Arnold Potts
Encyclopedia
Brigadier
Arnold William Potts DSO
, OBE
, MC
(16 September 1896 – 1 January 1968) was an Australian grazier who served in the First World War and led 21st Brigade
of the Second AIF
during its defence of the Kokoda Trail
during the Second World War. He had a distinguished career, however, his place in history has largely been unacknowledged due to his dismissal by General Sir Thomas Blamey, at the very point when Potts had fought the Japanese to exhaustion. His fighting withdrawal over the Kokoda Trail has been called "one of the most critical triumphs in Australian military history and one that an apathetic nation has still to honour". Many contemporaries as well as Potts' official biographer regard this sacking as one of the most disgraceful actions of Blamey's military career. Following his dismissal, Potts went on to command the 23rd Brigade
during the Bougainville campaign where he earned a reputation for setting high standards. He retired from the military following the end of the war and unsuccessfully pursued a career in politics. He died in 1968, aged 71.
to William, a schoolmaster, and Mary Potts. In 1904, at the age of eight, Potts' family emigrated to Western Australia
and he attended Cottesloe State School before progressing on to Guilford Grammar School. During his formative years he was a keen sportsman, even despite his short stature, representing Guilford in rowing, football, shooting and athletics.
A natural leader, he became a prefect
and rose to the rank of colour sergeant
in the school's Cadet unit. In 1913, Potts sat and passed the University of Adelaide's entrance exam for English, geometry and trigonometry. In early 1914 he left Guilford and moved to Pinjarra where he attended Fairbridge Farm School, working as a farmhand. Upon his arrival in Pinjarra, Potts—having turned 18—progressed from the Senior Cadets to the Citizens Force, after which he transferred to the 86th Infantry Regiment.
(AIF), a volunteer force that was being formed for active service overseas. On 26 January 1915 he was called up and he was quickly promoted to acting sergeant
while still only 18, due both to his prior service and his obvious leadership qualities. He soon earned the respect of his men, most of whom were much older than he. Potts was posted as a reinforcement to 16th Battalion at Gallipoli in July, just in time to participate in the bloody battles of 7 and 8 August.
He stayed with the battalion after it was evacuated from the peninsula in December 1915. In January 1916, Potts was promoted to second lieutenant
. In July 1916, following a period of re-organisation in Egypt, the infantry units of the AIF were transferred to the Western Front
in France
and Belgium
. In August, Potts, who by this time had been promoted to lieutenant
and given command of the 4th Light Trench Mortar Battery, was awarded the Military Cross
for gallantry during the Battle of Mouquet Farm
. He had led his battery in unstinting support of the rest of the battalion during its advance, even though the battery itself had been almost continually under attack in the most horrendous of conditions.
Later in the war, having been promoted to captain, Potts was able to transfer back to the 16th Battalion and on 6 July 1918, near Hamel, he received a serious gunshot wound in the chest, which he barely survived.
until he purchased his own farm in Kojonup, Western Australia in 1920. He continued to serve part time in the Militia, however, in 1922 he was placed on the Reserve of Officers list and effectively retired due to defence cutbacks at the time. In 1926 he married Doreen (Dawn) Wigglesworth. They had three children; David (1928), Judith (1932) and Nancy (1938). His warm and lively letters to his wife throughout his military career provide an insight into his opinions and feelings on events.
In 1938, as tensions in Europe grew, Potts became involved with the Militia again and was instrumental in the re-formation of the 25th Light Horse Regiment.
. As the provisions of the Defence Act (1903) still precluded the Militia from being sent outside of Australian territory to fight, an all volunteer force was raised for overseas service known as the Second Australian Imperial Force
. In April 1940, Potts requested a transfer to this force and although still suffering from the effects of the wounds he had received in 1918 he was passed medically fit and granted the rank of major
. He was assigned to the newly formed 2/16th Battalion. Although by now 44 years of age, he was a dynamic and widely respected officer. He played a key role in staffing the battalion and getting it ready for action in Syria in 1941, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
for inspiring leadership at the Battle of the Litani River
on 9 and 10 June. His outstanding performance during the Syrian campaign was further rewarded with a Mention in Despatches, promotion to lieutenant colonel
and command of the 2/16th.
and given command of the 21st Brigade
, stationed in south-east Queensland
. At this time the Japanese had established a beachhead on the north coast of New Guinea. It was clear to Potts that the 21st would soon be fighting in the jungle. He devised and implemented the first specific jungle training for Australian troops. Potts took his troops up into the Blackall Range
, where the thick scrub and steep grades gave these experienced desert fighters an idea of what lay ahead for them. War game exercises indicated that in such country communications would break down, and evacuation of wounded would be difficult.
Meanwhile the Japanese had advanced south from their beachhead at Gona
and Buna
, and taken the strategic village of Kokoda
. General
Douglas MacArthur
, Supreme Commander of South West Pacific Area
, was at this time planning a landing on Japanese-held Guadalcanal
in the Solomon Islands
. Concerned that enemy troops would be withdrawn from Gona to reinforce Guadalcanal, MacArthur asked for a serious commitment of Australian troops to New Guinea. The 21st Brigade was sent to Port Moresby, and the 25th Brigade
to Milne Bay. Potts flew into Port Moresby
on 8 August and set up a staging post at Koitaki, close to the start of the trail at Owers Corner. His orders were clear yet daunting: recapture Kokoda so it could be used as a base to push the Japanese back to Gona.
At this time the two militia battalions—the 39th and 53rd Battalions
—who had been defeated at Kokoda were dug in at Isurava and Alola. These were to join with the three battalions of the 21st to form "Maroubra Force
" under Potts' command. On 16 August his 2/14th
started on the long and difficult trail towards Myola. The 2/16th followed the next day, with the 2/27th
left at Port Moresby as a reserve. Potts was promised 40,000 rations would await him at Myola, to be dropped in by Dakota transport planes. The night before beginning the trek, Potts had learned that a further 1,800 Japanese combat troops had landed at Gona.
Despite their jungle training, the Australians found the going incredibly difficult. Captain R.N. Thompson of the 2/14th said "I was one of the fittest members, but on the second day, climbing the Golden Stairs I was extremely fatigued. A small dixie of tea made me vomit and I could not eat." While they struggled over the ranges, the Japanese bombed the Port Moresby airfield, destroying two of the Dakotas. When Potts reached Myola he found only 5,000 rations. Mystery and controversy abound regarding the missing rations. Potts seems to have harboured doubts about the air drops, as he had each soldier carry five days' rations to Myola.
Without rations, the 2/14th and 2/16th could not continue on to reinforce the more advanced militia battalions at Alola and Isurava. Potts made his way forward to Alola and assumed command of Maroubra Force from Brigadier Selwyn Porter on 23 August 1942. When he saw the shattered state of the 39th Battalion, he realised that to achieve his aims he would need to bring forward the relatively fresh 21st Brigade troops. Before he had a chance to implement this, the Japanese under Major General Tomitaro Horii
attacked the 39th at Isurava on 26 August. For four days the Australians held off the enemy who had superiority in numbers and supplies. Potts moved in the 2/14th and 2/16th to support. The Japanese held elevated positions on either side of the main trail, and were able to hammer Maroubra Force with mortar and machine gun fire. Threatened with encirclement, Potts withdrew in stages, mounting small delaying actions where possible. Maroubra Force reached Efogi on 5 September.
On 3 September Potts had received orders from his superior in Port Morseby, Major General Arthur "Tubby" Allen
, to hold Myola and gather for an offensive. However he considered the dry lake bed at Myola, surrounded by heights, as untenable. The following day, he signalled Allen, stating: "Country unsuitable for defended localities. Regret necessity abandon Myola. No reserves for counter-attack." Potts destroyed all supplies at Myola and moved south to the next suitable feature, Brigade Hill. Potts had been pleading with Allen for some time to be given his third battalion, the 2/27th. MacArthur insisted they stay at Port Moresby until success was gained at Milne Bay
. Finally Allen released the 2/27th, who came up to join Maroubra Force at Kagi on 4 September, relieving the 39th Battalion. When the 2/14th and 2/16th arrived on 6 September, Potts finally had a full brigade. He aimed at holding each position for maximum time and at maximum cost to the enemy, before withdrawing. He was aware that with each mile back towards Port Moresby the Japanese supply and communication line became longer and more fragile.
