The Kokoda Track is a narrow, jungle enclosed pathway that meanders through the swampy north coast of Papua New Guinea around the coastal villages of Buna and Gona onto the village of Kokoda. It then snakes it’s way through almost impenetrable, leech dripping jungles along the most rugged terrain in the World over the Owen Stanley Range, linking up with Owen’s Corner, 48 kilometres outside Port Moresby on the south coast. The Japanese army would use this track to launch an overland assault on Port Moresby which would have given them a base from which to strike at the Australian mainland.
In July 1942, a Japanese force led by Major-General Tomitaro Horii landed on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. With a reputation of invincibility, his 10,000 strong South Seas Force who had known no failure in their advances across the Pacific, with crushing victories in Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Singapore, Burma and Guam, started their march overland via a seemingly insignificant track – what followed would go down in the annals of history. Despite being under trained, under equipped and vastly outnumbered, the true fighting spirit of the Diggers prevailed with the eventual defeat of the might of the Japanese army.
On the 29th August 1942, during the Battle of Isurava, Private Bruce Steel Kingsbury of the 2 / 14th Infantry Battalion was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallant and selfless acts – the first Australian soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross fighting on Australia Territory. The rock next to where Kingsbury died is part of the Isurava War Memorial is known simply as Kingsbury’s Rock. At the memorial four stone pillars display the words
Courage, Endurance, Mateship, Sacrifice
This piece of historic military memorabilia tells the story, both in text and in three magnificent images. Classically timber framed with double mat board and Perspex glazing and is limited in edition to 5000. .
Price $385.00 including delivery Ausytalia wide
Allow 28 days for delivery
