Nadzab September 1943 – Aussie Gunners Parachute Into History
The airborne seizure of Nadzab airfield on 5 September 1943 marked a decisive moment in the New Guinea campaign and a formative episode in the history of Australian airborne warfare.
Designated Operation ALAMO, the seizure of Nadzab was to secure an inland airhead as part of the Allied envelopment and capture of the strategic port of Lae (Operation POSTERN).
The operation demonstrated the effective integration of air-power, airborne infantry, and rapidly deployed ground forces. For the Australian Army, it also represented a milestone: the first operational parachute descent by Australian soldiers – artillerymen of the 2/4th Field Regiment, some who were making their first jump.
Into the Markham Valley
On the morning of 5 September, the Markham Valley shook under the weight of Allied airpower. Waves of North American B-25 Mitchell bombers swept low across the kunai grass, their machine guns scything the drop zone as fragmentation bombs burst across the plain. Douglas A-20 aircraft followed, laying smoke to obscure the objective. Above them, a vast formation of C-47 transports approached in tight formation.
At 2,000 feet, the order rang out inside the aircraft: “Stand up! Hook up! Check equipment! Stand in the door… Go!” Moments later, battalions of the U.S. 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) descended onto Nadzab, securing the airfield for the air-landing of the Australian 7th Division.
Among those following them into battle were 31 Australian artillerymen—volunteers from the 2/4th Field Regiment—tasked with an extraordinary mission: to parachute in with two dismantled two QF 25-Pounder Short field guns (a cut down version of the 25 Pounder for jungle warfare and known as ‘snorts’ by the gun crews). and provide immediate fire support to the airborne force.
Selection for an Unknown Mission
The concept originated on 8 August, when the regiment’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Alan Blyth, proposed to Major General George Vasey, General Officer Commanding the 7th Division, that a two-gun section of 25-pounder Short guns be parachuted in to support the U.S. 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment during the seizure of Nadzab airstrip. With no suitable American artillery available for the role, Vasey approved the plan.
The Australian gunners were selected in secrecy. Blyth selected four lieutenants, each tasked with choosing around ten capable men from their batteries. These volunteers were quietly chosen by the junior officers – Lieutenants John Pearson, Frank Ross, Frank Faulkner, and “Puck” Evans – who were directed to identify reliable, physically robust, and technically proficient men. As one of those selected, Gunner Ian Robertson, later recalled, even close friends were unaware of each other’s involvement until the final assembly.
The selection process was informal but deliberate. The officers sought “good all-round men”: soldiers capable not only of enduring physical hardship, but also of mastering complex technical tasks under pressure. For many, the offer came with little explanation. As one gunner remembered, it was simply described as a “delicate mission”—dangerous, secret, and voluntary.
Once assembled, the men underwent a week of intensive physical conditioning: forced marches, beach runs, rope climbing, and tumbling drills. Designated Light Section 2/4th Field Regiment, on August 22, they were transported to join the American paratroopers of the 503rd PIR near Port Moresby. It was here, seeing parachutes and transport aircraft, that the nature of their mission became apparent.
Colonel Kinsella, commanding the 503rd, was surprised to learn the Australians had been selected rather than volunteered. When offered the chance to withdraw, not a single man stepped forward.
Preparing for the Jump
In 1943, the development of the Australian Airborne capability was still in its infancy and the gunners’ preparation was necessarily compressed. Instruction was provided by American paratroopers and focused on the essentials: exit drills, parachute landing falls, and equipment handling.
Most of the Australians conducted just one training jump, from 1,200 feet (365 metres) at the “30-Mile” airstrip outside Port Moresby. Even this proved hazardous—several men were injured, including Lieutenant Evans, who was replaced at short notice by Lieutenant Alan Clayton, a volunteer who would make his first parachute jump into combat.
The guns were dismantled and rigged for parachute delivery, then the Australian gunners flew from Jackson’s Field to Tsili Tsili, then boarded five C-47s for the flight to Nadzab.
Green Light On – “Go!”
The flight to Nadzab was brief – barely ten minutes from the intermediate strip at Tsili Tsili. The aircraft climbed to just 600 feet. With the aircraft doors removed, they endured intense cold over the Owen Stanley Range. Due to their inexperience, the fledging Australian paratroopers were going to jump without personal weapons. Inside the aircraft, tension mounted as the red light flickered on.
“Stand up! Hook up! Check equipment! Sound off for equipment check!”
The door opened. Wind and noise filled the fuselage.
“Stand in the door!”
The light turned green.
“GO! you bastards, jump!”
Lieutenant Pearson exited first, followed by the rest. Gunner Ian “Robbie” Robertson exited awkwardly, tumbling headfirst before his parachute snapped open with a violent crack, wrenching him upright. For a moment, suspended in the still air above the Markham Valley, the war seemed distant. Then reality returned quickly—the ground was rising fast.
“Six hundred feet is not that high,” he later reflected.
He struggled to recall his training: stop oscillation, grasp the shrouds, turn into the wind. Then impact—rolling, fumbling for the release buckle, and suddenly it was over.
Around him, other gunners were landing in the tall kunai grass. Only one, Gunner Lidgerwood, was injured, breaking his collarbone, after landing in a tree.
Assembling the Guns and into Action
The guns and equipment were pushed from separate aircraft before their dispatchers jumped. A strong crosswind carried men and equipment west of the intended drop zone. Landing in tall kunai grass, the gunners quickly regrouped around Lieutenant Pearson, guided by his voice through a megaphone. Weapons were retrieved from panniers, and search parties dispatched to locate the scattered components of the two “baby” 25-pounder Short guns.
