Figure 1.--Many New Guinea natives volunteered to work with the Allies, first mostly with the Australians on the Kokoda Trail as bearers. Then not only as baers, but as Scouts with the Ausrralians and Americans as well as the Allies drove up the nother coast. Often whole villages assisted the Allies in one way or another. For the New Guinea Natives it was like being visited from outer space. What impressed the natives the most was all the 'stuff' the Australians and even more the Americans had.

New Guinea natives from an early stage offered their services to the Allies, especially the Australians who they were familar with. Some assisted the Australians. Some 45,000 indigenous New Guinea natives volunteered to work with the Australian army, mostly as stretcher bearers and other laborers, at first on the Kokoda Trail (July-November 1942). The Australians affectionally called them 'Fuzzy Wuzzies' because of their characteristic frizzy hair. The New Guinea Natives also helped moved tons of supplies, provided intelligence on Japanese poitions and movement, and sometimes carried messages. A small number even became members of Australian military groups and fought in uniform. Americans also had fond memories. And Americans impressed the native people even more, because they had more 'stuff' to offer and many more planes. One account relates, "Barely escaping the stricken aircraft, Fred Hargesheimer parachutes into dense jungle where the likelihood of death at the hands of enemy troops is just one of the perils he faces. Then the villagers come. To Fred's relief, they're not headhunters. Instead, they take him to their village and, in the six months that follow, feed him, care for him, go fishing with him, worship with him and hide him from the Japanese soldiers that patrol the beaches, risking torture and certain death themselves. When Fred catches malaria and is too weak to eat, one of the village women feeds him cups of her breast milk to keep him alive." [Gratzer] The Allies after Guadalcanal (August-December 1942) and the withdrawl of the Imperial Fleet began moving up the northern coast of the Island. And because the Aystralians and Americans were more than happy to pay the natives and supply them with all kinds of civeted itens luke tobacco anbd utensils as well as food,they were more thsn happy to work with the Allied troops. The natives provided needed labor or serving as scouts. The Australians organized some Papuan combat units. The Papuan economy must had affected the relationship between the Papuans and the contening military. Money meant nothing to the papuans, espcially paper money. The did everything by barter. The australians had somethings the Papuans wanted. The Americans had a material anundance beyond the comprehesion of the Papuans. And thus the Papuans were drawn to the Allies. In addition the Allied soldiers, like the Audtralian officials and midionaries before the War generally behaved in an honorable fashion. The Japanese in contrast had very little to barter. Japanese troops were not well-supplied and were expected to live off the land. This led to inebitable conflicts with the natives over food. There are also reports of mistreating women.

Situation (February 1942)

The Japanese after seizing Java began landing along the northern coast of New Guinea (February 1942). New Guinea was not of great interest to the Japanese, but ustralia was--the last important Allied possession in the Western Pacific. The Australians administered eastern nEw Guinea, but did not have combat forces there. They did not attempt to defend the island, but evacuated the coastal sations as much as possible. A few civilians escaoped ino the interior and made it to Port Moresy along the souhern coast. The Australians rushed combat forces to Port Moreby, the only place they decided to defend in New Guinea. The Japanese did not move into the interior, but landed at several places all along the northern coast.

Battle of the Coral Sea (May 1942)

Admiral Yamamoto was preparing his Midway battle plan. The High Command, however, insisted on one operation in the south before he Midway operation -- Operation MO. They wanted to seize Port Moresby so they could begin the conquest of Australia. This was to be the next objective after Ymamotio had destroyed the Pacific Fleet carriers at Midway. Two first line carriers were desyached from the First Air Fleet to ensure the success of the amphibious landings that would take Port Moresby. They did not expect serious oposition. American code breakers cracking JN-25 learned of the opertion nd Admiral Nimitz commited three carriers to stop the Japanese. They managed to disrupt the landings which the Japanese cancelled. The Japanese succeeded in sinking Lexington, but the crew was saved. The Japanese also heavily damaging Yorktown (May 8). The Japanese air crews report that they left both carriers buring and sinking. The Japanese concluded that they had sunk both. The Americans heavily damaged Shokaku. The substantial Japanese pilot casualties, especially from Zuikaku, were very signigicant. It put the carrier out of operation even though it was not damaged. This ould have major consequences at Midway as Yamamoto went head wiyh his plan despite hv=ing inly four of his minline carriers.

Kokoda Trail (July-November 1942)

New Guinea natives from an early stage offered their services to the Allies, especially the Australians who they were familar with. The first major interaction with Australian combat troops and the natives was on the Kokoda Trail. Having been turned back in the Coral Sea and with the Midway losses, an amphuibious operation was no longer possible. So the Japanese decided o lauinch an attack over the Kakoda Trail which crossed the Owen-Stanley Mountains. The Australians affectionally called the New Guinea ntives 'Fuzzy Wuzzies' because of their characteristic frizzy hair. They played an imnportant role inb the sucessful defense of Port Moresby, first as bearers bringing supplies forard to the combat troops. But what cemented the reltionship was the natives who crries wounded nen to medical stations along the trail.

