL Sub Branch
T. Edwinsmith
M. B. Pears MC
Members of the Public

LIFE MEMBERSHIP PRESENTATION
WO II ‘Jock’ Wilkinson PIB & NGIB 1944-46

CONCLUSION                   Major Don Graham

Our Thanks and Appreciation to the following Supporters and Organizations
GOLD COAST CITY COUNCIL NGVR/PNGVR Assn Inc.
Rotary Kokoda Memorial Wall Trustee – George Friend
Surfers Paradise RSL Club and RSL Sub-Branch

Patron: Lt Col Maurie Pears MC (Retd.)
2015 marks the 75th Anniversary of the formation of the PIB in June 1940.
These men, along with the NGIB, were not the ‘Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels’ but were the all but forgotten ‘barefoot Papuan and New Guinean soldiers’ who fought alongside the Australian troops to help throw the Japanese invaders out of New Guinea.
Throughout the existence of these various fighting units there were approximately 500 Australians and 3850 Papua New Guineans. The modern Papua New Guinea army formed its roots from these Battalions to become the Pacific Island Regiments or ‘PIR’ who were trained by Australian soldiers leading to Independence in 1975.
One of the last Australian PIB/NGIB survivors from SE Qld, Sgt Frank Wust, who led the Brisbane ANZAC Day PIB/ PIR group, passed away late in 2014 aged 92 years. The last Papua New Guinean survivor, Lance Sergeant Ben Moide, passed on in 2013.
We are fortunate to have with us here today, WO II ‘Jock’ Wilkinson, from NSW, aged 93yrs, who is one of the last surviving members of the original PIB. ‘Jock’ continues to march in Sydney. Lt Jack McIntosh a PIB veteran from Townsville and Sgt Bob Collins from Caloundra, who served in the NGIB, send their apologies and best wishes.
The PNG and Australian PIB/NGIB veterans deserve the highest respect for the crucial role they played in saving Australia from the Japanese forces in 1942. They helped provide the experience of the land, military intelligence and tactical skills which enabled the Australian troops to eventually gain the upper hand. They became known as the Ryokuin (Green Shadows) by the Japanese. The average age of the PIB men, mainly recruited from the Royal Papuan Constabulary, was 19 years.
Those here today who served in the Pacific Island Regiments ‘PIR’ and those who were members of the NGVR and PNGVR show their support and thanks to the PIB and NGIB veterans. They also demonstrate their role in developing the modern ‘RPIR’ which continues to help uphold and respect democratic processes in Papua New Guinea.
(Compiled by Sgt Kev Horton – Hon Secretary/Treasurer PIB NGIB HQ PIR Assn.)