At 4.30 am on 8 September the attack came, initially frontal, then a flank attack of 5,000 men cut off Potts' Brigade HQ battalion from the rest of the force. At times the enemy were just 15 metres (16.4 yd) from the edge of Potts' perimeter. The signal wire had been cut by now, and communications with the battalions were shaky. A message got through by wireless transmitter, that if as seemed likely the HQ was wiped out, Major Anthony Caro, commander of 2/16th was to take command of the Brigade and fall back to Menari. Potts and his HQ were saved by the fact that Horii did not concentrate forces on eliminating them, instead maintaining overall pressure to try to annihilate all three battalions. 2/14th and 2/16th charged the Japanese lines but failed to break through to HQ. However the damage inflicted on the enemy was crucial in slowing their pursuit, as Potts made his way to Menari. He left orders for the battalions to make their own way and rejoin him there. As the Japanese controlled the main trail, all three battalions had to take rough secondary tracks or go cross country.
One major difference from battles in other theatres of the war was the burden of the wounded on their unit. They could not be left for the enemy to care for, as had been the case in Syria. Years later Potts recalled "We had to sit in the jungle listening to the screams of comrades tortured by the Japanese in an attempt to provoke an attack". Papuan bearers were not used in battle zones, so the wounded had to be carried by their comrades, slowing them down. 2/14th and 2/16th left their wounded to be carried by 2/27th, the last battalion to withdraw. 120 men at a time were engaged carrying stretcher cases. Many severely wounded men walked to free a stretcher for someone worse off than themselves. The Japanese pursued the 2/27th, but an audacious counter attack by 'B' and 'D' Companies bought the Australian rearguard some time. The adjutant of the 2/27th, Captain Harry Katekar, was quoted as saying, "The Japs were so shocked they broke contact. We didn't see them again that day".
The 2/14th and 2/16th Battalions slept where they fell on the trail on the night of 8 September, but managed to re-unite with Potts and 21st Brigade headquarters at Menari the next day. The 2/27th Battalion was unable to reach the village before the rest of the brigade was again forced to retreat by the advancing Japanese. Menari was extremely exposed to observation from further up the trail, and the village was already under barrage from Japanese artillery and light machine guns by the time the first 2/16th troops arrived. Potts waited for the 2/27th until 2.30 pm, then gave orders to abandon Menari. The 2/27th and their cargo of wounded from the other battalions were forced to follow paths parallel to the main trail, but eventually rejoined the main Australian force at Jawarere.
"Has [Lyon's] message been sent with your approval? Is situation stated correct? Advise immediately." Potts, under close attack and facing being wiped out, replied simply "Message confirmed".
It was at this point that the commander of New Guinea Force, Lieutenant General
Sydney Rowell
decided to recall Potts to Port Moresby, returning Porter to command of the 21st Brigade. Rowell's motives have been debated, but they appear to be a combination of frustration at the lack of forward movement, and a desire to a have a first hand account of the situation. Rowell did not consult with Allen. He also sent a message to Major General George Alan Vasey, Deputy Chief of General Staff, informing him of Potts' removal. He continued "I trust you appreciate the gravity of immediate situation, and will produce additional troops asked for particularly infantry, with minimum delay".
When Potts arrived back in Port Moresby on 12 September Allen organised a meeting between Potts, Rowell and himself. Given a chance to relate the difficulties he had faced, and correct some misapprehensions, it appears Potts was able to mollify Rowell. Soon after, war correspondent Chester Wilmot
, who had also been over the Owen Stanley Ranges on foot and seen the fighting, was able to corroborate Potts' account in a meeting with Rowell.
under Brigadier Ken Eather. With fresh troops, fighting an overstretched enemy, Eather still found he needed to withdraw to Imita Ridge. Rowell acceded to this request, but instructed Allen "any further withdrawal is out of the question". In August the Americans had landed at Guadalcanal. Now the Japanese hierarchy ordered Horii to make a fighting withdrawal to the Gona/Buna beachhead. The quick fall of Port Moresby they had anticipated had not come about, and as the campaign dragged on it was proving a drain on men and materiel needed elsewhere. After dealing with the American incursion at Guadalcanal, a new attack over the mountains of Papua could begin.
Potts' initial task had been to retake the village of Kokoda. In the end the 25th Brigade walked in and took vacant possession on 2 November, the Japanese having abandoned it some time before. The Japanese were by now a shadow of the powerful force that had faced Potts in August. The survivors were riddled with dysentery and starving. Some evidence points to cannibalism. Japanese war correspondent Seizo Okada reported that after receiving the order to return to Buna, "for a time the soldiers remained stupefied among the rocks on the mountain side. Then they began to move, and once in retreat they fled for dear life … discipline was completely forgotten".
Sir Thomas Blamey
visited Port Moresby. At this point Maroubra Force (still under Potts) had withdrawn to Ioribiwa, but nearby the fresh 25th Brigade under Eather were about to step into the breach. Allen and Rowell were confident of prompt success against a clearly exhausted enemy, and Blamey was easily convinced to share their optimism. There were smiles all round as he flew back to Australia. He briefed Prime Minister
John Curtin
and the rest of the Advisory War Council on 17 September. Despite being met with some scepticism, Blamey supported his officers and maintained that there was nothing to fear—Port Moresby was safe from land attack.
That night Curtin received a call from MacArthur, who had just heard about Eather's withdrawal to Imita Ridge. MacArthur told Curtin to send Blamey back to Papua to take personal command of New Guinea Force. Curtin did so, and Blamey arrived in Port Moresby on 23 September. This put Rowell and Blamey on a collision course. They had a history of animosity going back to earlier in the war, first in the Middle East then in Greece. Rowell felt that Blamey should have supported him and stood up to Curtin and MacArthur. Relations were fractious, and on 28 September Rowell had had enough. He spoke his mind to his commanding officer, and was dismissed. Potts had just lost his major advocate in Papua.
Blamey cut him short. He relieved Potts of his command, citing Potts' failure to hold back the Japanese, despite commanding "superior forces". Further, Potts had failed to re-take Kokoda despite explicit orders to do so. Blamey explained that Prime Minister John Curtin had told him to say that failures like Kokoda campaign would not be tolerated. Murdoch reports Blamey saying "the men had shown that something was lacking" and that their leaders were to blame. Potts furiously rejected any blame being attached to his battalion commanders. Blamey was not interested in debating the finer points, nor in allowing Potts to remain in contact with those same battalion commanders. He was to leave the brigade immediately and fly to Darwin
—a personal address to the brigade would not be possible, nor could he meet and brief his replacement. Murdoch says that the news spread rapidly, and as Staff Captain he was inundated with resignation papers from officers wishing to show solidarity with Potts. Potts instructed Murdoch to reject all resignations.
Rowell was replaced by Lieutenant General Edmund Herring
, a man close to Blamey. Now Herring chose Brigadier Ivan Dougherty
to replace Potts. During his recent period of command in the Northern Territory, Herring had relieved both his brigadiers, replacing them with younger and better educated officers, one of whom was Dougherty, an officer in whom he had great confidence. Herring believed that his decision to replace Potts with Dougherty, who would command the 21st Brigade for the rest of the war, was the right one. Years later he told official historian Dudley McCarthy that: "We knew the terrain was most difficult and the Japs very good jungle fighters … we had a war to win and it was our job to call in the best man we could. It would have been wrong for us to allow ourselves to be influenced by Potts' feelings."
Potts' removal could charitably be attributed to Blamey's inadequate understanding of the circumstances Potts had dealt with on the Kokoda Trail. He may have genuinely believed that another commander in the same circumstances would have pushed back the Japanese and re-taken Kokoda. This is the tack taken by Dudley McCarthy in the official war history; "Blamey and Herring, who did not at that time understand so well the circumstances in which Potts found himself and the way he had acquitted himself, genuinely misjudged him". Other historians feel that Potts was a scapegoat, removed by Blamey to avoid a showdown with MacArthur. MacArthur maintained in a letter to the Chief of Staff of the United States Army
, General George Marshall
, on 6 September that "the Australians have proven themselves unable to match the enemy in jungle fighting. Aggressive leadership is lacking". Peter Brune alleges that Blamey's removal of Potts was simple self-preservation. "It is staggering to contemplate that an Australian brigade commander could be thrust into a campaign with such a damning inadequacy of military intelligence, support and equipment and yet fight a near flawless fighting withdrawal where the military and political stakes were so terribly important and that could then be relieved from his command as a reward." General Robert Eichelberger wrote to Herring in 1959, after McCarthy's history appeared:
After the rank and file had left, Blamey addressed the officers. He questioned whether they were worthy of their men, and told them they must improve. Potts was initially dismissive about Blamey's address, when informed about it by Major Albert Caro. He passed on the news in a letter to Dawn; "… apparently most of the troops take the speech as a colossal joke against the speaker…" He did however write to Allen asking him to "take the necessary action" regarding Blamey's remarks. By the New Year he had been given further details and was enraged. Again writing to his wife; "Hugh sent me a precis of his (T's) speech to the old team and to the officers. Hells Bells, it was a cowardly bit of work and untrue in every detail. I'll fry his soul in the next world for that bit of 'passing the buck'. Surely a man in his position is big enough to carry his own mistakes."
