Gazelle Peninsula

Location

The Gazelle Peninsula is a large peninsula on the north-east tip of New Britain. The peninsula is around 100km across at its widest, but narrows to only 30km at the isthmus, known as "The Neck", where it joins the rest of the island. The Allies used this to their advantage when retaking New Britain from the Japanese.

The Gazelle Peninsula is the most populated part of New Britain. Rabaul, the provincial capital, is also the former capital of the mandated Australian Territory of New Guinea. It was the first town in New Guinea to be captured by the Japanese, on 23 January 1942.

After the fall of Rabaul

After Rabaul fell, hundreds of Australian soldiers and civilians fled along the coast. About 400 escaped, while the Japanese captured around 1,300 as prisoners of war. Most didn't survive.

The 400 soldiers who escaped spent the next three months trekking across the peninsula, trying to be rescued. They had to cross the Baining Mountains, including many rivers. Some escaped by boat to neighbouring New Ireland.

At Tol Plantation, 160 Australian soldiers were massacred by the Japanese. Their bodies were left in the jungle.

By April 1942, 150 soldiers and civilians had escaped to Palmalmal Plantation. There, they were sheltered by Father Edward (Ted) Harris, a Roman Catholic priest. They were eventually rescued and evacuated to Port Moresby on the HMAS Laurabada. Father Harris was later executed by the Japanese.

The strategic importance of the Peninsula

In 1943 and 1944, Allied troops undertook a campaign to retake New Britain. Around 100,000 Japanese army and naval troops were based at Rabaul.

Rather than attempting to retake the town, Australian troops formed a cordon across the narrowest part of the Gazelle Peninsula. The Japanese garrison in Rabaul remained isolated for the rest of the war.