Kokoda: Part 1 The Invasion (DVD)

1. Australia had a “two army policy”. Briefly describe the difference between the
following:
a. AIF: volunteer, highly trained army of crack troops, sent to fight in defence of
England in Europe/Africa

b. CMF: badly trained, poorly equipped unit, low morale, dragooned/conscripted

Fought back home in Australia.

2. Why were the CMF called “chocolate soldiers”?

‘Choco’ was coined by the AIF, those who were just militia weren’t that good
If things got hot, they’d melt.

3. Which naval base did the Japanese air-force bomb on Dec 7th, 1941?
Pearl Habour- American naval base

4. Why were the militia allowed to fight in New Guinea?

The best forces were all in Europe fighting for England and they didn’t have people
to protect Australia.

5. Which two units were sent to Papua and New Guinea?

39th, 53rd

6. List the nations in South- East Asia which the Japanese had already invaded.
Indochina, Thailand, Malaya

7. Which major British outpost fell to the Japanese on 15th February, 1941?
Singapore.

8. (i) Which Australian city was bombed four days later? Darwin
(ii) What was the damage done? Killed over 250 people, destroyed the port, nine
ships, 20 aircraft.
9. With which new military ally did Australia now fight?
USA

10. Which US military commander was in charge of the War in the Pacific?
General Douglas MacArthur

11. What stand did the Australian PM John Curtin make against the British PM Winston
Churchill?
Ordered over 20,000 AIF troops fighting in North Africa/Middle East to return to
Australia.

12. What happened to the AIF troops newly returned to Australia from the conflict in
Europe and the Middle East?
They didn’t go to Port Moresby. Sent to Queensland because Intelligence suggested
the Japanese threat of invasion was greater there.

13. Which significant naval battle prevented the invasion of New Guinea during May 4th-
8th, 1942?
Battle of the Coral Sea.

14. How long was the overland track from Gona to Port Moresby, in Papua and New
Guinea?
3,000 meters high, 200km across Papua, from Gona to Port Moresby in the south.

15. What significant natural barrier had to be crossed?

Owen Stanley Mountains.

16. What were conditions like for both the Australians and the Japanese troops?
Terrain- had to climb up and down a lot
Cloudy, start to rain- wet, very muddy
Walking downhill -> hard for legs
Night time- noises, eerie.
17. What vital infrastructure did the village of Kokoda have?
School, hospital. Airfield- critical- can land aircraft/supplies

18. Which Australian Commander worked alongside the US General?

Lieutenant Colonel William Owen.

19. What major deficiencies did both MacArthur and Blamey have in conducting the
campaign in New Guinea?
They had tension/little mutual trust. They hadn’t been to Papua New Guinea before
and didn’t know what they could or couldn’t do.

20. What particular hardships were felt by soldiers on both sides at Isurava?
It was hard to navigate the dense jungles with little or no tracks, always going up and
then down again, and they always had to just wait at night when it was very cold as
most of the time they were just waiting and watching.
Strenuous fighting and exhausting movement, there was a lack of food, sleep and
shelter which made the soldiers even more depleted. Torrential rain fell every
afternoon and all through the night, which soaked their clothes. Many had
dysentery, malaria or Dengue Fever.
There was a lack of supplies and ammunition, as none was provided to the troops for
both sides.

21. What was the ratio of Australian to Japanese troops at Isurava?

250:6,000, after the AIF arrived it became 1,700:6,000

22. How many were killed/ wounded: Japanese? Australians?

Japanese- 500 although they had won.
Australians- 250

23. Where in New Guinea were the Japanese first turned back?
Milne Bay, the Australians stopped the Japanese landing and the Japanese had to
withdraw with heavy casualties.

24. What do we learn about the service of the “fuzzy wuzzies” through this
documentary?
They were devoted to Australian soldiers, and helped carry the wounded on
stretchers down through the dense jungle. They were very gentle and helped the
wounded in any way they could. However, they could be called indentured
labour/slave labour if they didn’t volunteer. They had to carry supplies and people
up and down the mountains. However, many of the ‘fuzzy wuzzies’ didn’t always go
to work and were sent o court and then back to work. Some of them genuinely
wanted the Australians to win the war and so they volunteered to help.