September 16 a significant occasion in Lae

September 16 may have been Independence Day, however, in Lae, it was also the anniversary of another significant occasion in Lae.

Unbeknown to many, it was on September 16, 1943, that Lae was taken back from the Japanese.

Along 2^nd Street in Top Town, at the site of the old Lae Club commanding panoramic views of the Huon Gulf, is a plaque commemorating the occasion.

The site of the the plaque commemorating the capture of Lae from the Japanese on September 16, 1943.

The plaque commemorating the capture of Lae from the Japanese on September 16, 1943

It simply reads: “Here, on 16^th September 1943, the Australian flag was raised by the Commander 25^th Australian Infantry Brigade, to mark the capture of this important base from the Japanese.”

Lest we forget.