Noah N. Eora Powerpoint Script

 

Everything About Eora Creek- Presenter’s Script

Introduction to Kokoda overall:

The Kokoda Track starts near Port Moresby and has a distance of over 60 km. Ower's Corner is where the Kokoda Track begins, approximately 40 to 60 km north-east of Port Moresby. It passes through the Owen Stanley Ranges towards Kokoda and beyond. It is well known that the route changes due to unspecified village movements. The peak is 2,250 metres high. During the day, it is usually hot and humid. At night, it is freezing. The intense rainfall and malaria are also factors contributing to the difficulty of passing through this trail. The land of Papua and New Guinea was considered to be part of Australian territory. Most of the fighting occurred in 1942. The Japanese wanted to capture Port Moresby via the Kokoda track. The Japanese needed to build air bases forward of Rabaul. They were intent on isolating Australia from the United States. More than 600 Australians were killed and approximately 1680 were wounded by the end of the campaign. The amount of sick went over 4000. The battles were mostly won by the Japanese in the beginning. The Australian troops increased in numbers towards the later months and despite the appalling conditions, were able to retake all the land invaded by the Japanese. On 2 November 1942, Kokoda and its air strip was retaken. After the useless sieges at Buna, Gona, and Sanananda, lasting up to January 1943, the Japanese finally left Papua. This part is known as the Battle of Buna-Gona.

Location and Terrain:

Eora Creek starts at the Owen Stanley Mountains and runs northwards and joins the Mambare River east of Kokoda. The trail crosses it in two places, but the creek runs roughly parallel to the trail. The area is fully covered by the canopy of trees. The village is roughly in the middle of the track. The soldiers hadn't liked it when they saw a sea of mud and slime that was the ground at the site of the village. There is no sunlight, and it is located at the narrowest place of the valley. Many log bridges cross the creek and there are some steep slopes.

Eora Creek is characterized by gushing, twisting water thick with white and yellow spume, boiling in whirlpools round grey stones as big as small houses and disfigured with moss and pallid fungus. It emerges from below, after the lengthy silence of the jungle, welling at first, but then beginning to roar. It is high on the northern slopes of the mountains east of Kagi. Beyond Templeton’s Crossing, a three hour walk will allow you to reach the village of Eora Creek. This village is reached by way of a path which rises high and then descends steeply, this is then finished off with sheer slope which ends with a flat platform.

Influential People to Remember:

Although we consider the role of ordinary soldiers to be the most important in the Kokoda campaign, it is the many leaders of the different sections, platoons, companies and battalions and the brigade and divisional commanders that decided deployment and the placement of battles.

The notable commanders who were involved in this campaign include the Allied commander-in-chief, General Douglas MacArthur, and the commander of the Allied land forces, General Sir Thomas Blamey. In total, there were six senior commanders who fought in the jungle: Major Generals Allen and Vasey, and Brigadiers Porter, Potts, Eather and Lloyd. Brigadier Selwyn Porter was the first senior commander deployed into the mountains and to command the 30th Brigade.

Brigadier Arnold Potts took command of the Maroubra Force in Isurava on the 24th of August, which consisted of the 39th and 53rd Battalions and his own brigade. He encouraged initiative in his troops and had a unique way of training. His men held respect for him and also trusted him deeply. According to some sources, the Japanese had written down that they had defeated a 1,200 person force, when in reality it was only 77 troops. His men fought and held Isurava for four days. He chose to withdraw while fighting instead of the orders which stated to push forward. He is one of the most unrecognised commanders in the campaign. He was certainly the greatest leader and tactician. Never pompous, he had a clear understanding of himself and others.

Major General Allen had fought successfully in WW1 and WW2 in Syria and North Africa. In August 1942 he took charge of the army fighting against the Japanese. After the war, he was ‘unfairly’ criticised by General MacArthur and General Blamey. This was due to the command thinking that he had moved too slowly in pursuit of the Japanese.

Major General Vasey went to Port Moresby in September 1942 to command the 6th Division. Afterwards he took over the 7th Division. His men fought on the coast of Papua successfully. Most of the soldiers are said to have respected him. He was given the command of the 6th Division in early 1945 the aircraft in which he was travelling crashed into the sea off Cairns.

Lieutenant Colonel Honner was another skilled combat commander. He commanded the 39th Battalion at Isurava on 16 August 1942. He transformed a group of soldiers suffering tropical diseases into an effective force. His fighting and well-considered defence was successful both at Isurava and later, at Gona.

Details of the battle:

On the 22nd of October 1942, the Australians commenced attacks on Eora Creek. The Japanese had lost much time and ground before this, and were determined to maintain their ground. Approximately 600 Japanese soldiers lay in wait high above Eora Creek on the northern side of the valley. 500 extra troops joined them later. The attacks in the beginning were unsuccessful and many lives of Australian soldiers were lost. It had been a front on attack, crossing the gushing stream with virtually no bridges in place. The enemy was on the far bank of the creek and had all possible river crossing points covered with numerous machine guns, artillery and mortar fire.

After five days of attempting to cross the creek, the Australian troops decided to perform a flank. On the 26th of October the 16th Brigade marched through the jungle to the west of the position. This was in order for them to gain a position to the north west of the Japanese.

After two days of trekking through the jungle, the 2/3rd Battalion attacked the Japanese successfully. Once the Japanese had retreated, the remaining Australians were able to finally cross the bridge. Veterans recall that parts of the creek became red at times due to the blood of Australian soldiers.

Bibliography

Australian War Memorial 2016, https://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/kokoda/ (accessed Friday, 26 August 2016).

Australian War Memorial 2014, Volume V – South–West Pacific Area – First Year: Kokoda to Wau (1st edition, 1959) https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070204/ (accessed Friday, 26 August 2016).

Department of Veterans' Affairs 2016, http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/asfaras/kokoda.html (accessed Friday, 26 August 2016).

Department of Veterans' Affairs 2012, http://kokoda.commemoration.gov.au/about-the-kokoda-track/kokoda-track-significance.php (accessed Friday, 26 August 2016).

Department of Veterans' Affairs 2012, http://kokoda.commemoration.gov.au/war-in-papua/index.php (accessed Friday, 26 August 2016).

McCarthy, Dudley 1959, Chapter 4 – The Japanese Advance to Kokoda (pages 108-146) https://www.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1070133--1-.pdf (accessed Friday, 26 August 2016).

Wikipedia 2016, Battle of Eora Creek – Templeton's Crossinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Eora_Creek_%E2%80%93_Templeton%27s_Crossing (accessed Wednesday, 31 August 2016).

Noah Nishihara Home Group T09

 

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