H. Feuilletau de Bruijn, Lt. L. A. C. M. Doorman, P. M. van Kampen, Dr. J. K. van Gelder, and Dr. A. C. de Kock. Members of the military teams also accompanied the major Dutch and British expeditions to the central ranges (see below), and Gjellerup and van Kampen joined the 1910–1911 German-Dutch border survey (the Dutch contingent being led by J. J. F. C. ten Klooster).
While with the Military Expeditions (Militaire-Exploratie), Gjellerup collected plants and animals (Bogor; plants also in Leiden, Kew, and Utrecht) as other duties permitted. In this work he was assisted by two Indonesian officials (mantris) from Bogor, Ajoeb and Sadeli. On travels in the border areas in 1910 and 1911 he three times visited the Tami River basin (reaching among other places Arso and Sawia) and also undertook a trip to the Bougainville Range (near Oinaké). In between were assignments in 1910 with the German border survey team (under Schultze-Jena) to the Bewani Mountains, from there returning down the Tami River and then the upper Sepik River. Due to the capsizing of a vessel, many collections from these latter trips unfortunately were lost. After the Tami River basin Gjellerup then worked along Lake Sentani and in the Cyclops Mountains, in mid-1911 as high as 2,000 m, obtaining the first significant harvest of plants (including, for example, the endemic Schefflera leiophylla) from this geologically interesting but difficult range. This was followed by a reconnaissance of the Maffin (now Tor) River (southeast of Sarmi), reaching into the Gauttier (now Foja) Mountains. After further activity in early 1912 around Hollandia (now Jayapura), he was transferred to Manokwari. From there, with a geologist and mining surveyor, P. F. Hubrecht, via Siari (on the coast) he climbed up to and collected at the Anggi Lakes (April–May 1912)—a year and a half before Gibbs (see below). Here, also, he suffered losses to his collections.
Of other Military Expedition (Militaire-Exploratie) officers, Janowsky—during two trips in 1912 and 1913—penetrated far up the Weyland Mountains at the western end of the central ranges (in 1913 reaching the top at 3,720 m) but also patrolled along the eastern side of Geelvink Bay (Moesoiro, Legare River, Sawa River). Both animals and plants were obtained (Bogor) though a large number of those from 1913 had to be abandoned in the field. Feuilletau de Bruijn in 1914 collected in the Mamberamo basin and the Lake Plain and in 1915 in the Schouten Islands (plants, Bogor). In 1914, on the third Mamberamo expedition of the Military Expeditions (Militaire-Exploratie) under Capt. J. V. L. Opperman, Lt Doorman went up the Mamberamo (calling at the Pionierbivak base camp) and across the Lake Plain. Finally, via the Taritatu (formerly Idenburg) River, they reached the summit (3,550 m) of Mt Kembu (later named Doorman Top), this being some ways east of Moszkowski’s route (see below). Doorman’s collections were but few (orchids, Bogor). Gelder, in addition to his mineral surveying, collected animals in 1910 on the Mamberamo under Capt. A. Franssen Herderschee. Kampen in 1910–1911 collected animals at Hollandia (now Jayapura), Lake Sentani, Zoutbron, and Bronbeck (1910) and on the Arwo River (1911). Finally, in 1910–1911 de Kock made a dramatic stab towards the eastern part of the central ranges, voyaging up along the Eilanden River and ascending Mt Goliath (3,500 m) where for some time de Kock remained (preserved and living plants, Bogor). That remote mountain region has since hardly seen a collector. Also with some parties was J. M. Dumas (see above), collecting mainly birds and insects (Bogor); he would also join Lorentz’s first expedition (see below). The results from these several undertakings appeared in Nova Guinea and elsewhere.
In spite of these cumulatively not inconsiderable contributions, detailed biological investigation was, however, not a primary aim for the military teams. Indeed, no professional botanist and only one professional zoologist were under direct command; the majority of the collections that emerged were the work of team physicians. More significant for science were the major metropolitan expeditions that army men accompanied and, in one instance, also led. Most of these had as their main objective the "snow mountains"—a Dutch "dream" since their sighting centuries before by Carstensz. In this quest the generally state-supported Dutch were to be "challenged" by largely privately-funded British interests. By agreement, however, the British directed their attention towards Mt Carstensz (now Mt Jaya)—perhaps the greater prize, being the highest mountain between the Himalayas and the Americas. (Only in 1962 would it be successfully climbed, and then by a less difficult route.) The Germans, as we shall see (and perhaps not to be outdone), also made one abortive attempt in their support of Moszkowski—but from the north, at that time a rather more difficult route although the opening up of the central ranges by the Military Expedition (Militaire Exploratie) teams was underway. The other expeditions sensibly approached the central ranges from the south.
