On March 21, 1942 we sailed upon Queen Elizabeth, the English ship bound for Australia. We all went up on deck and it gave us an odd feeling to see the Golden Gate Bridge fade away into the distance. This ocean looked awfully big then - we were wondering what we were getting into now. It was the first time most of us had ever left land before. All during the trip we shaved and washed in salt water. It was agony to shave in. We had around 3,000 Negroes on board with us too. This ship had miles of corridors and state rooms. I left with exactly 50 cents in my pocket.
Our voyage to Australia was uneventful as far as any war action was concerned. We stopped only once in the Marquesas Islands to refuel. We had the usual daily inspections. It was so cramped with everybody’s stuff - barracks packs, rifles, bags, etc. On top of everybody else, but somehow we had to make it look neat. Then we watched schools of flying fish, an occasional sea snake and just the ocean. When we got to the equator, the heat became unbearable. The only consolation was the fact there is always a breeze at sea, but none whatsoever in our sealed up, blocked out staterooms. Then on April 6, it was a welcome sight to see the first tip of land appear over the horizon. We passed the Queen Mary ship coming out of Sydney Harbor as we went in. The Queen Mary brought Australian soldiers home from Africa. Some Australian soldiers actually cried for joy when we all arrived.
Before we left Australia, Lieutenant General Eichelberger called the entire division together for a talk on the war situation. Our division and the 32nd Infantry Division were the first ones in Australia. The general told us what kind of an enemy we would meet when we went north to the Jungles, etc. He said the 32nd division had better, or more training and equipment than we had at this time, so they would be the first to go to meet the enemy, and after we had more training and received more equipment we would also meet the enemy.
The Japs were very close to Australia at this time. They even had a convoy on the way for invasion but thanks to the victory of the Coral Sea battle they never reached their destination.
On February 8, 1943 we left Port Alma for Port Morseley, New Guinea aboard the captured German ship Karsik. We camped our first time in the true tropics. We were closer to the Japanese now. We had air raids every night, but none in the daytime. The Japs were getting their first taste of retreat. The jungles and natives looked very odd to us at first.
On February 17, we sailed from Port Moresly around New Guinea to Oro Bay. On February 26, we walked from Oro Bay to Dobadura about 20 miles inland. We were beginning to find out just what tropic heat and jungles are really like and our first experience with heat exhaustion. Hiking through tall kunai grass (5 feet tall), we perspired until it was dripping from our clothes. As our systems lost the salt content. Guys kept collapsing and dropping out of line. You don’t care if the enemy gets you or not. An officer came around and collected us in a jeep and distributed salt tablets to everyone and in a few hours we felt ok again. We waded through mud and swamps and camped in an old abandoned native village of grass huts. Later we found out it was no lucky find as the natives abandoned their huts after they got lousy (got lice) and bug infested. Comforting thought after we slept in the darn things. Then the chiggers got us, little tiny insects that go through clothing and bite like heck - you never get away from them in the jungle. Maddening pests that go right through mosquito nets.
The battle or war isn’t very far away now. There are old burned out tanks along the way, shoes, clothing helmets with bullet holes through the, abandoned wire, broken guns and equipment, trees cut in two and shattered by gunfire, large shell holes half filled with water - we wonder what we are getting into now.
There are literally countless billions, trillions of ants in New Guinea, microscopic in size compared to the 2 inch model. We would get candy or packages from home and put it in a coffee can thinking it would be safe - nope, the infernal little devils would crawl right between the lid and can, they were that small. We put cans of kerosene or gas under the legs of our cots to keep them from getting in bed with us. Then around April or May another species of bug makes his appearance. It is a very small fuzzy caterpillar like bug which gives off a peculiar bad odor or smell. They were so thick they crawled up the side of the tent walls and dropped into your clothes, your bed, your hair and everything. Then the jungle dampness was terrific - a canvas tent would be covered with fungus and rot completely through and fall apart in less than 3 months. The army had to develop a treatment for canvas to preserve it in the jungles. Of course our drinking water was always chlorinated until it curdled everything they cooked for dinner. For about 3 months all we had to eat here was bully beef - case hardened Australian crackers and tea. We got our water from the Sambugi River nearby. The medics must have added 2 parts of chlorine to one part of water to make it safe for drinking.
The jungle dampness and humidity mildewed the clothes right off our backs. Everyone’s clothes were stained full of black spots of mildew and jungle rot and you perspire perpetually here until everyone smells like a walking corpse. No one is offended as we are all in the same boat. We wash our clothes often and bathe everyday, but it’s no use, you can’t escape the jungle smell. Then there is another added attraction here, Malaria carried by the anopheies mosquito of which there are millions in number. The army gave us atabrine tablets to keep malaria under control. Atabrine is not a cure, it only suppresses the malaria attack and keeps it from breaking out. I crunched one up in my mouth one day at dinner and believe you me, there is nothing on this green earth that tastes quite so bitter and nasty. It actually made me sick. Then atabrine has a nice feature all its own, it colors your skin yellow. To see that we took it, an officer and a big fat sergeant stood over you and watched you swallow 5 atabrine pills at once. We did this twice a week. Ten pills a week was the prescribed dosage and some doctor got the idea if you took it all at once in big doses it did you more good. I got so I lost dinner, atabrine and all. No, the army didn’t coat the stuff so you couldn’t taste it, it might lose some of its effect that way.
One other thing we all got a case of was dermatitis here, big raw sores broke out on lots of us and nothing seemed to do any good. Doc Powers tried everything in the medicine chest. Some guys got it on their heads and had to have their hair shaved off and head painted green or purple. They didn’t appear odd either, because we were all in the same boat. We looked like a bunch of striped apes. If our mamas could only see us now!
The natives had diseases too. One type left their skin a gray color and all hard and scaly. Others had elephantitis which mad their arms or legs swell up to such enormous size they couldn’t lift them. They all chewed betel nuts. This nut stains their teeth and mouth all bright red!
The going during this stage of the war was rugged and the Japs were plenty strong. Between February and July of 1943, a large Japanese convoy carrying an estimated 15,000 troops were head for New Guinea. During the battle of the Bismark Sea, north of New Guinea, our Air Force sank this convoy, around 22 chips in all. Things might have been very different for us and going was rough despite the propaganda put out for home consumption, that we were “gloriously” victorious in all our battles. Yes, we won the way all right, but It was something else again to see the new cemeteries and rows of white crosses put up as the war advanced northward.
--Eugene Albert Orgill
There is so much left unwritten and I believe that I could never completely see in my own mind what it was really like, unless I went through it. But I would like to say that I am extremely proud of my father for what he went through for a country he loved and today he told me he wouldn’t trade the rest of the world for one square inch of this country. I know I don’t appreciate half enough the freedom we now have that didn’t come easy. But I know without God’s help we may not have done it, for this land is a promised land.
Bonnie Orgill (daughter)