The 42nd Battalion transferred from Yeppoon to Tiaro about 20 miles from Maryborough in March 1942. They made the trip by transport and trains. The 47th Battalion arrived from Maryborough and the 15th Battalion from Brisbane. Thus the newly formed 29th Infantry Brigade were assembled together for the first time. Their camp area was located on the small ridge behind the cemetery.

The troops were allowed 2 gallons of water per day. The Tiaro Shire Hall was used as an office. A special leave train was run to Rockhampton.

In April 1942, some Intelligence personnel and a recce party left for an unknown destination. They boarded the Townsville mail train.

After some confusion in establishing a suitable camp site, the Battalion arrived late at night at Stuart Creek railway siding near the gaol just outside Townsville. The whole 5th Australian Division moved there in 42 trains. They then moved to Nome where a line ran down to Alligator Creek meatworks.

During the night 19 July 1942, the air raid siren went off. A Japanese plane had come in from the sea and was quickly picked up by the searchlights. All its bombs landed in the sea. A similar incident happened on 26 July 1942 and another raid occurred on 29 July 1942.

My father, James Thomas " Jim" Dunn was a machine gunner attached to the HQ Company of the 42nd Battalion. 

He later heard that Jim was a radio mechanic before he joined the Army. Green never let on that the radio had been stolen. He got Jim to fix the radio and they were able to listen to reports on the war each night.

December 1942 was full of rumours which were confirmed in January 1943. The Battalion was going overseas. They dyed their khaki clothing to a green colour.

Their first Japanese air raid came about a week after they landed. About 27 planes came over on a Sunday afternoon and pattern bombed No. 3 strip.

Bombing raids were numerous, particularly on moon-lit nights. No casualties resulted.

The Battalion was ordered to relieve the 61st Australian Infantry Battalion manning the coastal defences in the Gili Gili and Rabi sectors of Milne Bay. They camped in the Wehuria Creek area. On the edge of nearby Turnbull strip was a monument marking the most forward point reached by the Japanese.

42nd Battalion on Bougainville
Jim "Rowdy" Dunn, 2nd from left in front row

My dad, Jim Dunn in his parents back yard in Bolsover Street, Rockhampton

All letters written by troops back to their family and friends were all seen by the censor who would often cut out or blot out sections of the letter to protect the identity and location of units, etc to ensure useful information could not fall into enemy hands.

Many troops would devise codes etc to allow them to keep their family informed of their whereabouts. My father, Jim Dunn, used a numbered code in his letters home to his mother in Rockhampton. This allowed her to determine exactly where her son Jim was. She would then write to her other son John (Jack) Joseph Dunn who was based in Townsville with 36 Squadron RAAF using a similar code. Jack was a flight mechanic on Dakotas. Jack would then volunteer for a flight to the area where Jim was in New Guinea and attempt to meet up with him. In the mean time their mother would bake some cakes and post them through to Jack in Townsville so that he could take them up to his brother Jim. On one of the trips to New Guinea, Jack went to the open air picture shows that were held for the soldiers. He sat against a 44 gallon drum and whistled their special whistle that they used to help locate each other. Jim was leaning against the other side of the same drum!