John “Skip” Bailey

7.0
Progress of War in the Pacific at the Time of Skip’s Capture

The Japanese, by October 1943, were being pushed back by the Allied Forces, comprising Australian and American personnel.

The Japanese suffered major defeats in 1942 in the naval battles in the Coral Sea and in the Battle of Midway and in January 1943 they were withdrawing forces from Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.

Pushing back the Japanese

They were defeated in mainland New Guinea with Lae being taken in September 1943 and Bougainville Island being invaded in November 1943.

Capture of mainland New Guinea and Invasion of Bougainville Island