"... like the care of a nurse and the love of a mother." (Lt Col. Ralph Honner CO 39th Bn)

Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel is term given to the caring native carriers of Papua New Guinea . Six Hundred Australian lives were lost during the campaign but without the help of the native carriers the loss would have been much greater. Not only did they carry the wounded out but they also carried the ammunition, food and other supplies in. With the average load weighing over 40 kg's and often under heavy fire from the Japanese, the Fuzzy Wuzzy battled the terrain and the enemy as they painstakingly carried the wounded over the dreadful terrain.

With a party of eight, they constructed a stretcher out of branches and blankets, working four at a time. There is no known case of any wounded Australian solider being abandoned by the Fuzzy Wuzzy's. They themselves were greatly affected by the war. Many villages were destroyed, food crops and pigs were raided and they could no longer occupy their huts, having to relocate their village further out in to the wilderness.

Natives traversing the harsh terrain with a load of much needed supplies.

The incredible human chain which they formed across the Owen Stanley, gave the Australian's the advantage over the Japanese. Organized by Bert Keinzle and Dr Geoffrey Vernon, important bush skills and local knowledge were employed by the New Guinea Natives.

'Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels' Many a mother in Australia when the busy day is done Sends a prayer to the Almighty for the keeping of her son Asking that an angel guide him and bring him safely back Now we see those prayers are answered on the Owen Stanley Track For they haven't any halos only holes slashed in their ears And their faces worked by tattoos with scratch pins in their hair Bringing back the badly wounded just as steady as a horse Using leaves to keep the rain off and as gentle as a nurse Slow and careful in the bad places on the awful mountain track The look upon their faces would make you think Christ was black Not a move to hurt the wounded as they treat him like a saint It's a picture worth recording that an artist's yet to paint Many a lad will see his mother and husbands see their wives Just because the fuzzy wuzzy carried them to save their lives From mortar bombs and machine gun fire or chance surprise attacks To the safety and the care of doctors at the bottom of the track May the mothers of Australia when they offer up a prayer Mention those impromptu angels with their fuzzy wuzzy hair. Sapper H "Bert" Beros NX 6925, 7th Div., RAE, AIF

"When I was young, I was going to Port Moresby , looking for work, in 1942. The Japanese dropped a bomb and started to fight with the Australian Army. The Japanese dropped more and more bombs. So I ran away from Port Moresby to Naduri. The Australians were at Uberi and Owers Corner, near Sogeri. Their camps moved to Iorabaiwa, Naoro, Menari, Efogi and Kagi. It was a bad time. my father was a police man. There was a store for food and shells at Myola Lake . The Australians moved on to Isurava and Kokoda. The Japanese were camped at Buna and were moving down to the Australian's who had to move back to Iorabaiwa again. The Australians fought back and pushed out the Japanese and won. The war was finished and the Japanese ran away to Buna. The fighting damaged all of our food gardens for the village people of Kagi and Naduri. We had no money. It took hard work, at a bad time. I keep the medal for my father now. 1942-1945 is a bad time."