The 2/39th Battalion (Des McLeod’s militia battalion) comprised mostly of young men of 18 or 19 years of age. Following Japan’s entry into the Second World War, the 39th, with very little military training, was sent to Port Moresby. In June it was ordered up the Kokoda Track to block the Japanese advance. The 39th B Company and troops from the Papuan Infantry Battalion reached Kokoda on 15 July. The first clash with the Japanese occurred at Awala on 23 July after which the Australians staged a fighting retreat along the Track. Despite determined efforts the Australians were forced back to Efogi, where on 5 September the exhausted 39th were relieved. They returned to Port Moresby in mid-October. At the end of November, men of the 39th were flown across the Owen Stanleys to participate in the attack on Gona village. They helped capture the village on 1 December then advanced on Gona mission but were stopped by determined Japanese defenders. On 18 December the 39th took the last Japanese position. On 21 December the 39th Battalion moved to the Sanananda Track. It suffered heavily casualties during a series of attacks and early in 1943, withdrew to Soputa. When the battalion was flown to Port Moresby on 25 January, 1943, it could only muster 7 officers and 25 men. In mid-February the 39th was instructed to stand by for operations in the Wau area. The Japanese attack never came and on 12 March the 39th Battalion boarded a troopship and returned to Australia. In July 1943, the 39th Battalion was disbanded.
GLOSSARY
AIF Australian Imperial Force
Armistice an agreement that ends fighting. Armistice Day is held annually on 11 November to celebrate the signing of the peace treaty of 1918 that ended the First World War.
Anzac Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
Battalion a military unit typically composed of 800 fighting men and officers in the Second World War or 1,000 men in the First World War
Bayonet a knife or spike-shaped weapon that attaches to the muzzle of a rifle
Banzai! Japanese war-cry meaning ‘ten thousand years’ (eternity). Banzai was shouted by Japanese soldiers as they charged enemy positions.
Censor to remove information from newspaper reports or radio broadcasts that is considered secret or a risk to national security
Chocos insulting name; ‘chocolate soldiers’ were men who dressed in soldiers’ uniforms but were undertrained. It was said they, like chocolate, would ‘melt’ under fire.
Commandeer to take legal possession of something (eg, a house, a vehicle)
Copper a police officer
Digger an Australian soldier
Division a military unit typically composed of twelve battalions (approximately 10,000 men)
Fatigue manual or menial task
Foxhole United States army slang for a hole dug as a defensive position for soldiers
Frontline the line where the battle is currently being fought
Heads toilets on a ship
Japs slang name for a person from Japan
Leave the time during which a soldier has permission to
be absent from duty
Militia/men fighting force composed of lightly trained, part-time civilian fighters; officially known as the Citizens Military Force; men who could only be deployed into active service within Australia and Australian Territories, (eg New Guinea)
Monsoon monsoons are a seasonal shift in wind direction which causes excessive rainfall; most commonly occurs between southern India, south-east Asia and northern Australia
Outflank to move around the side of an enemy’s position to avoid full-frontal conflict and to attack them from the side or rear
Platoon a military unit typically composed of 24 men
Provosts military police
Rationing each person is only permitted to have a fixed amount (eg. of food, water, clothes)
Servicemen men serving in the military (army, navy or air force)
Weapons pit a hole dug as a defensive position
Withdraw to move back
Yankee / Yank any person (black or white) from the United States
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Published by Scholastic Australia in 2014.
Text copyright © Alan Tucker, 2014.
Cover copyright © Scholastic Australia, 2014.
Front cover photograph: Ijbiri, Kokoda trail, New Guinea. Officers of the 2/14th
Battalion. Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial. Image # P00525.006.
Map on p 22: 1942 map of Asia and area from Coliers Gazette istock image #512311
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