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Gunner
David Bloomfield
Royal Australian Artillery
AA Battery
David Bloomfield joined the Heavy Anti-Aircraft ranks early in the war and was posted to Rabaul as part of "Lark Force". He was involved in the beach-front defences when the 20,000 Japanese arrived overnight. With the one sided battle soon over, the survivors walked west to avoid capture. For many weeks they braved rivers, crocodiles, hunger and ever-present Japanese patrols. Eventually, David and hundreds of others reached Jaquinot Bay, where a ship came to rescue them.
He was discharged as "Medically unfit for active service" in 1943, but in 1944 served with the American Small Ships, operating from Finschhafen on the north coast of New Guinea.
Author of ‘Rabaul Diary’ - David died November 2008
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