II. Vella Lavella

When, on 18 September, ordnance troops landed from the convoy bringing the first New Zealand troops to Vella Lavella they were greeted with a heavy attack by enemy bombers and fighter planes. At 10 am on 1 October, when a further ordnance party arrived on the island, some of them were about to disembark when a Japanese air attack was launched. Here is an account of the landing by one of the ordnance party: 'Fortunately we had received the warning just in time to get off the ship, and we rushed into the bush. Several of us found ourselves in the middle of a petrol dump as the strafing came through the trees. We made for a safer position, and luckily stumbled along with some 20 others into a fox-hole intended for about eight. Along the coast a short distance away another LST of our convoy received a well-placed direct hit almost amidships, causing many casualties to both New Zealand troops and the United States crew. Some of the New Zealand gunners were blown into the sea, but those not seriously injured went back to their gun posts immediately. In the afternoon a full-scale Japanese air attack was made on the convoy which was just moving off at the time; this gave us our first sight of the New Zealand air force in action, as the latter went in to attack the enemy. The Japanese persisted in trying to press home the assault on our shipping, but lost heavily in the process, several of their aircraft being brought down within our view by New Zealand planes and by anti-aircraft fire.' The incident described was typical of the operations associated with most of the island landings, but to ordnance men who lived through many such raids the following pilot's-eye view of the same operation should page 213prove interesting. It is the official report of Squadron-Leader M. J. Herrick, DFC: '1 October. No. 15 F. Squadron on station over Vella Lavella—1430-1500 hours. Instructions to remain over shipping. I looked west and saw Zeros dog-fighting at considerable altitude up-sun, about 1430. We went in to attack about six Vals (plus) … we dived to meet them and they pulled out of their dive at about 2,000 feet. I then attacked one, firing a medium burst from above and astern at about 300 yards. Smoke started to come from his engine; another New Zealand P 40 came in and finished it off. I then saw it hit the water. I also saw P 40s everywhere, attacking Vals, and several Vals crashing into the sea. I saw one Val heading up the "slot" at low level on the water and pursued him and saw smoke. He returned my fire. Ammunition short, so broke off attack, and was, followed by another Zero for about 10 or 15 miles at full bore 200 feet above the water, making quarter attacks on me, but through violent skidding and jinking he did not hit me. I consider that the Zero that attacked me must be a new type with a new motor, because it had plenty of speed.' Other members of the air patrol reported seeing Japanese planes hit the water, and in one case, as a Japanese plane cart-wheeled when its wing-tip hit the sea, after being shot down, a Japanese rear gunner was seen flung 50 feet into the air. The official report closed with the following summary: Aircraft detailed, 8. Seven Vals destroyed and two damaged. (Vals were Japanese dive-bombers.)

On Vella Lavella forward ordnance depot men, including Warrant-Officer J. Badham and Sergeant Harrison, worked in a sea of liquid mud, which never dried out because the heavy jungle trees, keeping all sunlight out, had to be left as natural camouflage against the constant air attacks. Ordnance supplies were spread over an unloading area of about three acres of jungle, from which they had to be transported eight miles to a number of tarpaulin shelters where the stocks were sorted ready for issue to units. Trucks, fitted with four-wheel drive, were frequently bogged down to the running boards as they tried to get through the roadless jungle, crashing a track between the closely packed growth and trees. As one truck managed to extricate itself and assist another by towing it, the vehicle in front would become stuck in the deep mud, and would itself have to be assisted. For mile after mile the trucks were inched along the page 214route, and the difficult task of landing and distributing supplies under such appalling conditions brought the men close to exhaustion.

Jungle conditions forced most of the transport at Vella Lavella to keep close to the shores of the island, and to cross many salt-water fords, which played havoc with the vehicles. Dampness and mould appeared on accumulators. Rubber insulation disintegrated. Slip-rings in the electrical equipment of bofors guns rotted almost completely away, giving off an offensive, acrid, sulphurous odour. Axles and rear assemblies of trucks were fractured when tyre-chains, after churning through the mud top-soil, caught suddenly on hard coral outcrops beneath the surface soil. Despite these difficulties the importance of maintaining all vehicles and equipment at the peak of efficiency was very apparent, with the evidence of battle operations constantly at hand. Jeeps were continually bringing in the wounded, jolting them over impossible looking tracks. Antiaircraft guns were in action week after week, and all types of arms had to be maintained for the force that made its way into misty hills and steaming valleys, where there was intensely personal and gruelling fighting between the New Zealand troops and the enemy. Men of the 20th and 37th Light Aid Detachments, the No. 2 recovery and armament section and the 29th Light Anti-aircraft workshops could usually be seen lying on their backs in the mud, in a bath of grease and sweat, working at vitally needed vehicles, or toiling beneath canvas shelters repairing fighting equipment damaged in battle or affected by tropical conditions. When these units were required to move their camp and equipment, they had often to winch their heavy equipment trucks along by means of trees, so difficult were travelling conditions and the mud.