TAKEN OVER BY GENERAL MacARTHUR
Defender of the Philippines INDICATION OF ALLIED OFFENSIVE SPIRIT WAR EVENTS IN PACIFIC AREAS LONDON, March 17. The growing offensive spirit of the Allies in the Pacific is indicated today in the news that General Douglas MacArthur has arrived in Australia. He will be in supreme command of the Commonwealth as well as the Philippines. General MacArthur was accompanied by Mrs MacArthur and his son and several staff officers. President Roosevelt personally directed General MacArthur to proceed to Australia three weeks ago, but General MacArthur asked that his departure might be delayed so that he could complete his defence arrangements in the Philippines. The staff officers accompanying General MacArthur are Major-General Sutherland and Brigadier-General George. General MacArthur is famous as commander of the American and Filipino troops who during the last three months have successfully defended the Satan Peninsula and the island fortresses of Manila Bay. Whole regiments of Japanese troops have been wiped out and all attacks from the sea attempted by the invaders have also been defeated. General MacArthur is 62 years of age. He was the youngest Chief of Staff the United States ever had. It is stated authoritatively that General MacArthur’s transfer does not mean that Batan is considered lost. MajorGeneral Wainwright, who has taken command of the forces there, is one of the best students of modern warfare. A War Department communique issued in Washington states that General Wainwright has repulsed a sudden enemy raid on the American lines in the Batan Peninsula. Port Cebu has again been shelled by a Japanese warship. Most of the members of the Royal Australian Air Force who had been operating in Malaya, Sumatra and Java are now back in the Commonwealth. They are being drafted into, various squadrons, so that these may have the benefit of their experience. Dutch troops who have reached Australia are being reorganised under, their own commanders. Casualties in yesterday’s raid on Darwin were two persons killed and eleven wounded. Some buildings were damaged, but there was no loss of aircraft. The Federal Prime Minister (Mr Curtin) denied today that there had been fresh enemy landings in New Guinea. The only news of fighting in the Burma area is of a Chinese patrol having a successful encounter with the enemy in Northern Siam. A hundred Japanese were killed and the rest retreated.
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 March 1942, Page 3
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393TAKEN OVER BY GENERAL MacARTHUR Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 March 1942, Page 3
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