The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Troops of the Pacific Islands Regiment have no need for artificial hazards to be written into their training programme. The natural jungle of Papua/ New Guinea and the fast-flowing, crocodile infested streams, provide adequate realism for the professional native soldiers to test their skills. In a typial patrol recently, troops were flown to the Nomad River in the Western District of Papua, to begin a 60 mile trek further west to Kiunga. Patrols are constantly moving through the dense jungles, bringing contact with tribes in some of the most inaccessible areas of the Territory. It would be two weeks before this patrol reached its destination - two weeks of slogging through rain forest, of rafting across swollen rivers, and pioneering a track through unihabited country. At remote Bebilubi Village, hunters of another era welcomed the rarely seen face of a white man. Through a police interpreter, Lieutenant Kevin McTaggart of Manly Brisbane, the patrol commander, receives information on local terrain and conditions from the village chief. As well as training the PIR soldier in his operational role, the patrols gather topographical data for mapping and establish friendly relations with the native tribes.
A remote and largely unexplored region of Papua New Guinea is currently being probed by three patrols from the 1st Battalion, Pacific Islands Regiment. Part of the no stop patrolling programme of the
Ten Australian CMF officers had a taste this week of what it is like to go out on patrol in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. As part of a two week familiarisation visit designed to give them first han
One hundred and twenty officers and soldiers of an elite Australian Army field force group, 2nd Squadron, Special Air Service Regiment, are in New Guinea on a six weeks acclimatisation exercise. Rece
Thirteen Gurkha soldiers and a British Gurkha officer recently took part in a training exercise in Papua-New Guinea with members of the 1st Battalion, Pacific Islands Regiment. The Gurkhas, members of
Three Australian Army patrols are currently moving through a large area of the Morobe district of Papua-New Guinea to gain the goodwill of the Kukukuku tribes, once regarded as the most feared people
Patrol moves down track and into jungle, led by Private "Snow" Demaniel, of Scarborough W.A. Camera follows patrol into jungle. Patrol cross track into cover. Men move across fallen tree. Patrol leade
