Additional information for Chapter 9 – To the rescue near Aimari

 

Harry Bitmead has been described as a popular pre- and post-war

Medical Assistant. On page 43 in the “Men of ANGAU A History

of the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit” publication,

Lieutenant Colonel Neil Smith, AM Retd, states “One man who

warrants special mention is Warrant Officer Harry Bitmead who

was captured by the Japanese and became one of the very few

Allied servicemen who succeeded in escaping in the South West

Pacific Area theatre.

 

Harry was a medical assistant running a large native hospital

at Isagahambo, near Buna…..He was told to get out of the area

as the Japanese were heading his way. Harry refused so that he

could do as much for his patients as possible before he had to

withdraw….. Harry ended up being captured by the advancing

Japanese. The enemy party tortured Harry by repeatedly lining

him up in front of what appeared to be (a) firing squad

then marching him back to his hut….. Miraculously Harry

managed to escape his captors with the assistance of natives

who took him to two American airmen who had been shot down” as

described by David Marsh in Chapter 9 To the rescue near

Aimari and as described in Addendum 25 Captain Bender and the

26 July, 1942 mission.

 

The PNGAA website Vale March 1987 at  pngaa.net/Vale/vale_mar87.htm

states that “he retired in 1965 and passed away 1 February,

1987 leaving a widow and a son John”.

 

The next 3 images are summaries of the Patrol Reports prepared during 1941 to 1944 for the Central District at Abau Station. Listed are David Marsh as well as Claude Champion, Ron Galloway and Lt KW Bilson who are discussed elsewhere in the book. Digitised copies of the Patrol Reports from the National Archives & Public Services of Papua New Guinea are sourced from the Library of the University of California, San Diego (from microfiche copies held in the Mandeville Special Collections Library, MSS 0215.​​​​