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Australia

Frank Smalley

Born in Alford, Lincolnshire, England on 13 September 1903 a son of Alfred Smalley & Mary Elizabeth Orrey

In October 1923, Frank emigrated to Australia, arriving in Melbourne in November & Franks partner, Doris Eliza Pask of Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England would give birth to their son Kenneth Smalley-Pask in June 1924

Doris & Ken joined Frank in Melbourne in January 1926 & would be married later that year. She gave birth to son Allen in 1936 & they had two further (unidentified) sons later

He was working as a Munitions Worker when at age 38, he enlisted in the military force on 5 January 1942 & following basic training was allocated as VX71156 Private to the Reinforcements of the 39th Australian Infantry Battalion

The 39th had arrived in Port Moresby on 4 January & Frank arrived on board SS Taroon on 26 March, joining the Battalion which was providing a defence garrison at Seven Mile Aerodrome

In June 1942, as the military situation in New Guinea deteriorated further, the Battalion now assigned to Maroubra Force, received orders to move up the Kokoda Track in order to act as a blocking force against the possibility of a Japanese advance overland from the north

They saw multiple small-scale engagements along the track against the Japanese until the Battle of Isurava which became the first major battle of the campaign, fought in late August 1942

On the 27th they were subject to heavy close quarters & hand-to-hand fighting & by the 29th the Japanese, in possession of the ridges that dominated the Australian position from both sides of the valley, were able to lay down considerable volumes of mortar & machine-gun fire in support of their assaults
Unable to respond with similar firepower, the Australian perimeter began to shrink & although the Australian positions on the eastern track held, the position around Isurava grew untenable

The Australians subsequently withdrew to Isurava Rest House & dug in during the early hours on the 30th. As casualties mounted & ammunition ran low, the Japanese came close to making a breakthrough & deployed several companies on the flanks & near the rear of the 2/14th & 39th Battalions, threatening their positions with encirclement

Consequently, late on the 30th an order to withdraw south of Alola towards Eora village was given & the Battalions (2/14th & 39th) withdrew south along the track on the western side of Eora Creek, passing through the 53rd which was holding Alola

It was during this battle that Frank was reported killed in action on 30 August - Though a 1943 newspaper 'memoriam' suggests he might have been killed on the 29th

The Battle of Isurava has sometimes been described as "Australia's Thermopylae" & cost the lives of about 99 killed & 111 wounded

Frank has no known grave & is remembered on panel 5 of the Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery in Papua New Guinea

His son, Ken enlisted in the AIF just two months before his father’s death & served with 2/8th Armoured Regiment, joining them briefly in New Guinea in Nov 1943 returning with them in Feb 1944