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The Significance Of The Kokoda Campaign

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The significance of Kokoda for Australia is emphasized through the battles Australia fought, those who lost their lives as well as the major effects of the Kokoda Campaign. This essay will thoroughly investigate the Pacific theatre of war as well as the importance and impact the Kokoda Campaign had on Australia.

Many parties were involved in Kokoda. These parties include; Japanese, Papuan, Australian and The Americans. Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Americans were all opposing against the Japanese. There are numerous causes for the Campaign of Kokoda. One possibility is that after the Japanese tried to capture Port Moresby by sea, they thought of a new tactic. They thought that if they could go on land through Kokoda they would be successful. …show more content…

The Japanese tried to cross this river but many were unsuccessful, or others were shot by Papuan Patrols (Department of Veterans Affairs, Dr. Richard Reid, 2015) By the 17th of November the 16th and 25th Battalions triumphantly crossed the Kumusi River. The Japanese then retreated and withdrew, therefore ending the Campaign of Kokoda. The Kokoda Campaign started on the 21st of July 1942 when Japan landed at Gona and the first fighting occurred between the Papua Infantry Battalion and the Japanese. Kokoda was fought through the locations of Buna, Gona, Oivi, Kokoda, Isurava, Efogi and Owen’s Corner (Department of Veteran Affairs) (See Appendix 1) At Isurava, Australia was able to hold the Japanese in a 5-day period of intense fighting and combat in August. The Australian’s aim was to defend Port Moresby and ensure the threat to Australia of invasion would cease. The Papuan People and The Americans were very helpful in making sure this aim was …show more content…

Rations were made and fuel, a common commodity was reduced. The issuing of Personal Identification was also applied seeing as the threat for invasion was still very real. Clothing, footwear, butter, tea and sugar were rationed, thus meaning that fewer goods were being bought. When Americans were in Transit, they lived in Australia, therefore meaning shops were forced to open, boosting economy and introducing new tastes and fashion. The introduction of rations made sure all of the goods were evenly and fairly divided. According to the Curtin Government in order for Australia to survive, they had to “Populate or Perish” (1942). If these actions weren’t taken then it could be said that Australia would be much worse off than it is

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The Kokoda Campaign was a World War II militant initiative, consisting of a series of sequential battles fought between the Japanese and predominantly Australian Allied forces. Kokoda itself, was a small village and airfield at the foothills of the Owen Stanley Mountain Range though, the Kokoda Trail was the setting at which these conflicts transpired. The mountainous road rose over 3000 meters, extending 200 kilometers across Australian territory New Guinea, from Gona in the north, to the administrative centre of Port Moresby in the south. The official commencement of the Kokoda Campaign was on the 21 July 1942, when the Japanese forces landed on the coast near Gona.

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Each individual soldier demonstrated exception courage when fighting the Japanese, truly displaying that the Anzac Spirit was very much alive within the Australian troops at Kokoda. The Australian troops at Kokoda fought courageously for the freedom of their country. Everyday they confronted obstacles and experienced frightening situations but they did not budge, everything they did was courageous fighting the Japanese to saving their own men. Brigadier A.W. Potts was a man whose fortitude, courage and inspirational ability to Australian troops inspired many others to save Port Moresby from being taken by the Japanese. An incoming battle from the north of the track was minutes from attacking the site Brigadier was stationed at.

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