More than 600 Coastwatchers served in Australia, New Guinea and the Pacific Islands during World War II. They included RAAF, AIF, RAN, 1 WRAN, (Women’s Royal Australian Naval Officer) US Marines and US Army personnel, members of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate Defence Force and 13 civilians. The thirty eight Coastwatchers who died are not always identifiable on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial since their names are listed with their operational units and not as Coastwatchers.

The Coastwatchers were supported by all three services. Aircraft dropped their supplies and submarines and PT boats landed them and removed them. The assistance and loyalty of the local population was essential as they performed a vital role in guerrilla operations and intelligence gathering.

In 1935, Commander R B M Long, Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI) in Melbourne worked to close the gaps in the Coastwatching service. He sent Eric Feldt – a retired Royal Australian Naval officer with many years’ experience of the civil service in New Guinea – to be in charge of intelligence there. Feldt, himself an Islander, knew the other islanders, the planters and the government officials and was trusted by them.

With Japan’s entry into the war this island screen became the front-line. The Coastwatchers communicated by radio through existing radio stations or by tele-radios that had been loaned by the Naval Board. They were given some instruction and a code with which to make their reports on any hostile movements and to report any item of intelligence value. It was a lonely and precarious existence.

Tarawa Coastwatchers Memorial

An artillery observer, artillery spotter or forward observer (FO) is responsible for directing artillery and mortar fire onto a target. It may be a forward air controller (FAC) for close air support (CAS) and spotter for naval gunfire support (NGSF).

An artillery observer usually accompanies a tank or infantry maneuver unit. Spotters ensure that indirect fire hits targets which the troops at the fire support base cannot see.

Because artillery can be an indirect fire weapon system, the guns are rarely in line-of-sight of their target, often located miles away.

The observer serves as the eyes of the guns, by sending target locations and if necessary corrections to the fall of shot, usually by radio.

The first set of figures are two of the three figures from Warlord Games Australian Forward Observers

The last set of observers include the third figure from Warlord Games and the radio operator from Eureka Miniatures.

There are no Australian Bolt Action Pacific War lists that allow both a Forward Air and Artillery Observer, but I like the idea of rescuing an Australian Coast Watcher scenario so hopefully both will get a run.

By the way as most of the Australian figures were batch painted accept for the final touch ups I forgot to paint the slouch hats a Dark Kharki. I will get to these soon. Oops!

Thanks to the Anzac Portal for the information on the Coastwatchers.