Here the website will provide readers with Patrol Reports written by Officers and NCOs who served in TPNG from 1951 to 1975. These will be grouped according to decades, for example “Patrols conducted during the 1960s”.
Servicemen who are willing to have their Report published are invited to send typed copies by Email or Post to Greg Ivey or Kev Horton (please see the Contact Us page). Photos (preferably in digital format) to go with the Report would be very welcome.
Servicemen who have Patrol Reports that are unfinished are also invited to contact Greg Ivey for possible advice.
EPIC PATROLS
An Introduction by Major General Brian Howard AO, MC (Ret’d)
Long range patrols mainly at platoon level over very rugged, often unexplored and poorly mapped country with no roads, were a feature of PIR life for the young Australian officers. Many patrols were over a month long. Planning for resupply was critical as it generally to be pre-positioned at one of the very few airfields, free dropped in one of the odd open areas or into rivers. Local carriers were required where there were long distances between resupply points. If a patrol member became ill or was hurt, he had to be carried to the nearest airfield as there were no helicopters in the early days and there were no Defence air assets in Papua New Guinea until 1965. Subsequently more air support was available and company sized patrols were possible.
Patrols were conducted in consultation with the Civilian Administration and were required to collect topographic and demographic information and to show the flag to the local people particularly in the more remote areas. They were often accompanied by small detachments of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.
Some of the more challenging patrols were:
- Mount Hagen to Wewak: 30 days.
- Kiunga to the mouth of the Fly River: 42 days.
- Vanimo via Ambunti to the Sepik River: 42 days.
The companies stationed at Vanimo mounted regular platoon patrols of the Dutch and later Indonesian border. From Vanimo they generally walked to Amanab or Green River, which took between 8-12 days depending on the route taken, then patrolled west towards the border villages for 8-10 days, and finally walked back to Vanimo. Resupply was usually pre-positioned at Amanab, where there was a light aircraft strip, or Green River where there was a larger airstrip.
In 1966 a patrol from 2 PIR led by Lieutenant Bob Sayce discovered a new tribe in a remote corner of the West Sepik District. They had previously had no outside contact.
From 1967 onwards, Civic Action Patrols were conducted throughout Papua New Guinea, particularly in the more remote areas. Following consultation with the Administration, PIR patrols would work with local villagers to construct aid posts, school rooms, and market places of local materials. Every soldier possessed basic building skills from their home villages.
Prestige Patrols were mounted periodically to the major regional centres, often associated with recruiting drives. The Pipes and Drums were a key element of these patrols and they would often perform in front of several thousand people.
PATROL REPORTS
To view reports from a particular era, click on the link provided: