Talk:1st Mountain Battery (Australia)

Battle of Buna-Gona

Hi @User:Newm30 and @User:Anotherclown

Had this info fairly handy, so I hope it is of assistance. Please bash it about as you think it needs. Can either of you shed light on the Battery's section landed at Kokoda. I don't see any further reference in McCarthy to it supporting the 7th Div. It may well have been moved in support of 32nd Div but this is only a guess. Does Guns and Gunners or any other source give clues. If you can help solve, please provide details and reference and I will amend the draft Battle of Buna-Gona page I am working on. Regards Cinderella157 (talk) 02:55, 19 December 2014 (UTC)

Gday - thanks for this. I'll have a look through Horner The Gunners and see what I can find. Anotherclown (talk) 03:01, 19 December 2014 (UTC)

Advance towards Salamaua: Sentence structure seemed a little clumsy

Hi, @User:AustralianRupert amended section with suggested revised sentence structure. Not certain if the gun section was supporting just the Brigade (what I assumed) or the whole Division. You might want to check I got it right. Hope this helps. Regards Cinderella157 (talk) 04:56, 19 December 2014 (UTC)

As it Seemed to Us

I have just obtained a loan of the unit history and it raises a number of conflicts with the material (probably from Guns and Gunners).

• The initial unit strength was 4 offr 12 NCOs and 250 (p15) although this does not appear to include the veterinary officer (see p 37)

• The order authorising the raising (p2) records that personnel are to be drawn from "First Army" although this, of itself does not preclude I Corps (assuming I Corps is a formation of First Army).

• It is not mentioned that troops were drawn from the motor unit. It is mentioned that horse handlers were drawn from AMF former Light Horse units from northern NSW and from a total of 38 units from across the Australian Army (pp 5-6).

• Only part of Left Section (1 gun 2 offr an 23) was sent to Kokoda (pp 40-41) - not 2 guns.

Other information:

• It originally assembled at Randwick Race Course. (p 5)

• A cadre of officers and NCOs was initially drawn from 2/1st Medium Artillery Regiment. (p 4)

• It was initially supplied with 143 horses (p. 16)

• It It arrived at Port Moresby and disembarked from 7 Oct 1942. (p22 and pp 200-203)

• Right Section (3 offr and 30) was flown to Pongani 12 Nov. (p 40)

• Part Left Section (1 gun 2 offr and 23) were flown to Kokoda (pp 40-41) on 15 Nov 42 (p 62)

• On 5 Dec, the Left Section gun (initially deployed to Kokoda) joined the Right Section in support of the Americans at Buna (p. 47)

• It was designated 1st Australian Mountain Battery (mechanised) 25 Oct 43 (p 126)

• While in New Guinea the remainder of the Battery (less the section sent to Wau) conducted trials using the 25-pounder short, the American 75 mm "pack gun" and their 3.7 in. (pp 123-124)

• On 1 Feb 44 (at Atherton) they were issued with the 75 mm pack gun. (p 132)

I am uncertain of the best way to incorporate this additional information, particularly given that there is an apparent conflict with other sources. Cinderella157 (talk) 08:26, 13 April 2015 (UTC)