Scenes from "Kokoda" On You Tube

[KG Erwin]

Watch the Aussies as they face the Japanese in New Guinea. Some cool stuff, nice shots of a Bren LMG in action. When did this movie come out?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPJ9y0n2_rw

[Alby]

Not sure but looks like might be worth checking out...
[:)]

[KG Erwin]

Also check the final scene. There's a famous photo recreated here, and this sums up my admiration of our Aussie allies in the critical days of 1942.

The real photo is this one:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egdGJ7QLa-0

[Mac67]

Cool link Kg! Watched it while drinking a pint of fosters [;)] The movie was made in 2006, i definitely want to see this one! The release date for it in the usa is 2007, so hopefully it will be over here soon. The photo bought back memories of the Airfix toy soldiers i used to play with as a kid.

[Steve Wilcox]

ORIGINAL: Mac67

Cool link Kg! Watched it while drinking a pint of fosters [;)] The movie was made in 2006, i definitely want to see this one! The release date for it in the usa is 2007, so hopefully it will be over here soon. The photo bought back memories of the Airfix toy soldiers i used to play with as a kid.

I had that very same Airfix set! I remember it fondly. Thanks for bringing back the memories. [:)]

[Arctic Blast]

This looks like a very well done film, and it's always interesting to see something in a historical setting done from a different point of view.

[Riun T]

the bayonet thrust to the deserters face was a cool touch!!,would it ever have sucked to have to fight in those type of confined visability harsh conditions!

[KG Erwin]

ORIGINAL: Riun T

the bayonet thrust to the deserters face was a cool touch!!,would it ever have sucked to have to fight in those type of confined visability harsh conditions!

Yeah, that was disturbing. However, having read of the exploits of those early militia battalions (the 39th is featured in the movie), it's easy to see why these guys rate very highly with me. Early on, they didn't even have any mortars. All they had were rifles, SMGs, those magnificent Bren LMGs, and hand grenades. No arty support at all. No one expected them to be so effective in delaying the Japanese advance towards Port Moresby, but by god they did it.

One further note: the average age of this particular unit (excluding officers) was 18. A veritable children's crusade.

[Korpraali V]

Thanks! Good clips!

[h_h_lightcap]

KOKODA MANIA!!!!  PLEASE ALL READ "A BASTARD OF A PLACE"  BY PETER BRUNE

[TheDesertRat]

A few points:
AMF = militia.
The men of the 39 th Bn initially only trained with Lewis guns when they were sent to Port Moresby. Most of the time there they were building roads, buildings and unloading ships. Their training was at best equivalent to 1 and a bit days per week.
It was not till the various companies were sent to Buna and Kokoda villages were they really introduced to the Bren LMG

The film depicts the last segment of the withdraw back to Port Moresby.
The 39 th Bn collectively had been fighting the Japanese since July through to September 1942.

On a small point no AMF solider wore green uniforms only the AIF at this point in time. Officers usually had only a revolver and that includes platoon commanders. Some may have had a rifle but that was rare.

When the AIF units did come into the fray the AMF troops, 39 th Bn troops went forward with them. It was their choice not an order. By the end of the Kokoda campaign the 39 th and a couple of other AMF Bns were so decimated that they were disbanded and merged into other units.

The Kokoda campaign was the second time the Japanese had been stopped in their move for control of vital points in PNG. In both cases the AMF troops played a huge part of these victories.

Guadalcanal was still being fought.

[Mac67]

Currently laid at home with a buggered up back, and came across this little gem on the Movies 4 Men channel, "The Last Bullet", starring Jason Donovan and Koji Tamaki. Set on Borneo at the end of WW2, its the story of a pyschological battle between an Australian army recruit and a experienced Japanese sniper, as they play a deadly game of cat of mouse alone in the jungle. Some real tense moments, and a nice touch is that the Japanese are shown as real characters rather than a "banzai" screaming horde. Well worth looking out for.

[KG Erwin]

ORIGINAL: TheDesertRat

A few points:
AMF = militia.
The men of the 39 th Bn initially only trained with Lewis guns when they were sent to Port Moresby. Most of the time there they were building roads, buildings and unloading ships. Their training was at best equivalent to 1 and a bit days per week.
It was not till the various companies were sent to Buna and Kokoda villages were they really introduced to the Bren LMG

The film depicts the last segment of the withdraw back to Port Moresby.
The 39 th Bn collectively had been fighting the Japanese since July through to September 1942.

On a small point no AMF solider wore green uniforms only the AIF at this point in time. Officers usually had only a revolver and that includes platoon commanders. Some may have had a rifle but that was rare.