Potts was not the victim of the Koitaki speech. He had already been removed, and appears to have been already marked for minor roles only in the rest of the war. Although Potts was incensed, the real damage done at Koitaki was to the careers of the next generation of young officers. Potts was aware as the war proceeded that men he had trained, cajoled, blasted, encouraged and fought alongside were damned for their association with him. Some have alleged that 21st Brigade's next combat role in the battle for Gona saw excessive casualties, due to the burning desire to erase Blamey's slur. "By the time the battle for Gona had concluded, the Blamey slur at Koitaki had manifested itself in the interference in the command structure, and the resultant slaughter of soldiers."
in Darwin. It had originally been an AIF brigade, composed of volunteers who were able to serve abroad. As the Japanese advanced through 1941 and 1942, its original battalions had been sent to Ambon
, Rabaul
and Timor. They were replaced with battalions from the Militia
, men who had been conscripted, and could only serve on Australian soil unless they volunteered for the AIF. Friction was inevitable, and the new officers were not all talented man-managers.
With his new brigade, Potts had a new set of battalion commanders, who he proceeded to push to meet his high standards. His methods did not always meet with approval from his superiors. Meanwhile he was distressed to hear news of his former charges in 21st Brigade. Under Dougherty at Gona they had been thrown against an entrenched Japanese force, which had been massively underestimated in strength. Many good men who had fought alongside Potts in the Middle East and Kokoda died at Gona. He wrote to Dawn "…it's a hundred times worse taking that sort of punch [hearing of the casualties] while I am sitting safe".
Amid the carnage, Lieutenant Colonel Albert Caro, Major Ben Hearman and Lieutenant Colonel Cooper all protested to Dougherty that his tactics were at fault. They all were punished with transfers to backwaters. Cooper (shot in the hip at Gona) has recalled; "…they used to say there were two types of officers: those who were always going to reach the top, and then the others that are always at fault. But then there is the other type like Arnold Potts, who just get on with the job and do it superbly. They are efficient and successful and save men's lives while they go about it. But Arnold Potts wasn't at Gona.
Potts dealt with his difficulties by devoting himself to training his brigade. It was said that by the time they were committed to action, his 7th and 8th Battalions were better trained than any AIF battalion before them. In April 1943 Blamey inspected and was very impressed with the quality of the brigade. By this stage the Northern Territory Force GOC was "Tubby" Allen, also marking time in a relative backwater. Allen steered Potts away from controversy during Blamey's visit.
By March 1944, 23rd Brigade was still training, now in Queensland. Potts kept the pressure on his men, and it was not always welcome. Many of them had not been under fire, and could not relate the punishing fitness regime and battalion manoeuvres to actual combat, as he could. Allen had moved on and Potts' GOC was now Major General Stanley Savige
. Savige hauled him over the coals for being too tough on his battalion commanders. Potts had long term fears for the future, if the pressure on Japan was eased. He confided to Dawn; "I'm scared stiff we'll all go soft because of further casualties and not hammer the Jap flat. We lose them in this war and the next will be the kids".
In April at last the Brigade was posted overseas, initially to Lae in New Guinea Territory, then to the Wau area. The Brigade, now part of II Corps, continued training. Potts was much happier with his battalion commanding officers, but was able to write to Dawn; "I put over a pretty brutal talk to COs … on matters of jealousies, viewpoints and lack of teamwork. Trod on corns all round and am not popular but that will pass."
. The 23rd Brigade set up HQ in the Green Islands, north of Bougainville on 27 September 1944.
Savige rejected the plans. His justification in the official war history provides a fair and reasonable portrait of Potts, as seen from above in the chain of command: "Potts was a very gallant man and looked for fights, but looking without planning the ways and means to land and support troops on hostile shores was another thing. Further, Potts always found it difficult to envisage or accommodate himself to the overall plan of his commander … Potts was a character apart from the rest. His personal courage was unsurpassed and his genial nature drew one to him. However, his zeal to be on patrol or with the leading section denied him control of operations which led him to countenance fear of some disaster overtaking his troops".
Savige eventually realised the northern islands were so quiet, that the 23rd would be better deployed at Torokina
in central Bougainville. This required MacArthur's approval, which took three months. The brigade passed the time enjoying the facilities that the American garrison troops had left behind, when they were transferred to more glamorous work re-conquering the Philippines
. Potts went home on leave to Western Australia
for nearly two months, rejoining the brigade at the end of January 1945. Shortly after he received a curt signal from II Corps HQ, asking why he had not nominated anyone for medals recently.
Potts established that there was a force of 40–50 enemy in the Berry's Hill area, and had reason to believe they were being reinforced. With artillery support and air support from the Royal New Zealand Air Force
, the Australians killed and captured a number of the Japanese and pushed their front line forward. Soon resistance stiffened, and it was clear that the hill was held by a significant force. As II Corps had introduced a "no casualties" policy, the Australians withdrew, with one slightly wounded. Patrolling and harassing without any serious engagements continued until June, when 23rd Brigade was sent north.
and push them north towards the Buka Passage at the end. There was now believed to be 1,200 Japanese on the peninsula and 1,400 on Buka Island across the passage. By 28 June Potts had his 27th and 8th Battalions positioned at the base of the peninsula, on the east and west sides respectively. The Australian lines of communication were quite stretched, and the Japanese infiltrated constantly. In July an Australian wood-chopping party was attacked and two field ambulance men were killed. The next day a jeep was wrecked by a mine. 8th Battalion lost Captain Ogden to another mine and Lieutenant Webb, killed while leading an ambush patrol.
Following the failure of the landing at Porton Plantation
the planned Australian advance into the Bonis Peninsula was called off. II Corps' focus now moved to the south, leaving Potts and 23rd Brigade to perform a holding role along the Ratsua front.
While carrying this out, with Savige forbidding any forward motion, the brigade lost 7 killed and 17 wounded in patrols and ambushes, three killed and two wounded by friendly mortar fire, 12 wounded by their own booby traps and five in other accidents. During this phase Private Frank Partridge
won his Victoria Cross
for clearing a number of enemy bunkers despite being seriously wounded.
The Japanese were running low on ammunition and food. They rarely fired unless they had a good target. Potts recorded in his report that enemy morale was good, however "Food captured in the field kitchens consisted mainly of bamboo shoots, roots and vegetable matter generally. Evidence of cannibalism occurred on two occasions, flesh being cut from the calf and thigh of dead Japanese". As Bougainville was now a very low priority theatre, the Australians also suffered from supply problems. Inadequate shipping, artillery, ammunition and medical supplies hampered Potts' efforts. The 27 Battalion diary recorded on 1 July; "We've been promised tanks but they have yet to be sighted … the water situation is also difficult. The L of C [line of command] … is over 3000 yards long, 2500 yards of which cannot be covered, and consequently enables the Jap to ambush it just when he likes". However at least they were neither starving nor abandoned totally by their hierarchy, like the Japanese.
Despite these difficulties, Potts continued to conjure up attacking schemes. On 10 July he badgered Savige about an offensive in the Porton area of the Bonis Peninsula. Savige rejected this as completely contrary to their standing orders, and concluded from questioning him that Potts had actually not read them. In his opinion;
"I think this is sufficient to understand Potts and the spirit within his Brigade. Had he lived to fight at Waterloo in a square, when the sole requirement was dogged bravery, he would have been a most successful commander. In modern warfare he was a lone wolf whose chief interest was to lead a patrol or wander along a track in his jeep or on foot." He linked this tendency to the Kokoda campaign. "Potts feels he must redeem his name after the events of the Kokoda Trail…" For his part, Potts had had enough of the static yet vulnerable role on the Ratsua front, and asked Savige to withdraw his Brigade to a smaller front around Buoi. Following this a number of small scale actions continued along the front until offensive action was discontinued on 11 August, after the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan on 6 August and 9 August.
on 15 August, but his loyal troops in the Solomons did not hear the news for some time. II Corps HQ at Torokina advised Australian commanders that it may take 8 days for the information to reach Japanese troops in Bougainville. Potts flew to Torokina for a briefing on the surrender. He was dismayed to realise that front-line troops would play no part in the surrender—"a poor reward to the troops for months of fighting". The Japanese commander, General Masatane Kanda
, was kept waiting by his superiors in Rabaul
for permission to surrender. Finally on 7 September, he and Vice-Admiral Tomoshige Samejima
arrived at Torokina and formally surrendered to Savige.
