Hitoshi Imamura
After reforming at Strathpine, Queensland, the battalion was deployed to New Britain in January 1945 for its final campaign of the war. On New Britain, two brigades—the 6th and the 13th—from the Australian 5th Division had taken over from the US 40th Division in November 1944, and after landing at Jacquinot Bay, they had commenced a campaign designed to contain the Japanese forces stationed on the island. Allied intelligence had estimated these forces at around 38,000 personnel although it was later determined that this figure was closer to 93,000. As a result, it was decided to limit operations on New Britain to isolating the Japanese forces under General Hitoshi Imamura to their base in the Gazelle Peninsula, while wresting control of the main part of the island to the south of the line Wide Bay–Open Bay.