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Remembering the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels

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Remembering the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels This image of native bearers “The famous George (popularly known as Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels) was taken Silk photograph during WWII as they carried of Papuan carrier heavy loads of supplies and Raphael Oimbari equipment for Australian troops on one of many long- escorting injured distance marches Australian soldier George ‘Dick’ Whittington along the Buna road helped immortalise the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel in the minds of the Australian public” Sapper Beros was a member of the 7th Division Engineers who had seen first-hand the effort made by the carriers. In October 1942 when his poem first appeared in Brisbane’s The Courier Mail, the Australian public was already becoming aware of the contribution made by the people of Papua. A month earlier, Cinesound Productions released the newsreel, Kokoda Front Line. War photographer Damien Parer’s Oscar-winning work Remembering the not only brought home to Australians the realities of the war in the Pacific but also images of natives carrying injured Australian soldiers. Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels This famous image, taken by war photographer George Silk, A few months after both David Howell depicts injured Australian Army Private George “Dick” Whittington the newsreel and poem Photos courtesy of the Australian War Memorial being helped along a track through the kunai grass towards a field were released, the famous hospital at Dobodura, Buna, in Oro Province on Christmas Day in he village of Kagi, nestled the much-needed supplies of to faithfully carry out their duty George Silk photograph 1942. The carrier helping him is Raphael Oimbari. Whittington was high in the mountains food and ammunition, before of carrying wounded Australian of Papuan carrier Raphael with the 2/10th Battalion at the time and had been wounded the half-way along the Kokoda carrying wounded Australian soldiers home to safety. Oimbari escorting injured T previous day in the battle for Buna airstrip. He recovered from Track, is home to a devout soldiers to safety. The poem reads in part: Australian soldier George ‘Dick’ his wounds but died of scrub typhus in Port Moresby just over a community of Seventh-Day With Havala’s death, it is time Whittington along the Buna month later Adventists and subsistence for both Australia and PNG to Slow and careful in the bad road, appeared in The Courier farmers. Until Christmas Eve just revisit how we recognise and places Mail. The Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel poem, similar words conjure up conditions or recognition as his past, Kagi was also home to a remember men like Havala and on the awful mountain track was becoming immortalised an image of equality: “…make Australian counterpart. national hero of both PNG and the legacy they leave behind. The look upon their faces in the minds of the Australian you think Christ was black”. The The Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel legend Australia. Many readers would be familiar would make you think Christ was public. attempt to raise the status of was founded on a master- Havala Laula was one of the with the famous Bert Beros black. However, mythology often the Papuan carrier to be equal servant relationship. Papua in last living links to a very special poem “The Fuzzy Wuzzy focuses on the triumphs and with that of an Australian soldier 1942 was an Australian territory. generation of Papua New Angels” that painted a picture of Many a lad will see his mother leaves out the unpleasantries. In was an idealistic one. Not during In February of that year, civil Guineans, a generation which, gentle, loyal and devoted native and husbands see their wives the narration of Parer’s newsreel the war, nor in the following administration had given way 75 years ago, toiled over the carriers. These were people Just because the Fuzzy Wuzzy he states: “the black-skinned post-war years, did the Papuan to martial law. European men Kokoda Track, transporting who put aside their own needs carried them to save their lives. boys are white”. So too in Bero’s carrier receive the same pay, who were deemed non-essential 24 VOLUME 12 MARCH 2018 VOLUME 12 MARCH 2018 25 “If any carrier refused to carry out their duty they were often dealt with quite harshly, with punishment ranging from loss of privileges such as pay or tobacco to more harsh penalties such as being drilled with a heavy pack on, jail, or, in some cases, flogging” drilled with a heavy pack on, jail or, in some cases, flogging. Of course, if any carrier was seen to be aiding the Japanese, they could be executed. As the war on the Kokoda Track intensified, so too did the need for more carriers. Often false promises such as better conditions and shorter