Potts returned to 23rd Brigade at Soraken
, where he learned he would be taking charge of all of Bougainville and neighbouring islands. Now it truly was a prisoner of war camp as suggested by Major Winning. There were 18,000 Japanese in the Fauro Island
area, and camps at Torokina eventually held 8,000. Massive quantities of Japanese arms and ammunition were destroyed or dumped in the sea. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Court
, on Savige's staff, arranged a parade of senior Japanese officers for Potts. He warned them, "This is one man on our side we haven't been able to convince the war is over". Potts, in full regalia, inspected the seventeen generals and fifteen admirals, all standing rigidly at attention despite tattered uniforms. Court had told him that the Japanese would be expecting fireworks. But at the end of his inspection, having returned to the front and faced his defeated enemy, Potts exclaimed "Good show!" and went along the line shaking hands. Later he said "Many dreadful things had been done during the course of the war – by both sides. There should not be recriminations after the event. Once it was over it was over".
Potts handed over command of the 23rd Brigade to Brigadier Noel Simpson on 4 December 1945. His farewell order to troops said; "The standard of efficiency as a Brigade and the fighting spirit of the troops will remain always as a vivid memory". The next day he flew home to Australia. For his service on Bougainville Potts was Mentioned in Despatches twice.
candidate for the federal seat of Forrest
on the House of Representatives
. In 1960 Potts was awarded the Order of the British Empire
in the New Years Honours List. After suffering a number of strokes which left him wheelchair bound, he died on 1 January 1968 at Kojonup, aged 71.
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Arnold William Potts DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(16 September 1896 – 1 January 1968) was an Australian grazier who served in the First World War and led 21st Brigade
21st Brigade (Australia)
The 21st Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry unit of the Australian Army. Formed in April 1940 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force, the unit was raised for service during World War II...
of the Second AIF
Second Australian Imperial Force
The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to...
during its defence of the Kokoda Trail
Kokoda Track campaign
The Kokoda Track campaign or Kokoda Trail campaign was part of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 between Japanese and Allied—primarily Australian—forces in what was then the Australian territory of Papua...
during the Second World War. He had a distinguished career, however, his place in history has largely been unacknowledged due to his dismissal by General Sir Thomas Blamey, at the very point when Potts had fought the Japanese to exhaustion. His fighting withdrawal over the Kokoda Trail has been called "one of the most critical triumphs in Australian military history and one that an apathetic nation has still to honour". Many contemporaries as well as Potts' official biographer regard this sacking as one of the most disgraceful actions of Blamey's military career. Following his dismissal, Potts went on to command the 23rd Brigade
23rd Brigade (Australia)
The 23rd Brigade was a brigade of the Australian Army. Formed in 1940 for service during the Second World War, the brigade was initially a formation of the Second Australian Imperial Force assigned to the 8th Division, however, after its subunits were captured by the Japanese in 1942 it was...
during the Bougainville campaign where he earned a reputation for setting high standards. He retired from the military following the end of the war and unsuccessfully pursued a career in politics. He died in 1968, aged 71.
Early life
Arnold Potts was born on 16 September 1896 at Peel on the Isle of ManIsle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
to William, a schoolmaster, and Mary Potts. In 1904, at the age of eight, Potts' family emigrated to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and he attended Cottesloe State School before progressing on to Guilford Grammar School. During his formative years he was a keen sportsman, even despite his short stature, representing Guilford in rowing, football, shooting and athletics.
A natural leader, he became a prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
and rose to the rank of colour sergeant
Colour Sergeant
Colour sergeant or colour serjeant is a non-commissioned title in the Royal Marines and infantry regiments of the British Army, ranking above sergeant and below warrant officer class 2....
in the school's Cadet unit. In 1913, Potts sat and passed the University of Adelaide's entrance exam for English, geometry and trigonometry. In early 1914 he left Guilford and moved to Pinjarra where he attended Fairbridge Farm School, working as a farmhand. Upon his arrival in Pinjarra, Potts—having turned 18—progressed from the Senior Cadets to the Citizens Force, after which he transferred to the 86th Infantry Regiment.
First World War
Following the outbreak of the First World War Potts requested to the join the First Australian Imperial ForceFirst Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
(AIF), a volunteer force that was being formed for active service overseas. On 26 January 1915 he was called up and he was quickly promoted to acting sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
while still only 18, due both to his prior service and his obvious leadership qualities. He soon earned the respect of his men, most of whom were much older than he. Potts was posted as a reinforcement to 16th Battalion at Gallipoli in July, just in time to participate in the bloody battles of 7 and 8 August.
He stayed with the battalion after it was evacuated from the peninsula in December 1915. In January 1916, Potts was promoted to second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. In July 1916, following a period of re-organisation in Egypt, the infantry units of the AIF were transferred to the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. In August, Potts, who by this time had been promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
and given command of the 4th Light Trench Mortar Battery, was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for gallantry during the Battle of Mouquet Farm
Battle of Mouquet Farm
The Battle of Mouquet Farm, which began on 5 August 1916, was part of the Battle of the Somme and followed the Battle of Pozières. The farm was eventually captured on 26 September by No. 16 Section of the 6th East Yorkshire Pioneers.-Battle:...
. He had led his battery in unstinting support of the rest of the battalion during its advance, even though the battery itself had been almost continually under attack in the most horrendous of conditions.
Later in the war, having been promoted to captain, Potts was able to transfer back to the 16th Battalion and on 6 July 1918, near Hamel, he received a serious gunshot wound in the chest, which he barely survived.
Inter war years
As a result of his wounds, Potts was classified as 20 per cent disabled and after repatriation in early 1919, he returned to Western Australia where he worked as a jackarooJackaroo
-Vehicle:* Holden Jackaroo, an Australian 4WD utility or wagon for rough ground * Thruxton Jackaroo, a 1950s British four-seat biplane-Other:* Buddy Williams , known as the yodeling jackaroo...
until he purchased his own farm in Kojonup, Western Australia in 1920. He continued to serve part time in the Militia, however, in 1922 he was placed on the Reserve of Officers list and effectively retired due to defence cutbacks at the time. In 1926 he married Doreen (Dawn) Wigglesworth. They had three children; David (1928), Judith (1932) and Nancy (1938). His warm and lively letters to his wife throughout his military career provide an insight into his opinions and feelings on events.
In 1938, as tensions in Europe grew, Potts became involved with the Militia again and was instrumental in the re-formation of the 25th Light Horse Regiment.
Second World War
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Potts was placed in command of the regiment's 'B' Squadron and he set to work training the young national servicemen that were assigned to the unit following the resumption of the compulsory training schemeConscription in Australia
Conscription in Australia, or mandatory military service also known as National Service, has a controversial history dating back to the first years of nationhood...
. As the provisions of the Defence Act (1903) still precluded the Militia from being sent outside of Australian territory to fight, an all volunteer force was raised for overseas service known as the Second Australian Imperial Force
Second Australian Imperial Force
The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to...
. In April 1940, Potts requested a transfer to this force and although still suffering from the effects of the wounds he had received in 1918 he was passed medically fit and granted the rank of major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. He was assigned to the newly formed 2/16th Battalion. Although by now 44 years of age, he was a dynamic and widely respected officer. He played a key role in staffing the battalion and getting it ready for action in Syria in 1941, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
for inspiring leadership at the Battle of the Litani River
Battle of the Litani River
The Battle of the Litani River was a battle of the Second World War that took place between during the advance on Beirut during the Syria-Lebanon campaign...
on 9 and 10 June. His outstanding performance during the Syrian campaign was further rewarded with a Mention in Despatches, promotion to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
and command of the 2/16th.
Kokoda Trail Campaign
In 1942 Potts returned to Australia and in April he was promoted to temporary brigadierBrigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
and given command of the 21st Brigade
21st Brigade (Australia)
The 21st Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry unit of the Australian Army. Formed in April 1940 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force, the unit was raised for service during World War II...
, stationed in south-east Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. At this time the Japanese had established a beachhead on the north coast of New Guinea. It was clear to Potts that the 21st would soon be fighting in the jungle. He devised and implemented the first specific jungle training for Australian troops. Potts took his troops up into the Blackall Range
Blackall Range
The Blackall Range is a mountain range in South East Queensland, Australia. The first European explorer in the area was Ludwig Leichhardt. It was named after Samuel Blackall, the second Governor of Queensland....
, where the thick scrub and steep grades gave these experienced desert fighters an idea of what lay ahead for them. War game exercises indicated that in such country communications would break down, and evacuation of wounded would be difficult.
Meanwhile the Japanese had advanced south from their beachhead at Gona
Gona
-History:Gona was the site of an Anglican church and mission.During World War II, Imperial Japanese troops invaded on 21–22 July 1942 and established it as a base. Three missionaries were captured at Gona, Father James Benson, May Hayman and Mavis Parkins. The two women and a six year old boy were...
and Buna
Buna
Buna may refer to the official Mbum language of Cameroon, as well as:People:*Buna Lawrie, an Australian Aboriginal musician.Places:*Buna village, a small Bosnia and Herzegovina village at the confluence of the Buna and Neretva rivers...
