Thread: Kokoda 75th years ago First Battle for Australia by Australians! Lest we forget

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Brigade Hill - Papua New Guinea | Australian ArmyVeteran’s from the 2/14th call the engagement at the saddle a ‘bayonet attack’ with the brave men’s reaction like Breton Langridge cool and calm response to the order when he realised the futility of the attack, recorded in the documentary ‘Kokoda, The Bloody Track’.


Kokoda recaptured | Australian ArmyThe Kokoda campaign cost the Australians more than 450 lives, while several thousand were wounded and suffered from sickness and disease. The Japanese thrust southwards was curtailed by their own difficulties in resupplying their troops, combined with the fading fortunes of their forces on Guadalcanal. For the Allies, protecting Port Moresby ensured that the lines of communication between Australia and the United States remained open, and Australia’s northern cities were protected from the threat of aerial attack that might have occurred had the Japanese captured the Papuan capital.

Originally Posted by Bearman

Yes, lest we forget. And a big thanks still goes to the "Fuzzy wuzzy angels" who helped our troops so much.

The Official Events rightly highlighted the indigenous men and women who made a critical and heroic contribution which is not often given the recognition it warrants. Toss this one to Sapper Bert Beros as he was there.

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'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 TrackFor 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 nurseSlow 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 paintMany 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 trackMay the mothers of Australia
when they offer up a prayer
Mention those impromptu angels
with their fuzzy wuzzy hair.Sapper Bert BerosNX6925, 7th Australian Division, Royal Australian Engineers