contracts were used to recruit carriers. Between August and December 1942, over 16,000 Papuans were employed by ANGAU, many of whom would work on the Kokoda Track. While some came from the villages that Taken in the Sanananda area of Oro Province on were high in the Owen Stanley January 27, 1943, this photo shows PNG carriers Ranges, most came from wading through swamps to evacuate wounded the low-lying townships and allied soldiers. Photo: Clifford Bottomley coastal settlements. The cold mountain climate, especially at to the war effort, along with for the war effort was to be night, along with poor rations European women and children, contracted. Morris issued the and sleeping gear, did not offer were repatriated back to Employment of Natives Order much in the way of comfort. mainland Australia. By April which stated that Papuans could ANGAU officer, Captain “Doc” 1942 the Australian New Guinea be contracted for up to three Vernon, a veteran of World War Administration Unit (ANGAU) years, during which time they I who gave medical attention to was created. Although ANGAU were not to be absent without soldiers and carriers alike, noted had in its charter a duty of care leave, to desert or refuse to in his diary: to the local populace, the reality carry out their duty. If any “Every evening scores of our was that the people of Papua carrier broke any of the rules carriers came in, slung their had no option but to stay in of the order they were often loads down, and lay exhausted their villages. dealt with quite harshly by their on the ground; the immediate By June of 1942 the New administrators. Punishment prospect before them was grim, Guinea Force Commander, ranged from loss of privileges a meal that only consisted of Major General Basil Morris, gave such as pay or tobacco to more rice, and none too much of that, orders on how native labour harsh penalties such as being and a night of discomfort and 26 VOLUME 12 MARCH 2018 It Must be Ramu ADVERT 205x275mm.indd 1 25/06/15 9:16 AM and carried out the wounded “The Kokoda story Australian soldiers. This is the is full of accounts part that the Fuzzy Wuzzy of the heavy packs Angel legend plays up to, and rightfully so. There is not carried by the one report of any Australian Australian soldiers, soldier being abandoned by the but little attention is Papuan carriers, not even during heavy combat. They will always given to the weight have the eternal gratitude of that carriers had to the Australian soldiers and bear” their families as it was on them that their survival depended. soldier and carrier. This does Many Australian veterans to this not allow for the porterage of day look back with immense arms, ammunition, equipment, gratitude for the help received. medical stores, ordnance, mail In February last year, Havala, and dozens of other items thought to be the last known needed to wage war, on the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel living backs of men.” along the Kokoda Track, visited The impact was not just on the Melbourne. During his visit he carriers themselves, the war met several veterans of the was indiscriminate. As Japanese 39th Battalio,n including Alan and Australian troops moved ‘Kanga’ Moore. The meeting through villages, they trampled was an emotional one – two old crops, destroyed huts, and warriors together for one last took precious food from the time. Although the language gardens. Terrified villagers fled barrier between the two men into the jungle, desperately made it hard to communicate Members of the 2/1st, 2/2nd and 2/3rd Australian infantry trying to escape the fighting with words, a simple embrace Engineers build a bridge on the track between Kokoda and Buna, battalions on the move up the Kokoda Track and across the Owen or take cover from air-raids. and the expression on both one of many needed along this stretch. Photo taken by George Stanley Ranges. This image was taken in October, 1942, near In the process, villages were men’s faces conveyed the Silk on November 19, 1942 Nauro and Menari destroyed and an uncounted great admiration both had for number of villagers were killed, one another. When a reporter were lucky if they got a cup of the Owen Stanley Ranges shivering as there were only carriers was back-breaking. The injured or mistreated. For those from the ABC asked Kanga if rice a day… I think they should concluded, and only two enough blankets to issue one to Kokoda story is full of accounts communities that were not in the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels had have been better treated by weeks after Kokoda had been every two men…” of the heavy packs carried by the path of the fighting, they still received enough recognition the Australian Government… reoccupied, a banquet and Sickness of the carriers was of the Australian soldiers, but little had the effect of having their for their work during the war, We wouldn’t have won the presentation to the carriers was major concern.
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