, and taken the strategic village of Kokoda
Kokoda
Kokoda is a station town in the Oro Province of Papua New Guinea. It is famous as the northern end of the Kokoda Track, site of the eponymous Kokoda Track campaign of World War II. In that campaign, it had strategic significance because it had the only airfield along the Track...
. General
General (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, Supreme Commander of South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area was the name given to the Allied supreme military command in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands in the Pacific theatres of World War II, during 1942–45...
, was at this time planning a landing on Japanese-held Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. Concerned that enemy troops would be withdrawn from Gona to reinforce Guadalcanal, MacArthur asked for a serious commitment of Australian troops to New Guinea. The 21st Brigade was sent to Port Moresby, and the 25th Brigade
25th Brigade (Australia)
The 25th Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry unit of the Australian Army that served during the Second World War. Raised in July 1940 and consisting of three infantry battalions, the 25th Brigade served in the United Kingdom, the Middle East, New Guinea and Borneo before being disbanded in...
to Milne Bay. Potts flew into Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
on 8 August and set up a staging post at Koitaki, close to the start of the trail at Owers Corner. His orders were clear yet daunting: recapture Kokoda so it could be used as a base to push the Japanese back to Gona.
At this time the two militia battalions—the 39th and 53rd Battalions
53rd Battalion (Australia)
The 53rd Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised in 1916 for service during World War I the battalion served on the Western Front until the end of the war, before being briefly amalgamated with the 55th Battalion and then eventually disbanded in 1919...
—who had been defeated at Kokoda were dug in at Isurava and Alola. These were to join with the three battalions of the 21st to form "Maroubra Force
Maroubra Force
Maroubra Force was the name given to the Australian infantry force that defended Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from the Japanese, and was involved in the Kokoda Track Campaign of the Pacific War, World War II...
" under Potts' command. On 16 August his 2/14th
2/14th Battalion (Australia)
The 2/14th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army, which served during World War II. Part of the 21st Brigade, 7th Division, the battalion saw action against the Vichy French in Syria in 1941 before returning to Australia in early 1942. They subsequently fought against the...
started on the long and difficult trail towards Myola. The 2/16th followed the next day, with the 2/27th
2/27th Battalion (Australia)
The 2/27th Battalion was a infantry battalion of the Australian Army during the Second World War. Formed as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force at Woodside Camp, South Australia on 7 May 1940 as part of the 21st Brigade...
left at Port Moresby as a reserve. Potts was promised 40,000 rations would await him at Myola, to be dropped in by Dakota transport planes. The night before beginning the trek, Potts had learned that a further 1,800 Japanese combat troops had landed at Gona.
Despite their jungle training, the Australians found the going incredibly difficult. Captain R.N. Thompson of the 2/14th said "I was one of the fittest members, but on the second day, climbing the Golden Stairs I was extremely fatigued. A small dixie of tea made me vomit and I could not eat." While they struggled over the ranges, the Japanese bombed the Port Moresby airfield, destroying two of the Dakotas. When Potts reached Myola he found only 5,000 rations. Mystery and controversy abound regarding the missing rations. Potts seems to have harboured doubts about the air drops, as he had each soldier carry five days' rations to Myola.
Without rations, the 2/14th and 2/16th could not continue on to reinforce the more advanced militia battalions at Alola and Isurava. Potts made his way forward to Alola and assumed command of Maroubra Force from Brigadier Selwyn Porter on 23 August 1942. When he saw the shattered state of the 39th Battalion, he realised that to achieve his aims he would need to bring forward the relatively fresh 21st Brigade troops. Before he had a chance to implement this, the Japanese under Major General Tomitaro Horii
Tomitaro Horii
was a major general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.-Biography:Born in Hyōgo Prefecture, Horii became an infantry officer following his graduation from the 23rd class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1911....
attacked the 39th at Isurava on 26 August. For four days the Australians held off the enemy who had superiority in numbers and supplies. Potts moved in the 2/14th and 2/16th to support. The Japanese held elevated positions on either side of the main trail, and were able to hammer Maroubra Force with mortar and machine gun fire. Threatened with encirclement, Potts withdrew in stages, mounting small delaying actions where possible. Maroubra Force reached Efogi on 5 September.
On 3 September Potts had received orders from his superior in Port Morseby, Major General Arthur "Tubby" Allen
Arthur Samuel Allen
Major General Arthur Samuel "Tubby" Allen CB CBE DSO VD was an Australian soldier. During World War II he reached the rank of Major General and commanded Allied forces in the Syria-Lebanon and New Guinea campaigns...
, to hold Myola and gather for an offensive. However he considered the dry lake bed at Myola, surrounded by heights, as untenable. The following day, he signalled Allen, stating: "Country unsuitable for defended localities. Regret necessity abandon Myola. No reserves for counter-attack." Potts destroyed all supplies at Myola and moved south to the next suitable feature, Brigade Hill. Potts had been pleading with Allen for some time to be given his third battalion, the 2/27th. MacArthur insisted they stay at Port Moresby until success was gained at Milne Bay
Battle of Milne Bay
The Battle of Milne Bay, also known as Operation RE by the Japanese, was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Japanese marines attacked the Australian base at Milne Bay on the eastern tip of New Guinea on 25 August 1942, and fighting continued until the Japanese retreated on 5...
. Finally Allen released the 2/27th, who came up to join Maroubra Force at Kagi on 4 September, relieving the 39th Battalion. When the 2/14th and 2/16th arrived on 6 September, Potts finally had a full brigade. He aimed at holding each position for maximum time and at maximum cost to the enemy, before withdrawing. He was aware that with each mile back towards Port Moresby the Japanese supply and communication line became longer and more fragile.
Battle of Brigade Hill
Maroubra Force dug in on Brigade Hill, and awaited an attack. After dark on 6 September Horii's pursuing force appeared, slowly and carefully coming down the steep slope opposite the Australian position, their way lit by "lanterns" made of pieces of smouldering Australian rubber-coated signal wire. Horii patiently took his troops in a wide encircling movement around the Australians, despite a bombing raid called in by the alarmed Potts. Next morning Potts signalled Allen; "Will not give ground if you guarantee my line of communication … full of fight, but physically below par, mainly feet and dysentery … Respectfully consider offensive ops require more than one Bde [brigade] task."At 4.30 am on 8 September the attack came, initially frontal, then a flank attack of 5,000 men cut off Potts' Brigade HQ battalion from the rest of the force. At times the enemy were just 15 metres (16.4 yd) from the edge of Potts' perimeter. The signal wire had been cut by now, and communications with the battalions were shaky. A message got through by wireless transmitter, that if as seemed likely the HQ was wiped out, Major Anthony Caro, commander of 2/16th was to take command of the Brigade and fall back to Menari. Potts and his HQ were saved by the fact that Horii did not concentrate forces on eliminating them, instead maintaining overall pressure to try to annihilate all three battalions. 2/14th and 2/16th charged the Japanese lines but failed to break through to HQ. However the damage inflicted on the enemy was crucial in slowing their pursuit, as Potts made his way to Menari. He left orders for the battalions to make their own way and rejoin him there. As the Japanese controlled the main trail, all three battalions had to take rough secondary tracks or go cross country.
One major difference from battles in other theatres of the war was the burden of the wounded on their unit. They could not be left for the enemy to care for, as had been the case in Syria. Years later Potts recalled "We had to sit in the jungle listening to the screams of comrades tortured by the Japanese in an attempt to provoke an attack". Papuan bearers were not used in battle zones, so the wounded had to be carried by their comrades, slowing them down. 2/14th and 2/16th left their wounded to be carried by 2/27th, the last battalion to withdraw. 120 men at a time were engaged carrying stretcher cases. Many severely wounded men walked to free a stretcher for someone worse off than themselves. The Japanese pursued the 2/27th, but an audacious counter attack by 'B' and 'D' Companies bought the Australian rearguard some time. The adjutant of the 2/27th, Captain Harry Katekar, was quoted as saying, "The Japs were so shocked they broke contact. We didn't see them again that day".
The 2/14th and 2/16th Battalions slept where they fell on the trail on the night of 8 September, but managed to re-unite with Potts and 21st Brigade headquarters at Menari the next day. The 2/27th Battalion was unable to reach the village before the rest of the brigade was again forced to retreat by the advancing Japanese. Menari was extremely exposed to observation from further up the trail, and the village was already under barrage from Japanese artillery and light machine guns by the time the first 2/16th troops arrived. Potts waited for the 2/27th until 2.30 pm, then gave orders to abandon Menari. The 2/27th and their cargo of wounded from the other battalions were forced to follow paths parallel to the main trail, but eventually rejoined the main Australian force at Jawarere.
