▁and ▁considered ▁unlikely ▁to ▁be ▁successfully ▁def ended . ▁In ▁late ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁the ▁ 1 , 4 0 0 - strong ▁R aba ul ▁( Austral ian ) ▁g arrison ▁was ▁quickly ▁over wh el med ▁by ▁the ▁Japanese . ▁O wen ' s ▁' A ' ▁Company ▁was ▁position ed ▁at ▁V ul can ▁beach , ▁and ▁bore ▁the ▁br unt ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁Japanese ▁landing . ▁After ▁fighting ▁for ▁several ▁hours , ▁O wen ▁ordered ▁his ▁men ▁to ▁break ▁contact , ▁as ▁they ▁would ▁otherwise ▁have ▁been ▁cut ▁off . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁the ▁Australian ▁g arrison , ▁O wen ▁and ▁his ▁men ▁escaped ▁from ▁R aba ul . ▁They ▁faced ▁a ▁h arrow ing ▁battle ▁for ▁surv ival ▁in ▁the ▁mountains ▁and ▁along ▁the ▁southern ▁coast . ▁More ▁than ▁ 1 5 0 ▁men ▁were ▁mass ac red ▁after ▁being ▁taken ▁prisoner ▁around ▁Tol ▁and ▁Wait av alo ▁plant ations , ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 0 0 ▁others ▁died ▁of ▁ill ness es , ▁and ▁about ▁ 8 0 0 ▁surrender ed ▁and ▁were ▁taken ▁back ▁to ▁R aba ul ▁by ▁the ▁Japanese . ▁O wen ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁only ▁ 4 0 0 ▁to ▁get ▁off ▁New ▁Britain . ▁He ▁arrived ▁in ▁Port ▁M ores by ▁and ▁after ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁recuper ation ▁in ▁Australia ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁lieutenant ▁colon el ▁and ▁assumed ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 9 th ▁Battalion ▁on ▁ 7 ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 2 .