VOICES FROM
THE WAR
Papua New Guinean stories of the
Kokoda Campaign, World War Two
This publication was produced through the Kokoda Initiative, a partnership between Papua New Guinea and Australia to protect the Kokoda Track, Brown River Catchment and Owen Stanley Ranges while improving the lives of the people living along the track.
Further information about the Kokoda Initiative, including a short film featuring a number of the Papua New Guineans who shared their stories for this project, is available at: www.environment.gov.au/heritage/international-projects/papua-new-guinea
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Government or the PNG Minister for Environment and Conservation, or the Australian Government or the Australian Minister for the Environment.
© Copyright Commonwealth of Australia, 2015
Voices from the war – Papua New Guinean stories of the Kokoda Campaign, World War Two is licensed by the Commonwealth of Australia for use under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia licence with the exception of the Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth of Australia, the logo of the agency responsible for publishing the report, content supplied by third parties, and any images depicting people. For licence conditions see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Department of the Environment, Public Affairs, GPO Box 787 Canberra ACT 2601 or email
Citation:
Kokoda Initiative 2015, Voices from the war – Papua New Guinean stories of the Kokoda Campaign, World War Two, a joint publication of the Governments of Papua New Guinea and Australia.
Image credits (front)
Carriers and troops crossing the Brown River between Nauro and Menari, Kokoda (Australian War Memorial, 1942)
Minister’s message
A Hero is just an ordinary person who rises up in an extraordinary situation.
The universal values of courage and nobility form the foundation of our quest to bring the stories of our World War Two heroes to everyone, and this publication signifies our country’s pride and commitment to keeping their stories alive.
Oral histories play a fundamental role in shaping our society. They teach us of our past, make sense of our present and pave the way for our future. The beauty of these stories lies in their simplicity and ability to impart messages that strengthen our world views, bring meaning into our lives and keep our cultures and traditions alive.
In this publication we honour our Papua New Guinean war heroes and tell their stories of courage, sacrifice, generosity and their fight for our nation’s freedom as we teach our
young people to remember their stories and to emulate their values. The values of our people play an important role in our future aspirations of development in our lives, communities and country.
This publication tells the story of the war from our perspective, through the eyes and hearts of our heroes. As people of this great nation, we are proud of our forefathers’ part in the war partnering with our Australian counterparts, for it is through their heroic actions that we enjoy the freedom that we all have today.
These oral histories challenge us to keep freedom alive and on the tongue of each of us as we own the Kokoda story and tell of our role in defending our own country. Their undying belief in tradition, custom and culture made them not only endure the war, but ultimately made their stories endure through time.
This great partnership forged during the war continues through the Kokoda Initiative. The Kokoda Initiative is a strong vehicle for development not only through socio- economic projects but also through history and cultural preservation. It is also an enduring reminder of the strong bonds of friendship we share with our Australian brothers and sisters, and the respect we have for each other’s cultures and character.
The Hon. John Pundari, MP
Minister for Environment and
Conservation and Climate Change
Message from the Australian High Commissioner
The name Kokoda is significant in Australia. It evokes memories of one of Australia’s most significant battles during World War Two.
To many Australians, Kokoda is a place where mateship, courage, endurance and sacrifice were demonstrated in times of great hardship, and where a lasting bond of friendship was formed between Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Many stories exist, often told by Australians, of the kindness and goodwill shown by Papua New Guineans to Australians who were sick and wounded during the war. However, most of these stories don’t relay the voices of Papua New Guineans themselves, telling their own stories of the war.
The Oral History Project aims to redress this by recording the experiences of Papua New Guineans during the war, and to give a voice to all Papua New Guineans who endured or recall the battles of World War Two fought in the Kokoda area.
The Australian Government is proud to support this very important initiative, which is being funded by both the Australian and Papua New Guinean Governments.
HE Deborah Stokes
Australian High Commissioner
Port Moresby
Table of Contents
Foreword 7
Recording Stories From the Kokoda Campaign 8
The Oral History Project 8
World War Two in Papua New Guinea 12
The Kokoda campaign 14
War comes to Papua New Guinea 16
Life on the bases 20
‘Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels’ – The carriers’ stories 24
A brother’s love 27
The story of George Whittington 29
Papuan Infantry Battalion 31
A policeman’s duty 35
‘The home front’ – The stories of the women and children 37
The end of the war 41
The making of modern Papua New Guinea 46
The roll of honour: people who shared their stories 48
Foreword
The Oral History Project was originally conceived as a vital element in the management of the Kokoda Track.
We recognised the importance of keeping alive the stories that give the Track its historical value and significance. However, so far people from outside of Papua New Guinea, notably Australians, Americans and Japanese have dominated these stories.
Those stories of the many Papua New Guineans who were involved in the war along the Track have become marginalised, muted, suppressed or repressed and are often not brought into mainstream history or public light. It was as if the war was not theirs and they were incidental actors.
In reading the many accounts of the battle, the Papua New Guinean participation only seems to become interesting with the episodic appearances of the God-sent Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels, who have over time come to typify that very special bond between Papua New Guineans and Australians during the war. But the war was traumatising, cruel, divisive and ultimately, transformative for our nation. The technology of war along with the rapid mobilisation of men, supplies and ammunition was radically altering.
