Private Henry Francis Friske 

49th Australian Infantry Battalion 

 

 

Service Number:                       Q28956 

Place of Enlistment:                 Southport 

Age of Enlistment:                    24 Years 3 months 

Date of Enlistment:                   2nd of April 1941

Embarked:                                 Brisbane, 2nd of December 1941 

Transport Ship:                         HMAT ‘K’ for 8 MD New Guinea 

Medals Awarded:                      1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal, Australian Service Medal 

Place of Death:                          Killed In Action, Battle of Sanananda Road, New Guinea 7th of December 1942  

Resting Place:                           Buried Sopruta Sanananda Trail, Buna Province New Guinea 

                                                   Re-interred Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery A5. C. 21 Papua New Guinea 

Unit Badge:                               49th Australian Infantry Battalion AIF 

 

Additional Information:  

The Battle of Sananada Road on the 7th of December 1942 was a costly and unsuccessful attack against well entrenched Japanese positions. In five hours, the Battalion lost 14 officers and 215 men killed or wounded. This amounted to nearly 60 percent of the attacking force.

 

The 49th was a militia battalion that was sent to Papua as there were no AIF troops available at the time. Initially used to Garrison Port Moresby, the 49th Battalion saw extensive action against the Japanese in Papua, notably at Sanananda.