The Battle of Milne Bay (1942): oral history and documentary project

The Battle of Milne Bay (1942): oral history and documentary project

extent:
The Milne Bay Campaign was vital to the protection of Australia against the advancing Japanese Forces in August 1942. It was the first significant defeat of a Japanese land force in World War II. The battle was fought over ten days often with bayonets in knee-deep mud. 161 Australians died in the battle. The battle, while integral to halting the advancing Japanese Army is not well-known being overshadowed by the well-known and mythologised Kokoda Track conflict.

The oral history project is the first time the aging veterans of the Battle of Milne Bay have recorded their personal memories for public exhibition. The collection provides previously unknown information about the battle and the people who fought it from a personal point of view.

The documentary is on DVD which is sold at the Milne Bay Military Museum in Toowoomba. All proceeds from sales (approx. $9,000 per year) go directly to the Milne Bay Military Musuem as part of its fundraising efforts.