SOLDIERS OF 53RD: BUNA-GONA

The son of a 39^th battalion soldier is now a trek leader in an

Australian Kokoda trekking company. His father would have

gone through the thick of the campaign at Kokoda and at

Buna-Gona.

The son reports that his father observed that a large number of

53^rd soldiers ended up in the 39^th. They were obviously affected

by the disaster at Isurava-Alola-Abuari and many did more than

expected and were killed in action at Gona.

We have the comment from Lt Col Honner that the comments

of Blamey about rabbits running before the hunter’s gun had a

deep effect on soldiers at Gona. Many gave more than normal.

But the soldiers of the former 53^rd may have also had their own

battle to fight. While in Port Moresby, they would undoubtedly
have had training to add to their on-the-job experience from
August 1942.

The puzzle of the campaign was disbandment of the 39^th after

Gona. Who ordered that MacArthur or Curtin? Deployment

of untrained militia would have to have been a scandal. The
Australian mums and dads would need not to be told.