The Kokoda Track

[cookie]

http://www.jahitchcock.com/kokoda.html Here is an example of an Akubra worn in the jungle campaign.

Fred H. Edit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokoda_Track_Campaign http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokoda_Track

Fred H. Edit:

From Wikipedia: The Kokoda Trail or Track is a single-file foot thoroughfare that runs 96 kilometres (60 mi) overland — 60 kilometres (37 mi) in a straight line — through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea. The track is the most famous in Papua New Guinea and is renowned as the location of the World War II battle between Japanese and Australian forces in 1942. During the Pacific War of World War II a series of battles, afterwards called the Kokoda Track Campaign, were fought from July 1942 to January 1943 between Japanese and Australian forces.

http://www.anzacday.org.au/history/ww2/bfa/kokoda.html

Cookie, I hope you don't mind if I beefed this initial post up a little! -- Fred H.

 

[HungaryTom]

Australia's Thermopylae

Cookie,

Thank you for starting this very educative thread!
I did not even know about this battle - soldiers fighting against an outnumbering enemy is always true heroism.


Thanks


Tom

 

[DutchIndo]

As mentioned on another post I read this as a kid in a comic book. Back then in the 60's I read "Sgt. Rock" the "Haunted Tank" and others. There was a feature story and then a second feature. One artist who's name escapes me always did stories about his experiences in the Pacific. His stories always followed the main feature but were more interesting because they were true. Though he was an American he wrote about the Kokoda trail and the starvation and disease. I remembered he mentioned the "Golden Stairway" (?)
I can still see those drawings in my minds eye. I have a "Lithgow" No 3 by my fireplace with a really worn out buttstock. It's stamped '42 and '45 on it-it doesn't match the rest of the stock. I refuse to replace it because who knows where it was. The Kokoda trail ?

 

[Rufus]

Hi DI,

I believe the artist you're mentioning is Sam Glanzman, a former navy man in the Pacific. A great artist.

He drew a lot of stuff in GI Combat.

There were a lot of great backup stories, many drawn by Philipino artists who were kids during the Japanese Occupation. Rick Estrada, Alex Nino, Gerry Talaoc, and ER Cruz were some of the foremost of these talented men.

Ruf... comic geek extraordinaire

 

[Story]

There was a thread over in Movies

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=10366&highlight=kokoda

 

[Windsock]

Kokoda Pilgrimage

Oh yeah, I would love to get there one day and trek a section of it- maybe when my 6 and 4yr olds are big enough to do it with me- if I can still walk by then... It's a pilgrimage right on our doorstep. Back in the early '71 my grade 3 teacher who took part in the event would often tell us little kids stories from the Track- Japanese snipers hiding in the tops of palm trees, and a time he thought he was hit as he felt the thud of a shot followed by sodden trousers-turned out that his water bottle had bought it.

My own Uncle wasn't involved here but was a year later further along up the Coast of New Guinea and i'd love to get some inkling of what they endured. I have a copy of a field guide to the track which combines both the actual present day physical description of the geography with accounts of the times. It's hard to reconcile the two- the terrain is so difficult and conditions extreme...and now there's no-one shooting back at you.

Ten yrs ago or so I was priveliged to be comissioned to assist the Australian War Memorial with preparing exhibit designs and promotional material for proposed new exhibits and got to dig into their archives and artefacts, this is one of the montage sketches I made on the subject of kokoda based on some very famous photos. That was a fun job. I believe the "stairway" was included in the lower left hand corner.

>> BROKEN PHOTO LINK <<

 

[DutchIndo]

Rufus you are absolutely correct ! Geez I never figured a dude in London would solve that mystery for me. He did some great stories he did one I remember where they had a knife fighter. He alluded to the fact he was strange and effeminate but ended up knifing some guys in a fight. This guy ended commiting suicide after the fight by jumping off a cliff. Artist Russ Heath comes to mind also. Yes those were the days of 12 cent comic books !

 

[Rufus]

Pleased to be of service!

Dc's war books were magnificent. Russ Heath is masterful. My favourite was always Joe Kubert's covers.

I've got a Sgt rock he drew for me... what a gent.