Sergeant Wally Murnane’s detachment was the first to recover a complete set. Working rapidly, they assembled the gun and by mid afternoon it was ready for action. The second gun was proving to be more elusive, its components scattered over a wide area. It was not until the following days that Sergeant Jimmy Thompson’s crew succeeded in locating and assembling it.
Overhead, supplies began to arrive, dropped by B-17 bombers. At one point, a loose ammunition box hurtled dangerously over the gun position before crashing into the grass.
Despite the successful landing, the expected Japanese counterattack never materialised and the guns weren’t called into action. Instead, the gunners faced an unexpected threat: fire. American efforts to clear the airstrip by burning the kunai grass quickly spread beyond control. Only the quick reaction of the Australians prevented the flames from overrunning their position.
By nightfall, exhaustion overtook the men. As Robertson later described, they “slept like the dead in silken parachutes,” sustained by American rations and the relief of survival.
The following days saw the gunners deployed in support of American infantry patrols. Robertson himself accompanied a forward company toward Gabsonkek (Gabsongkeg), laying signal cable through dense terrain. Contact with the enemy was limited; only a handful of rounds were fired in anger.
Consolidation and Aftermath
Within 24 hours of the drop, transport aircraft began landing elements of the Australian 7th Division at Nadzab. The rapid build-up of combat power enabled a coordinated advance on Lae, which fell on 16 September 1943.
The airborne gunners remained at Nadzab, supporting the 503rd PIR as the airfield developed into a major Allied base. Though their direct combat engagement was limited, their presence provided a critical capability at a vulnerable stage of the operation.
Following this successful experimental operation, several officers undertook jumpmaster training in preparation for future missions, though no further combat jumps were conducted. All members of the 2/4th Field Regiment who participated were awarded the Commander-in-Chief’s Card and received certificates of congratulations from General Sir Thomas Blamey in recognition of their gallantry in undertaking the jump with minimal training.
Significance
The Nadzab operation stands as a landmark in both Allied airborne warfare and Australian military history. It demonstrated the effectiveness of vertical envelopment in the Pacific theatre and highlighted the value of integrating artillery into airborne operations.
For the Australian Army, the jump represented a first: a small group of artillerymen, selected for their skill and resilience, trained in haste, and committed to an operation that demanded both courage and adaptability. Their success underscored the professionalism of the regiment and hinted at the future potential of airborne forces within the Australian context.
It should be noted that the Australian para-gunners did not qualify for the Australian parachute badge, but they were entitled to the US Army Parachute Badge with Combat Jump Star. However, official authority to wear these wings was only granted in 1990, largely due to the efforts of the 2/4th Field Regiment Association. A presentation ceremony took place in Melbourne on 7 May 1990 where 14 surviving veterans of the jump in 1943 were finally awarded their wings. Juleswings Collection.
Light Section 2/4th Australian Field Regiment Nominal Rolls
The Para Gunners who jumped at Nadzab for Operation ALAMO
VX23194 Anderson, N L GNR (Norm)
QX5705 Begbie, KR GNR (Keith)
VX54258 Boal, J W GNR (Johnny)
SX4955 Braddock, DJ GNR (Stacker)
VX42706 Clayton A C LT (Allen) (1st Jump)
VX15331 Dawson, TC LBDR (Bluey)
VX18901 Donnelly, A L GNR (Fatso)
VX39718 Faulkner, F A LT (Petrol Tank)
VX31917 Gribben, H A GNR (Grubs)
NX123520 Head, RT GNR (Dickhead)
VX18430 Hobart, W ELBDR (Tassy)
VX15776 Hooper, W R GNR (Wally)
VX50239 Indian, W G LBDR (Mohawk)
VX16351 Kennedy, C C GNR (Col)
VX20437 Kettle, T A GNR (Drew)
VX35620 Laurie, W D LBDR (Don)
VX50125 Lidgerwood, WJ GNR (Big Bill)
VX50110 Mathison, TM GNR (Max)
VX17843 Murnane, W C SGT (Wally)
VX56928 Murray, CH GNR (Col)
VX39725 Pearson, J N LT (Johnny) MC (KIA 1 Jul 1945 in Borneo)
VX17969 Pepper, HO GNR (Pepper)
VX50978 Robertson, I G GNR (Robby) (Mentioned in Dispatches)
NX138182 Ross, F EH LT (Duntroon Dick) (KIA 14 Jul 1945 in Borneo)
VX17937 Sheil, SH J GNR (Jack)
VX36977 Smith, H GNR (Bill)
VX52040 Stannard, J W GNR (Jack)
VX19625 Swaish, VM LBDR (Vic)
VX14531 Thompson, A J SGT (Jim)
VX50813 Webb, W C LBDR (Bill)
VX16353 Wilson, D M GNR (Crief)
Injured in the practice Jump for Nadzab
VX50519 Coutts, CR GNR (Colin)
VX20423 Evans, A D LT (Puck)
VX21544 Stuart, R M GNR (Ray)
Those who undertook one jump during Jumpmaster training
VX14447 Dweeryhouse, FP LT (Fred)
VX16298 Feely, T JLT (Terry)
VX15739 Houghton, W V LT (Vasey)
NX58522 Moodie, AN LT (Neville)
