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19 August, 1944 |
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19 August |
55 of Hq’s LMG and 81MM Mortar platoons men will report back to Namber.
Their work with the 1st Bn well executed, is completed |
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0900 hr |
Day will be utilized for cars and cleaning of weapons and improvement of
the area. |
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0800 hr |
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20 |
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20 August, 1944
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Sunday, a day of rest. The first in a long time. |
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1000 hr |
From Reg’t--2nd Bn less 1 company and 1 LMG plat will move to Kamiri,
Wednesday, August 23rd. Our permanent camp while on Neemfoor, will be
that site. It will be our 7th camp in 4 months, in between moves, combat,
and 2 dry runs on combat jump. |
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1600 hr |
2nd
Bn move to Kamiri has been advanced to Mon., tomorrow. M boats will ferry
Hq’s, E F Co's from Roemboi Bay to Kamiri Jetty, starting at 0900 hr
Trucks will shuttle units to jetty at Namber. |
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21
21 August, 1944 |
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0800 hr |
Trucks are shuttling 2nd Bn less D Co to Kamiri. D Co will move down to
Revetment area at Namber, and patrol to the South West till releaved in a
week or so. |
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0900 hr |
Pvt. Ling, (Sgt. Robert D. Ling)
of E Co
shot himself thru chest with an M-1, and died in 4 minutes. Men say he
had been nervous and upset for past week. |
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1200 hr |
Boat ride to Kamiri took 1 hr and 15 minutes. |
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1300 hr |
New Regt’l area is about 4 Miles south of Kamiri jetty. We will sleep in
hammocks, in jungles surrounding new area till tents are constructed per
task force specifications. It will take 1 or 2 weeks to construct tent
frames, and no personal will move in till entire area is completed. |
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2030 hr |
E
Co barge stuck on a coral reef in Noembei Bay, for 7 hr being released by
flood tide. The Co just arrived at our new area at Kamiri |
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22 August, 1944 |
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0800 |
Lt Col
Britten allotted ea Co its area and work is starting immediately to
complete clearing of the area and cutting native timber for tent frames.
It is almost impossible to dig a hole in the coral or corner polesa, and
only one pry-bar is available to Bn. |
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1600 |
Beginning 28 August, Regiment must finish a complete Bn to work unloading
boats at Kamiri for period approximating 3 weeks. It will be a
composite Bn, with Col Britten as C.O., and ea Bn furnishing 2 Co’s.
After 6 weeks of combat, the men are receiving a questionable rest. |
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23 August, 1944 |
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0800 |
Work will continue on new area. All timbers
required for erection of frames will be cut today. |
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24 August, 1944 |
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0800 hr |
The staff of Composite Bn to work on docks will be Lt. Col
Britten, C.O., 1st Lt McNerney Adjutant, S/Sgt. Osterhoudt Sgt-Major, Lt.
Jacimiak mess officer. The Co’s to comprise BN are A,B, E,F,G, and H Co’s.
The staff and O’s of 3 Co’s will go on deck tomorrow to observe the 1500
hr to 2000 hr shift of the 158th unloading boats and assigning details,
and absorb technique. Task Force has an efficiency scale outputed,
designating amount of bombs, gas, etc. That would be unloaded in any
certain length of time. Any delinquencies in work must be explained to
Task Force. We are not a Stevendore unit, but if the work must be
expedited future combat operations, the 503rd can do it better than any
other outfit.. |
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1000 |
Tent
frames are being constructed by Co’s present at new area-Hq,
E & F. Tentage will not be issued till all frames are completed. Word is
halted 1500 hr, and all men shuttled to ocean to bathe and wash clothes.
Only drinking water hauled by trailer is available in Regimental area. |
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1200 |
Pvt Baum, Hq Co killed himself with a carbine slug thru his
mouth. Men say he had been upset over Pilot-Brother missing in action. |
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2500 |
0800
hr Bob Hope, Kay Francis and Co will put on a show at 1230 hr, in
Kamiri bomb dump. The (men) are being released to see show, with
exception of necessary duties. We have waited 22 months for a show
like this, but many of us must work. Officers relieving 158th at
docks Sunday, will observe 1300 hr to 2000 hr shift today to acquaint
themselves with duties. |
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25 August, 1944 |
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One
of our patrols killed 2 enemy. |
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26 August, 1944 |
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1000 |
D Co arrived at camp from Namber. E and F Co’s went to docks on
three weeks unloading duty. A plat from both E and F Co’s were left
behind to continue work on new area. |
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1100 |
Regiment S-3 ordered an officer and tactical platoon (Lt. Whitson and 1st
platoon E Company) to replace a platoon of 158th, guarding a plat of 56th
Sig. Bn., on coast about 1/2 mile North of Manokwari. |
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1230 |
Five
men of blood type A were requested by 71st Evac Hospital to give blood to Burbage, D Co, wounded by
grenade.” As stated before Burbage was in the small portable surgical
hospital at namber and not the 71st Evacuation Hospital at Kamiri. He left on the 27th when the surgical
hospital was closed going on to Hollandia. All the patients at the
surgical hospital were to be evacuated to Hollandia. I requested that I
be sent to the evacuation hospital since I was so far on the road to
recovery, and the request was granted. Burbage was doing well the last I
saw of him. He was in good spirits and on the way to recovery. The
critical time was the first two days. |
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1500 |
Col.
Britten will get a 15 day leave, departing by plane 29 August for Finchafen, where he will board boat for Brisbane. 4 EM of 2nd Bn will accompany the Colonel. |
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