Ken Phelan

Ken Phelan 1941
As a member of 1 Platoon Head Quarters Company (HQ) of the 39^th Militia Battalion, Ken accompanied C Company over the Kokoda Track. C Company was the second company to set off over the Kokoda Track, the first having being Sam Templeton’s famous B Company.

Ken recalls leaving Ower’s Corner early morning on 17^th July 1942. He was carrying a rifle, haversack, pack and webbing. ‘The going was easy to begin with’. Inside his pack he carried a ground sheet, spare shirt and trousers, jumper and half a blanket. Inside his haversack he carried an emergency ration, tobacco, pay book and eating utensils. The front two utility pouches held .303 ammunition and two No.36 grenades. Ken remembers that the first part of the journey to Uberi was mainly downhill. Arriving there at 10am Ken received drinks of cordial prepared by the men of the Transport Platoon before setting off to Ioribaiwa Ridge.

Taking several hours before reaching the top of the ridge, Ken was frustrated by the amount of false peaks. “I thought I could see the top only to realise it was another one of those blasted false peals”. On this section Ken came across his first real taste of Kokoda Track mateship as other soldiers were eager to give a helping and hand and some words of encouragement, despite their own challenges.

After leaving Ioribaiwa the following morning Ken and the rest of the party set off for Nauro. The steep decent in the mug is still vivid in Ken’s memory “The going down was sometimes harder than the going up, as you soon developed laughing knees due to the steepness of the track”. The Officer commanding C Company was Captain Dean, who decided to rest the group at Menari. Ken and the rest of the men had the chance to dry their wet clothes and get some well deserved rest. Eating meals of tinned bully beef they had the opportunity to supplement their rations with vegetables from the locals. Soldiers would trade sticks of tobacco for such food items as yams, taro, sweet potato and fruit.

Setting off the next day to Efogi, Ken was amazed as the jungle opened up and he had a spectacular view of the Owen Stanley Range. Ken was surprised to find Australian gum trees. With the smell of the eucalyptus in the air it gave a fantastic boost to the men’s morale, as most of the soldiers grow up in country Victoria.

“Struggling across the mighty rapids of the Efogi River on a fallen tree trunk was quite an experience. Watching the natives walk over bare feet and not miss did not encourage us, as most of us went over ‘inching on bums!’”.

While at Efogi, Ken found out that the Japanese had landed at Buna. He was well aware of the need to push on in order to reinforce B Company. Heading up to Kagi and then on to Eora Creek the going was tough. “We all knew that B Company would be in need of our assistance so we pushed on”. The first crossing of Eora Creek (which later became known as Templeton’s Crossing) that Ken and C Company did, took them all night. That day they had spent 12 hours on the track before reaching their destination.

In the morning the group put on their rain and sweat soaked clothes and made for Isurava where they stopped for lunch. “The going now was fairly flat and we stopped and had lunch at the Isurava Guest House. Lunch generally consisted of three men to a can of bully beef and some dog biscuits”. From Isurava they moved on to assist B Company who were fighting off the Japanese at Deniki.

Ken transferred to the 39^th Battalion from the early Victorian Militia. During training at Darley in 1941 he volunteered to join the Signals Platoon. “When I heard they paid 2 shillings extra per week I thought this was the thing for me”. On the Kokoda Track Signalman had the sometimes dangerous job of going out and repairing signal wire which had often cut by the Japanese who were waiting in ambush.

After the Commanding Officer (CO) Lieutenant Colonel William Owen was killed the 39^th had a temporary acting CO Major Allan Cameron who like Owen had served as a company commander in the 2/22^nd Battalion in Rabaul. Ken recalls the first meeting he had with the new CO. “I was approach my Cameron who said “Private grab your rifle we are going out on a patrol” I replied I am a signalman sir!, He said “You have a rifle don’t you? Well come on we are going to go and find where the Japs are” I grabbed my rifle and off I went just Major Cameron and myself going off in to the jungle, much to my relief we didn’t find any Japs”.

Ken served in the 39^th Militia Battalion prior to joining the AIF with the 2/2^nd Battalion and returned to New Guinea to participate in further operation against the Japanese including the Aitape-Wewak campaign. Ken stayed on in PNG until 1946 before returning home to Victoria where he worked as an electrician. Ken still lives in Victoria and is an active member of his local golf club and the 39^th Battalion Association.

Compiled by David Howell

Thanks to for the assistance of my new found friend Mr Ken Phelan who not only participated in my interview but also encouraged me to continue keeping the history alive.

Special thanks to Carl Johnson who gave permission to quote and use pictures from his excellent book ‘Mud Over Blood, Stories of the 39^th Battalion 1941-43 Kokoda-Gona’ available through History House publications.

After returning from his latest adventure on the Kokoda Track, Kokoda Historical founder David Howell spoke on the phone to 39th Battalion veteran Mr Ken Phelan to finalise arrangements for a history presentation David was giving to the Victorian Branch of the Military Historical Society of Australia and that Ken was assisting with. Within moments of getting off the phone David came across a Japanese flag listed on ebay. The flag was signed by 24 Australian soldiers and to David's surprise one of the signatures was that of Ken Phelan VX117704. Without hesitation David contacted the seller and purchased the flag immediately. The original owner of the flag was Ken Brown VX115999 who survived the war but passed away some years ago and was put up for sale by his daughter who wished the flag to go to a good home.

Ken Brown VX115999

David reunited the flag with Mr Phelan after sixty four years; it was an emotional moment to say the least. In July of 1943 it was announced the 39th Battalion would be disbanded and quite a few of the men marched in to the 2/2nd AIF Battalion. Not long after the 2/2nd returned to Australia and spent most of their time on the Atherton Tablelands until returning to PNG and to operations in Aitape-Wewak where this flag is believed to of been captured.

Ken Phelan and the Captured Japanese Flag 2009