I Lieutenant R. W. Syme's story Of the Vella action
Detachment: 1 officer, 1 sergeant, 10 men.

On 22 September, 1943, we landed at Boro with the 37th Battalion combat team without opposition. After a lunch of K rations we went on recce for water and found two clear springs of drinking water at each extremity of the perimeter. These required a minimum dosage for purification. We recced the bridge-head perimeter and Boro village. There were no signs of Jap occupation and it was a clean and altogether delight-ful spot We dug in and manned portion of the perimeter defences. Apart from a heavy shower, numerous foraging land crabs and falling coconuts, the night was uneventful. We dis-covered two US type life rafts and a 30 foot native canoe well concealed in the mangroves next morning. An engineer recce party in the native canoe went to Paraso, a narrow peninsula on the opposite side of the cove. We found the village deserted but there was evidence of Jap occupation by tracks and discarded ration tins, clothing and bandages. Further out on the peninsula we discovered in the mangrove swamp further tracks and bare feet marks, and hidden away, camouflaged with palm leaves, a 14 foot dinghy without oars or rowlocks. We assumed that these would be hidden away for safety but could not locate them. Palm leaves were well dried off and appeared to have been there some page 91time A conference at Ghq stressed importance of the men becoming air minded. Bans were placed on the use of fires and lights at all times and also on pleasure canoeing, swimming and fishing. Work was held up on account of the numerous air alerts. We cleared a field of fire for the 207th Lt AA battery near the jetty by sawing and felling trees and we later assisted by hauling logs into position. We cleared the source of the spring water supply and improved the flow. We recced for bamboo piping but were unsuccessful in finding any. As we were not engaged on other work we assisted to unload ammunition.

We felled and cut up the palms, improving the AA field of fire above, and further assisted in construction of this position. Further recce was made for suitable gun positions, but mangroves and other trees offered difficulty of access and obscured the field of fire. The engineers found a possible route circumventing swamps and more suitable for bringing anti-tank guns into posi-tion, but this was too soft for the heavier AA. A recce party sent in another direction for bamboo was successful, bringing back three 30-foot lengths of four inches diameter. We prepared these for piping and brought three leads of water out from the spring at the north end of the perimeter. The spring was well back under a large hibiscus tree and we were fortunate enough to get one lead high enough to provide an improvised shower. As it was essential to clear barges as speedily as possible and avoid enemy observation by plane we further assisted in unloading ammunition and stores. An enemy plane dropped four bombs (250 kgs) in a direct line with our bivvy but some 200 yards beyond in the bush. We straightened up the end of the existing stone jetty to give the barges better access.

We assisted in bringing captured gear ashore from the Jap barge. Felt concussion of five bombs dropped this side of Paraso Bay, and thus brought to an end our stay at Poveli Cove. We were reasonably comfortable but caused some little inconvenience by heavy showers both day and night. Some had to vacate fox-holes on account of flooding. In observance of precautions on air alerts, cleanliness of unit area and willingness with which they worked the engineers gained special mention.

The recce party left on 30 September for Timbala Bay, arriving in heavy rain but unopposed. In ground of hard coral and mud we commenced to dig in taking up positions on the page 92infantry defensive scheme. We erected a lean-to shelter roofed with palm leaves and took cover. A small well which had been discovered by an infantry recce party was inspected. The walls were boxed and the water clear. It had obviously been used by the enemy but was found pure on testing. A minimum dose of purification was added as a precaution. We dug water holes for washing and drinking, these being about four feet square and requiring again a minimum dose of chlorination.

Lieutenant Syme, Sergeant Burnie, Sappers Philip and Find-lay, the last named the diviner, went on a water recce to Susulatolo Bay Two infantry officers and six guerillas accompanied us and left us shortly after arrival to recce for a stream which was thought to be not far away. We had four guerillas to picket us while we worked, since freshly opened coconuts and some Jap clothing hung up to dry gave evidence of enemy troops in the vicinity. We dug a trial hole first about 50 yards from the shore and had to place a small charge to breach the coral. The water cleared rapidly but was slightly brackish and suitable only for washing. We then decided to move into the jungle, strong indica-tions of water being found about 250 yards in. We had just begun to dig when the picket corporal warned us that Japs were coming. We immediately took up our weapons which were handy and made a dive towards where the corporal was. Before we reached him we heard him call, 'Hands up' and then a shot. This was followed immediately by another shot from Sergeant Burnie who had moved up to assist the now spread out covering party. The corporal had seen two Japanese and thought that he had winged one. The other escaped in the denseness of the under-growth. Sergeant Burnie said that the Jap fell to the corporal's shot just as he himself had fired. Upon going forward we found that the Jap was indeed killed. He had a rusty knife in one hand and a grenade firmly clasped in the other. He wore trousers and a green cap with an anchor worked on it and had a purse with several coins and two 10-yen notes. We continued with our water hole. Water was struck at two feet six inches below the first layer of coral and proved to be almost pure. The recce party returned having failed to find the stream as the going was very arduous and mostly through mangroves with very little visibility. After we had told our story the whole party moved into the jungle in search of the escapee and any others who might be about. We page 93found only a few ill-defined tracks and as it was getting late, 1730 hours, we returned to the barge. There was continual air activity during the night with some bombing about a mile away. Ack-ack and heavy naval gunfire did not make a restful night, explosions being heard on this and other nights and the flashes of gunfire seen.

