War Memorials and Honour Rolls in the State of South Australia

Nuriootpa

Another street which was named in commemoration of an action which occurred in New Guinea during World War Two. Lae was in fact, occupied by the Japanese prior to the fighting on the Kokoda Track. They mounted air operations from an airfield there and Lae was first attacked by Australian Kittyhawk fighters of the newly formed 75 Squadron. Led by a big ambling Queenslander by the name of John JACKSON, the squadron mounted a surprise attack on the 22nd of March, 1942. The Japanese had a peculiar habit of parking their aircraft at this time:- with fighters lined up 'wingtip to wingtip' on one side and bombers lined up in a similar fashion on the other side. The attacking Kittyhawks split up into two groups and commenced strafing. One pilot, Flight Lieutenant John PIPER was flying so low during his strafing run, that his aircraft struck the propellar of a parked Japanese bomber. This collision severed a wing spar of his fighter, and caused one of the .50 calibre machine guns to fall out; but he managed to limp back to Port Moresby despite the damage. The role of Fighter Pilot was a far cry from John PIPER's his previous job of 'carpet salesman' in Melbourne before the war!