Of the three Dutch "South New Guinea Expeditions," only the third finally reached the top of Mt Wilhelmina (now Mt Trikora), although the second got to over 4,000 m, turning back just 170 m below the summit. The first two expeditions were led by H. A. Lorentz and the third by Capt. Franssen Herderschee (earlier leader of a military team on the Mamberamo, as we have seen). All traveled from the so-called Asmat (or Casuarina) Coast in the first instance up the Noord (now Lorentz) River, with a base camp at "Alkmaar" (ca 100 m) at the start of the foothills. Attached to each of these expeditions was an army lieutenant; for the second, it was D. Habbema.
The first South New Guinea Expedition (1907–1908) worked extensively around Merauke and in the Digul and Noord (now Lorentz) river basins; the furthest point reached was the Hellwig Mountains (2,320 m) with an intermediate point (the Resi Mountains) at 900 m. The "Alkmaar" base camp was established at this time. Much collecting was at lower elevations, such as at Sabang and the van Weels camp on the Noord (now Lorentz) River. Animals were obtained by Lorentz and de Beaufort (see also above), while plants were collected by Dr. B. Branderhorst (also of the Militaire Exploratie), Dr. G. M. Versteeg (directly seconded from the forces) and the Bogor officials (mantris) Djibdja and Atmodjo (animals, Leiden; plants, Bogor and Utrecht). The second (1909–1910) and the third (1912–1913) South New Guinea Expeditions both worked all the way from the mouth of the Noord (now Lorentz) River to the summit area of Mt Wilhelmina (now Mt Trikora), going via the Alkmaar camp and the nearby (and slightly higher) Kloofbivak camp north along the ridges between the Noord (now Lorentz) and Noordwest Rivers. They passed through Heuvelbivak base camp, the Went Mts, Dromedarisbivak camp, the Hellwig Mts (2,000 m), the Treub Mts, the Wichmann Mts, the Hubrecht Mts, Bellevue, Peripatusbivak camp, Jenjabivak camp, the Kajan Mts, Waterfalbivak camp, Lake Quarles (ca 3,600 m), Dolomieten, Oranjebivak camp, Rotsbivak camp (4,300 m) and, in November 1909, first onto the then-extant ice-cap on Mt Wilhelmina (now Trikora; 4,750 m). Lake Habbema was seen for the first time—a site very important a quarter-century later, for the Third Archbold Expedition (see the section Between World War I and World War II, below). The same route was followed in 1912–1913. Some collecting was also done at Fakfak and Kaimana on the southwestern coastal approaches. Most of the animals were collected by Lorentz (second South New Guinea Expedition) with some by G. M. Versteeg (third South New Guinea Expedition). A considerable number of plants were obtained under Lorentz by E. S. A. M. Römer, J. W. van Nouhuys, and Habbema, and under Herderschee by A. Pulle, but at the high elevations by Versteeg (Bogor, Leiden). The richness of the flora of the central ranges now began to be revealed, including a first (but for some time unrecognized) collection for New Guinea of southern beech, Nothofagus—a dominant genus in many areas. A rich array of results appeared in Nova Guinea, including large numbers of new orchids.
British explorers mounted two expeditions: the British Ornithologists’ Union Expedition of 1909–1910 and the Wollaston Expedition of 1912–1913. Like their Dutch counterparts, each expedition was accompanied by a Dutch army officer. The first British Ornithologists’ Union Expedition was led by W. Goodfellow; animals (but few plants) were collected by A. F. R. Wollaston, G. C. Shortridge, and W. Stalker. Working mostly along the Mimika, Utakwa (also known as Waitakwa) and Setakwa rivers, the expedition met with great difficulties and some loss of life (Stalker being drowned) and in addition failed to get high in the central range. Wollaston, however, soon organized his own expedition to continue the quest. Assisted by C. Boden Kloss of the Federated Malay States Museums (Kuala Lumpur), he collected animals and quite a few plants (BMNH; plants also at Kew and elsewhere), also making many geographical and topographical observations (regrettably, most of his notes were lost during the descent). The team reached the Mt Carstensz (now Mt Jaya) glacier fields but was finally stopped at the end of January 1913 by stupendous cliffs and a wall of ice; due to bad weather
