Showcase-Sunday: My Kokoda Trek experience: ONE

What do the words COURAGE, ENDURANCE, MATESHIP and SACRIFICE mean to you? I could ask a hundred people and get a hundred different answers I think. It's not a simple question to answer for me as the words invoke passion and emotion that mean more than I could explain here.

This is the first part of a series of posts I'm doing on my 2007 Kokoda Trail experience and how it changed my life. You can see the prequel post here which will give some perspective.

Australian War Memorial - Battlefield Isurava, Kokoda Trail, Papua New Guinea, as taken by me in 2007.

A brief outline of the campaign.

In 1942 during the Second World War a series of battles were fought in Papua New Guinea between Japanese Imperial forces and Allied forces, namely us Aussies. Japan required resources to continue their war effort, resources that were readily available from the resource-rich continent of Australia. The route? Through the jungle over the Owen Stanley Range to Port Morseby and then the Australian mainland. Port Moresby was a logical jumping off point for a mainland assault.

There was only one way across the Owen Stanley's, a narrow, partly non-existent trail called the Kokoda Track (or Trail) which ran from the tiny village of Kokoda to Owers Corner a hundred kilometres away and Port Morseby. It was a brutal trek and ended up being a brutal campaign.

About 13,500 Japanese troops landed in Papua New Guinea and approximately 3,500 Australian defenders marched to meet them, and for months they strived to attack or repel an enemy intent upon victory.

Owers Corner to the village of Kokoda is approximately 100km depending on changes in the track due to flooding and terrain conditions. The Allies, almost all of them Australians, marched up to Kokoda to meet the enemy and due to overwhelming enemy numbers conducted a fighting retreat back almost to Owers Corner then back up the track pushing the enemy backwards, and finally defeating, them.

src: pacificwar.org.au

It was a brutal campaign against an expert jungle fighter, a fanatical, brave and vicious enemy who took the fight to the Australians as never before. The troops on both sides inflicted, and received, grievous wounds, dealt death and destruction and struggled to survive in the dense, virtually impenetrable jungles against all odds and for the prize of Australia in the balance.

The first troops sent to the village of Kokoda to meet the enemy were Militia, raw conscripts and volunteers peppered with a few older veterans to stiffen-up the ranks; Essentially they were rejects and conscripts, the medically unfit and those not wanted for the regular army.

The AIF (Australian Imperial Force) professional soldiers were deployed to other theatres (Middle East and others) so this was the best the Government could muster to hold back a determined Japanese force. They were sent and the hope of the nation went with them.

The AIF called them chocolate soldiers because they knew the militia would melt in the heat of battle. It was not a compliment.

Still photo above of the 39th Battalion taken from the movie Kokoda (2006) src: static.thecia.com.au

The real 39th Battalion above receiving commendation from their Commander after the terrible battle of Isurava. src: upload.wikimedia.org

Movie trailer - Kokoda (2006) which is worth a look

The battle began at Kokoda where scouts from B Company 39th Infantry Battalion made contact, were almost overrun then executed a fighting retreat. The few blokes in the patrol never knew they were facing 13,000 dedicated Japanese jungle fighters until it was too late...More about that contact later.

From there the Australians were slowly forced back towards Owers Corner over months suffering, and inflicting, hundreds of casualties and enduring unimaginable hardships.

Eventually, and due mainly to the Japanese having stretched their supply lines too far, the Australians began to push back against an extremely unfit and ailing force. They pushed to Kokoda, Buna and Gona and eventually ultimate victory.

The Aussies, now joined in Buna and Gona by a contingent of Americans, had prevailed, albeit at immense cost. Known as the Kokoda Campaign the men who fought and returned and those who had not would live in our memories and the history of this great country. Doing the Kokoda Trail has become almost a right of passage from some Australians; A personal physical challenge or a tribute to those who fought and died there...For me it was more the latter, although it was certainly a terribly difficult trek to complete from a physical and emotional standpoint.

My desire to explore and understand Australian war history and the respect I have for those who serve has led me to many Australian battlefields.

In 2007 I had an intense desire to visit the battlefield in Papua New Guinea. To walk in the footsteps of hero’s like Private Bruce Steel Kingsbury VC (Victoria Cross), Captain Samuel Victor Templeton and Corporal Charlie McCallum DCM (Distinguished Conduct Medal).

I wanted to understand what those four words above meant to those men, to learn first-hand what conditions they fought and died in. I found out, and also learned what COURAGE ENDURANCE MATESHIP and SACRIFICE meant to me.

Captain Sam Templeton (On left) 1940-July 26th 1942 (The first Australian killed in the campaign - More about Sam later) src: sunshinecoastdaily.com.au

November 5th 2007 was my step-off date. After a few months of planning and gearing up with all sorts of stuff I'd need I was to tackle the now infamous Kokoda Trail.

Bullets wouldn’t fly, bombs wouldn’t explode but The Trail holds dangers to trekkers nonetheless. It was to change my life positively. Through hardship, reflection and contemplation I emerged a different person. A better person.

The Kokoda Trail (or Track) is notorious for it's steep inclines and declines...There's no flat parts. There's many creek and river crossings, deep sucking mud, extreme humidity and heat in the day and biting cold at night...It is relentless, soul-destroying and unforgiving. I can't imagine what it must have been like in 1942, the same but with an enemy trying to kill you I guess, plus lack of sleep and food, dysentery, fear, wounds, loathing and hate.

Below is an image of me taken on November 11th 2007 (Remembrance Day) and my last day on the Trail before heading down to Kokoda down the mountains behind me. The words on the granite blocks define the spirit of the Aussie Diggers (troops) who fought and died on the trail, side by side with their mates, and with Australia at their backs.

Courage Endurance Mateship Sacrifice

In my next, and subsequent posts, I will relate some of my experiences and some more personal stories about life on the Kokoda Trail in 1942, the people, and also what it was like for me in 2007. I hope you'll come back for a read.

I urge you to investigate this piece of Australian history and learn about the sacrifices made. I cannot tell the story in a few short posts, nor am I the best person to do so even if I had the time. I hope only to share some experiences I had, photos from my own journey and draw attention to this part of Australian history.

Thank you for reading my post.

---

Tomorrow isn't promised - Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default
_{An original post written by a human
Discord: galenkp#9209} 🇦🇺

_{The original post was written and posted by me in late 2017. This post has been reworked and reposted for the @nonameslefttouse #showcase-sunday concept.}