All major World War II events or incidents that affected the 720th MP Battalion’s force allocations, training, operations, deployments, morale or history are shown in blue American Typewriter Font.

     Throughout the year battalion activities and movements would continue to have them follow behind GEN MacArthur's operational movements to secure the island continent of New Guinea and its surrounding islands to counter the Japanese buildup and subsequent counteroffensive to retain their airfields, ports, and troop staging bases being used for attacks on the Allied supply routes to the southwest Pacific Theater of operations.

     Once the island continents of Australia and New Zealand were secured, the Allied sea and land offensives were directed towards the liberation of the Philippine Islands and a march towards the Imperial Japanese home islands.

     At the start of the year the battalion’s organic units HQ & HQ Detachment, Able Company, Baker Company, Dog Company and the Medical Detachment were located on Papua (Australian) New Guinea.

    The Battalion was engaged in standard military police duties, guarding supply depots, prisoner of war stockades, headquarters installations, and training.

     HQ & HQ Detachment, the Medical Detachment, Able Company, and Charlie Company at Port Moresby. Baker Company with a total strength of 140 personnel was stationed at Milne Bay assigned to duty at the prisoner of war stockade and guarding rations at the Quartermasters Depot.

     The company was one of several other military police units stationed there (believed to be the 813th and 814th MP Companies), and was part of a composite military police battalion (designation unknown) that also managed the duties of the Base A Provost Marshal.

     Dog Company at Oro Bay, was engaged in guarding of docks, ships, and cargo being unloaded from or loaded into ships, and, in addition, was charged with the responsibility of guarding Japanese prisoner of war who were patients in the U.S. Army hospitals.

Exact Dates Unknown

     Since the arrival of the battalion in New Guinea, LT Parsons was assigned to the Medical Detachment as the new battalion dental officer, and LT Clawson, a recent graduate of Officers Candidate School, reported and was assigned to Able Company

10 January With the Allied recapture of the Japanese base at Lea in the Huon Gulf on the northeastern coast of Papua (Australian) New Guinea, the 814th MP Company with LT Neidlinger in command, moved from Port Moresby to Lae. It’s unknown if the company was still subordinate to the 720th MP Battalion at that time.

19 February MSG Daniel Milwit received notice of his appointment as a Warrant Officer Junior Grade (WOJG).

28 February  PFC John J. Eberling age 33, of South Euclid, Ohio a member of Dog Company, Medical Detachment accidentally drowned while swimming in Eroro Creek, Papua (Australian) New Guinea. His body was recovered 29 February 1944.

PFC Eberling entered the Army on 1 June 1942. His remains were temporarily buried in a shelter half in grave 93 at the Australian Forces Cemetery Soputa No. 1B at in Oro Bay, Papua (Australian) New Guinea before being moved to the U.S. Armed Forces Cemetery No. 21 at Finschaffen, Netherlands New Guinea.      On 24 May 1948 his remains were moved to the Manila American Cemetery Plot A, Row 3, Grave 163, in the Philippine’s.

On or about 10 March LTC Bell informed the officers that, through verbal agreement with the base commander, Able Company would move into the U.S. Army Services of Supply Base D (Port Moresby) staging area for the purpose of operating it in relief of the 2nd Camp Company, which was moving to another station. It was also understood that one platoon of Able Company would still continue their military police duties.

20 March LTC Bell departed Port Moresby for Sidney, Australia on leave, and shortly thereafter orders were received by the battalion from 22nd Port Headquarters, U.S. Army Services of Supply relieving him from assignment to the battalion and assigning him to duty at Base Section 7 in New South Wales, Australia.

On or about 24 March An order issued by Base D and 22nd Port Headquarters, U.S. Army Services of Supply placing MAJ Houser, battalion executive officer, on temporary duty as Base Area D commander and leave control officer, automatically making him commanding officer of the staging area

5 April LTC Arthur S. Bell returned to the battalion from leave in Australia on 4 April, and passed command of the battalion to MAJ (LTC Ret.) Arthur J. Wajnowski, per General Orders 1.

     MAJ Wainoweski previously served as Provost Marshal at Townsville, Queensland, Australia.

12 April LT Neidlinger who was assigned as commander of the 814th MP Company when it was deployed to Lae on 10 January was evacuated due to illness and was replaced by LT Hosie of Baker Company.

WANTED: Background information and a photograph of MAJ Wainowski. Please use the Email Link at the top of this page.

