The Kokoda Track

[Mrs Cleaver]

My father in law has trekked Kokoda a few times when he was younger.His father wasn't at Kokoda but flew B-25 Mitchells for the Dutch Australian airforce.He was however a prisoner of the japanese but escaped in a plane they repaired in secret,he & his fellow escapees were shot down over the ocean with my husbands Grandad taking shrapnel in his leg but he helped to save his mates including his commanding officer who took the credit for the rescue ,its in a book about great escapes of WW2.
Sorry for being slightly off topic.

 

[Smithy]

Smithy, absolutely true and I think I stated that. Have you been there?

No I haven't but as I mentioned earlier I would like to. I know a couple of Aussies who have done it and said it was bloody hard work. It is fairly regularly in the news here, unfortunately usually for sad reasons, when people get into bother on the track or die trying to do it as Dr Greg says.

Mrs Cleaver, please don't apologise, always interesting to hear stories of heroism such as those of your father-in-law's Dad.

 

[Mrs Cleaver]

Thankyou Smithy ,i think it's important to keep the stories alive so that todays generation & future generations of course don't forget what our men & women went through to ensure our freedom.

 

[Burton]

I solo trekked the Kokoda Track in 1982. At the time there had been a lot of rain and few trekkers and the track was very overgrown. On more then one occasion I lost the track for awhile and navigated as best I could until I could find it again. I was advised by a number of expats living nearby not to attempt it as the crime was quite high and a French fellow had been recently murdered near the track. I was also told my pack was too heavy and I would never make it. I did make it although it took me over a week to do and I did not see any other trekkers only the villagers along the track. At that time it was the hardest physical feat I had done and I was at that time an Army Special Forces reservist and former active duty Marine.

As I stated earlier I have since done longer, harder and more dangerous trips but it was a great start with jungle trekking. What I experienced while physically demanding was nothing compared to the immense suffering experienced by the fellows who fought there in WWII.

 

[Story]

Any earlier discovery
http://www.theage.com.au/news/natio...apanese-remains/2008/02/25/1203788246902.html

 

[swinggal]

No I haven't but as I mentioned earlier I would like to. I know a couple of Aussies who have done it and said it was bloody hard work. It is fairly regularly in the news here, unfortunately usually for sad reasons, when people get into bother on the track or die trying to do it as Dr Greg says.

Mrs Cleaver, please don't apologise, always interesting to hear stories of heroism such as those of your father-in-law's Dad.

I would like to do it too, but I need to get fitter than I am now. Would mean a lot to me.

I remember watching the Australian movie 'Kokoda' and bursting into sobbing tears in parts. That has never happened to me before whilst watching a movie. Two of my Great Uncles were at Kakoda (my Nan's brothers) and one saw his best friend beheaded by the Japanese.

Dad said his Uncle Harry was never the same after that. I guess the movie really got to me as I had heard the stories about how awful it was through my family...if you haven't seen 'Kokoda' (2006), watch it. One of the most accurate and gut-wrenching movies about Australian soldiers in WW2 and what they went through at Kokoda. Heartbreaking stuff

 

[Chas]

Any earlier discovery
http://www.theage.com.au/news/natio...apanese-remains/2008/02/25/1203788246902.html

That story reminds me of the film "The Burmese Harp" which pretty much retells that story - a Japanese soldier remains behind to bury his comrades. An excellent antiwar film, and highly recommended by yours truly.

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[Chas]

Gallipoli, Passchendaele, the Kokoda, the Western Desert. We shall have to find some nice places for you Aussies to fight in. You diggers seem to want to fight in all the worst places, hot, sticky, nasty or wet. No fun at all.

 

[Story]

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/40000-tra...morial-vandal-20100728-10vr9.html?autostart=1

This is the man police believe methodically smashed the Kokoda Track war memorial in Sydney in a "strategic operation" that will cost up to $40,000 to repair.

The board of the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway at Rhodes said the man's destructive rampage with a spray can and a blunt object lasted a few hours on Friday night or early on Saturday.

Police said the vandal appeared to have put a lot of thought into the "strategic operation", wearing gloves and making sure his face was partially covered with a grey or white hooded jumper while he took to 15 of the 22 individual stations that make up the memorial.