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| ANGAU Schooner 64 Tons   Parer late June 1942 |
Ship History Royal Endeavour was a prewar trading schooner that operated in New Guinea. Wartime History During the Pacific War, Royal Endeavor was used by the Australian Army to transport supplies and personnel from Port Moresby around the southern coast of New Guinea. In the middle of 1943, the crew included skipper Sgt Bill Johnston and Wusuru, a native helmsman. In late June 1942, Royal Endeavor embarked cinematographer Damien Parer with journalist Osmar White and plus supplies including fuel drums bound for "Kanga Force" at Port Moresby and traveled along the south coast via Yule Island to the mouth of the Tauri River. Due to the sand spit at the mouth of the Tauri River, this vessel never went up the river and the pair embarked aboard two large canoes up to the Lakekamu River then to Bulldog and walked the Bulldog Track. Parer's footage including scenes aboard the ship were edited into a Movietone newsreel "The Most Amazing Supply Route". Damien Parer's War (2003) by Neil McDonald pages 175: "The Royal Endeavor was a typical schooner of the island trade, with sixty-four tons displacement and a wheezing oil auxiliary engine, stained and stinking. Parer and white sat under an awning on the deck... After three hours, they heard a Japanese plane overhead, and shortly after the sound of a flight of American P40s, but they could see nothing in the mist that had closed over the small schooner. Parer began filming Wusuru, the native helmsman, and the skipper Sgt Bill Johnston... When they retired for the night to the so-called 'big cabin' Johnston had assigned them, the heat was heavy and oppressive... Early the next morning Parer climbed up the crow's nest to film the schooner knifing through the water... He finished one minute of eyemo roll with a rather formerly composed shot of three of the crew beneath the Australian flag flying from the stern." Ultimate fate unknown. References Movietone "The Most Amazing Supply Route" cine footage by Damien Parer late June to early July 1942 AWM "War Supply Route" F01213 Damien Parer's War (2003) by Neil McDonald pages 174-177 Contribute
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