Remembering the Battle of Milne Bay

On August 25, 1942, Japanese forces landed at Milne Bay on the far east coast of New Guinea – their aim – to take the harbour and three airstrips – their challenge – to defeat the Australian defenders.
Leading up to August 1942, the Japanese had been unbeatable throughout the war but by the night of September 6/7, the spell of invincibility had been shattered.
The Japanese retreated from Milne Bay, leaving behind about 700 dead, and a further 300 died when one of their troopships, the Nankai Maru was sunk in the harbour by an Australian bomber.
Australia lost 161 men killed in action and a further 214 wounded.
The Battle of Milne Bay was the first time the Japanese had been defeated at a time and place of their own choosing and they were defeated by Australians, many of them Militia, otherwise known as Citizens Military Forces.
The battle was far more significant though, than just beating the enemy. Milne Bay had a big, well-protected harbour with significant facilities and airstrips and was an important stepping-stone for the Japanese military force, which aimed to advance along the south Papuan coast towards Port Moresby in conjunction with the ground force making its way along the Kokoda Track.
The force which held Milne Bay also had control of the strategically important sea lanes and islands along the east coast of PNG as well as easy access to the Coral Sea and Northern Australia.
It was a significant and strategically important harbour for Australia to control because, had the Japanese taken it, Australia was wide-open to air attacks and invasion along the east coat.
Two more issues make this battle even more significant for the people of Warwick. Firstly, the 25th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, the Southern Downs own, was heavily involved in the defence of Milne Bay and secondly, then Major General Cyril Clowes, CBE, DSO, MC, MID, who was born, raised and educated in Warwick, was the commander of Milne Force.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Milne Bay and the Warwick RSL Sub-branch will conduct a service at the Cenotaph at 11am on Sunday, September 2 to commemorate the battle and those who lost their lives there.
This service will be followed by a $15 luncheon at the RSL Memorial Club at 12pm.
Reservations and payments can be made at the Memorial Club reception.
After his success at Milne Bay, Cyril Clowes was promoted to Lieutenant General and was regarded as a hero. However, because he and Generals McArthur and Blamey had argued about the defence of Milne Bay, he was sidelined for the remainder of the war as the commander of the 6th Military District in Tasmania.
He retired from the Army in June 1949.
During WWI, Cyril Clowes was awarded the Order of the White Eagle of Serbia and the Croix de Guerre (France). In WWII he was awarded the Greek Military Cross 1st class.
He died on May 19, 1968, at Heidelberg Hospital in Melbourne.