US Army Small Ships Section

During the Philippines campaign, the Japanese offensive led to the entrapment of US Forces at Bataan - beyond the reach of assistance from a stretched United States Navy. As the campaign wore on, explorers John and Adam Fahnestock conceived the idea of improvising a civilian fleet to deliver supplies to the entrenched forces, under the codename 'Mission X.'[2] From an affluent yachting family, their acquaintance with President Roosevelt may have played a role in the mission's ultimate authorisation.[3]

On arriving in Melbourne, the Allied withdrawal from the Philippines led to the expansion of the ‘Mission X’ mandate into a broader logistical focus - formalised as an official Section of the Transportation Service stationed in Melbourne. Under the leadership of the Fahnestocks and Arthur R. Wilson, and with the support of Macarthur - the Section assumed a wider role in delivering ammunition, medical supplies and food to positions beyond the reach of conventional deep draft ships.[4][3] From May 1942, the Section operated from Macarthur's Headquarters in the Grace Building - assembling an improvised flotilla at No. 10 Pier in Walsh Bay.[4] Recruiting civilians deemed too young, old, or infirm for military service, the fleet grew to commandeer a flotilla of 35 fishing trawlers under Lend-Lease - ultimately expanding to include Dutch freighters and a First World War destroyer.[2]

On the 18th of October 1942, the Section conducted its first amphibious assault - deploying the 128th Infantry Regiment ashore near Buna.[2] Here, a vessel from the Section was notably commandeered by Major Archibald Roosevelt to supply critical artillery during the Battle of Scout Ridge.[2]

The Section continued to serve under intensive fire throughout the Papuan and Philippine campaigns - variously collaborating with the 2/7th Australian Battalion, 2nd Engineer Special Brigade, and Sixth United States Army during the Battles of Cape Gloucester, Hollandia, Leyte, Lingayen Gulf and Cebu for the duration of the war.[2]

In 2009, the Australian Honours and Awards Tribunal expanded the eligibility criteria for campaign awards to Small Ships veterans.[1][5] In 2010, the section was inducted into the US Army Transportation Corps Hall of Fame - recognizing the pivotal role played by the Section in sustaining the Allied liberation of the Pacific.[2] A commemorate plaque now stands at the former site of the Sections Headquarters at the Grace Building.[6]

Together, these acknowledgments recognize the essential role played by the Section in sustaining the South West Pacific Area Command during the Second World War.