Rowell relieves Potts
During the Battle of Brigade Hill an Intelligence officer, Captain Geoff Lyon arrived from Port Moresby, sent by Allen to give him an on-the-ground assessment. He was able to contact Potts, and relayed to Allen the situation as it was at that moment—dire. Allen responded with a signal to Potts:"Has [Lyon's] message been sent with your approval? Is situation stated correct? Advise immediately." Potts, under close attack and facing being wiped out, replied simply "Message confirmed".
It was at this point that the commander of New Guinea Force, Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (Australia)
Lieutenant general is the second-highest active rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of lieutenant general. It is also considered a three-star rank....
Sydney Rowell
Sydney Rowell
Lieutenant General Sir Sydney Fairbairn Rowell, KBE, CB was an Australian soldier who served as Chief of the General Staff from 17 April 1950 to 15 December 1954...
decided to recall Potts to Port Moresby, returning Porter to command of the 21st Brigade. Rowell's motives have been debated, but they appear to be a combination of frustration at the lack of forward movement, and a desire to a have a first hand account of the situation. Rowell did not consult with Allen. He also sent a message to Major General George Alan Vasey, Deputy Chief of General Staff, informing him of Potts' removal. He continued "I trust you appreciate the gravity of immediate situation, and will produce additional troops asked for particularly infantry, with minimum delay".
When Potts arrived back in Port Moresby on 12 September Allen organised a meeting between Potts, Rowell and himself. Given a chance to relate the difficulties he had faced, and correct some misapprehensions, it appears Potts was able to mollify Rowell. Soon after, war correspondent Chester Wilmot
Chester Wilmot
Reginald William Winchester Wilmot was an Australian war correspondent who reported for the BBC and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation during the Second World War. After the war he continued to work as a broadcast reporter, and wrote a well-appreciated book about the liberation of Europe...
, who had also been over the Owen Stanley Ranges on foot and seen the fighting, was able to corroborate Potts' account in a meeting with Rowell.
Kokoda Trail Campaign after Potts' removal
Subsequent events serve to illustrate Potts' difficulties, and his success against the odds in command of the 21st Brigade. Potts handed over to Porter on 10 September at Nauro. Porter's first move was towards Port Moresby—to higher ground at Ioribiwa. Here he was joined by the 25th Brigade25th Brigade (Australia)
The 25th Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry unit of the Australian Army that served during the Second World War. Raised in July 1940 and consisting of three infantry battalions, the 25th Brigade served in the United Kingdom, the Middle East, New Guinea and Borneo before being disbanded in...
under Brigadier Ken Eather. With fresh troops, fighting an overstretched enemy, Eather still found he needed to withdraw to Imita Ridge. Rowell acceded to this request, but instructed Allen "any further withdrawal is out of the question". In August the Americans had landed at Guadalcanal. Now the Japanese hierarchy ordered Horii to make a fighting withdrawal to the Gona/Buna beachhead. The quick fall of Port Moresby they had anticipated had not come about, and as the campaign dragged on it was proving a drain on men and materiel needed elsewhere. After dealing with the American incursion at Guadalcanal, a new attack over the mountains of Papua could begin.
Potts' initial task had been to retake the village of Kokoda. In the end the 25th Brigade walked in and took vacant possession on 2 November, the Japanese having abandoned it some time before. The Japanese were by now a shadow of the powerful force that had faced Potts in August. The survivors were riddled with dysentery and starving. Some evidence points to cannibalism. Japanese war correspondent Seizo Okada reported that after receiving the order to return to Buna, "for a time the soldiers remained stupefied among the rocks on the mountain side. Then they began to move, and once in retreat they fled for dear life … discipline was completely forgotten".
Potts loses a supporter
On 12 September GeneralGeneral (Australia)
General is the second highest rank, and the highest active rank, of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of General; it is also considered a four-star rank....
Sir Thomas Blamey
Thomas Blamey
Field Marshal Sir Thomas Albert Blamey GBE, KCB, CMG, DSO, ED was an Australian general of the First and Second World Wars, and the only Australian to date to attain the rank of field marshal....
visited Port Moresby. At this point Maroubra Force (still under Potts) had withdrawn to Ioribiwa, but nearby the fresh 25th Brigade under Eather were about to step into the breach. Allen and Rowell were confident of prompt success against a clearly exhausted enemy, and Blamey was easily convinced to share their optimism. There were smiles all round as he flew back to Australia. He briefed Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
John Curtin
John Curtin
John Joseph Curtin , Australian politician, served as the 14th Prime Minister of Australia. Labor under Curtin formed a minority government in 1941 after the crossbench consisting of two independent MPs crossed the floor in the House of Representatives, bringing down the Coalition minority...
and the rest of the Advisory War Council on 17 September. Despite being met with some scepticism, Blamey supported his officers and maintained that there was nothing to fear—Port Moresby was safe from land attack.
That night Curtin received a call from MacArthur, who had just heard about Eather's withdrawal to Imita Ridge. MacArthur told Curtin to send Blamey back to Papua to take personal command of New Guinea Force. Curtin did so, and Blamey arrived in Port Moresby on 23 September. This put Rowell and Blamey on a collision course. They had a history of animosity going back to earlier in the war, first in the Middle East then in Greece. Rowell felt that Blamey should have supported him and stood up to Curtin and MacArthur. Relations were fractious, and on 28 September Rowell had had enough. He spoke his mind to his commanding officer, and was dismissed. Potts had just lost his major advocate in Papua.
Blamey confronts Potts
On 9 October the 21st Brigade regained their start point at Koitaki. Before the last troops had even made it in from the jungle, Allen asked for a parade. He passed on a personal message from Curtin to the Brigade, for "saving Port Moresby and thus Australia". On 22 October Blamey visited Koitaki at short notice. He requested a private audience with Potts, and Brigade HQ was vacated. Potts' Staff Captain Ken Murdoch was deeply involved in paperwork and somehow remained to witness the "private" conversation. According to Murdoch, Potts, fresh from Allen's glowing endorsement, began by extolling the virtues of his men, and expressed satisfaction with the boost to home front morale they had been able to provide.Blamey cut him short. He relieved Potts of his command, citing Potts' failure to hold back the Japanese, despite commanding "superior forces". Further, Potts had failed to re-take Kokoda despite explicit orders to do so. Blamey explained that Prime Minister John Curtin had told him to say that failures like Kokoda campaign would not be tolerated. Murdoch reports Blamey saying "the men had shown that something was lacking" and that their leaders were to blame. Potts furiously rejected any blame being attached to his battalion commanders. Blamey was not interested in debating the finer points, nor in allowing Potts to remain in contact with those same battalion commanders. He was to leave the brigade immediately and fly to Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
—a personal address to the brigade would not be possible, nor could he meet and brief his replacement. Murdoch says that the news spread rapidly, and as Staff Captain he was inundated with resignation papers from officers wishing to show solidarity with Potts. Potts instructed Murdoch to reject all resignations.
Rowell was replaced by Lieutenant General Edmund Herring
Edmund Herring
Lieutenant General Sir Edmund Francis Herring, KCMG, KBE, DSO, MC, KStJ, ED, QC was an Australian Army officer during the Second World War, Lieutenant Governor of Victoria, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria.A Rhodes scholar, Herring was at New College, Oxford, when the First World...
, a man close to Blamey. Now Herring chose Brigadier Ivan Dougherty
Ivan Dougherty
Major General Sir Ivan Noel Dougherty CBE, DSO & Bar, ED was an Australian Army officer during World War II.-Education and early life:...
to replace Potts. During his recent period of command in the Northern Territory, Herring had relieved both his brigadiers, replacing them with younger and better educated officers, one of whom was Dougherty, an officer in whom he had great confidence. Herring believed that his decision to replace Potts with Dougherty, who would command the 21st Brigade for the rest of the war, was the right one. Years later he told official historian Dudley McCarthy that: "We knew the terrain was most difficult and the Japs very good jungle fighters … we had a war to win and it was our job to call in the best man we could. It would have been wrong for us to allow ourselves to be influenced by Potts' feelings."
Potts' removal could charitably be attributed to Blamey's inadequate understanding of the circumstances Potts had dealt with on the Kokoda Trail. He may have genuinely believed that another commander in the same circumstances would have pushed back the Japanese and re-taken Kokoda. This is the tack taken by Dudley McCarthy in the official war history; "Blamey and Herring, who did not at that time understand so well the circumstances in which Potts found himself and the way he had acquitted himself, genuinely misjudged him". Other historians feel that Potts was a scapegoat, removed by Blamey to avoid a showdown with MacArthur. MacArthur maintained in a letter to the Chief of Staff of the United States Army
Chief of Staff of the United States Army
The Chief of Staff of the Army is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Army, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the Army; and is in...
