Although the greater portion of the squadron was bound for Guadalcanal it would, perhaps, be better to trace the activities of the other parties first, as it was only a few months before the whole of the squadron was together again. Troops comprising the main party to New Caledonia, just before the ship weighed anchor, were able to get a good look at a few of the enemy they were to face. Several Japanese prisoners were to be conveyed to New Caledonia by the Americans, and were embarking on the same ship. They wore the garb of prisoners of war and most of them were in a bad way, for they were swathed in bandages. As a point of interest, one of them did die on the way over, and those of us who saw him being carried up the gangway knew he would be lucky if he saw the end of the trip.

It was not long before our personnel were shown where they were to be quartered for the trip, and it evoked quite a deal of surprise when it was found that the bunks were on the upper deck, on the starboard side, just underneath the bridge. There was plenty of air, plenty of room, and no fighting for a position to look over the rails. If the food was good, then the trip would be very enjoyable to all. The ship cruised up the Waitemata Harbour until Tiri Tiri was reached and as that was to be as far as we were to go for the day, we cruised round and round until dusk, when the anchor was dropped. Lying in our bunks at 4 o'clock the following morning, we heard the noise of the engines, and we knew the ship was under way. The coastline of New Zealand was gradually disappearing from sight, when along came an aeroplane towing a target for the benefit of the crew, who for page 15approximately an hour indulged in ack-ack practice. Soon after this, it was announced over the speaker system through the ship that the dry canteen was open and the New Zealanders on board made a dash for the queue. We had been able to convert our New Zealand pound notes, up to two pounds, into dollars the first morning on board and most of this money was spent buying American cigarettes and candy. When several of the identities purchased cigars also, an air of extravagance hovered around our little party. In New Zealand cigarettes had been difficult to obtain, but now everybody was offering them to his mates. The sea was as calm as a mill pond and very few were ill. One or two felt as though they might be ill and remained in their bunks whilst the others found plenty to amuse themselves.

Nothing of any note happened until two days later when, about 8 am, somebody sighted land and we were told that it was New Caledonia. Naturally, everybody clambered to the rails and remained there until chow was announced at 11 o'clock. After lunch Noumea Harbour was entered, and by noon the ship was tied up at the nickel wharf. It had been a good trip, for the food was excellent and the quarters very comfortable. Not much could be seen of Noumea from where we were, but what stands vividly in our memories are the tricky entrance to the harbour and its general excellence, the nickel foundry, and the majestic appearance of the cathedral which commanded the best position in the town. Soon we were ashore, and with our kit bags were allocated to trucks which were to convey us to our new home, approximately 100 miles up the island. We left the wharf, proceeded along a dirty, narrow street and soon were on the main road north. Everywhere in and around Noumea were signs of great activity. What a contrast it was when we passed through small lazy towns not so many miles from the capital of the island.

The first trip up the island is the best; one is never keen to make it a second time for, although the road is quite good for about forty miles, the rest is poor. There are potholes which cannot be avoided, whilst the dust is thick and annoying, especially when travelling in convoy. However, to us, for the first time, everything was interesting. Clothed in their 'beach pyjamas' were the Javanese and Tonkinese women, who looked so small and dainty; then the Kanakas with their black faces, and white teeth as a contrast. The Kanaka women looked very humorous in page 16

Tank, MMG and Ordnance units all had extensive periods of service in New Caledonia

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Looking north along the main street of Bourail, New Caledonia, where the Third Division's base organisation was established. The Base Post Office functioned in the building on the left
Below: Bures in New Caledonia, one thatched with reeds, the other with niaouli bark; New Caledonian landscape, Bourail

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Major Flint's fighter strip on Guadalcanal, soon after the arrival of the tanks from New Zealand

A sight seeing party from the Tank Squadron on Guadalcanal In the background is a beached and badly mauled Japanese transport, several of which littered the beaches in the New Zealand area

page 17 their Mother Hubbard dresses and with bare feet. We all wondered why the dress they wore was called a Mother Hubbard, but the only conclusion reached was that, like Mother Hubbard's cupboard, beneath the dress was bare. Now and then small French houses were passed but very few of us were impressed with these dwellings. There were some modern houses in Noumea, but few were seen elsewhere. There were exceptions, of course, but we took it for granted that, on the whole, the French population of the island were not very well off. We passed through Bourail, headquarters of the New Zealand Forces in the Pacific, and were told we would not have to go very far before we arrived at our camp. We were expecting to greet our advanced party, and hoped the tents were erected and a nice meal ready, for it was almost 7 pm and our appetites were very keen. We were about 12 miles beyond Bourail when we turned in towards the mountains and in a few minutes the trucks had stopped. Instead of finding Lieutenant Dawson and his party there we were greeted by men of the Works Service Construction Company. We asked whether they had heard of our advanced party but they had not. Then they explained they had erected tents for us and as soon as we were washed and ready we could go to their mess room, where a meal was waiting. We cannot say enough about the hospitality of these engineers, and firm friendships have arisen between men of the two units. A good meal was enjoyed by all and then we received slats and trestles which were to be our beds until we were able to procure canvas bedcots. They had forgotten nothing, and also gave us assistance in getting our gear and in settling down for the night. The next day, Sunday, the unit attended a church service for the camp on a small hill within the boundaries of the camp. After that everybody had a good look at his new home. The first place visited was a beautiful swimming pool, one minute's walk from our area. What a boon it turned out to be.

