BRIGADIER GENERAL BONNER F. FELLERS
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WWII

Brigadier General Bonner F. Fellers was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff, G-1 Section of General Headquarters Southwest Pacific Area in Brisbane, Queensland in 1943.

General Douglas MacArthur's Office diary shows the following entries that mention Bonner Fellers:-

Saturday, 16 October 1943
Conference with British Press Delegation at 1200. Conference with General Fellers at 1630.

Wednesday, 10 November 1943
Rear Admiral Van Hook at 1100 (replacement for Admiral Jones). Major Jesus Villamor
at 1200. General MacNider at 1630. Admiral Jones at 1800. General Fellers at 1840.

Friday, 3 March 1944
At 1000 Generals Kenney, Chamberlin and Marshall. At 1630 Admirals Halsey, Carney
and staff, Generals Marshall, Chamberlin, Whitlock and Fellers, and Admiral Kinkaid.

Tuesday, 23 May 1944
At 1700 Mrs. Arthur Grenfell, Vice President of the British YWCA. At 1715 General
Fellers.

Wednesday, 26 July 1944
Accompanied by Brigadier General Fellers, Colonel Lehrbas, Lieutenant Colonel
Godman, Lieutenant Colonel Chambers, MC, Major Rhoades, and ATC crew of which
Major Hayes was pilot, departed Eagle Farm, Brisbane, at 0820 (252220 GCT). Arrived
Tontuta, New Caledonia, 261255 (260255 GCT). Departed Tontuta 261340 Brisbane
time (260340 GCT). Arrived Canton Island 262350 Brisbane time (261330 GCT).

Saturday, 29 July 1944
Accompanied by Brigadier General Fellers, Lieutenant Colonel Godman, Lieutenant
Colonel Chambers, MC, Major Rhoades, and ATC crew of which Major Hayes was pilot,
departed Honolulu 291015 Brisbane time (290015 GCT). Arrived Tarawa, Gilbert
Islands, 292125 Brisbane time (291125 GCT). Departed Tarawa 292220 Brisbane time
(291220 GCT).

Thursday, 10 August 1944
At 1100 Colonel Ritchie, War Department. At 1730 General Fellers. At 1745 Generals
Marshall and Chamberlain.

Thursday, 31 August 1944
At 1730 General Fellers.

Friday, 1 September 1944
At 1050 General Lumsden. At 1130 General Fellers, Dr. Hayden and Lt Colonel
Crossman. At 1715 Colonel Diller and Mr. Wilson and Mr. Bray, local Brisbane
newspapermen. At 1800 Colonel Lehrbas, who arrived from TD and leave in U.S. at
1430.

Saturday, 2 September 1944
At 1130 General Fellers. At 1630 Admiral Kinkaid. At 1645 Colonel Diller. At 1700
General Fellers.

Friday, 8 September 1944
At 1700 General Fellers

Tuesday, 19 September 1944
Accompanied by General Fellers, Colonel Lehrbas, Lt Colonel Egeberg and M/Sgt
Bothne departed Hollandia 0830. Arrived Port Moresby 1215.

Wednesday, 20 September 1944
Accompanied by General Fellers, Colonel Lehrbas, Lt Colonel Egeberg and M/Sgt
Bothne departed Port Moresby 0800. Arrived Townsville 1130. Departed Townsville
1230. Arrived Brisbane 1600.

Saturday, 23 September 1944
At 1130 General Fellers and Colonel Whitney.

Sunday, 24 September 1944
At 1130 General Fellers and Colonel Whitney. At 1630 General Fellers and Colonel
Whitney.

Monday, 25 September 1944
At 1100 General Fellers and Colonel Whitney. At 1130 General Stivers. At 1730 Stanley
Gunn and Raymond Turk, accredited newspaper correspondents.

Friday, 27 October 1944
At 0900 Colonel Whitney. At 0930 to Capitol to see President Osmena. At 1030 to Sixth
Army Headquarters to see General Krueger. At 1400 General Fellers. At 1430 Colonel
Whitney.

Friday, 3 November 1944
At 1700 General Fellers. At 1930 Generals Whitehead and Wurtsmith.

Wednesday, 29 November 1944
At 0900 General Fellers. At 1100 General Marshall. At 1125 General Chamberlin. At
1500 Captain Freehof.

Thursday, 21 December 1944
At 1000 Captain Downes, USN, of the “Boise”. At 1015 Admiral Berkey. At 1030 General
Kenney. At 1045 Lieutenant Brenner. At 1700 General Fellers. At 2100 Colonel
Chambers. At 2130 General Marshall.

Thursday, 4 January 1945
Departed Tacloban on board the USS Boise (Captain Downses) with the following:
General Fellers, Colonel Ballantyne, Colonel Craig, Colonel Lehrbas, Col Soriano,
Colonel Wheeler, Lieutenant Colonel Egeberg, Major Burton, Major McCampbell,
Captain Barker, and Chief Warrant Officer Rogers.

