Awesomated88

This Thread is top discuss the implications and details about one of the most costly and Brutal campaigns that Australian troops have took part in....

here is a wiki website:
DISCUSS

Walker

An interesting read. Well reserched and presented. Useful maps too in trying understand that difficult campaign.

I have a very old and tattered copy of a novel by David Forrest The Last Blue Sea . A very well-written book that extols the bravery and endurance of the militiamen and porters .

A durn good thread.

Edward

refer tro "Kokoda' by Peter Fitzsimons. Very well resarched.

Awesomated88

already Red it....

I reckomend reading A Bastard of a Place by Peter Brune. It has a great deal about the whole campagn...

The Porters were very downtrodden during the campaign. They got paid very little and conditions were terrible.....Most of the Militia men put on a good show..They 39th were amazing...the action at Isurava was very impressive....

Son of Cathal

Interesting that you call it the Kokoda Track. Australians call it the Kokoda Trail. I'll get back to you with a proper response, I'm in bed on my iPhone at the moment.

Walker

I gathered from the article that the upper levels of command did not have a clue of what the outnumbered and scattered units were facing. They had lots of criticism but little useful support to those on the "sharp end " .
To be fair, the Japanese for all their tenacity and considerable toughness were not able to supply their troops .

I will have to read more . Many valuable lessons should be learned from the Kokoda campaign .

Spartacuss

I think it was on the trail that I remember an account that demonstrates the toughness and dark humor the Aussies were known for. They were climbing a rather steep part during a move-up to the fighting ahead and there was the body of a Japanese soldier laying next to the trail with one hand hanging over into the path. As each Aussie passed the hand, they shook it in greeting with a "Good on ya, mate".

Robert165

I'm going to bookmark that book on my amazon list or in my NYC Public Library Cache.

BTW, your quote about wars being started by the rich and fought by the poor, where doe that come from?

Edward

Be careful. You can learn something odd and unpleasant about gen. McArthur. It can destroy the myth……

pablo668

I just hope that General Blamey is roasting over a low flame in hell for his treatment of some of the units after the campaign.

Some teachers at a school I worked at walked the Kokoda Trail, they brought back a heap of pictures and gave us a power point presentation of the trip. To actually see the kind of country that they fought in, it must have been horrific.
To call it a trail is actually a bit of an overstatement. It's not even recognizable as a trail in many places.