When the AIF units did come into the fray the AMF troops, 39 th Bn troops went forward with them. It was their choice not an order. By the end of the Kokoda campaign the 39 th and a couple of other AMF Bns were so decimated that they were disbanded and merged into other units.

The Kokoda campaign was the second time the Japanese had been stopped in their move for control of vital points in PNG. In both cases the AMF troops played a huge part of these victories.

Guadalcanal was still being fought.

Some other things I noticed. I made it a point to save the 39th Bn's War Diaries onto my HD. In late June 1942 a number of AIF officers were shipped in to replace many previous commanders, and this included the Battalion Commander. Lt Col Conran was sent home, and Lt Col Owen was brought in. This particular battalion was trained intensively, as it was intended to play a pivotal role in the initial defense of Kokoda.

A note to others: Desert Rat and I have privately corresponded about the AMF/AIF, and I've learned much from him.

I've focused upon the 39th because of their combat record and their involvement in those critical months. The battalion formally ceased to exist on July 3, 1943, and the survivors were folded into the 2/2 AIF.

Historical nitpicking aside, I'm gonna get a copy of that movie. What these boys (literally) did happened to coincide with another favorite unit's experiences on Guadalcanal. These Aussies and US Marines, all inexperienced, faced down the Japanese on their last offensive moves in the SWPA, and held them until the Allies gathered the strength to start on the way to pushing to the doorstep of Japan itself.

[TheDesertRat]

The concept of the screaming banzai charges are a thing of later battles and that funny place called Hollywood.
BUT if you read history as written on the day, or with in months of its occurrence, you will find that the Japanese had different approaches to the concept of the attack. The tactics did include noise and screaming many things. But they were also silent when needed even when amassed before the final charge.

ORIGINAL: Mac67

Currently laid at home with a buggered up back, and came across this little gem on the Movies 4 Men channel, "The Last Bullet", starring Jason Donovan and Koji Tamaki. Set on Borneo at the end of WW2, its the story of a pyschological battle between an Australian army recruit and a experienced Japanese sniper, as they play a deadly game of cat of mouse alone in the jungle. Some real tense moments, and a nice touch is that the Japanese are shown as real characters rather than a "banzai" screaming horde. Well worth looking out for.

[TheDesertRat]

As an addition the following is the caption for the attached picture:

MELBOURNE, VIC. 1943-06-03. PRESENTATION OF AMERICAN DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSSES TO MRS. OWEN, (WIFE OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL W. T. OWEN), AND MRS. WALKER, (MOTHER OF LIEUTENANT I. WALKER), IN THE GROUNDS OF THE 4TH AMERICAN GENERAL HOSPITAL, MELBOURNE. BOTH OFFICERS WERE KILLED CARRYING OUT DEEDS WHICH WON THEM THEIR AWARDS. LIEUTENANT COLONEL W. T. OWEN GAINED THE AWARD FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN AN ACTION AT KOKODA ON 1942-07-27, WHILE LIEUTENANT I. WALKER GAINED HIS AWARD FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN AN ACTION NEAR BUNA. THE AWARD TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL OWEN WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN AWARD WON BY AN AUSTRALIAN. MAJOR-GENERAL C. W. LEPSCH, U.S. FORCES, (LEFT) IS ESCORTING MRS. OWEN AND MAJOR K. WALKER (EXTREME RIGHT) IS ESCORTING HIS MOTHER, MRS. WALKER, AS THEY WALK UP TO RECEIVE THE POSTHUMOUS AWARDS FROM COLONEL F. L. BURNS, C.O. BASE SECTION 4, U.S. FORCES.

[KG Erwin]

Ok, I checked the customer reviews on Amazon, and they aren't very encouraging. In any case, the DVD has not been released in the US yet. The impression I get is that glorifying war isn't an Australian trait, a point reinforced by another film on an earlier war, which was "Gallipoli". I happened to enjoy that film, though. Great performance by a young Mel Gibson.

[Arctic Blast]

I remember watching Gallipolli in high school at one point...can't really remember what class, though, since we don't have a History curriculum up here in Canada...it falls in to the bizarrely named Social Studies course. I do remember enjoying the movie, though.

[Maiq]

They sure seemed to be having problems manipulating the bolts on their rifles. Makes for suspense I suppose.
 
Makes you appreciate the M1

[Arctic Blast]

Well, being that young, and suddenly being thrown in to an assault like that...it's probably understandable.

[Maiq]

I suppose the fumbling around with the rifles could have been good acting, ie simulating how untrained troops might act under stress. At one point it looked like one of the actors had accidently removed the bolt from his rifle and was trying to get it back in but wasn't quite sure how to do it.