William T . Owen Lieutenant Colonel William Taylor Owen ( 27 May 1905 – 29 July 1942 ) was an Australian Army officer who served during the Second World War . A survivor of the Battle of Rabaul , he was killed in action during the Kokoda Track campaign . Early life . Owen was born in Nagambie , Victoria , Australia . He worked as a bank officer in civilian life and served as a militia officer in the years prior to the outbreak of the Second World War . Military career . Owen enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force ( AIF ) on 8 July 1940 , with the service number VX45223 . He was posted to the 2 / 22nd Infantry Battalion , with the rank of major , in command of ' A ' Company . Battle of Rabaul . The 2 / 22nd Infantry Battalion was sent to the town of Rabaul , on the island of New Britain , in early 1941 . This was the closest Australian base to the Japanese , and considered unlikely to be successfully defended . In late January 1942 , the 1 , 400 strong Rabaul ( Australian ) garrison was quickly overwhelmed by the Japanese . Owen ' s ' A ' Company was positioned at Vulcan beach , and bore the brunt of the main Japanese landing . After fighting for several hours , Owen ordered his men to break contact , as they would otherwise have been cut off . With the remainder of the Australian garrison , Owen and his men escaped from Rabaul . They faced a harrowing battle for survival in the mountains and along the southern coast . More than 150 men were massacred after being taken prisoner around Tol and Waitavalo plantations , up to 100 others died of illnesses , and about 800 surrendered and were taken back to Rabaul by the Japanese . Owen was one of only 400 to get off New Britain . He arrived in Port Moresby and after a period of recuperation in Australia was promoted to lieutenant colonel and assumed command of the 39th Battalion on 7 July 1942 . Kokoda Track Campaign . The 39th Battalion was preparing for deployment to the mountain village of Kokoda , as the first step in an Allied plan to occupy the north coast of Papua . The first troops departed the day after Owen assumed command . After the Japanese landed on the north coast on 21 July , Owen was flown up to Kokoda , from where ' B ' Company was already engaging the enemy . Facing overwhelming odds , the Australians were pushed back . Owen ordered the burning of the supply dump at Kokoda and a retreat to Deniki . After realising the Japanese had not occupied Kokoda , he led his men back into the village in an attempt to reopen its airfield to receive reinforcements and supplies . The aircraft dispatched to Kokoda were not able to land . The Japanese started attacking in force on the evening of 28 July . Owen was mortally wounded at 0300 hrs on the morning of 29 July 1942 , as the Japanese stepped up their attacks on the dug - in Australians . He was shot just above the right eye while in his forward weapon pit . Taken back to a hut that was being used as an aid post , he was examined by the medical officer , Captain Geoffrey ' Doc ' Vernon . His situation was deemed hopeless and when the Australians were forced to withdraw from their location at 0430 hrs , Owen could not be moved . He was cleaned up and left as comfortable as possible . The hut was shortly overrun by Japanese troops , and Owen is believed to have died in captivity shortly afterwards . On 9 August , Owen ' s body was found and buried at Kokoda by members of ' A ' Company , 39th Battalion , when they retook Kokoda for a short period between 8 and 10 August 1942 . His body was later re - interred at Bomana War Cemetery , north - west of Port Moresby , following the Japanese withdrawal from the Kokoda Trail . He posthumously received the United States Distinguished Service Cross and was Mentioned in Despatches . Bomana War Cemetery Gravestone Inscription . OWEN , Lieutenant Colonel , WILLIAM TAYLOR , VX45223 . A . I . F . 39 Bn . Australian Infantry . 29 July 1942 . Age 37 . Son of William and Ida Owen ; husband of Daisy Owen , of Kew , Victoria . C6 . E . 4 .