Interviewer- Welcome to ‘Rear Vision’. I’m your host, Kellie. Today we're here to discuss the battle fought by our brave Australian soldiers in 1942 on the Kokoda Track. It is important to remember this event as many people gave their lives for us to be free. I have Ken Ferguson with me today, a veteran from Kokoda. We’re glad to have you here on the show. You were from the 2nd 31st battalion of the Australian Imperial Force, correct? Can you tell us more about that?
Interviewee- Glad to be here. We joined the battle quite late, on the 9th of September, if I remember correctly. We were brought back from Egypt to support the struggling 39th from the Australian Military Forces. We thought it would be a breeze compared to what we’d already been through, as they were untrained and inexperienced, we assumed they were exaggerating. We were completely unprepared for the rough terrain.
Interviewer- What were the conditions like for you and others?
Interviewee- It was incredibly hot, with several mountains we had to trek over, up to 2,200m, especially in the Owen Stanley Range. The …show more content…
One of the most important groups that we couldn’t have won the battle without were what we called the “Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels” from Captain Bert Beros’ poem. They were the native Papuans who helped us by bringing supplies to us and taking us back to their villages when we were sick and injured and nurture us back to health. They required eight carriers per stretcher, so many had to walk back. (Browne, 1985). They saved many lives and even became friends of some of us, even though they were practically treated like slaves. One of them, I think his name was Raphael Oimbari, assisted Private George “Dick” Whittington, who was shot and wounded on Christmas Eve in 1942, and unfortunately died on the 12th of February the next year. (Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels,
Interviewee- Glad to be here. We joined the battle quite late, on the 9th of September, if I remember correctly. We were brought back from Egypt to support the struggling 39th from the Australian Military Forces. We thought it would be a breeze compared to what we’d already been through, as they were untrained and inexperienced, we assumed they were exaggerating. We were completely unprepared for the rough terrain.
Interviewer- What were the conditions like for you and others?
Interviewee- It was incredibly hot, with several mountains we had to trek over, up to 2,200m, especially in the Owen Stanley Range. The …show more content…
One of the most important groups that we couldn’t have won the battle without were what we called the “Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels” from Captain Bert Beros’ poem. They were the native Papuans who helped us by bringing supplies to us and taking us back to their villages when we were sick and injured and nurture us back to health. They required eight carriers per stretcher, so many had to walk back. (Browne, 1985). They saved many lives and even became friends of some of us, even though they were practically treated like slaves. One of them, I think his name was Raphael Oimbari, assisted Private George “Dick” Whittington, who was shot and wounded on Christmas Eve in 1942, and unfortunately died on the 12th of February the next year. (Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels,