Editing Arnold Potts (section)

====End game in Bougainville====
[[Emperor Hirohito]] formally announced the end of hostilities in [[Tokyo]] on 15 August, but his loyal troops in the Solomons did not hear the news for some time. II Corps HQ at Torokina advised Australian commanders that it may take 8 days for the information to reach Japanese troops in Bougainville. Potts flew to Torokina for a briefing on the surrender. He was dismayed to realise that front-line troops would play no part in the surrender—"a poor reward to the troops for months of fighting".<ref name=Edgar274>Edgar (1999), p. 274</ref> The Japanese commander, General [[Masatane Kanda]], was kept waiting by his superiors in [[Rabaul]] for permission to surrender. Finally on 7 September, he and Vice-Admiral [[Tomoshige Samejima]] arrived at Torokina and formally surrendered to Savige.

Potts returned to 23rd Brigade at [[Soraken]], where he learned he would be taking charge of all of Bougainville and neighbouring islands. Now it truly was a prisoner of war camp as suggested by Major Winning. There were 18,000 Japanese in the [[Fauro Island]] area, and camps at Torokina eventually held 8,000. Massive quantities of Japanese arms and ammunition were destroyed or dumped in the sea.<ref name=Edgar277>Edgar (1999), p. 277</ref> Lieutenant Colonel [[Charles Court]], on Savige's staff, arranged a parade of senior Japanese officers for Potts. He warned them, "This is one man on our side we haven't been able to convince the war is over". Potts, in full regalia, inspected the seventeen generals and fifteen admirals, all standing rigidly at attention despite tattered uniforms. Court had told him that the Japanese would be expecting fireworks. But at the end of his inspection, having returned to the front and faced his defeated enemy, Potts exclaimed "Good show!" and went along the line shaking hands. Later he said "Many dreadful things had been done during the course of the war – by both sides. There should not be recriminations after the event. Once it was over it was over".<ref name=Edgar278>Edgar (1999), p. 278</ref>

Potts handed over command of the 23rd Brigade to Brigadier Noel Simpson on 4 December 1945. His farewell order to troops said; "The standard of efficiency as a Brigade and the fighting spirit of the troops will remain always as a vivid memory". The next day he flew home to Australia.<ref name=Edgar279/> For his service on Bougainville Potts was Mentioned in Despatches twice.<ref name=Edgar279/>