Papua New Guineans were divided, and fought against and amongst themselves as much as for and against the military powers that they were serving. The stories about the involvement of Papua New Guineans have been misplaced over time and this project is the first of its kind to recover and preserve what can be captured before all is lost to history and to memory.
This exercise should have been done years ago when our heroes and heroines of the war were still alive. We are now witnessing an accelerated phase of history in which the present is rapidly moving into the past and a good part of what we know will disappear from memory and history.
We are therefore grateful to the Australian Government in responding to this predicament and supporting this project through funding and professional expertise. We are proud that this publication, which begins to tell the Papua New Guinea story, will be available to school children and students as well as international audiences. We hope that this initiative will encourage people to learn about our history, inspire historical introspection within our people, and reinforce the value of telling our stories.
Dr Andrew Moutu
Director
National Museum and Art Gallery
‘The war on the track lasted for 3 years
from 1942 to 1945, when I was a young man
at the age of 14 ... All these stories are not
forgotten, they are all fresh in my mind’.
Hawala Laula, Kagi
Recording Stories From the Kokoda Campaign
The Oral History Project
From April to September 2014 a group of Papua New Guinean and Australian researchers visited villages and other places in Northern and Central Provinces to record interviews with men and women about their experiences during World War Two.
The stories about the Australians, Americans, and Japanese soldiers who fought in Papua New Guinea during World War Two are well known. However, many people do not know the stories about the Papua New Guineans who lived through the war. The purpose of this project has been to record their stories so that Papua New Guinea’s children, and their children and grandchildren, will know about this time.
The research team included Professor John Waiko as senior historical adviser and war historian Mr Maclaren Hiari, as well as Mr Didymus Gerald, Mr Hennington Horewo, Mr Soda Ihania, Pastor Lepsy Koia, Ms Cathy Langu, Mr Javith Lowland Abavu, Mr Barnabas Orere, and Ms Elizabeth Taulehebo. Dr Jonathan Ritchie, a researcher from Deakin University in Australia who was born and grew up in Papua New Guinea, coordinated the project. The project was supported by the Australian Government through the Kokoda Initiative.
More than seventy interviews were recorded with women and men in Northern and Central Provinces. The research team visited, in order: Hanau, Deboin, Kokoda Primary School,
Beama, Popondetta and Kovelo in Northern Province, and Kagi and Karakadabu-Depo in Central Province. Interviews were also held at the National Museum and Art Gallery in
Port Moresby.
Some of the interviews were with senior men and women who were alive during World War Two and could tell their own stories. But this war is now seventy years ago. Sadly, there are not many people alive today who have memories of that time. Most of the interviews were with the children and grandchildren of the old people who are not living any more, but they were very proud to be able to tell their bubus’ stories.
Staff at the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery are carefully looking after the interview recordings. Family members, and all Papua New Guineans, will be able to listen to them now and in the future. The memories of the men and women who took part in the war as carriers, soldiers, sailors, police, and in many other roles are extremely important. Recording these memories has helped to shine a light on the time when World War Two came to Papua New Guinea.
Cathy Langu interviews Seba Orogu at Karakadabu-Depo (J. Ritchie, 2014)
Lomas Tomu Ani shares his story as others listen at Hanau (J. Ritchie, 2014)
‘My young generation and all the children of this village must listen to the story I am going to tell ... You have not heard my story about the Second World War before. So now open your ears and listen’. Claude Gegera Peututu, a carrier, Deboin (J. Ritchie 2014)
Dr John Waiko (left) and Dr Jonathan Ritchie (right) with Hawala Laula, a carrier, Kagi (J. Ritchie, 2014)
Sarah Sau Hiari shares her story at Kokoda (J. Ritchie 2014)
World War Two in Papua New Guinea
World War Two in the Pacific began on 7 December, 1941 when the Japanese attacked the American base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Soon after this Papua New Guinea was drawn into the fighting, with Japanese forces landing at Rabaul and Kavieng in January 1942. The first of many bombing raids on Port Moresby took place in early February, and in March the Japanese captured Lae and Salamaua.
The Japanese army occupied large parts of Papua New Guinea from 1942 until the war ended in August 1945. For the people who lived in the New Guinea islands and Madang, Morobe, Sepik and Sandaun Provinces, the war involved living under occupation by the Japanese. This was very difficult: people’s lives were often in danger from air raids against the Japanese occupiers, and as the war went on there was a shortage of food.
The war meant that many young Papua New Guinean men had to leave their villages. They were employed by the Australians and Americans to work as carriers, medical orderlies, police, cooks and in other service jobs. Sometimes this lasted until the war ended.
Thousands of young men were also recruited into the Papuan Infantry Battalion (PIB), the New Guinea Infantry Battalion and other units. For them, the war involved fighting in their own districts and in many other places around Papua New Guinea.
Many women worked at the bases, barracks, hospitals and other facilities that looked after the Australian and American soldiers at places like Oro Bay and Sogeri. With the men from the villages away, the women and children also had to take on many of their daily tasks.
The war had a big impact, especially in those districts where there were battles between the Japanese and the Australians and Americans. The only way for people in these areas to survive was to leave their villages and hide in caves and other secret places. Often they returned to find their houses and gardens destroyed by the fighting. With many young men away, this made the lives of the women, children, and old people very hard.