The rest of the battalion moved into the North Hill area and completed the defences around Scarlet Beach with the rest of the 24^th Brigade. The Japanese counter attack had failed and now after the capture of Lae and Finschhafen the Australian’s objective was to capture Sattelburg and drive the Japanese completely from the Huon Peninsula.

                                                  ***                     

Laurie rested the binoculars on the floor of the Pabu lookout as he watched the Japanese on the Gusika Wareo track and looked over to Gerry as he sketched the scene before their eyes. Laurie was watching the enemy move their wounded eastwards towards the coast, while enemy reinforcements dragged a gun, probably a 75mm-camouflaged with bush, west in the direction of Wareo.

‘Gees, you’re good, Gerry. What do you do with your drawings once you’ve finished?’ asked Laurie.

‘Send ‘em home. If I live through the war I want to do a series. I’ve got a lot of sketches, some of them I want to build up into paintings. I want to have a complete record of where I’ve been in the war.’

‘Why don’t we just blast ‘em, Killer?’ It was Shortie next to Laurie as he watched the procession in front of him.

‘That would give the position away. It’s better to use this post for information.’

‘They look rooted.’

‘They’ve been in the jungle for a long time, it’s taking its toll.’

‘It’s taking its toll on us too. A lot of blokes are crook,’ said Shortie.

‘Are you okay?’

‘I’m OK,’ said Shortie. ‘How about you?’

‘I’m a bit crook too,’ said Laurie.

                                                    ***

Later in the month, the Japanese attacked the 2/43rd Battalion again. The brunt of the attack came down the coastal track at D Company. The attack was two pronged, with the other prong down Surprise Valley.

Japanese mortars slammed into the ground near the section’s dug-in area. ‘Got any targets, Killer?’ Shortie asked.

‘Yeah, about six near the clearing.’

The diggers had cleared the kunai grass around their perimeter and the enemy had to cross to attack the company. The Japanese machine gunners started to blanket the company positions. Laurie picked his target, an officer directing operations about hundred and fifty yards away. He waited for him to stop moving, squeezed the trigger and his target jerked then collapsed onto the ground.

‘Killer O’Leary strikes again,’ pronounced Shortie.

A bugle sounded, then the Japanese started yelling.

‘They’re comin’,’ yelled Gerry.

The yelling column came into the clearing as withering fire from the Brens, Vickers, Lewis guns, Tommy guns, Owens and rifles caught them and cut them down. The enemy withdrew. Australian officers shouted, ‘Attack, go after them now!’ Firing as they went the Australians quickly crossed the clearing and were on to the Japanese before they recovered. The enemy died as the machine guns blanketed them and they were in wild retreat as the Australians came at them with cold steel. As they started to enter Surprise Valley, Laurie and the rest of the section heard the calls to return to their positions.

‘I bloody enjoyed that,’ said Shortie as he came to a stop with the rest of the section.

Laurie prodded the dead Japanese with his bayonet. Somehow he felt sorry for the enemy because the Australians forces were so superior it hardly felt like it was a contest. But they still kept coming to their deaths.

‘I hope all this stupid killing stops soon,’ said Gerry.

‘I wish it would stop too,’ said Laurie.

‘It’s all right for you bastards, but I’d rather be fuckin’ winnin’ than fuckin’ losin’,’ replied Shortie. The Japanese withdrew back into Surprise Valley and dug in, the Australians advanced and attacked the Japanese positions, then withdrew.

There was fierce fighting during the Japanese counter attack on the 24^th Brigade in late November 1943. The Australians defeated the Japanese objective to take Scarlet Beach. D Company stopped the attack down the coast, as the rest of the battalion stood in the way of an attack from the west.

The 2^nd 32^nd Battalion had a torrid time on Pabu. A Company from the 2/43rd arrived on the 28^th November. The next day, the remainder of the battalion moved out to Pabu. Below, and along the track to the west were large patches of kunai grass, fringed by jungle on all sides. This area of kunai, when viewed on aerial photographs, resembled the shape of a gangling animal character created by Walt Disney, Horace the Horse. Hence, this area of kunai became known for military purposes as Horace the Horse.

‘A’ Company advanced in a westerly direction from Pabu towards Horace’s head. Laurie saw the signal to stop and take cover; he waited and then slowly moved towards the front of the section. He heard shooting to his right; Gerry was crouched behind a tree when Laurie reached him.

‘I think they’ve ran into Japs,’ said Gerry.

‘Sounds like a real shit fight,’ said Laurie. ‘Are we goin’ to join in?’

‘Yeah, but I’d like to get around the flank and come in from another direction. The Japs are dug in,’ Gerry signalled the section to move to the left.

Carefully the section traversed the ground until Gerry signalled them to stop. ‘There’s a machine gun nest ahead.’