, General George Marshall
George Marshall
George Catlett Marshall was an American military leader, Chief of Staff of the Army, Secretary of State, and the third Secretary of Defense...
, on 6 September that "the Australians have proven themselves unable to match the enemy in jungle fighting. Aggressive leadership is lacking". Peter Brune alleges that Blamey's removal of Potts was simple self-preservation. "It is staggering to contemplate that an Australian brigade commander could be thrust into a campaign with such a damning inadequacy of military intelligence, support and equipment and yet fight a near flawless fighting withdrawal where the military and political stakes were so terribly important and that could then be relieved from his command as a reward." General Robert Eichelberger wrote to Herring in 1959, after McCarthy's history appeared:
The "running rabbits" incident
On 9 November Blamey addressed the men of the 21st Brigade on the parade ground at Koitaki. The men of Maroubra Force expected congratulations for their efforts in holding back the Japanese. However, instead of praising them, Blamey told the brigade that they had been "beaten" by inferior forces, and that "no soldier should be afraid to die". Captain H.D. "Blue" Steward, medical officer of the 2/16th recalled "The troops could have withstood the Japanese field gun more easily than what they received. Blamey got them on edge almost at once by saying that they had been beaten by inferior troops in inferior numbers. Then he made his famous remark that 'the rabbit that ran away is the rabbit that got shot'. The whole parade was almost molten with rage and indignation." Blamey's personal assistant Lieutenant Colonel Norman Carlyon, realised that damage had been done. "Standing beside the small platform from which Blamey was to address the troops, I realised that he was in a most aggressive mood. He was soon expressing this in harsh words … It amazed me that Blamey should deal so insensitively with the men of such a well-proven brigade."After the rank and file had left, Blamey addressed the officers. He questioned whether they were worthy of their men, and told them they must improve. Potts was initially dismissive about Blamey's address, when informed about it by Major Albert Caro. He passed on the news in a letter to Dawn; "… apparently most of the troops take the speech as a colossal joke against the speaker…" He did however write to Allen asking him to "take the necessary action" regarding Blamey's remarks. By the New Year he had been given further details and was enraged. Again writing to his wife; "Hugh sent me a precis of his (T's) speech to the old team and to the officers. Hells Bells, it was a cowardly bit of work and untrue in every detail. I'll fry his soul in the next world for that bit of 'passing the buck'. Surely a man in his position is big enough to carry his own mistakes."
Potts was not the victim of the Koitaki speech. He had already been removed, and appears to have been already marked for minor roles only in the rest of the war. Although Potts was incensed, the real damage done at Koitaki was to the careers of the next generation of young officers. Potts was aware as the war proceeded that men he had trained, cajoled, blasted, encouraged and fought alongside were damned for their association with him. Some have alleged that 21st Brigade's next combat role in the battle for Gona saw excessive casualties, due to the burning desire to erase Blamey's slur. "By the time the battle for Gona had concluded, the Blamey slur at Koitaki had manifested itself in the interference in the command structure, and the resultant slaughter of soldiers."
In Darwin with 23rd Brigade
Potts replaced Dougherty as commander of the 23rd Brigade23rd Brigade (Australia)
The 23rd Brigade was a brigade of the Australian Army. Formed in 1940 for service during the Second World War, the brigade was initially a formation of the Second Australian Imperial Force assigned to the 8th Division, however, after its subunits were captured by the Japanese in 1942 it was...
in Darwin. It had originally been an AIF brigade, composed of volunteers who were able to serve abroad. As the Japanese advanced through 1941 and 1942, its original battalions had been sent to Ambon
Battle of Ambon
The Battle of Ambon occurred on the island of Ambon in the Dutch East Indies , on 30 January – 3 February 1942, during World War II. A Japanese invasion was resisted by Dutch and Australian forces...
, Rabaul
Battle of Rabaul (1942)
The Battle of Rabaul, also known by the Japanese as Operation R, was fought on the island of New Britain in the Australian Territory of New Guinea, in January and February 1942. It was a strategically significant defeat of Allied forces by Japan in the Pacific campaign of World War II...
and Timor. They were replaced with battalions from the Militia
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
, men who had been conscripted, and could only serve on Australian soil unless they volunteered for the AIF. Friction was inevitable, and the new officers were not all talented man-managers.
With his new brigade, Potts had a new set of battalion commanders, who he proceeded to push to meet his high standards. His methods did not always meet with approval from his superiors. Meanwhile he was distressed to hear news of his former charges in 21st Brigade. Under Dougherty at Gona they had been thrown against an entrenched Japanese force, which had been massively underestimated in strength. Many good men who had fought alongside Potts in the Middle East and Kokoda died at Gona. He wrote to Dawn "…it's a hundred times worse taking that sort of punch [hearing of the casualties] while I am sitting safe".
Amid the carnage, Lieutenant Colonel Albert Caro, Major Ben Hearman and Lieutenant Colonel Cooper all protested to Dougherty that his tactics were at fault. They all were punished with transfers to backwaters. Cooper (shot in the hip at Gona) has recalled; "…they used to say there were two types of officers: those who were always going to reach the top, and then the others that are always at fault. But then there is the other type like Arnold Potts, who just get on with the job and do it superbly. They are efficient and successful and save men's lives while they go about it. But Arnold Potts wasn't at Gona.
Potts dealt with his difficulties by devoting himself to training his brigade. It was said that by the time they were committed to action, his 7th and 8th Battalions were better trained than any AIF battalion before them. In April 1943 Blamey inspected and was very impressed with the quality of the brigade. By this stage the Northern Territory Force GOC was "Tubby" Allen, also marking time in a relative backwater. Allen steered Potts away from controversy during Blamey's visit.
By March 1944, 23rd Brigade was still training, now in Queensland. Potts kept the pressure on his men, and it was not always welcome. Many of them had not been under fire, and could not relate the punishing fitness regime and battalion manoeuvres to actual combat, as he could. Allen had moved on and Potts' GOC was now Major General Stanley Savige
Stanley Savige
Lieutenant General Sir Stanley George Savige, KBE, CB, DSO, MC, ED , was an Australian Army soldier and officer who served in World War I and World War II, rising to the rank of lieutenant general....
. Savige hauled him over the coals for being too tough on his battalion commanders. Potts had long term fears for the future, if the pressure on Japan was eased. He confided to Dawn; "I'm scared stiff we'll all go soft because of further casualties and not hammer the Jap flat. We lose them in this war and the next will be the kids".
In April at last the Brigade was posted overseas, initially to Lae in New Guinea Territory, then to the Wau area. The Brigade, now part of II Corps, continued training. Potts was much happier with his battalion commanding officers, but was able to write to Dawn; "I put over a pretty brutal talk to COs … on matters of jealousies, viewpoints and lack of teamwork. Trod on corns all round and am not popular but that will pass."
Bougainville Campaign
Finally II Corps was transferred to the Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands campaign
The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, during the first six months of 1942...
. The 23rd Brigade set up HQ in the Green Islands, north of Bougainville on 27 September 1944.
Green Islands
The battalions were spread out guarding airfields and naval installations on various neighbouring islands. Potts agitated for a more focused and aggressive role. He was aware that among his troops were men who had volunteered for overseas service four years previously. He also feared that a passive garrison role in the tropics would sap the fitness and discipline he had painstakingly instilled. Potts did his homework, and proposed to Savige a four point plan of action for the Brigade:- General reconnaissance against nearby enemy territory, followed by attacks to root out enemy remnants:
- on ChoiseulChoiseul-People:*Choiseul . Holders include:-** Caesar, duc de Choiseul , French marshal and diplomat, generally known for the best part of his life as marshal du Plessis-Praslin** Claude de Choiseul , marshal of France in 1693...
(believed to harbour 300 Japanese) - at the northern end of Bougainville (1,300)
- and on Buka IslandBuka IslandBuka Island is the second largest island in the Papua New Guinean province of Bougainville.- History :Buka was first occupied by humans in paleolithic times, some 30,000 years ago...
(1,000)
Savige rejected the plans. His justification in the official war history provides a fair and reasonable portrait of Potts, as seen from above in the chain of command: "Potts was a very gallant man and looked for fights, but looking without planning the ways and means to land and support troops on hostile shores was another thing. Further, Potts always found it difficult to envisage or accommodate himself to the overall plan of his commander … Potts was a character apart from the rest. His personal courage was unsurpassed and his genial nature drew one to him. However, his zeal to be on patrol or with the leading section denied him control of operations which led him to countenance fear of some disaster overtaking his troops".
