Maroubra Force
| Maroubra Force | |
|---|---|
| Active | c. 1942 |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Australian Army |
| Type | Ad hoc formation |
| Size | ~ 3–6 infantry battalions |
| Part of | New Guinea Force |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Selwyn Porter Arnold Potts |
Maroubra Force was the name given to the ad hoc Australian infantry force that defended Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from the Japanese, and was involved in the Kokoda Track Campaign of the Pacific War, World War II. The force was established by the Allies under the codename "Maroubra", referring to the troops in the forward area, it was one of many units forming the body of the New Guinea Force, the main Allied army formation in the South West Pacific Area during 1942.
Formed on 21 June 1942, it initially consisted of part-time Militia units and was under the command of Major General Basil Morris's New Guinea Force. Reinforced by veteran Second Australian Imperial Force units, Maroubra Force was instrumental in blunting the Japanese advance on Port Moresby, fighting it to a standstill in September, before elements of the 7th Division undertook a counter-attack in October and November 1942, which drove the Japanese back to their beachheads around Buna–Gona, which was the scene of heavy fighting between November 1942 and January 1943.
In mid-1942, Major General Basil Morris, commander of New Guinea Force, ordered the 39th Infantry Battalion, which had previously been deployed as a garrison force around Port Moresby, was sent overland via the Kokoda Track to secure the Kokoda area and prepare to defend against a Japanese advance. The Papuan Infantry Battalion of about 300 native troops with white officers, was already north of the Owen Stanley Range at the entrance of the Kokoda Track. These units were subsequently grouped together as "Maroubra Force" – named for Operation Maroubra, which was the Allied name for the troops in the "forward area" on the Kokoda Track – formed around the units of Brigadier Selwyn Porter's 30th Brigade, which was made up of part-time Militia soldiers. On 21 July 1942, the Japanese landed on the northeast coast of Papua and the Papuan Infantry Battalion was overwhelmed by the Japanese troops, and the entrance was captured on 29 July 1942.
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