I was coerced by the then publisher into the responsibility for its completion. Oct 18, 2015 initially the south seas force under majorgeneral tomitaro horii made rapid and easy progress. This blackandwhite clip from the cinesound newsreel kokoda front line. On july 21, 1942, japanese forces landed on the northern coast of new guinea at gona and buna and began advancing towards kokoda village.
It was the courage, mateship, endurance and sacrifice of the boys and men of the 39th, 214th and 216th battalions, that bound these ordinary individuals together. A fearsome force of japanese fighters land on the northern coast of papua new guinea. The papuan infantry battalion a melanesian unit 310 strong and elements of the 39th australian battalion a militia unit clashed with the enemy near awala on 23 july, before falling back on kokoda. On 21 november 2006 the 39th combat support battalion held their first regimental dinner at the randwick sergeants mess. Making up part of the 10th brigade, it was attached to the 3rd division and served on the western front in france and belgium before being disbanded in. Japanese forces landed at gona, on the north coast of papua, a week later and quickly moved inland.
The australian force now consisted of 33 officers and 443 other ranks of the 39th battalion. This war movie depicts the boys of the 39th battalion militia in desperate times halting the advance of the japanese along the kokoda track. An australian burying party, with japanese helmets, placed on top of a common grave awm 0645. Over subsequent days, they were met with strong resistance by the 39th australian infantry battalion and the papuan infantry battalion pib. Mar 17, 2020 b company of the 39th battalion arrive at kokoda 14 july 1942 b company arrived in kokoda in fairly good condition. Battle of the kokoda track erupts world war ii today. Apr 03, 2012 kokoda 39th battalion, available now on dvd from showbox entertainment. Kokoda 39th battalion dvd region 2 for sale online ebay. In june it was ordered to proceed up the kokoda trail to block any possible japanese overland advance. The 39th australian infantry battalion 19411943 existed as a unit for only twenty months of world war ii, but its story is one of the most unusual and proudest in the annals of australian military history. Mar 17, 2020 second battle for kokoda08 august 1942 in the second week of august 1942 the 39th battalion strengthened all its companys in the locality of deniki. The battle weary and ill clad troops, who came to be known as those ragged bloody heroes, who are shown here on parade at menari have earned their right. Kokoda 39th battalion showbox official trailer youtube. Road to kokoda 1942 clip 1 on aso australianscreen.
Despite their lack of adequate training, equipment and supplies, and despite the appalling conditions under which they fought in new guinea, the heavily outnumbered militia soldiers of the 39th australian infantry battalion would play a critical and heroic role in delaying the momentum of the japanese advance along the kokoda track towards port. It is interesting to compare with the cinesound newsreel kokoda front line. Both newsreels are emotionally engaging as persuasive propaganda. Second battle for kokoda 08 august 1942 australian kokoda.
Kokoda is well worth the effort to obtain this is the original australian version and it is now more widely available here as kokoda 39th battalion dvd and is very highly recommended. Broadcasts that shaped world war ii 2004, kokoda front. This is the story of the 39th australian infantry battalion, a militia unit that was thrown into battle against the japanese army advancing over the owen stanleys towards port moresby in new guinea in 1942. The battle of the kokoda trail of 23 july november 1942 saw the japanese army reach further south than at any other time during the second world war, in an attempt to capture port moresby, but also marked the point at which japans resources became too stretched to support further offensive operations, and ended as a clear australian victory. Nova guinea, 1942 australie je ve valce s japonskem.
The movie is affected by a slightly heavyhanded bit of australian nationalism, not. The following weapons were used in the film kokoda. Kokoda 39th battalion australian war movie argunners. Lt col owen was taking part in close fighting with the japanese on the kokoda trail, in the most forward position at the most threatened point in seekamps sector, on the very lip of the plateau. Kokoda also known as kokoda 39th battalion is a 2006 australian war film directed by alister grierson and is based on the experiences of australian troops fighting japanese forces during the 1942 kokoda track campaign due to budgetary restrictions, grierson and cowriter john lonie were forced to scale down the story, concentrating primarily on the trials and tribulations of one lost patrol. Lt col owen died on 29 july 1942, in papua, aged 37 years. The 39th battalion retook but failed to hold the village 9 10 august 1942 and fought a desperate holding action at deniki 14 august 1942 before falling back and digging in at isurava. It became known as the werriwa regiment, after the aboriginal name for lake george, and maintained depots in major centres such as goulburn. Kokoda 2006 internet movie firearms database guns in. Hugh buggy summed up the position, thus, battalion and brigade officers spoke in the highest terms of the deeds of the men of the 39th militia battalion, to whom fell the almost superhuman task of delaying numerically superior japanese forces, who were supplied along the short and easier line from buna to kokoda. Members of the 39th battalion parade after weeks of fighting in dense jungle during the kokoda campaign awm 0289. The japanese use the type 99 light machine gun in the film. A small platoon of reservist australian soldiers have been sent as.
