08 June 2010

Hiker Discovers Lost World War 2 Battlefield

An Australian hiker has discovered the site of the Battle of Eora Creek in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. The battleground , which still contains abandoned military equipment and the remains of Japanese soldiers, has been untouched since 1942. The Battle of Eora Creek was the last major battle fought by Australia in the Kokada Trail campaign against the Japanese.

Former army Capt. Brian Freeman, an expert on the Kokoda Trail – a 60-mile trek through rugged mountainous country and rainforest of the island – said Monday he was led to the Eora Creek battle site where he found the remains of the soldiers.

The site about half a mile from the village of Eora Creek was believed to be the location of the last major battle that was pivotal in Australia’s campaign against the Japanese in Papau New Guinea.

Although the site was known to local villages, jungles reclaimed it after the battle of Eora Creek. Although locals hunted on the plateau surrounding the site, they avoided the 600-square-meter battle ground because of a belief that spirits of the dead were still present in the "lost battlefield".

Read the full article here. The Kokoda Trail campaign was also the subject of a 2006 movie.



By: Shelldrake

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