Retaking Kokoda
The Battle for Templeton’s Crossing, Eora Creek and the Oivi-Gorari positions
David W Cameron
Newport, NSW: Big Sky Publishing, 2022
Paperback 364pp RRP: $32.99
Reviewer: David Hardacre, June 2024
This relatively recent publication seeks to add Cameron’s own research to the works of earlier authors. Throughout this study he emphasizes the challenging conditions faced in New Guinea – particularly from the heat and high humidity of sea-level tropics with daily rainstorms to the biting cold above 6,000 ft (or 1800 metres), and with soldiers lacking warm clothing, and with limited rations. The dense jungle conditions, with narrow tracks, steep ravines and swiftly flowing rivers made for tricky battle conditions, also not made any easier by the logistics challenges and the limited mapping. This Cameron addresses by incorporating useful sketch-map outlines particularly covering tactical areas, also referring to air re-supply (‘biscuit-bombing’), where possible, and casualty evacuation, frequently using native carriers on their return journeys, although some air-evacuation was attempted.
Of the battles themselves, much involved infantry minor tactics, featuring patrolling, reconnaissance, ambushes and skirmishes, often at platoon level, although unit commanding officers identified the major objectives, usually along tracks. Interposed with these are occasional involvements of higher-level commanders, and Blamey’s directions. Whether he understood or accepted field commanders’ concepts of operations is another question, particularly when Cameron points out that some of those commanders were replaced when starting to achieve results. Given the problems of communication, with field radios often ineffective, the limitations of signal line, and the distance to higher command headquarters, their judgments about battlefield situations would lack currency. Cameron’s observations about Blamey’s infamous address to the surviving troops of 21st Brigade at Koitaki Cricket Ground (pp.433-435) are indicative of one of the many New Guinea situations other than fighting the Japanese.
Cameron’s reference to the work of ANGAU (Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit) and the manpower provided by the native carriers is of particular significance, as without them, the Australian logistics problems would have been near-insurmountable. Equally recognized are the contributions of philanthropic organisations including the Salvation Army and its Red Shield comforts.
His inclusion of extracts from a limited number of published Japanese memoirs of the New Guinea campaign adds balance to understanding of the campaign. Additionally, his use of Allied translations of extracts from recovered Japanese documents (which provided some of the intelligence from which Australian command decisions derived) adds to an understanding of the Japanese approach, tactics, problems and their resolution, including addressing food shortages.
In summary, Cameron’s study adds to knowledge and understanding of parts of the New Guinea campaign. The emphasis is that much of the fighting was in jungle, at short-range, at or below company level, and rarely involved Brigade level, apart from providing directives, and moving units to support battalions in close combat.
The RUSI – Vic Library is most grateful to the publishers for making this work available for review.