Suffice it to say that thanks to the efforts of the 39th battalion. Kokoda follows a lost platoon of australian soldiers cut off from their supply line on the kokoda track during the battle for isurava in 1940s papua, new guinea. Here they waited for the 8,500 japanese soldiers of the 144th regiment. A historical desktop study of the kokoda track department of the. The 3rd battalion was a militia unit based in south eastern new south wales in the late 1930s and part of the citizens military force cmf.
Kokoda also known as kokoda 39th battalion is a 2006 australian war film directed by alister grierson and is based on the experiences of australian troops. On 29 july 1942, the japanese captured the village of kokoda and its vital airfield. The 39th was initially used for garrison duties and working parties. They plan to be on patrol for twenty four hours and then return to base. Kokoda, as well as alister griersons feature film 2006, demonstrate the wide spread interest. Kokoda is well worth the effort to obtain this is the original australian version and it is now more widely available here as kokoda 39th battalion dvd and is very. Review thanks to dash22 on imdb there is a certain amount of trepidation in approaching a war film in the current climate of antiwar sentiment. Kokoda calledmaroubra force, and he ordered the 100 strong b company ofthe australian 39th battalion to travel overland along the track to the village of kokoda. This footage shot by damien parer in papua new guinea was subsequently edited to make the academy award winning documentary film kokoda front line. Once there, b company was to secure the airstrip at kokoda, in preparation for an allied buildup along the papuan north coast. Kokoda 39th battalion, available now on dvd from showbox entertainment. The 39th b company and troops from the papuan infantry battalion pib reached kokoda on 15 july.
May 01, 2017 griersons starting point are the words of the isurava memorial. The japanese pressed on and pushed the small australian force back through oivi to kokoda where the 39th battalion s commanding officer, lt colonel w t owen was killed on the night of 2829 july. Shortly after the completion of the uberi and efogi sheets, the. The 39th battalion was an infantry unit of the australian army. B company of the 39th battalion arrive at kokoda 14 july. Once at kokoda captain sam templeton assigned each platoon defensive positions to engage and the company made the best endeavor to protect the area. The first clash occurred at awala on 23 july and the australians fell back to kokoda. The story of kokoda is of men from one of these units, undertrained, underprovisioned sent to face battlehardened japanese soldiers in a desperate effort to save australia. It was originally raised in february 1916 for service during world war i as part of first australian imperial force, with personnel being drawn mainly from the state of victoria. Kokoda front line unedited the australian war memorial. Men of the 214th infantry battalion sharpen their bayonets in preparation for battle awm 026261. Australian film institute, film critics circle of australia awards.
As for those saying the movie is missing the big picture, this isnt a bridge too far, it shows the kokoda campaign exactly as experienced by the 39th bn, a series of small engagements where some cracked and some were heroes and the enemy were faceless, mysterious, utterly unknown by australians, capable of astonishing cruelty and. Neil had a phenomenal memory for the many thousands of films he had. Kokoda abc dvd 39th battalion veterans now a 112 minute. Kokoda 39th battalion dvd 2006 australian world war ii. Australian made dramatised documentary which illustrates the day by day action of the battle. The 39th bn commanding officer, lieutenant colonel owen, is mortally wounded and the 39th is driven out of kokoda and falls back to deniki. Kokoda abc dvd 39th battalion veterans now a 112 minute dvd. This clip is from the concluding two minutes of road to kokoda. New guinea, 1942, allied australia is at war with japan. The platoon fell back to gorari where they linked up the following day with the leading company of the 39th battalion, a victorian militia unit.