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| Location Lat 8° 16' 0S Long 148° 10' 60E Ambasi is located on the north coast of New Guinea. To the north is Cape Ward Hunt and to the south is the mouth of the Opi River and Opi village. Today located Oro Bay Rural LLG in Ijivitari District of Oro Province in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Prewar During 1903, the Anglican Church moved their mission headquarters from Ioma to Ambasi and established the Ambasi Mission (Ambasi Anglican Mission) at this location. Wartime History During early 1942, the Australian Army established a small base at Ambasi manned by roughly a dozen Papuan Infantry Battalion (PIB) soldiers commanded by an Australian Army Lieutenant Smith and a Sergent. Also, a signal station (spotter station) manned by three Australian Army enlisted men: Sgt Robert Hugh "Ray" Hanna, Cpl Harry Douglas Palmer and Pvt Ralph John Holyoake who reported on activity in the vicinity by radio. After the Japanese landing at Gona during the night of July 21, 1942 the Australians withdrew inland to another position and continued making radio reports. On July 29, 1942 the spotters aided a total of American airmen who were shot down attacking Japanese shipping including Dean and La Rocque from A-24 Dive Bomber 41-15766. On August 2, 1942 they were joined also joined by 2nd Lt. Jesse R. Hague pilot P-400 Airacobra BX232. Together, the group attempted to bypass Japanese forces and move further inland to safety. Later that afternoon, they met up with Reverend James Benson, nurse May Hayman and teacher Mavis Parkins from Gona Mission Station and attempted to evade the Japanese. On August 8, 1942 the group was attacked by the Japanese and all were killed. The two woman were captured and later executed. Only Reverend James Benson survived and became a Prisoner Of War (POW) who survived captivity at Rabaul. A-24 Dive Bomber 41-15766 Crashed July 29, 1942 P-400 Airacobra BX232 Pilot Hague crashed August 2, 1942 P-400 Airacobra AP290 Pilot Dore crashed August 2, 1942 References Letters from the Papuan Bush 1942-1946 by Reverend Stephen Romney Gill (map) Prisoner's Base and Home Again page 31-32 "It was, I remember August 8th [1942] and I had decided to tell the Sisters of my decision the next day; when late that afternoon, there walked into our camp two Australian soldiers, Corporal Palmer and Corporal Hannay. They had, I think been stationed at the Ambasi signal station." Thanks to Edward Rogers for additional information Contribute
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