22 April The Allies invaded Aitape on the coast of North East New Guinea, and to its west at Hollandia on the coast of Netherlands New Guinea, and by dusk U.S. troops had taken their primary objective, the three airfields at Aitape. U.S. engineer troops accompanying the landing forces quickly set to work rehabilitating the airfields for Allied use.

23 April SGT Stanley V. “Dyke” Knoll of Dog Company at Oro Bay, was reassigned from MP line duty to company clerk.

25 May Battalion Headquarters deployed six officers and 30 enlisted troops by air from Port Moresby to Finchhaven, North East New Guinea. Upon arrival they immediately began preparing a campsite on the Mapes River.

27 May Allied forces of Hurricane Task Force spearheaded by the U.S. 41st Infantry Division invaded Biak Island, Netherlands New Guinea. The successful campaign came at a high cost resulting in 4,800 Japanese dead at the cost of nearly 2,800 American casualties.

     Charlie Company deployed six officers and thirty enlisted men from Port Moresby by sea aboard the SS Albert A. Robinson for Finshhafen.

     During the month a total of 15 battalion troops became eligible for return stateside under the current rotation policy.

2 June Baker Company departed from Milne Bay by sea transport aboard the SS Norway Victory for Finshhafen.

4 June Baker Company arrived at Finshhafen and immediately started to construct a new campsite.

12 June President Roosevelt announced the opening of the fifth War Loan Drive. Less than a week after D-Day, he called on Americans to do their duty to support the war by buying Treasury bonds as part of the war loan drive. The president stressed the engagement of Allied forces throughout the world.

15 June A Navy amphibious force of U.S. Marines attacked the Japanese stronghold on the Island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands. The main battle ended with the enemy’s defeat on 9 July.

28 June Dog Company at Oro Bay received fourteen new replacements.

     During the month a total of 15 battalion troops became eligible for return stateside under the current rotation policy.

     The return of the troops eligible for rotation stateside from May, June and July, compounded with a 59 troop loss from sickness, death and reassignments resulted in the battalion being under strength by 153 personnel.

18 July Heavy rainstorms flooded the nearby Mapes River in Finschhafen, which over flowed its banks into the battalion motor pool. There were no casualties of personnel, however, some equipment was damaged. The battalion cantonment was now completely surrounded by water and plans were made to move if the water level rose any higher. Fortunately, this did not become necessary.

21 July A Navy amphibious force of Marine and Army elements attacked the Japanese forces on the Island of Guam in the Southern Mariana Islands. The main battle ended with the enemy’s defeat on 8 August.

24 July A Navy amphibious force of Marine and Army elements attacked the Japanese forces on the Island of Tinian in the Mariana Islands. The main battle ended with the enemy’s defeat on 1 August.

23 July Two sound bites of Tokyo Rose, aka "Orphan Ann, broadcasts to the Allied Forces in the Pacific. One is dated 23 July 1944, dates for the otherone is unknown. Most GI's ignored the propaganda in the broadcasts but loved the music. Click on the Radio Tower Icon for the "Tokyo Rose" story.

30 July Allied forces invaded  Sansapor on the coast of Netherlands New Guinea’s Vogelkop Peninsula.

20 August Dog Company lost fourteen men due to rotations stateside

11 November Able Company with the remaining thirty troops attached from Charlie Company, departed from Port Moresby by ship for Hollandia, Netherlands New Guinea.

12 November PFC William D. Kain, age 31, of Kingston, New York, a member of Charlie Company, died at the 60th General Hospital, Finschhafen, British (Papua) New Guinea from complications related to a severe case of Agranulocytosis (a disease in which the production of granulated white blood cells by the bone marrow is impaired) at the 60th General Hospital in Finschhafen.

     PFC Kain entered the Army on 30 November 1939. His remains were temporarily buried in a shelter half in grave 575 at the U.S. Armed Forces Cemetery No. 1 at Finschaffen. His remains were later moved to the Manila American Cemetery Plot A, Row 3, Grave 163, in the Philippines.

   On the same day, SGT Walter Scripp, age 38, of Toledo, Ohio a member of HQ & HQ Detachment died from atrophy of the liver at the 161st Station Hospital, Finschhafen.

     SGT Scripp entered the Army on 18 June 1942. His remains were temporarily buried in a shelter half in grave #574 to the left of PFC Kain at the (temporary) U.S. Armed Forces Cemetery No. 1. On 31 July 1947 the remains of SGT Scripp were disinterred and sent to the Manila American National Cemetery, Philippines for burial. On 2 September 1948 the remains of SGT Scripp were again disinterred and transported stateside to his mother, Mrs. Julia Kline, for final burial at the Calvary Cemetery, Toledo, Ohio.