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attle experience’.81 Matthews later presented Bridgeford with an artillery shellinscribed with ‘Little George’ and ‘Arty Ridge’, noting in his diary ‘I’ll get on!’Of greater concern was the fact that some of his officers were ‘showing signs ofnervousness and inability to carry on’. One was diagnosed with ‘neurosis’ andMatthews assessed another as ‘yellow’. Further, in late December he receivedrequests from three officers to be released for university studies.82 Commentingon the increasing number of such requests, Field noted ‘it is a poor show whenofficers seek this exit’.83Lieutenant Colonel McKinna’s 25th Battalion relieved the 9th, and in the shortperiod until its subsequent relief, 4–5 January 1945, succeeded in taking PearlRidge. A battalion attack was launched on 30 December but encountered stiffresistance and it was not until 1 January that the feature was completely cleared.The battalion’s total casualties for its time in the line were thirty five, includingten dead.84 However, it was subsequently learnt that Pearl Ridge had been held bya battalion of fresh Japanese troops. Long wrote that this action ‘by an Australianbattalion whose experience of battle was limited to a brief encounter more thantwo years before was thus one of the outstanding feats of arms in this campaign’.85McKinna signalled Field on 1 January: ‘For Brig Field. The members of the unitwish you a prosperous New Year and present Pearl Ridge to you as a New Yearsgift’. Field noted that this was ‘A grand start for 1945’.86 The battalion reportcovering the operations stated that ‘This small op was most valuable in shakingthe whole unit down to an organised team, and refreshing memories regardingpoints brought out in previous training’.8781 ‘7 Aust Inf Bde Report on Operations 26 Oct 44 to 16 May 45’, p. 3, 7 Infantry BrigadeWar Diary, August 1945, Appendices, AWM 52, Item 8/2/7.82 Extract from Matthews diary, 25, 28 December 1944 and 2 January 1945, AWM 67,Item 3/260, Part 2.83 Field’s diary, 26 December 1944, AWM 3DRL6937, Item 6.84 ‘25 Aust Inf Bn Report on Operations Piaterapaia Area 15 Dec 1944 to 5 Jan 1945’,pp. 3–5, 25 Infantry Battalion War Diary, December 1944, AWM 52, Item 8/3/63.85 Long, The Final Campaigns, p. 117.86 Field’s diary, 1 January 1945, AWM 3DRL6937, Item 7.87 ‘25 Aust Inf Bn Report on Operations Piaterapaia Area 15 Dec 1944 to 5 Jan 1945’,p. 6, 25 Infantry Battalion War Diary, December 1944, AWM 52, Item 8/3/63.A tale of three battalions — 17