The following essay was written by Wesley College student, Scarlett Cunningham, and won her the inaugural George V. Smith Award presented by the Friends of the Odd Bods Association.
ANZAC
Spirit in World War II
Scarlett
Cunningham
Year
10
Wesley
College, Glen Waverley Campus
The Anzac spirit encapsulated the
characteristics which helped the Australian troops combat extreme adversity and
achieve glory throughout World War II.
The
Anzac spirit was born in the face of adversity and overwhelming odds during
World War I. This spirit was forged through mateship, endurance, courage and a peculiar
ability to find humour in the darkest of hours. It was an innate something that
was not contrived or forced, through this spirit the Australian troops found
the strength to thwart the Japanese onslaught, specifically during the Kokoda
campaign, as it encapsulated the characteristics needed to achieve glory
without necessarily seeking it.
The
Kokoda Campaign, starting in July 1942, tested the Australian troops to their
limits -but due to their courage to overcome the enemy, they were able to go
above and beyond their duty to their country. The Australian
troops that were first gathered to fight at the start of the Kokoda campaign
were inexperienced and ill prepared for combat with the battle-hardened
Japanese. The experienced Australian troops were continuing to fight in the far
off European and African war zones, meaning a new Australian force had to be
mobilised. The conditions in the Kokoda trail were harsh, the troops had to
travel through dense jungle, unknown to any Australians, in order to drive the
Japanese back to shore.
As
Private Laurie Howson from the 39th Battalion explained within his
diary entry from Kokoda, “You are trying to survive, shirt torn, arse out of
your pants, whiskers a mile long, hungry, and a continuous line of stretchers …
some days you carry your boots because there’s no skin left on your feet”. Despite the hardships that Kokoda presented,
the Australian troops were able to conjure the courage to fight, often formed
through brotherhood and sardonic humour. Adding onto this, many images taken
throughout Kokoda depict the Australian soldiers smiling and laughing despite
the enormity of the peril they faced, which is something that truly captures
the ANZAC spirit.
The
mateship formed between the Australian troops through their humour, passion for
their country and sharing of the same experience, allowed the creation of
strong bonds and subsequently a self-sacrificing demeanour carried throughout
the troops. Private Bruce Kingsbury was a great example of this specific but
vital element of the ANZAC spirit. Kingsbury was a part of the 2/14th
Australian Infantry Battalion and was determined to make a stand against the
Japanese. In an act of self -sacrifice for his country, Kingsbury charged the
Japanese troops at the Battle of Isurava on 29 August 1942, rushing forward
while shooting his Bren gun at his hip, managing to create many casualties and
push the enemy back. It was apparent from the start of Kingsbury’s actions that
he would most likely die, which he did after being shot down, but he continued
anyway due to his love for his country and value of comradeship. This patent
example of self-sacrifice shows how through the ANZAC spirit many of the
Australian troops rallied together in order to serve their country.
Through
the qualities of mateship, courage and humour condensed within the ANZAC spirit,
the Australian troops were then able to have the ability to find hope within
the darkest of times and persist in their fight. At the beginning of the Kokoda
Campaign, it was apparent that the Australian troops were losing ground, which
was enforced on 27 August when the Australians were pushed out of Kokoda
Village and back to Isurava by the Japanese. The Australian troops were
outnumbered, had primitive artillery and were low on supplies. Over the next
several months however, the Australians were able to fight back at the Japanese
through battles in places such as Cora Creek or Missions Ridge. Despite still
being low on supplies towards the end of the campaign, on 2 November 1942 the
Australians retook Kokoda Village. The Battle for the Kokoda track then finally
ended, after the Australians in an immense effort, managed to tire the Japanese
and thus reach the Kumasi River on 18 November 1942. The likelihood of the
Australian troops winning this battle seemed impossible at times due to their
inexperience or lack of provisions, but through resilience and persistence,
they managed to overcome the odds under duress in an incredible feat – which
was achieved through the characteristics condensed in the ANZAC Spirit.
The
ANZAC spirit was an Australian tradition born in World War I in the trenches of
Gallipoli and then carried into World War II. It was a conscious ideology in
which the Australians relied on to achieve success in World War II. After
specifically focussing on the Kokoda Campaign, we see that through the traits
of bravery, patriotism, mateship, humour and humble determinations, the
Australian troops were able to combat extreme adversity and attain victory in
World War II.
Bibliography
Adb.anu.edu.au (2017) Biography
– Bruce Steel Kingsbury – Australian Dictionary of Biography. [online]
Available at: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/kingsbury-bruce-steel-10745
[Accessed 23 March 2017]
Army.gov.au (2017). Kokoda
recaptured|Australian Army. [online] Available at: http://www.army.gov.au/our-history/history-in-focus/kokoda-recaptured
[Accessed 23 March 2017]
Awm.gov.au (2017). Home
| Australian War Memorial. [online] Available athttp://www.awm.gov.au
[Accessed 23 March 2017]
Kokodachallenge.com (2017) Cite a Website – Cite This For Me [Online] Available at: http://kokodachallenge.com/images/editorimages/kokoda_australians.jpg
[Accessed 23 March 2017]
Kokodatrail.com.au (2017) The History of Kokoda Track | Kokoda Trekking on the Kokoda Trail
[online] Available at: http://www.kokodatrail.com.au/history.html [Accessed 23 March
2017]
Pacificwar.org.au (2017) The Pacific War 1941-1943 [Online] Available at: http//wwwpacificwar.org.au
[Accessed 23 March 2017]
Ww2australia.gov.au (2017) Kokoda: Overview. [Online} Available at: http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/asfaras/kokoda.html
[Accessed 23 March 2017]
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