Kokoda Track

 

Ok it is time to step back to 1942 and Australia’s involvement in the long battle for the Kokoda Trail this battle started on the 21 July when the Japanese landed in Papua.

It took till November for there to even be a partial resolution and it was in January 1943 that the Japanese were driven out.

There was around 1.5 million indigenous people and around 6,000 European residents. After the attack on Pearl Harbour the European women and children were encouraged to return to Australia.  

By mid-February in 1942 the territories were under military control.

In mid-July General MacArthur ordered a force of Australian infantry and American engineers should move across the Kokoda track to Buna to construct and airfield at Dobodura.

The Kokoda track became known as the Kokoda trail sometime in 1942 mainly due to American influence.

By mid-1942 there was great pressure on troop numbers, experienced soldiers of the AIF were fighting in the Middle East and North Africa.

This meant it was left up to three militia units of the Australian Military Forces AMF the 39^th, 49^th & 53^rd along with a Papuan Infantry Battalion, which was manned by Papuans under Australian Officers.

The AMF was formed by volunteer, part time soldiers but at the outbreak of war this force was augmented by the call-up of conscripts for home defence.

New Guinea was declared the 8 Australian Military District to enable the use of the conscripts in a war zone.

The 39 Australian Infantry Battalion a CMF unit (citizens military force). It was raised in October 1941 by volunteers in Victoria and arrived in Port Moresby in January 1942. Out of the 1,500 men that arrived in Port Moresby only 185 remained when they were relieved in September 1942.

That will do for now, more to come next week.