4 August 1942

This afternoon signallers complete the telephone link from Moresby to Deniki, 106km of cable through the jungle, across countless rivers and creeks and over the 2000m high Owen Stanley Range. At last the 39th Bn at Deniki is in direct communication with their HQ.

Temp CO of 39th Maj Alan Cameron arrives to take command. Aggressive by nature and a survivor of Lark Force after the garrison had been overwhelmed in Rabaul, he decides the young Diggers who were separated from the main group after clashing with Japs at Oivi are "unreliable", Army code for "likely to shoot through under fire".

Their mates have no such qualms, knowing it was their baptism of fire and they were disoriented by the confusion of battle.