Tuesday, 9 January 1945
Attacked Japanese defences along Lingeyan Gulf. 1400 General MacArthur went ashore
accompanied by Generals Sutherland, Akin, Marshall, Fellers, Aides, and other
members of the party on the cruiser. At 1500 visited General Patrick at Headquarters, 6th
Infantry Division on the beach. Jeeped toward Dagupan until stopped by bombed out
bridge.

Wednesday, 10 January 1945
Went ashore accompanied by Generals Sutherland, Marshall, Fellers, and Aides, etc.,
and made an inspection trip along the entire beach where troops and supplies were
being landed.

Friday, 26 January 1945
The General’s birthday. General Krueger to exchange compliments since it was also his
birthday. Jeeped by way of Capas and Bambang to Mabalocat and No. 1 and 2 airfields.
Asome shelling. More than 100 destroyed Jap planes on the field. To high ground
overlooking Clark AFields accompanied by General Fellers and Colonels Soriano,
Lehrbas, and Egeberg. Promoted Egeberg to full Colonel.

Thursday, 1 February 1945
To Clark Field and Fort Stotsenberg for inspection of area including commanding
officer’s quarters, burned hospital, etc., accompanied by General Fellers and Colonels
Lehrbas, Egeberg, and Soriano.

Saturday, 3 February 1945
At 0600 to 37th Division via Calumpit, Bocaue to Mariloa; was stopped by fire fighting,
accompanied by Generals Beightler and Fellers and Colones Lehrbas, Egeberg, and
Soriano. At 1700 General Dunckel.

Wednesday, 7 February 1945
To Manila with General Fellers and Colonels Lehrbas, Egeberg, and Soriano, where met
Generals Grisswald, Beightler, Mudge, and Chase. Visited freed prisoners of war at
Bilibid; visited 3,700 liberated civilian internees at Santo Tomas, receiving tremendous
and dramatic ovation from all. To inspect Malacanan Palace and visit forward lines on
Pasig River. Informed General Chase he had recommended him for Major General to
command 38th Division. Retrieved own Cadillac automobile left on Corregidor and since
driven by Jap commanding officer in Manila.

Tuesday, 6 March 1945
At 1130 by boat to SS Columbia Express with Colonels Lehrbas, Egeberg, and Soriano
to meet Mrs MacArthur, Arthur, and General Fellers and party. By motor to Manila battle
areas before returning to house. At 1715 with Mrs MacArthur and Colonel Lehrbas to call
on President and Mrs. Osmena at Malacanan.

Friday, 16 March 1945
At 1030 conference on Iloilo operation. At 1100 Colonel LaFollette. At 1130 Generals
Marshall and Dunckel. At 1145 General Whitney. At 1400 represented at General
Patrick’s funeral by General Fellers and Colonel Egeberg. At 1700 General Frink and
Colonel Wonamacker. At 1730 Henry Keys, War Correspondent, London Daily Express.

Sunday, 25 March 1945
At 1000 General Fellers. At 1015 Colonel Soriano. At 1030 Colonel LaFollette. At 1045
General Marshall. At 1215 General Whitehead. At 1630 General Fellers. At 1700
General Johnston. At 1730 Doctor Hayden.

Tuesday, 27 March 1945
At 1100 Minister of National Defense Tomas Cabili. At 1730 General Fellers and colonel
Soriano.

Tuesday, 10 April 1945
At 1100 General Eichelberger. At 1120 General Fellers. At 1730 Generals Casey and
Wilson. At 1830 General Marshall. AT 1900 General Willoughby.

Monday, 23 April 1945
At 1200 General Fellers. At 1210 General Marshall. At 1230 Captain Downs, USS Boise.
At 1230 Generals Sutherland, Richardson, and Ruffner.

Friday, 27 April 1945
At 1030 Colonel LaFollette. At 1100 Colonel Nielson and Major Beanfield, Luzon
Engineering District, turned over set of Cambridge Modern History books recovered at
Manila Hotel that belonged to General’s father. At 1745 to Camp Murphy and Marikina
Valley with General Fellers.

The GHQ SWPA Telephone Directory for May 1944 shows the following entry:-

GHQ - SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC AREA
    G-1 SECTION:
        Assistant Chief of Staff, G-1
            Brig. Gen. Fellers, B.F.   Room No. 605 CBB    Telephone No. AMP251
        Executive Assistant:
            Lt. Col. Radcliffe, H.E.     Room No. 601 CBB    Telephone No. AMP251
        Chief Clerk                          Room No. 603 CBB    Telephone No. AMP251

Note:- CBB was the Commercial Bank Building. Bill Bentson told me that the US Military also occupied the Commercial Bank Building (CBB) next door to GHQ, SWPA in the AMP building and rather than have to go down the lift and out on to the street and then back into the Bank building the Americans knocked at least one door between the two buildings. The circle on the photo below shows at least one of these doors which appears to be at about the 7th Floor level.

The northern side of the AMP building

Can anyone help me with more information?

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This page first produced 20 May 2020

This page last updated 20 May 2020