Supplies ran short and tropical diseases such as Saturday 29 August, 1942 - bullets everywhere – hell on earth amongst the clouds in the mountains.. There were also major oil fields in the Middle East that were vital to … For the rest of the war, he was moved to many different work camps in Thailand, but stayed longest in the Tamuang camp, near the Bangkok end of the railway. Despite winning some hard-fought battles, Australian troops were forced to retreat towards Port Moresby. They could use the island as a base to attack Japanese shipping. Today, without the obstacles of wartime, and with a professional guide, it takes about eight days to walk the Kokoda track. Extract from the diary of Private Stewart John Clarke 2/14 Battalion, on the Kokoda Track State Library of Victoria Manuscripts Collection, MS 10894When the Japanese invaded Papua, it was not an independent nation, but was governed as a territory of Australia. The Library has a large collection of material on World War II, especially relating to Australia’s involvement.Biographies and personal narratives are held on military leaders, soldiers, Our collection covers works on specific battles and campaigns, such as the For contemporary accounts of the war, we have a large collection of eresources including newspapers of the day like The Library actively collects material covering the history and experiences of Jews and others who were victims of the Holocaust.Buy unique & beautiful items curated by State Library Victoria at our The Library building is temporarily closed. Normally, conscripted Australian troops could not be used outside Australia, but because Papua was Australian territory, conscripts were sent to fight along the Kokoda track.Command of the Kokoda operations did not go smoothly. Their men were now suffering from the same hunger and disease that had earlier affected the Australian troops.At the same time, American forces had occupied the island of Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands, east of Papua. On one occasion, he accused his own soldiers of ‘running like rabbits’ after an unsuccessful battle.By early September 1942, the Japanese were within 48 kilometres of Port Moresby, and could see the lights of the town. At first the government politely discouraged those women who wanted to perform some kind of military service. The deserts of north Africa were an important battleground in World War II.
Some of the fiercest battles in World War II were fought over relatively small islands. Moon was captured in Java when he refused to abandon his patients. Estimates of the Japanese dead are uncertain, but are probably even higher than the Allied casualties, because of the Japanese military tradition of committing suicide rather than surrendering.In recent years, walking the Kokoda track has become popular with Australians who wish to share the hardships of the original soldiers, and to pay tribute to their dedication and endurance. Much of it can only be travelled on foot, which meant that all supplies and heavy equipment had to be carried. In July 1942, Japanese forces landed on the northern coast of Papua.
It soon became clear that the war was going to demand much more than the government had expected. He criticised the Australian forces for retreating along the Kokoda Track, and commanders who were unable to stop the Japanese were quickly replaced. Overall, more than 600 Australian troops died in fighting throughout the Kokoda operation, and more than 1600 were wounded. Please keep in touch with us through our website and social media. Some Allied troops – British, Australian, New Zealand soldiers and Greek civil milita – retreated to the nearby island of Crete and took up a … But they were now far from their own supply base on the northern coast, and faced the difficulties of moving supplies and weapons along the narrow, mountainous track. Oxford Big Ideas History 10.Oxford UP Australia, 2012. The commander of the Australian forces, General Sir Thomas Blamey, was unpopular with his men. Women could do the technical jobs normally performed by men, freeing those men for combat.
We hold the official histories of the Canadian, Indian and New Zealand forces as well. The Library has a large collection of material on World War II, especially relating to Australia’s involvement. In 1941, German and Italian forces drove the Allies off the Greek mainland. "World War II." Controlling north Africa would give the Allied forces a base from which to attack occupied Europe, across the Mediterranean. Kokoda track campaign In July 1942, Japanese forces landed on the northern coast of Papua. Their objective was to make their way overland along the Kokoda track and capture Port Moresby on the southern coast. Their objective was to make their way overland along the Kokoda track and capture Port Moresby on the southern coast. One man who did much to improve the survival rate of prisoners was the Australian Army doctor Major Arthur Moon.