Savige eventually realised the northern islands were so quiet, that the 23rd would be better deployed at Torokina
Torokina
Torokina is a coastal village on the island of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. It is located on the western coast of that island, at ....
in central Bougainville. This required MacArthur's approval, which took three months. The brigade passed the time enjoying the facilities that the American garrison troops had left behind, when they were transferred to more glamorous work re-conquering the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Potts went home on leave to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
for nearly two months, rejoining the brigade at the end of January 1945. Shortly after he received a curt signal from II Corps HQ, asking why he had not nominated anyone for medals recently.
Central Bougainville
On 10 April Savige gave Potts control of the central Bougainville sector. He immediately sent out patrols to sniff out Japanese. This put him at odds with Major George Winning, a former commando who had surveyed the whole island when Australian troops first arrived. Winning called Bougainville "a self-supporting POW camp". "To fight a war here and provoke hostilities will be nothing more than sinful destruction and wastage of bloody fine men who deserve to be laid off and sent home to their people". In Potts' view, taking a brigade trained to the peak of fitness and primed to attack and then giving them a garrison job, was actually more hazardous than sending them into battle. He had already lost one battalion commander in Bougainville, not in combat but in a plane crash while on a reconnaissance flight.Potts established that there was a force of 40–50 enemy in the Berry's Hill area, and had reason to believe they were being reinforced. With artillery support and air support from the Royal New Zealand Air Force
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
, the Australians killed and captured a number of the Japanese and pushed their front line forward. Soon resistance stiffened, and it was clear that the hill was held by a significant force. As II Corps had introduced a "no casualties" policy, the Australians withdrew, with one slightly wounded. Patrolling and harassing without any serious engagements continued until June, when 23rd Brigade was sent north.
Northern Bougainville
Potts' new assignment was to contain Japanese troops in the narrow Bonis PeninsulaBonis Peninsula
The Bonis Peninsula is a narrow peninsula located on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, at the north of the island. The Buka Passage separates the peninsula from Buka Island....
and push them north towards the Buka Passage at the end. There was now believed to be 1,200 Japanese on the peninsula and 1,400 on Buka Island across the passage. By 28 June Potts had his 27th and 8th Battalions positioned at the base of the peninsula, on the east and west sides respectively. The Australian lines of communication were quite stretched, and the Japanese infiltrated constantly. In July an Australian wood-chopping party was attacked and two field ambulance men were killed. The next day a jeep was wrecked by a mine. 8th Battalion lost Captain Ogden to another mine and Lieutenant Webb, killed while leading an ambush patrol.
Following the failure of the landing at Porton Plantation
Battle of Porton Plantation
The Battle of Porton Plantation took place at Porton Plantation, near the village of Soraken on Bougainville Island, in the Solomon Islands archipelago during World War II...
the planned Australian advance into the Bonis Peninsula was called off. II Corps' focus now moved to the south, leaving Potts and 23rd Brigade to perform a holding role along the Ratsua front.
Battle of Ratsua
The Battle of Ratsua occurred during the Second World War and involved Australian and Japanese forces. Part of the wider Bougainville Campaign of the Pacific theatre, the battle took place in the northern sector of Bougainville between June and August 1945...
While carrying this out, with Savige forbidding any forward motion, the brigade lost 7 killed and 17 wounded in patrols and ambushes, three killed and two wounded by friendly mortar fire, 12 wounded by their own booby traps and five in other accidents. During this phase Private Frank Partridge
Frank John Partridge
Frank John Partridge VC was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, a farmer and a television quiz champion.-Early life:Partridge was born at Grafton, New South Wales...
won his Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for clearing a number of enemy bunkers despite being seriously wounded.
The Japanese were running low on ammunition and food. They rarely fired unless they had a good target. Potts recorded in his report that enemy morale was good, however "Food captured in the field kitchens consisted mainly of bamboo shoots, roots and vegetable matter generally. Evidence of cannibalism occurred on two occasions, flesh being cut from the calf and thigh of dead Japanese". As Bougainville was now a very low priority theatre, the Australians also suffered from supply problems. Inadequate shipping, artillery, ammunition and medical supplies hampered Potts' efforts. The 27 Battalion diary recorded on 1 July; "We've been promised tanks but they have yet to be sighted … the water situation is also difficult. The L of C [line of command] … is over 3000 yards long, 2500 yards of which cannot be covered, and consequently enables the Jap to ambush it just when he likes". However at least they were neither starving nor abandoned totally by their hierarchy, like the Japanese.
Despite these difficulties, Potts continued to conjure up attacking schemes. On 10 July he badgered Savige about an offensive in the Porton area of the Bonis Peninsula. Savige rejected this as completely contrary to their standing orders, and concluded from questioning him that Potts had actually not read them. In his opinion;
"I think this is sufficient to understand Potts and the spirit within his Brigade. Had he lived to fight at Waterloo in a square, when the sole requirement was dogged bravery, he would have been a most successful commander. In modern warfare he was a lone wolf whose chief interest was to lead a patrol or wander along a track in his jeep or on foot." He linked this tendency to the Kokoda campaign. "Potts feels he must redeem his name after the events of the Kokoda Trail…" For his part, Potts had had enough of the static yet vulnerable role on the Ratsua front, and asked Savige to withdraw his Brigade to a smaller front around Buoi. Following this a number of small scale actions continued along the front until offensive action was discontinued on 11 August, after the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan on 6 August and 9 August.
End game in Bougainville
Emperor Hirohito formally announced the end of hostilities in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
on 15 August, but his loyal troops in the Solomons did not hear the news for some time. II Corps HQ at Torokina advised Australian commanders that it may take 8 days for the information to reach Japanese troops in Bougainville. Potts flew to Torokina for a briefing on the surrender. He was dismayed to realise that front-line troops would play no part in the surrender—"a poor reward to the troops for months of fighting". The Japanese commander, General Masatane Kanda
Masatane Kanda
-Notes:...
, was kept waiting by his superiors in Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
for permission to surrender. Finally on 7 September, he and Vice-Admiral Tomoshige Samejima
Tomoshige Samejima
-Notes:...
arrived at Torokina and formally surrendered to Savige.
Potts returned to 23rd Brigade at Soraken
Soraken
Soraken is a village on the Soraken Peninsula on northwestern Bouganville. The Soraken copra plantation was setup by Choisel Plantations in January 1913 and a tramway system long was constructed. The railway is now is disrepair...
, where he learned he would be taking charge of all of Bougainville and neighbouring islands. Now it truly was a prisoner of war camp as suggested by Major Winning. There were 18,000 Japanese in the Fauro Island
Fauro Island
Fauro Island is an island, part of the Shortland Islands, Solomon Islands, located at ....
area, and camps at Torokina eventually held 8,000. Massive quantities of Japanese arms and ammunition were destroyed or dumped in the sea. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Court
Charles Court
Sir Charles Walter Michael Court, was a Western Australian politician, 21st Premier of Western Australia and member for the seat of Nedlands for the Liberal Party for nearly 30 years.-Early life:...
, on Savige's staff, arranged a parade of senior Japanese officers for Potts. He warned them, "This is one man on our side we haven't been able to convince the war is over". Potts, in full regalia, inspected the seventeen generals and fifteen admirals, all standing rigidly at attention despite tattered uniforms. Court had told him that the Japanese would be expecting fireworks. But at the end of his inspection, having returned to the front and faced his defeated enemy, Potts exclaimed "Good show!" and went along the line shaking hands. Later he said "Many dreadful things had been done during the course of the war – by both sides. There should not be recriminations after the event. Once it was over it was over".
Potts handed over command of the 23rd Brigade to Brigadier Noel Simpson on 4 December 1945. His farewell order to troops said; "The standard of efficiency as a Brigade and the fighting spirit of the troops will remain always as a vivid memory". The next day he flew home to Australia. For his service on Bougainville Potts was Mentioned in Despatches twice.
Later life
Following the war, Potts returned to farming in Western Australia and briefly attempted to pursue a career in politics, standing unsuccessfully in 1949 as a Country PartyNational Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
candidate for the federal seat of Forrest
Division of Forrest
The Division of Forrest is an Australian Electoral Division in Western Australia. The division was created in 1922 and is named for Sir John Forrest, the first Premier of Western Australia and a federal Cabinet minister. It is located in the south-western corner of the state, including the towns of...
on the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
. In 1960 Potts was awarded the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in the New Years Honours List. After suffering a number of strokes which left him wheelchair bound, he died on 1 January 1968 at Kojonup, aged 71.
External links
- Who’s who in Australian Military History - Australian War MemorialAustralian War MemorialThe Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia...