Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

VX106072 - Broadstock, Keith

Battle Honours

39th Australian Infantry Battalion (www.awm.gov.au) (www.awm.gov.au)

Buna-Gona
Gona
Sanananda Road

2/2nd Australian Infantry Battalion (www.awm.gov.au) (www.awm.gov.au)

But-Dagua

Keith enlisted in Mildura in March 1941 just prior to his 21st birthday and was taken on to the 7th Battalion CMF (Citizen Military Forces). In July 1942 he was transferred to the AIF (Australian Imperial Force), 39th Australian Infantry Battalion. The 39th were created from all Victorian Militia Units.

Keith was part of 300 new troops who marched in to join the 39th on the 17th September 42, just after the Kokoda track campaign. Ten days later, the 39th were relieved by the 2/3 Australian Infantry and then spent a month at Koitaki before being sent back to Port Moresby in mid-October, where they were detailed to prepare defensive positions.

In November, they were attached to the 21st Brigade and were involved in fighting around Gona and Haddy's Village. The Japanese positions were well-prepared and heavily defended and the combined fighting strength of the 21st Brigade was now down to 755 men, of whom 403 were from the 39th. Nonetheless, on 8 December the 39th attacked again and captured half of the Japanese defences by nightfall. Gona Mission was captured the next day and on 18 December the 39th took the last Japanese position at the creek west of Gona.

Fierce fighting continued further along the coast and on 21 December the 21st Brigade and 39th moved to the Sanananda Track. The next morning the 39th moved into a forward position called Huggins' Road Block. The 39th defended the area and attacked nearby Japanese positions. A dreary Christmas was experienced by all. In the new year, owing to evacuations through sickness it was found necessary to divide the battalion into two groups instead of three. Each group to have 48 hours in the line and 48 in reserve. On the 7th January 1943, Keith was wounded in action, suffering a Gun Shot Wound to the right arm. On the 23rd January 1943, the battalion was withdrawn to Soputa and returned to the 30th Brigade.

At the end of the 39th battalion's involvement in the fighting in New Guinea, 1,666 men had served in its ranks. The battalion suffered 403 combat casualties, which consisted of 118 killed in action, 13 died of wounds, five died other causes, and 266 wounded in action. Illness and disease also took a heavy toll and as a result, when the battalion was flown to Moresby on 25 January, the 39th Battalion's muster roll was only seven officers and 25 other ranks. The unit rested at Morseby and gradually gained strength as men returned from hospital with Keith re-joining the unit on the 28th January 1943. On the 12th March 1943 the entire battalion boarded the troopship Duntroon, disembarked at Cairns and immediately entrained for Wandecla (Atherton Tablelands).

Following its return to Australia, the 39th was disbanded in early July 1943. Members of the 39th who had originally been called up for service were absorbed into another Militia unit, the 36th Infantry Battalion. Volunteers for overseas service were absorbed into the 2/2nd Infantry Battalion.

The 2/2nd battalion was withdrawn to Australia and throughout 1943–44, it was brought back up to strength and reorganised on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland. They subsequently spent almost two years carrying out intensive training in both open and jungle warfare.

In late 1944, the 2/2nd were committed to the Aitape–Wewak campaign. Essentially a mopping up operation to clear the Japanese from around the airfield at Aitape and the surrounding areas. On the 19th December the unit embarked on the USAT "Jane Addams" at Cairns and Disembarked at Aitape Harbour on 30th December.

In January and February 1944, the unit operated in reserve. In March, they changed from Reserve to Leading Battalion and the unit embarked on a period of intense activity including continuous patrolling with numerous minor clashes with the enemy and rapid thrusts down the coast to secure BUT and DAGUA airstrips.

Dagua was recaptured by the 2/2nd Battalion on 21 March 1945 as part of the 6th Australian Division's advance from Aitape to Wewak. The Japanese troops defending Dagua airfield abandoned it to the advancing Australians, but withdrew into the mountains south of Dagua. There, up until early April, the 2/2nd and 2/3rd Battalions were involved in some of the most severe fighting of the Aitape-Wewak campaign against scattered, but nevertheless well-sited and defended, Japanese positions. The fighting continued in April with capture of Jikkoku Pass and the capture and crossing of Hawain River - the last important natural obstacle in the drive for Wewak.

Atebrin (anti malaria) had been reduced from two tablets per day to one in March to the general dissatisfaction of the troops and by the end of the Aitape-Wewak campaign the issue of Atebrin had become spasmodic. Keith was evacuated on the 7th Jun 1945 with Milaria and spent a month in Hospital. He re-joined the unit on the 7th July.

On the 15 August 1945 the Japanese surrendered. Australian casualties in the campaign amounted to 442 killed and 1,141 wounded. Over 9,000 Japanese were killed and 269 became prisoners of war.

Keith "Enplaned Merauki" and "Deplaned Townsville" on the 30th November 1945.

On the 19th January 1946 he was Evacuated to Mildura Base Hospital with another bout of Malaria.

The 2/2nd was disbanded on 18 February 1946 and Keith was discharged from the army on the 14th May 1946.