Apologies for derailing the thread, back on trail now! ;-)

Ruf

 

[Story]

The Australian Defence Force is preparing to visit the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea to confirm a possible discovery of the body of a World War II airman found hanging above the track.

A group of Melbourne trekkers say they discovered what they suspect is a moss-covered body hanging in a harness from the jungle canopy.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/28/2349562.htm?section=justin

 

[Chas]

I would not have liked to fight there, it must have been damned unpleasant. Humidity, bugs, disease and Japanese soldiers. Very nasty.

What burns me about this campaign is that at the end of it MacArthur gave no credit at all to the ANZACs.

I would love to travel through New Guinea some day, but when I researched the possibility it turns out that the area is extremely hazardous for tourists; high crime rates in the towns and tribal wars in the countryside. Too bad; it looks quite rugged and beautiful.

 

[Story]

An Australian trekker said he has discovered the site of a significant World War II battle in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, complete with the remains of Japanese soldiers right where they fell almost 70 years ago.

Former army Capt. Brian Freeman, an expert on the Kokoda Trail – a 60-mile trek through rugged mountainous country and rainforest of the island – said Monday he was led to the Eora Creek battle site where he found the remains of the soldiers.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/07/lost-wwii-battlefield-found-war-dead-included/?hpt=C1

 

[Sgt Brown]

What burns me about this campaign is that at the end of it MacArthur gave no credit at all to the ANZACs.

McArthur was an **, surpassed only by Mark Clark in the Italian theater.

Tom

FRED H. EDIT: Boys, we frown on thinly disguised words from the George Carlin list!

 

[Dudleydoright]

McArthur was an **, surpassed only by Mark Clark in the Italian theater.

Tom

Stark but true Tom. Although one might argue that MacArthur was a bigger one as he nearly got us into WW3 by wanting to invade China.

Regardless, both should rot in hell.

Dave

 

[1961MJS]

McArthur was an **, surpassed only by Mark Clark in the Italian theater.

Tom

Hi Tom

At least MacArthur was a successful ** who island hopped around enemy troop concentrations, whereas Mark Clark (from my reading) was just an **. Even Patton didn't MAKE journalists say Georgie Patton and the 3rd US ARMY like Clark made them say Mark Clark and the US 5th Army and Patton was a showboat.

Just my $0.02 from reading, no experience.

 

[Smithy]

Oh yeah, I would love to get there one day and trek a section of it- maybe when my 6 and 4yr olds are big enough to do it with me- if I can still walk by then... It's a pilgrimage right on our doorstep.

It's something most Aussies should try and do if they can I think, such an important part of Australian history. Even as a Kiwi I really want to do the track one day and also make the trip to Gallipoli. My best mate's granddad was on the track and survived as well.

 

[Chas]

The Kokoda defense is the perfect example of what a smaller force can do when it musn't lose. The more I read on the Pacific Campaign, the closer I come to the conclusion that of all the armies in WW2 that it is the Japanese soldier, rather than the Tommy, who deserves the title

"Lions led by Donkeys."

Apart from the Malayan Campaign, all the Japanese seemed capable of conducting were their ridiculous, suicidal and eminently predictable human wave attacks. As soon as the Allied soldiers adapted to the tactic, they repulsed it countless times at Guadalcanal, Imphal/Kohima and on the Kokoda.

 

[Burton]

I solo hiked the Kokoda track many years ago. I have done much harder and much longer treks since in Irian Jaya and orther places. Still it was damn terrible and a great start for me. When I did it I had the luxury of not being shot at and no diseases. You cant even imagine the misery the fellows in WWII faced.

 

[Smithy]

I solo hiked the Kokoda track many years ago. I have done much harder and much longer treks since in Irian Jaya and orther places. Still it was damn terrible and a great start for me. When I did it I had the luxury of not being shot at and no diseases. You cant even imagine the misery the fellows in WWII faced.

Bear in mind as well that the Kokoda you hiked was different and more used/open than the Kokoda of 1942.

 

[Burton]

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

 

[dr greg]

no thanks

The fact that people younger than me regularly drop dead hiking the track even now is good enough for me...I can't imagine what the original diggers went through getting shot at into the bargain..this country should celebrate that campaign more than they do....