Australian's Under Fire in PNG

 

Ok it is time for some more about Australia under fire in 1942 starting off this week with Port Moresby, which is in the PNG or Papua New Guinea, back during the wall it was seen as a strategic goal for the Japanese. It was an important port and the largest town in the PNG.

During WW11 there was several battles in Papua New Guinea including Milne Bay and Kokoda. Between August and September in Milne Bay the invading Japanese were driven off after a ten-day battle involving land, sea, and air forces.

Us Aussies had participated in the first defeat of seemingly invincible Japanese force. In early November after 5 exhausting months in hideous conditions on the Kokoda Trail us Aussie’s managed to drive the Japanese back from this vital route to Port Moresby.

Meanwhile during October and November outside the Southwest Pacific theatre of war Australian troops were distinguishing themselves during the battle of El Alamein in Egypt’s Western Desert. The 9^th division of the AIF fought side by side with British, Indian, New Zealand and South African forces against German and Italian troops under Field Marshal Rommel.

The fall of Singapore consigned thousands of Aussies to horrible and brutal conditions in Japanese prison camps. On the 20 and 21 February Timor fell to the Japanese resulting in many Aussies being taken prisoner.

However, one of the independent companies of the AIF the 2/2^nd remained in the jungle for over a year as a guerilla unit inflicting heavy casualties on the Japanese.

More to come next week.

                        Port Moresby in 1942