Study Guide in Class Is: Australia Is at War with Japan
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www.theeducationshop.com.au www.metromagazine.com.au 1 SCREEN EDUCATION SCREEN STUDYGUIDE BOB LEWIS SYNOPSIS OF THE FILM A SUGGESTED The small section is cut off from their CLASSROOM APPROACH okoda (Alister Grierson, 2006) line of communication with the main is a 96 minute film set in Papua force of the 39th Battalion. Isolated in A suggested approach for using this K(New Guinea) in August 1942. the jungle behind enemy lines, they Study Guide in class is: Australia is at war with Japan. Port must attempt to make their way back Moresby is under threat of inva- through an unforgiving, hostile terrain 1 Introductory exercise – formulating sion from Japanese forces who wish to return to their mates. Allegiences ideas from photographs capture the airfields there and so form, strengths and weaknesses 2 Locate and interview a veteran dominate the region, preventing the emerge and leadership battles threaten [see 2/16th web site www.starwon. build-up of Unites States forces on to destroy the group as the going gets com.au/-skip] the Australia mainland and in the sur- tougher and tougher. 2 Watch the film rounding islands. 3 Film discussion: General questions After three days with no food or sleep, about war, such as ‘Why did we A small group of Australian soldiers carrying their wounded and suffering fight: was it necessary [in 1942]? from the 39th Battalion have been sent the effects of malaria and dysentery, AND/OR as a forward patrol beyond the de- they emerge from the jungle exhausted 4 Film discussion: Is Kokoda good fensive perimeter of Isurava, a village to the point of collapse. But then, on history? in the northern foothills of the Owen learning the situation is precarious at 5 Work through the problems in Stanley Ranges, astride the Kokoda Isurava, they pick themselves up and making such a film, and how they Track. move back to rejoin the battle. are addressed SCREEN EDUCATION CURRICULUM APPLICABILITY Kokoda can be used with senior students to explore the nature of war (in English, Society and Environment), and to explore the Kokoda Track element of the Battle for Australia (in Australian History). Students of Film Studies will also be able to explore how a feature film is made. Teachers need to be aware that the film contains occasional crude language, and war-related violence. 2 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND This summary can be used as a teacher reference, or can be given to students to use with the exploration of the film as a representation of history. n 1939 Australia declared war were later sent there also, and the 8th In December 1941 Japan entered against Germany for its invasion of Division to Malaya, based in Singa- the war with its invasion of areas of IPoland. Volunteers were called for pore. The CMF, or militia, were soldiers south-east Asia. The Japanese quickly nd the 2 Australian Infantry Force (AIF), who were to be kept within Australia forced the surrender of the Allied SCREEN EDUCATION and the 6th Division was formed and for home defence. forces in Singapore (including the Aus- sent to north Africa. The 7th and 9th tralian 8th Division — over 15 000 men 3 and some nurses), and continued to The Japanese, with a numerically su- This battle was a turning point. The conquer the area north of Australia. perior, well-trained and well-equipped delay in taking Isurava meant that force, overwhelmed the defenders. the Japanese supply lines were now By July 1942 Australia had only a The Australians re-grouped, and re- strained to breaking point. The Japa- few hundred soldiers, inexperienced, took Kokoda in fierce fighting. How- nese General Horii had to throw his poorly trained and ill-equipped, in Port ever, they were again pushed back reserve forces into the attack. For the Moresby, the administrative centre of and forced to make a fighting retreat. next two weeks the Australians began Papua. The key now was to slow down the a fiercely fought ‘cat and mouse’ with- Japanese until reinforcements could drawal from Isurava to Eora Creek. The Japanese had by this stage of arrive by foot up the treacherous the war decided not to attack Aus- mountain track. By mid-September the Australians tralia directly; rather, their main aim had dug in at Imita Ridge, only fifty was to disrupt American supplies and It is at this stage of the campaign, kilometres from Port Moresby, the reinforcements to the area that would with the Australians retreating to Japanese objective, and were ordered come through Australia. Their first Isurava and the Japanese about to to hold that position. A fight to the attempts to take Port Moresby were overrun the