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19 July 1943 saw him
transferred to the 3rd Division (later renamed the 11th Division)
Carrier Company with which he embarked for New Guinea on 3 September
1943, where he served at Port Moresby, Soputa, and in the Gusap area. On
February 12 1944, he was promoted to Acting Corporal.
Returning to
Townsville, North Queensland onboard the ‘Taroona’ on the 2
April 1944, Reg trained as a Infantryman before he was transferred on
the 9 June to the 25th Australian Infantry Battalion (The Darling Downs
Regiment) which had already served in New Guinea during 1942/43.
With the 25th Reg
returned to Madang, New Guinea on 24 July 1944 on board the ‘Katoomba’.
They embarked on 12 November from Madang onboard the ‘Santa
Monica’, for Torokina, an area located on the northern side of
Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, landing there on the 15th .
As the Australians
landed, the Americans who had landed at Torokina two weeks earlier
withdrew their forces from Bougainville leaving the Australians under
the command of Lieut-General Stanley G. (later Sir Stanley) Savige to
deal with what they [the Americans] estimated to be 12,000 Japanese
troops. The Australian believed there was probably 25,000 Japanese left
on the island, when in fact there were 40,000 well equipped enemy troops
left on the island who continued to fight until September 3 1945 before
they surrendered.
Bougainville is the
largest of the Solomon Islands is 200kl long and 60kl wide the mountain
range, which traverses the island rises to 8,000 metres in height.
On 16 December, Reg
Rattey’s promotion to Corporal was confirmed. On the December 30, 1944.
The 25th relieved the 9th battalion at Doiabie and then a month later
they relieved the 47th on the Tavera River.
It was here during a
particularly bitter phase of the campaign while attempting to force
their way toward the town of Buin, on the March 4 1945 they were opposed
by the Japanese 6th Division, which was under the command of
Major-General Kanda.
With supporting fire
from mortars and medium machine-guns, "A" Company breached the
Puriata River at Galvin’s Crossing before establishing themselves two
hundred yards south along the main road to Buin at Slater’s Knoll.
Here they were surrounded by the Japanese and repeatedly attacked for
three days with the Japanese firing an estimated 600 shells at
Slater’s Knoll and driving a wedge between the forward and rear
companies of the 25th.
Reg’s platoon was
divided into two sections, Reg as acting Sergeant in charge of one half
and Lieut. Darlison of Melbourne in charge of the other half. Both
sections advanced along the road toward their forward company forcing
the Japanese back until the retreating Japanese halted and reformed at a
well established extensive system of Japanese pillboxes at a road
junction.
On 22 March following
an allied air and artillery attack on the Japanese stronghold the 25th
were ordered to capture this still strongly held position. Reg sprang
into action following the wounding of two of his best mates, realising
casualties among his men would be high in an all out attack, Reg
concluded that a charge by a lone soldier [himself] may just take the
enemy by surprise.
Firing his Bren gun
from the hip he ran toward the first Japanese weapon pit which he
silenced with a grenade, after destroying a second pit, he returned to
his platoon. Taking more grenades from NX194354 Pte Forrester he then
attacked and destroyed two more of the enemy pillboxes with the grenades
and consistently accurate fire from his Bren gun.
Minutes later the
Japanese retaliated, firing on his section with a Juki (Heavy Machine
Gun) and once again without hesitation Reg single-handedly attacked this
position with his Bren gun. He killed the gunner and wounded one of the
crew before the remaining Japanese fled, leaving behind the Juki, 2,000
rounds of ammunition and 18 of their dead comrades.
Due to Reg’s daring
initiative, a serious situation had within an hour been turned into a
brilliant success allowing his section to go forward and dig in. Ten
minutes later with the position secured Reg celebrated their victory by
boiling the billy and relaxing with a cup of tea.
Records show that
during this battle eighty three Australians had successfully driven back
a force of five hundred and fifty Japanese. Five Australians were
wounded two of whom remained on duty.
Reg considered he was
very lucky to have survived the action, as he examined his shirt that
had been torn by shrapnel he exclaimed ‘They came very close!’ Two
days later he was recommended for an Immediate award of a Victoria
Cross.
This was the first
Victoria Cross of the Bougainville Campaign also the first awarded to a
member of a militia battalion. |