An infantry patrol reported on 3 October having found a parachute hanging from a tree 200 yards outside our perimeter. Upon investigation it was found to be attached to a large canvas bag containing medical supplies, food and cigarettes. It had prob-ably been dropped by aircraft the previous night as it was thought the bombs dropped in the sea nearby were a signal to the Taps in the vicinity.

We moved to Susu Bay, prospected for water and found indications but were unable to dig wells before stand-to, on account of the difficulties in digging in. At 0100 hours there was heavy gunfire from the west, fighters drove off the enemy recce planes and about 0300 the gunfire ceased. In the morning we commenced digging wells. Indications of water divined by Sapper Findlay proved correct and we obtained good flows of clear water in two places about 200 yards apart, one 70 yards from the sea and the other 200 yards further inland. Both required the minimum dose for purification. We had to place a charge in one well as the coral was very hard and the going slow. We took both down five feet six inches, placed clean coral on the bottoms and then boxed them around to the full depth, finishing the tops with log sur-rounds and coral aprons. The RMO expressed his satisfaction with the water and the way in which the wells were finished. At each well a picket supervised and chlorinated the water on the spot. We then set up a grating over a sump and a drain for the men's ablutions clear of the well. We felled trees and built a landing jetty. The logs were anchored and wired up, then fine coral and sand used as covering, the whole working very well. Heavy rain at night but the improvised shelters of leaves gener-ally shed the water well. If we had not had any other special work on hand we assisted to unload rations.

We cleaned our weapons and moved to Warambari. A bridge-head had been established despite opposition and early flights had suffered casualties. We were prevented from digging in until 1730 hours by enemy LMG, grenade, rifle and sniper activity.

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The front line was only about five yards from our allotted posi-tion. Eventually the trees were cleared of snipers, one being actually inside our perimeter. The ground was soft and muddy owing to the denseness of the jungle which extended right down to the sea and thus excluded all sunlight. Water quickly filled any attempted fox-holes so we had to lie on the ground with little cover except in some cases half rotted logs which were lying about. Visibility in our area was limited to 15 to 20 yards. There were a few exchanges of rifle fire and I.MG fire during the night accompanied by fairly heavy 25-pounder series from both the NZ combat teams now converging. Two enemy planes came over but were driven off by fighters and forced to jettison their bombs in the sea. The next day we spent digging wells after a successful recce. As the infantry were suffering from dysentery and were all required for patrols and manning the perimeter defences, we assisted by digging graves and burying the dead. We boxed in and finished around the wells, water being clear after several balings out but of a slightly sulphurous odour. Hence it was not suitable for drinking unless boiled, so we had to continue bringing water from Susu Bay wells by barge. These new wells, however, provided plenty of much needed water for ablutions. Some of the detachment spent the rest of this day also digging further graves and burying the dead. We later shingled over the graves.

The C and K rations seemed to become more distasteful by their monotony and most men found that all they could eat was a few biscuits followed by water and cold coffee. We suffered, as did the infantry, from dysentery, but after several days fasting and a course of sulphathiazole tablets, recovery was complete. We finished covering the graves and surroundings with coral and fine sand and then constructed a railing enclosure to the graveyard.

On 8 October we made further recce in search of fresh drinking water but all discovered had the same sulphurous odour. One suitable spring discovered was not available as the wide expanse of shallow approaches would have made it detrimental to include it in the perimeter defence. We went beyond the peri-meter and buried three Japs for hygienic reasons. We dug another well outside the perimeter and struck a good flow which promised to be pure but later developed again the slightly sulphurous smell, At 1130 hours on 10 October we left Warambari to return to Doveli. Arrived back we unloaded barges and then carried on with page 96further water recces. Two additional springs were discovered and we proceeded to dig the wells, each one to take a 44-gallon drum, to act as a reservoir for projected showers.We also did some work on a new jeep track and assisted the 22nd Field Ambulance and 35th Battery in blasting rock for latrine excavation.

On 13 October we had our first hot meal for 21 days, the benefit of proper meals being immediately evident. A large flight of 102 bombers and fighters was seen proceeding towards the newly opened front on Princess Augusta Bay. Bougainville. The tremendous uplift to the morale of all the troops by these con-centrations of aircraft has been most heartening. Later the men had their first shave for a month, kits having arrived with the mail by the barge Confident.

Despite the trying conditions and the gruelling patrols the health was generally good. After we left Doveli all water had to be obtained from holes dug in the ground, there being no running water of any sort. As expected in this type of warfare we were called upon to perform very few of our normal functions, but since we were not actually fighting we felt it our duty and were pleased to assist in other ways. Thus we were kept fully occupied.