Two days later, about 7 o'clock in the evening during the screening of a picture, a convoy arrived and we were not surprised to find that Lieutenant Dawson and most of his party had arrived with some of the vehicles they had brought from New Zealand. We were told the loading had been delayed in Wellington and as the ship they travelled on was slow, it had taken six days to arrive at Nepoui, a port approximately 40 miles from our camp. That explained why we arrived before our advanced party. Several men page 18had been left at Nepoui to picket the remainder of the vehicles when they were unloaded. It took two days before all the vehicles were off the ship and on 9 September 1943 all the vehicles were in the camp, also personnel of both parties. Our unit in New Caledonia now became known as 'Special Tank Squadron—Rear Detachment,' with Lieutenant Dawson in command and Lieutenant U. M. Devlin as second in command.

Three officers of the old battalion were stationed at the Officers' School, Moindah, only about 12 miles away. When they heard a tank unit had arrived on the island, it was not long before they paid us a visit, and negotiations commenced which resulted in these three, Lieutenants Cox, Donaldson and O'Hara, being marched in to our unit.

We shared the camp with two branches of the engineers, the Works Service Construction Company and the Wharf Operating Company. As there was one central cookhouse, together with a large messroom, the units mingled together, which was a good thing The messroom was a large bure, which is the name given to the thatched native huts on New Caledonia. The men of the engineers had erected this, after a little tuition from the natives, shortly after their arrival on the island some months previously, and it was a great piece of work. Because both engineer units were very busy, one engaged on unloading boats, and the other erecting hospitals and maintaining roads, it was decided that the administration of the camp be handed over to the tank detachment. For the first week or two the men were employed on their own behalf, that is, seeing that they were comfortable, and also providing working parties, day and night, to assist the works company to unload from trucks cement and other building materials which were to be stacked in their large store.

Then came camp improvements. Lieutenants Dawson and Devlin got together and decided that a larger cookhouse Was tequired, and men were appointed to do the job. Also a system of drainage was decided on and the final job round the cookhouse was a large sump hole. The digging of this hole was easy for the first foot, but after that there were plenty of blisters for proof that the ground was hard and stoney. After rain the roads in the area became very boggy, consequently parties were sent out for gravel, and it was not long before there was a great improvement everywhere. All that was needed to make the area first class was page 19a recreation hut for the men, and Lieutenant Dawson did not forget that. The structure of a large bure had been erected by the works company some time previously but the job remained unfinished, for instead of thatching the roof tarpaulins had been thrown over the framework. The ration store was situated in this bure, but it was then decided to shift the rations over to the other bure, nearer the cookhouse, and make this former ration store a large recreation hut. Then followed the grass cutting and later the thatching parties Dick Otway and Les Morice organised this work and when the thatching was done the bure was grand. Further improvements to it were made, for plaited coconut fronds were placed around the outside to keep the rain from beating in at the sides, and last but not least a board floor was made in case the camp desired to organise a dance. The bure, being too large for a recreation hut entirely, was divided into two, and the other portion was used for a quartermaster's store.

It would appear that all of the time was taken up working on the camp, but such was not the case. Personnel who had not been appointed to any of the working parties underwent training, and after the first month, when most of the work was done, a thorough training schedule was prepared. Every day some personnel of the scout car troop were out in their cars either on a wireless scheme or preparing a sketch map of the roads in and around the camp, and it was not long before the driver was as good at wireless as the wireless operator was at driving. When Lieutenants Cox, Donaldson and O'Hara joined the detachment, their first job was to erect courses for training purposes, and some very interesting and instructive courses were prepared. Lieutenant O'Hara was in charge of the compass courses, and he had prepared one for scout cars, one for a day patrol on foot, and one for a night march on foot. Lieutenant Donaldson had prepared what was later called the assault course. Firstly, a stream had to be crossed by means of a rope horizontally stretched across it, and secondly due care and attention had to be paid by everyone, for targets had been placed in trees and on the ground. The party consisted of the non-commissioned officer with a pistol, one man with a tommy gun, one with a bren light machine gun, and six riflemen. It was good training and good fun. At the end of the course the party was given limited time to prepare for an attack on all sides by digging in and camouflaging the position. At a page 20certain time the work would cease, and another party would be sent out to stalk those hidden. Every ruse possible was employed by both parties and very few did not enjoy the course. Quite a number had several attempts at it but it was necessary to change the targets to keep the participants on the lookout all the time.

Lieutenant Cox had prepared a field firing course for scout cars. It was unfortunate that we had no tanks in New Caledonia for training purposes, but the scout cars were good substitutes. The object of this course was to locate and engage targets in a specified area. There were all types of difficulties to be met and overcome. Firstly, one would strike an anti-tank gun, next perhaps a machine gun nest, followed by a company of infantry. The different targets denoted what the opposition was, and the wireless operator had his job cut out attending to the wireless and engaging the targets with his bren gun. Then the personnel in the cars would change over, and so both would get the training. The tank transporters came in handy for the Works Service Company, for often our drivers conveyed a load of materials to Dumbéa, where the hospital was being constructed. The two signal men were employed at their own job also. The National Patriotic Fund Board had a number of wireless sets which required repairing, and our two instrument mechanics did this work, as well as looking after the sets in the scout cars.