The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
A group of local villagers gather together with American soldiers to mark the visit of their detachment from the US Army Signal Corps, led by Lieutenant (Lt) Hank Griswold (not pictured). This unit deployed to the hinterland, in the mountainous region behind Finschhafen, in order to successfully trial new radio equipment in the jungle and communicate with Headquarters at Finschhafen. It is significant that the group landed in a USAAF Piper L-4 Grasshoper aircraft on this elevated feature. A unit of the Papuan Infantry Battalion (PIB) had previously cleared the top of this hill to construct a crude landing strip. The pilot would cut his engine on landing and tribesmen then rushed out, to put their weight on the wings, to prevent the aircraft from running off the edge of the short runway. On hearing of the American presence, a patrol officer of the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU), P171 Warrant Officer II (WOII), later Lt Adrian J Leyden (not pictured), set out and made contact with this military unit which had entered his area of responsibility.
An informal portrait of P171 Warrant Officer II (WOII), later Lieutenant (Lt), Adrian J Leyden (left), Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU) and Lt Hank Griswold, US Army Signal Corps, tak
An informal portrait of P171 Warrant Officer II (WOII), later Lieutenant (Lt), Adrian J Leyden, Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU), standing in front of a US Army Piper Cub aircraft at
An informal group portrait of a US Signal Corps detachment on duty in a remote area behind the Finschhafen mountain ranges. Among them is a sole Australian patrol officer who set out to find them on
Troops of the Finschhafen Force marching to the beach for their embarkation on LSTs (Landing Ships, Tank). Identified right to left: QX31360 Private (Pte) Stanley Wilson; unidentified; unidentified;
North African Nimcha Sword. The hilt has a crude iron square D shape guard with a right angle quillon and a wooden grips held to the tang with two rivets. The slightly curved blade has three narrow fu
LANGEMAK BAY, FINSCHHAFEN AREA, NEW GUINEA. 1944-07-02. THE JETTY FROM WHICH A LANDING BARGE TRANSPORTS TROOPS TO AN AMERICAN 300 TON ARMOURED LANDING CRAFT MOORED OFF SHORE.
