Wartime History
During 1943, occupied by the Japanese Army that maintained a small garrison at this location.

American and Japanese missions against Saidor
April 18, 1943 - March 4, 1944

On January 2, 1944 "Operation Michaelmas" LSTs and landing craft land the U. S. Army, 6th Army, 32nd Infantry Division, 126th Regimental Combat Team (126th RCT) under the command of General Martin with the 120th Field Artillery plus elements from the 32nd Infantry Division. The landing bypasses the Japanese garrison at Sio to the east.

At Saidor, the U. S. Army used carrier pigeons for the last time in their history to deliver messages from offshore boats to troops ashore, delivering messages before radios were setup. Approximately 200 Japanese defended the Saidor area, but most fled inland and withdrew over inland trails towards Madang.

Afterwards, the Americans developed Saidor into a base area and Saidor Airfield into an important forward airfield. The US Navy was established along Dekays Bay.

Saui Beach
Staging point for Japanese barge traffic on the coast.

Saidor Airfield
Built prewar captured by U. S. Army on January 2, 1944

Yamai Airfield (Saidor #2, Tarlitce, Biliau)
American built forward airfield

Biliau (Beliau)
Village located on the coast, west of Saidor at Yamai

Yalan Plantation
Located 30 miles west of Saidor.

References
The U. S. Army Campaigns of World War II - New Guinea page 17, 29
HyperWar - U. S. Army in World War II - Cartwheel: The Reduction of Rabaul Chapter XIV pages 273, 295-305
The Coast Guard at War - Chapter X New Guinea - Saidor page 57, 59

Contribute Information
Do you have photos or additional information to add?

Last Updated
May 25, 2020