Location
Located on Zungen Spitze (Zungen Point), German for "Tounge Point", on the southern coast of New Britain bordering Henry Reid Harbor inside Wide Bay, roughly 50km south of Rabaul. Located due west is Waitavalo.

Prewar
Tol Plantation was planted with coconut palms harvesting copra.

Wartime History
Australians that had evacuated Rabaul had reached Tol and the Wide Bay area by late January, including a group of 25 RAAF personnel aboard a yacht found at Sum Sum reached Tol. On January 21, two RAAF Catalinas departed Port Moresby via Samarai then landed off Tol during the evening of January 22, 1942 were able to rescued 25 RAAF personnel plus 24 others including Army signalers and civilians, departing at 7:22pm.

Tol Massacre
Japanese soldiers landed at Tol during early February 1942. On February 4, 1942 four separate massacres of prisoners occurred at Tol and Waitavalo. In total, 141 Australians soldiers of "Lark Force" that retreated from Rabaul across New Britain were captured and executed, the majority at Tol Plantation. Stripped of their personal possessions, a group of 100 prisoners had their thumbs tied together with fishing line, then two or three tied together with rope. Each group was marched into the jungle in small groups where they were bayoneted to death or shot and their bodies left to rot. Afterwards, the Japanese departed. Several survived the massacre to report what happened. The killings became known as the Tol Plantation Massacre or Tol Massacre.

Pte William Cook was captured near Tol on February 3. Tied to Pte R. M. Cantwell, the pair were bayoneted. Cook was stabbed six times initially, then four times more times to make sure he was dead (other sources state he was stabbed eleven times). He feigned death and waited until the Japanese departed then freed himself from the rope and fishing line. Afterwards, he washed his wounds and traveled three miles over ten hours and found a party of Australians led by Col J. J. Scanlan and traveled for six more days to avoid the Japanese until finally reaching a medic named Palmer who commented "Cook, you're a tough old Bastard", dressed his wounds and allowed him to rest. Despite his wounds and a bout of malaria, reached Pal Mal Mal and was later evacuated on the MV Laurabada from Jacquinot Bay to Port Moresby.

Gnr Hazegrove was captured at Tol, had his hands tied behind his back and was marched into kunai grass and shot without warning and hit in the back and the Japanese threw palm fronds over the bodies then departed. After freeing himself, he reached the beach and found two others who cared for him.

Collins was shot from behind in the shoulder, wrists and back. When alone, he fled and wandered the bush for three days then returned to Tol finding other Australians including Major Palmer and joined a group led by Frank Holland that crossed to the north coast and was able to escape on the MV Lakatoi. Another survivor was Robinson escaped before the massacre and was part of the party to escape on the Lakatoi.

The Japanese landed in the Tol area again on February 8, 1942 with a group going inland to Mavelo River to Kasalea where they massacred more Australians. They landed again on February 12 to pickup troops from the Wuluwat and Mavelo Rivers.

On January 5, 1943 Captain Daniel and Major Bleasdale bailed out of B-17F "San Antonio Rose" Serial Number 41-24458, wandered the jungle for two weeks and were captured at Tol and transported to Rabaul.

Japanese Observation Post
As of early 1943, the Japanese Navy maintain an observation post at Zungen Point (Tol). They were able to observe enemy aircraft from New Guinea aproaching or departing Rabaul.

Austrlain Occupation
During 1945, when Australian forces occupied Tol, the skeletal remains of those massacred were located and recovered. During May 1987, the Tol Massacre Memorial was dedicated. At the nearby Waitavalo Plantation, 35 Australians prisoners were shot. The officer mainly responsibility for these war crimes was Colonel Masao Kusunose, who later committed suicide. The Australian Army developed Tol into a forward base for operations against Rabaul.

The situation was generally quiet throughout June as Australian Army Battalions established their perimeters in the area and engineers widened and surfaced the roads around Tol and Waitavalo. On June 5, 1945, the 2/2nd Commando Squadron arrived at Wide Bay and established headquarters at Lamarien near Henry Reid River.

Tol Airfield
Built by the Australian Army during 1945

A6M2 Model 21 Zero
Crashed or force landed at Tol

Japanese Observation Post Zungen (Tol)
As of early 1943, the Japanese Navy maintain an observation post at this location.

References
Rabaul – 1942 pages 8-9, 49 - 60
Australian Army Campaigns in New Guinea - New Britain

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Last Updated
October 25, 2012