Kokoda Front Line!
Archive Footage • 9m 7s
In July 1942, Japanese forces made landings at Gona on the north coast of modern Papua New Guinea, as part of a wider plan to defend the naval base of Rabaul. Having been unable to land at Port Moresby in May - a move that resulted in the Battle of the Coral Sea - they now planned to reach the capital on foot, taking the Kokoda Track over the Owen Stanley Mountain Range. Australian troops arrived on the Kokoda Track two weeks prior to the landings, having been warned of an imminent attack. The subsequent Kokoda campaign would last four months and strike a deep impression in the hearts and minds of the Australian people. This emotional documentary was filmed by the Australian war photographer Damien Parer and shared the Academy Award for best documentary in 1943. Parer was killed in September 1944 on the island of Peleliu. Please note: This film may contain distressing scenes and contemporary language no longer considered appropriate.
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