On the 20th of June 1942 on the command of the Supreme Allied Commander in the Pacific theatre (General Douglas McArthur), General Blamey (Commander of the Australian Army) then gave orders to General Basil Morris (Commander Allied forces in PNG) to take steps to prepare to oppose the Japanese in the event of their forces landing of the north coast of PNG in the Buna / Gona region.
As a response to this, General Morris on 24th June ordered the Australian 39th Battalion and the Papuan Infantry Battalion (PIB) to constitute as a force titled Maroubra Force. They were then tasked with protecting the airstrip at Kokoda and stopping any invasion force on the north coast of PNG, if this was not possible they were to delay any advance from a beach head towards Kokoda.
Their overall mission was to prevent any Japanese movement in the direction of Port Moresby, in order to achieve this they were to march via an overland mail route track through the gap in the Owen Stanley Range to the outpost of Kokoda. This mail route was soon to become known as the Kokoda Track.
It was decided that B Company of the 39th Battalion was to leave the vicinity of Port Moresby on 26th June; however they were delayed and eventually departed on the 7th July. At the time B Company strength was five Officers and one hundred and twenty five soldiers.
On day one on the Kokoda track the soldiers of B Company were each carrying up to eighty pounds of equipment. Over the seven days of the journey to Kokoda their loads were significantly reduced due to the great assistance they received from PNG natives organised by an exceptional logistician in the name of Captain Bert Keinzle.
As a response to this, General Morris on 24th June ordered the Australian 39th Battalion and the Papuan Infantry Battalion (PIB) to constitute as a force titled Maroubra Force. They were then tasked with protecting the airstrip at Kokoda and stopping any invasion force on the north coast of PNG, if this was not possible they were to delay any advance from a beach head towards Kokoda.
Their overall mission was to prevent any Japanese movement in the direction of Port Moresby, in order to achieve this they were to march via an overland mail route track through the gap in the Owen Stanley Range to the outpost of Kokoda. This mail route was soon to become known as the Kokoda Track.
It was decided that B Company of the 39th Battalion was to leave the vicinity of Port Moresby on 26th June; however they were delayed and eventually departed on the 7th July. At the time B Company strength was five Officers and one hundred and twenty five soldiers.
On day one on the Kokoda track the soldiers of B Company were each carrying up to eighty pounds of equipment. Over the seven days of the journey to Kokoda their loads were significantly reduced due to the great assistance they received from PNG natives organised by an exceptional logistician in the name of Captain Bert Keinzle.