defenders and seize death was expected but the Japanese, ruined by attacks on their invasion Port Moresby, that the film Kokoda lacking sufficient supplies because of force at Guadalcanal, and then in the is set. their extended supply line, and fearing Battle of the Coral Sea. an American attack on their base at The Australians now dug in around Buna, now began to withdraw. The Japanese now decided to attack Isurava. The 39th were ordered to hold overland, and landed troops at Buna at all costs. They had lived for weeks During November the Australians now and Gona on the Papuan north coast without a change of clothing or proper pursued the Japanese through the and in the following month they landed food; their boots were holed and torn; stinking mud and treacherous, slippery another force at Milne Bay. their clothes were constantly wet; they tracks as they went back along the slept without shelter or blankets; most Kokoda Track. The Japanese advance The barrier between the Japanese were weakened by dysentery; ammu- through the rain-sodden jungles of forces in the north and Port Moresby nition was desperately short. One of Papua had been turned into a retreat on the south coast was the Owen the medical officers on the Track later but, even though many of them were Stanley Range — a steep, rugged described them as ‘gaunt spectres sick and starving, it was always a series of mountains crossed only by a with gaping boots and rotting tat- fighting retreat. Finally, they made their few foot tracks, the most important of ters of uniform hanging around them last stand in the swamps of Buna, which was the Kokoda Track. A small like scarecrows. Their faces had no Gona and Sanananda. It had taken group of the 39th Battalion and Papuan expression, their eyes sunk back into four months and the Australians had troops were sent to secure the vital air their sockets. They were drained by suffered 607 killed and 1015 wounded. field at Kokoda. malaria, dysentery and near-starva- For every man killed or wounded tion.’ Reinforcements from the battle- another two or three had been hospi- The 39th were poorly equipped for the experienced 2/14th Battalion arrived to talised for sickness. No overall figures task. They had insufficient clothing relieve the weary, battered and blood- for the 6000 Japanese soldiers on the for the wet, freezing nights, and their ied 39th, but there were insufficient Track are known. khaki uniforms stood out in the jungle. men to hold the area – so the 39th They had quinine as protection against stayed on with them. For the first time The Australian advance was aided by malaria, but the main problem was the volunteer AIF and the conscript the American 32nd Division which es- dysentery, for which they had very few militia (or AMF) fought together. tablished bases to the south of Buna medical supplies. while the Australians pushed on down The battle raged for four days. On the the Kokoda Track and across country Re-supply was in fact a major aspect fourth day the Japanese were threat- from Wanigela. Gona was taken on of the campaign. Motor transport ening to break through, until Private 9 December and on 2 January 1943 could carry supplies and equipment as Bruce Kingsbury’s bravery in charging Buna was captured. Sanananda, held far as Owers’ Corner, then mules were the enemy, firing a Bren gun from the by 600 Japanese, was not taken until used to Uberi, after which the tracks hip, and clearing the area. Kingsbury 12 January. The total for the whole were too steep, and humans had to was then killed by a sniper’s bullet. He campaign was 2165 Australians killed carry everything. Most of the carri- was awarded the Victoria Cross, the and 3533 wounded. ers were Papuans, who would carry first to be awarded on Australian soil wounded back on their return journey. (New Guinea was then a Protectorate of Australia). SCREEN EDUCATION 4 BEFORE WATCHING THE FILM Here is a set of photographs from the period and the place you are about to study — the Kokoda Track, 1942. (See photos on PAGES 6-8) he images all illustrate aspects brief caption that explains what is 5 Are there any main omissions or of the soldiers’ experience of happening, and then arrange them gaps in your story? TKokoda. Look carefully at each in an order that tells a story. 6 Imagine that a soldier who was on and write a caption that summarizes 2 From these images, what do you the Kokoda Track is coming to talk what you can learn from each about the think would have been the worst or to your class. List some questions nature of jungle warfare on the Track. hardest aspect of the experience? that you would ask him about the You should be able to cover a variety of 3 For each image, brainstorm to iden- experience.