AUSTRALIAN COURAGE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 16, 20 October 1942, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN COURAGE

"AS GOOD AS THE BEST"

UNIT CUT OFF IN JUNGI.E

An Australian unit cut oil' by Japanese some weeks ago in the Jungle Hghling in the Owen Stanley Range, near Ei'ogi. has, returned to its lines. Their achievement is described as "one ol' the finest stories of courage,, endurance and eomradeslii ]> to come out of New (iiimea. They brought with them eleven stretcher casualties, whuni they refused to leave behind to become prisoners, even when the odds seemed impossible. Paths had to be cu. through undergrowth sn Ihk'k thai progress Mas often reuueed to half a mile a day. In one weelc the party covered five miles. _ The wounded had. to be carried over mountains, down the .sides of steep ravines and through jungle Swamps. The average loss of weight was two stone. The men were haggard, but, they even shaved before returning to the front lines,, and their spirits were high. Frequently the party narrowly avoided clashes with superior Japanese forces when they moved close to native villages hoping to find food. Lor many days their sole food was, yams. One ol the heroes of the escape was a sergeant, who carried, a wounded comrade on his back up a precipitous cliff face when ascent by stretcher partly proved impossible. Witnesses of the incident said several men were required to haul an empty stretcher up the cliff, and the sergeant showed superhuman strength in carrying' the helpless man up alone.