Cowra Breakout New Guinea Story

[Music] oh my [Music] october 1942 in the 10 months since pearl harbor most of southeast asia had fallen to the japanese burma thailand malaya singapore the philippines and now they'd set their sights on new guinea just a few hundred miles from the shores of australia we all knew that the battle for our homeland would be won or lost in the jungles of new guinea [Music] from the first day of training mick murphy and i had been mates i suppose we were pretty different he was a farmer with a wife and three kids i'd never met his family but i felt i knew them pretty well [Music] i was a city boy footloose and fancy free in five minutes it's about three mile from the air strip to the staging camp our new platoon commander lieutenant mcdonald be waiting for us there now apparently he's a pretty fussy sort of black so watch on your toes all of you a little bit blue hold it there you blotch hold that [Music] no worries she'll be right here what the hell is going on melbourne cup what's that horse not just any horse race mate it's the melbourne cup [Applause] [Music] shut up mercury all right come on there's got to be a winner here somewhere over here well i don't suppose you've got your ticket actually i don't it's all right i remember you you've had 10 bob on colonists and 33 to 1. now i hope that some of that ends up on the plate tomorrow so is it the most chance of that father i'm anglican [Applause] [Music] come on as you've probably gathered i'm your new platoon commander lieutenant edward mcdonald actually i think you all know rather more about me than i do about you you're no doubt aware that we've got the japs pretty well boxed up the yanks have been floundering around for weeks trying to push them through the coast of course we all know why the yanks aren't much good at fighting they're too worn out from chasing after our women folk but we're going to show the nips that they can't fall around with 700 boys from the aif with a bit of luck we'll all be home for christmas any questions how far are the yanks from the coast sir approximately 12 miles how long do you reckon it'll take us to clear it it's assumed by the brass that will accomplish it within a week a week i reckon i could do 12 miles in half a day good show private you do that and you can have a hot meal waiting for the rest of us got the left-handed some food are we all shaping up then good thanks sir a real bronzer enjoying your meal not as good good as my mum cooks we raise our own meat he's radio ops lieutenant it's hot sir first time in action sir yes it is actually but i feel like i've been training for this all my life cadets at the king's school then military college come true and sir nice to chat with you come on melbourne cup night i'd be out on the town tonight i mocked it up in my suit [Applause] giving the girls a thrill real romeo they line up when they see me coming oh modesto i wonder how they're managing without me there's plenty of yanks to look after that it's all right for you you're married yeah geez i made a real mongrel of myself the day i left how come uh the family gave me this girls must have saved for weeks for it sally dipped into the family savings it's a beauty i gave him hell over it i wanted him to have the money for himself especially with me away don't worry i'll make sure you get back pig's ass you're the one that'll need looking after father these men are going off into battle help them by giving them the strength and the courage that they need enable them to meet their danger bravely keep them from disease and sickness and bring them back safely to their loved ones let us pray is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Applause] [Music] i don't fancy our chances want to give it a go he used to be a lifesaver at bondi so [Music] so [Applause] cool [Music] [Music] let me keep down [Music] [Music] see the top of the radio [Music] [Music] keep going [Music] [Music] come on come on [Music] [Music] is oh foreign [Music] so [Music] so [Music] the enemy are on their way with the help of the gods sato and i will kill them if i must die i will do my best to do so with a noble spirit for the emperor [Music] it's impressive [Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] jets [Music] doesn't appear to be any movement they might be all dead something else check it out [Music] leave the ring gun here i'll cover you [Music] [Music] [Music] so uh um uh [Music] make one two three go [Music] [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] [Music] and that's enough [Music] [Music] jewels of the [Music] best day homie trap he's piss it off hey macdonald mcdonald bastard lyndon tennis [Music] make it torn again well it looks as if everybody's left right oh there's nobody left shut up just gotta tie this stop the flat [Applause] right that'll stop it be right in a minute we're not finished yet we might be the last ones here but i'll tell you what i'm gonna do now listen there's a crater back there just back over there if i can get to that now listen i might be able to sneak around the back of the foxhole right yeah and drop a grenade in just for a little presence right right and you think you can keep it covered yeah i don't want you to move right right i'll be going nick [Music] nice right on the count of three right yeah one two three [Applause] [Applause] me [Applause] [Music] hang on mick [Music] mick i'm coming mick [Music] [Music] just hang on meg i'm nearly there i'm coming [Music] oh hmm oh you'll be right i'll fix you up and i'll get back to henderson no no no mate no i'll think of something i'll i'll pat you up i'll get some fuzzy onesies to help me get you back to the ammo [Music] before you know it you'll be back at ford you'll be patched up and you'll be going home you'll be walking down the road [Music] [Music] they'll be waiting for you [Music] and the kitchen will be there [Music] hotel what to so so okay it takes more than that to stop me jeff you think i'm gonna go to sleep don't you well i'm not i've got something here to keep me awake i have always been willing to die at any time but nowadays somehow i am full of the desire to go back home alive just once more but i will put these thoughts behind me [Applause] [Music] [Music] yes [Music] yes [Music] okay [Music] [Music] so [Music] what [Music] [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] come on