ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM
Master of Ceremonies Major Don Graham (Retd)
National Anthems PNG and Australia
Welcome to Guests and Assns. Lt Col Maurie Pears MC
Responses by NGVR/PNGVR Assn President – Phil Ainsworth
PIB NGIB HQ PIR Assn President – Don Graham
Distinguished Guests
PIB NGIB HQ PIR Assn.
NGVR/PNGVR Assn. Inc.
39th Infantry Battalion Assn
Chalkies network
Paradise RSL Sub Branch
M. B. Pears MC
Gold Coast PNG Club
To WO ‘Jock’ Wilkinson PIB and NGIB 1944-46
Major Don Graham
GOLD COAST CITY COUNCIL NGVR/PNGVR Assn Inc.
Rotary Kokoda Memorial Wall Trustee – George Friend
Surfers Paradise RSL 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 3 850 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 us in the Brisbane Anzac Day March, passed away late in 2014 aged 92 years. Probably, the last Papua New Guinean survivor, Lance Sergeant Ben Moide, passed on in 2013.
With us here today is WO ‘Jock’ Wilkinson, aged 94yrs, one of the last surviving members of the original PIB. ‘Jock’ continues his Anzac Day march in Sydney each year. Here today from Caloundra we also have Sgt Laurie Stevens (Siegle) of the NGIB. Lt Jack McIntosh a PIB veteran from Townsville sends his 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 PNG 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 Sec/Treas PIB NGIB HQ PIR Assn. of Australia)