Volunteers

Some 45,000 indigenous New Guinea natives volunteered to work with the Australian army, mostly as stretcher bearers and other laborers. The Americans also employed natives, but we have moy yet been anle to find details on numbers. The Americans employed them in similar ways. The New Guinea Natives helped move tons of supplies, provided intelligence on Japanese poitions and movement, and sometimes carried messages. A small number even became members of Australian military groups and fought in uniform. The Americans used them in similar ways, although we do not if some fought in unifiorm with American nunits. We have vot yet found a good source of information on this.

Australian and American 'Stuff'

And Americans impressed the native people even more, because they had more 'stuff' to offer and many more planes. The New Guina native economy was significantly impacted by the arrival of the contening military forces. Few natives ever had jobs before. They were hunters and subsistence farmers. Money meant nothing to the natives, espcially paper money. The did everything by barter. And suddenly theuy had something to barter with -- their labor. And they could for the first time acquire 'stiff' that they never could possibly have had or even know existed. The Australians had many things the natives wanted. The Americans had a material anundance beyond the comprehesion of the natives. And thus the natives were drawn to the Allies. And because the Australians and Americans were more than happy to pay the natives and supply them with all kinds of coveted itens like tobacco andd utensils as well as food, they were more than happy to work with the Allied troops. The Japanese in contrast had very little to barter. Japanese troops were not well-supplied and were expected to live off the land. This led to inevitable conflicts with the natives over food.

Inividual Accounts

Americans also had fond memories of the Nre Guinea natives. . One account relates, "Barely escaping the stricken aircraft, Fred Hargesheimer parachutes into dense jungle where the likelihood of death at the hands of enemy troops is just one of the perils he faces. Then the villagers come. To Fred's relief, they're not headhunters. Instead, they take him to their village and, in the six months that follow, feed him, care for him, go fishing with him, worship with him and hide him from the Japanese soldiers that patrol the beaches, risking torture and certain death themselves. When Fred catches malaria and is too weak to eat, one of the village women feeds him cups of her breast milk to keep him alive." [Gratzer]

Correct Behavior

It was not just the stuff that Australians and Americans had that won the New Guinea natives over, it was their correct behavior. The Allied soldiers, like the Australian officials and missionaries before the War, generally behaved in a correct honorable fashion. They did not steal food from he natives. Nor did they rape the omen. Violent incidents were very rare. There are also reports of mistreating women. But ghe main problem was food. Hungary Japanese soldiers seized native food. New Guinea was not a food exporting colony. It was self suffient in food, but did not produce a surplus. The natives basically practiced subsistence agriculture. There was no substantial surplus and certainly no way of feeding tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers. But this is just what Japanese occupation polices expected. It was possible in areas with developed agricultre producing food for export not for tens of heavily armed and hungary Japanese soldiers. The commanders at first ied to enfiorce a no fraternization policy. But hungary, armd soldiers were going to go after food. And if th natives resisted, they wre hot. The Allies in contrast had plenty of food thy brought their food with them. And were willing to share it with their New Guinea native vounteers and not uncommonky friendly villages. Allied soldiers were also willing to barter. And had lots to offer. There were no forced exchanges. The Allies had something else to offer--modern medicine. And hey made medical care available to the natives. This made a real diffeence in the lives of people used to shamans and whitch doctors. We even notice Allied medical personnel training natives in basic health practives.

Drive Up the Coast

The Allies after Guadalcanal (August-December 1942) and the withdrawl of the Imperial Fleet began moving up the northern coast of the Island. It was longest campaign of the Pacific War. I t became a dual Pacific strategy. Adm. Nimitz oversaw a Central Pacific campaign driving West. Gen. MacArthur oversaw the New Guinea campaign to the south. Both were headed for the Philippines., although Nimitz began thinking about Taiwan. Presudent Roosevelt would eventually settle that issue. The Japanese faced many problens, not inly did they favc two offensives, but by 1943 they were mo longer able to adequately supply the garisons they placed all over the Pacific. They hoped powerful garrisons could resist the Allied advances, but in both the Central Pacific and New Guinea, the Allies proved that they could not. In New Guinea, the Allies both smashed Japanese strong posts and leaped-frog along the coast, isolating Japanese garrisons. America had both the air and sea power to effectively do this. By the time the Navy Central OPacifivc campaign reached ghe Marianas, the Allied New Guinea campaign was within reach of the southern Philippines (July 1944). At this point the Americans and Australians parted ways. The drive toward Tokyo would be carried out by the Americans.

Sources

Gratzer, Vunce. The school that Fell from the Sky: The Fred Hargesheimer Story.

Created: 6:51 AM 7/21/2018
Last updatd: 6:51 AM 7/21/2018