come on come on yeah come on come on get us come on [Music] oh you shouldn't have touched him he was my best mate and you killed him i don't want johnny jabs touching him he died so do we all we japanese are not afraid to die hey does this make you feel afraid is that [Music] [Music] what do you think of that eh remember me stanley david's an older boy [Applause] [Music] uh wow [Music] [Music] sorry mate i sort of looked after you better [Music] said it's only the female mosquito that can give you malaria he's a hell man you've got good eyesight out there right [Applause] stan how are you feeling all right oh you're a very lucky man you know it was touch and go there for a while i called in to see you last night you were tossing and turning calling out in your sleep is there something that you wanted to talk to me about i don't think so not with me with god sometimes it can help to talk things over he knows he understands what you've been it's through up here father not in new guinea don't you blame god for the war stand only man can stop the war you've got an answer for everything evan talk to god stan let him hear your confession all right father i'll confess i confess that i killed me best mate put a bullet through his head i confessed that i killed a [ __ ] out there he was lying on the ground helpless and i stuck me bayonet through him and i enjoyed it i confessed that me rotten platoon leader ran like a bloody rat and left me mates to die i confess i'm not a man anymore just like the rest of us poor bastards up here we're all just animals i confess that i hate the politicians and the generals and the church all of you for letting us become like that there's no god up here cause there's no god anywhere and i'm a bloody fool for believing all the [ __ ] i've been fed for years [Music] don't lose your faith now stan [Music] now's the time that you need it most [Music] come on guys this over [Music] oh this one's still alive [Music] good [Music] you may want to bring those up [Music] [Applause] hold the son of a [ __ ] down come on actually come on all right now be all right it's coming on hang on [Music] all right [Music] oh [Music] we're gonna load it up [Music] stand mom dad stand stand home what time did you get back how's your leg is it broken come on i'm all right cry hello son [Music] badmintons did you see the japs close up what are they like don't pester your brother now bob let him have his cover in peace i'm gonna go and tell everyone he's home you've lost a bit of weight but you haven't really changed no your brother's still full of talk about joining up he's not old enough yes he is [Music] how is mick he's dead mick i'm always misty they're all dead tea will be ready soon i've got a nice roast [Music] uh [Music] you can have all this junk if you want gee thanks what's this nothing give it here so where's your medals they've got me why not dad's got two you did kill jabs didn't you [Music] a few what was it like it's not like the movies mate [Music] violence as they demanded in rather loud tones the public boycott the restaurant things got slightly out of hand when a few rowdier placard heroes began throwing food stolen from the restaurant can hardly wait to get to new guinea don't be so stupid i'm not being stupid listen mate the japs are just about beaten up there anyway you'll only get yourself killed or maimed so some general can get himself another medal it's a waste of time it's a waste of men i don't think it's a waste of time to defend your country nothing's worth what's going on up there that's the sort of talk here from blake's who haven't got the guts to fight wake up to yourself you wake up to yourself i'm a coward i'm talking sense to you you're talking [ __ ] you wouldn't have a bloody clue it's all just a uniform to you what's going on he's gone crazy are you all right yeah mom i'm fine [Music] i didn't even do anything just sit quietly stan all right i don't know go in and have a talk to him [Music] come in you've had a rough time son yeah yes i suppose the first war my war was different look i uh i know we haven't talked much over the years but it's not because i haven't wanted to it's because of just didn't seem to be much point in two of them but it would have helped if there'd been someone so i just want you to know that i'm here if thanks dad [Music] they'll eat you snow animals m [Music] mario stop if you want to relieve yourselves now's the time launch thunder oh [Music] foreign come on yeah [Music] come on [Music] uh [Music] [Applause] come on peace peace [Music] whether a bloody useless light aren't they look turn around and piss piss like that oh what's wrong with them maybe they don't want us to see what they've got oh bugger them i'm busting give him a demo breaker show him what to do good idea [Music] you turn around and you piss like that peace we've already done it now you do it g'day sid come to the game [Applause] [Music] um [Music] [Music] [Applause] ginger [Music] so [Music] uh [Music] [Music] foreign foreign [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] oh um [Music] foreign oh foreign i [Music] oh [Music] wow [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] dear mrs murphy i was with your husband mick when he passed away in new guinea i know this must be a hard time for you and like me you probably don't want to think too much about it but i brought back some of his possessions which i would like to give you please let me know if it's all right to post these things to you at this address or should i keep them until you can pick them up if there's anything else i can do to help i'd be glad to mick was my best mate yours sincerely stan davidson [Music] [Music] i can do that mrs davison are you sure actually i do have to get to work it's been lovely meeting you pop in and see us again if you're down in sydney thank you you must come and see me if ever you're in cara not much chance of that so [Applause] [Applause] i took these off me before i buried him he was furious when we gave him this watch because we'd spent the money on him he talked about you a lot in his letters he thought very highly of you he was a good mate you were with him when he died yeah it was a catholic mission that had been taken over by the chaps we were told to clear it out i was wounded fairly early on mick tried to get to me to help me [Music] it was quick it was my worst