Patriot Realm

Back a while ago, we published an incredibly interesting article about the life of one man in Papua New Guinea during the Second World War. It was a transcript of a story he told in relation to his experience during his forced flight from the war ravaged region in 1942. 

I was reminded of it yesterday when I was thinking about visit from the current Prime Minister of Australia to the Kokoda Trail. That should be interesting. Albanese’s first day of trekking will pass through Hoi Village and finish at Deniki, where he will camp overnight. On Wednesday, Albanese will continue to Isurava, where a dawn service ceremony will be held on Thursday. Travelling with the PM on the trek is a five-member media contingent. 

Well, our boys didn't have a media contingent with them. Far from it. Unless highly trained members of the New Guinea Mosquito Regiment were flying blood samples back to Moresby for malaria testing . 

But back to something more serious than the Australian Prime Minister trekking the Kokoda Track, which, let's be honest. is about as sad as Joe Biden's Uncle being eaten by New Guinean Cannibals at the Kokoda outlet of the McSniffys Steakhouse.

You see, this is what is happening to news these days. It is becoming a subject of mockery. The real tragedy is that people, aka the masses, line up to believe the myths and ignore the true reality of that horrific period in history. 

An estimated 625 Australians were killed and more than 1600 were wounded along the track, which was part of Australian territory at the time.

Had it not been for the real Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels, we may never have survived the Japanese in the war. 

" We all know how extremely grateful our wounded soldiers in PNG were to them. Later generations need to hear these incredible but true narratives again and to realise just how brave these PNG men were. They helped wounded Aussies not only through difficult terrain but at times at risk to their own lives, as Japanese attacks could happen suddenly and unexpectedly.

It's sad that in today's Victim Culture all these true stories have been swept aside to be replaced by nothing but instances of victims of colonial injustice in our past. Too bad about our real history of good and bad, of triumph over adversity, of helping as well as harming. " 

To those of you have never heard of these saviours of so many, here is a quick rundown.  

Back in 1942, the only interaction of the Native people of this region with outsiders was via the occasional visit from Australian Government Patrol Officers. ( at that time, Papua was a territory of Australia.)

Stretching approximately 96 kilometres (60 miles) across Papua New Guinea's formidable Owen Stanley Range, the Kokoda Trail holds deep historical significance, particularly for Australians and Papua New Guineans. During World War II, this trail became the stage for one of the most grueling and pivotal campaigns fought between Allied and Japanese forces in the Pacific theatre.

In 1942, Japanese forces aimed to capture Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, by advancing southward through the Kokoda Trail. Their objective was to establish a strategic foothold that would potentially threaten Australia. However, standing in their path were Australian soldiers, alongside Papua New Guinean carriers and scouts, who valiantly defended the rugged terrain against overwhelming odds.

Following the fall of Singapore, Australia was under the very real threat of invasion from Japan. Japan was indeed planning such an invasion but postponed it, deciding instead that it would cut off the supply lines to Australia. In order to do this, they would need to prevent supplies from America reaching the region and the most efficient way to achieve their goal was to capture the capital, Port Moresby.

North of Port Moresby, roads were little more than tracks. The only way to cross the mountain range, known as the Owen Stanley Range, that separated the south from the north, was the 100 km track.

Central to this track was the village of Kokoda where there was a strategically important airfield. people today cannot divide whether to call it the Kokoda Trail or Kokoda Track...... 

The current official gazetted place name is Kokoda Trail. This is used by the Papua New Guinea Government, the Australian Army and the Australian War Memorial.

Before and during the War the route was variously called track, trail and road, and so there seemed no standardised name at the time. Many soldiers during the Kokoda Campaign referred to it as simply “The Track”. According to the Australian War Memorial both Track and Trail are acceptable, although Trail is considered official for the place name and battle honour. source

But back to the story...... 

The objective was to secure the airfield before the Japanese.

The Australian forces on the track relied on airdrops of supplies, but the PNG Native carrier force remained an essential part of the plan, moving supplies forward from the drop zones under dreadful conditions.

On their return, they would carry back the wounded with tremendous care:

These men became known as the "Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels" 

In the meantime, here is an amazing tribute to those “ Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels “ that I found.

'Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels'

Many a mother in Australia
when the busy day is done
Sends a prayer to the Almighty
for the keeping of her son
Asking that an angel guide him
and bring him safely back
Now we see those prayers are answered
on the Owen Stanley Track

For they haven't any halos
only holes slashed in their ears
And their faces worked by tattoos
with scratch pins in their hair
Bringing back the badly wounded
just as steady as a horse
Using leaves to keep the rain off
and as gentle as a nurse

Slow and careful in the bad places
on the awful mountain track
The look upon their faces
would make you think Christ was black
Not a move to hurt the wounded
as they treat him like a saint
It's a picture worth recording
that an artist's yet to paint

Many a lad will see his mother
and husbands see their wives
Just because the fuzzy wuzzy
carried them to save their lives
From mortar bombs and machine gun fire
or chance surprise attacks
To the safety and the care of doctors
at the bottom of the track

May the mothers of Australia
when they offer up a prayer
Mention those impromptu angels
with their fuzzy wuzzy hair.

Sapper Bert Beros

NX6925, 7th Australian Division, Royal Australian Engineers

" If the young ones of today studied subjects such as you have just written , what a different attitude they would have. Instead of falling on their faces in protest and holding rallies for the sake of ranting and raving they might realize that people in the past did things so that they might have a free life."  - Redhead