Harvey Haig Blundell, Signaller 55/53rd Battalion, interviewed by Daniel Connell for the Keith Murdoch Sound Archives of Australia in the War of 1939-45

Places	Oceania: Australia, New South Wales, Sydney, Ingleburn Oceania: New Guinea1, Papua New Guinea, Papua, Owen Stanley Range, Buna Area, Sanananda Oceania: New Guinea1, Papua New Guinea, Papua, Owen Stanley Range, Kokoda Trail Oceania: New Guinea1, Papua New Guinea, Papua, Owen Stanley Range, Kokoda Trail, Koitaki Oceania: New Guinea1, Papua New Guinea, Papua, Port Moresby
Accession Number	S00576
Collection type	Sound
Measurement	1 hr 2 min
Object type	Oral history
Physical description	audio cassette; TDK AD60; two track mono
Maker	Blundell, Harvey Haig
Place made	Australia: New South Wales, Sydney, Carramar
Date made	26 May 1989
Access	Open
Conflict	Second World War, 1939-1945
Copyright	Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
Copying Provisions	Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction.
Source credit to	The Keith Murdoch Sound Archive of Australia in the war of 1939-45

Description

Discussing call up notice for 53rd Battalion; army training at Ingleburn Camp; selection as signaller; embarkation for New Guinea on the Aquitania; arrival at Port Moresby; poor morale of battalion due to inadequate preparations for New Guinea; reaction of battalion members to term "choco"; air raids on Port Moresby and looting of Burns Philp stores; movement of C Company to Koitaki and then to Kokoda Trail; retreat from Kokoda Trail; combining 53rd and 55th Battalions and criticisms of 53rd Battalion; tensions between AIF and Militia; Australian Comforts Fund Services; Sanananda Campaign; medical evacuation to Australia; hospitalisation; rejoins Battalion; casualty rates in Sanananda Campaign; post-war health.