70 Years after the Battle, The Wau-Salaumua Campaign of 1943.

Military Historical Society of Australia – Victorian Branch Monthly Meeting.
The Wau-Salaumua Campaign followed on from the battle for Wau at the start of 1943. After defeating the Japanese attack on Wau, the Australians made ready to advance. The Japanese retreated two-thirds of the way back across the mountains, but were determined to hold a line there. The battles fought in 1943 by the Allied forces 70 years ago are worth remembering. Reg Yates has recently returned from walking the Balck Cat Track and visiting the surrounding area with relatives of veterans that fought and died in the campaign. Reg with the aid of both period and current images, will articulate the history as it was then and as it is remembered now.

Guest Speaker Bio:

Reg Yates is an experienced trek leader, having completed over 44 Kokoda treks since 1984, including one with ADF soldiers on adventurous training and seven with Sydney-based High Schools. He served for 36 years as a paramedic with Melbourne Ambulance Service and has 30 years Army Reserve service, mostly as an Infantry Captain in training.
Reg has walked all WWII routes in PNG including the Bulldog-Wau Army Road, the Wau-Salamaua Tracks, the Saruwaged Crossing from Peter Ryan’s, “Fear Drive My Feet”, Shaggy Ridge, Rabaul-Tol Plantation plus the Hindenburg Wall section of Karius & Champion’s 1928 Fly River to Sepik River Crossing.

He has rubber-rafted the Watut River with soldiers, paddled a dugout canoe 360 km down the Sepik River, walked up Mt Wilhelm and written a demi-official ADF handout on Adventurous Training in PNG.Reg brings a wealth of knowledge to Kokoda Historical and will continue to deliver a high level of service to all our future trekkers!

When: Thursday

Where: Oakleigh-Carnegie RSL Drummond St Oakleigh