Documents Relating to New Zealand's Participation in the Second World War 1939–45: Volume III
407 — Major-General Barrowclough to Lieutenant-General Puttick
407
Major-General Barrowclough to Lieutenant-General Puttick
My secret and personal letter to you of 6 January, paragraph 3.1 Commando raid successfully carried out. Re-embarked midnight 31 January-1 February and now on way home. Casualties one New Zealand officer killed and four USA Navy personnel. Further reports later. Utmost secrecy till after main landing on 15 February.
1 Not published. In this letter General Barrowclough discussed plans for a 24-hour reconnaissance in force of the Green Islands Group by 30 Battalion. The object of the operation, under the guise of a commando raid, was to find out whether the island was suitable for the construction of an airfield and to make hydrographic surveys as a preliminary to the selection of landing beaches, motor torpedo-boat base, etc.