fear i met him when i was 16 and i knew straight away he was going to be my husband there was just something about him [Music] he was a rare mixture mick he was strong and dependable but real gentle at the same time he wasn't an angel you'd know that he could hate to think that we were making him into something that he wasn't wouldn't he [Music] i'm sorry don't you try and find a lisa what about your mates at the front you're going to leave the fire for them i suppose come on get out i don't want to see you around here again next malaria yes sir when was your last attack last week go to a doctor no sir didn't see much point i knew what it was then how do i know you're telling me the truth you don't wounded in the shoulder and the leg by the enemy come on boy drop your text right sorry son i have to make sure you'll be classified be true what's that unfit for active service you'll probably see the rest of the war out doing guard duty or pushing a pen somewhere yeah bloody drawn guy does mum know yeah she might be your posting they've made me a corporal good boy and under report to prisoner of war camp number 12 at cara prisoner of war camp what do you do there or that southwest of bathurst doesn't i think they've got a lot of eye ties out there isn't that where your mate's wife lives seems like as good a place as annie to see out the wall [Music] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] oh uh lance corporal raleigh orderly rainclark corporal davidson reporting for duty yeah i'm here to guard the italians who do i see what about who do i report to oh well major horden likes to meet the new arrivals is he here no you expecting him back yes would you like to wait uh he's out exercising his horse there's a show coming on thanks stand easy couple do you know anything about the geneva convention not much sir they laid down some rules to protect the rights of prisoners of war i run this camp by those rules there are hundreds of thousands of our boys in the hands of the japs and the nazis if we break any of these rules that gives them the excuse to do the same i don't intend to give them that excuse do you understand yes sir oh it's probably not necessary to say this to you it's the soldiers without battle experience who are trigger happy in my opinion but i won't have this camp turned into a battleground you familiarize yourself with those rules sir there's a [ __ ] yes it's one of the prisoners the nips make good cleaners i thought the prisoners here were italian yes most of them are but we've got 300 japs here they're the ones you'll be guarding your experience with them will come in very useful well i'm glad to have you aboard davidson uh lance corporal riley will show you the quarters [Music] yeah there's a bloody [ __ ] love of that horde nothing too good for them fresh fish three times a week that's the dap compound over there koreans and foremost has been one on their own the eye ties are in the other two exactly don't need guards those eye ties block them out and they fight to get back into camp where you got ted you've been fighting those blokes much fight left in those [Music] left left right left left foreign good morning major holden how are you today very well thank you it's only six or four today two are sick today corporal start the count squad start the count what do i do follow me digger and start counting [Music] [Music] 14 15 16 17. [Music] [Music] bloody hell not these two again come on up don't get up go on your backside maggies i said get up you did [Music] [Music] what is it [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] you heard what he said get back in the line and bloody stay there you two be nothing but trouble since you got here you've had enough chances detention block this time oh yo hey sorry [Music] i was very surprised by your conduct this morning davidson i would have thought a man with your experience and know how to handle the chaps we very nearly had a nasty situation on our hands sir i'd like to request a transfer let me guard the italians the italians my old mother could guard the italians lance corporal riley could guard the italians i need you in the japanese compound you've got to understand what i went through in new guinea those animals wiped out my whole section killed my best mate i thought coming here would give me a chance to get away from all that to just forget it relax corporal i'll go and relax that's my son robert boy about your age he's a prisoner of the japs when i first heard that i thought that i'd never be able to face a [ __ ] again but i'm afraid i had to and then i discovered that what they say is true that the best way to get a problem out of your system is to do just that face it believe me son you can't run away from my problem you've got to stop sometime and it'll always be there waiting for you so stay and face it and come to terms with it will you give it a go i suppose so sir good lad now i want you to take the rest of the day off come back tomorrow and make a fresh start [Music] so [Music] stan sally murphy what are you doing here in kara i've been posted to the pw camp the ruthless and the toothless that's what they call the guards up here well i'm one of them the italians no the japs i'll understand how awful can't you get a transfer i've tried they wouldn't give me one what are you gonna do not much i can do still got the farm of course we talked about it so much i reckon i know exactly what it looks like well i'm on my way home now would you like to come and have a look for yourself i'll give you a lift i've got my bike outside motorbike yeah go [Applause] ah thanks stan cup of tea soon vittorio hello lucy old dog victoria's a prisoner at the camp he just works for me here during the day without a guard a lot of the italian christmas live on the farms out here i don't know how i would have managed without vittorio he used to work as a farm in italy before the war sit down it's family owned land i haven't seen much of the italians oh they seem quite a happy bunch not like the japs they're a silly lot i've got the creeps just looking at them you're home early hello is that daddy don't be silly daddy's dead mr davidson was in the war with your daddy this is margaret and to reyes hello shirley did you bring me anything shirley a little next time therese could you take this tea out to victoria i'll do it you're too small you'll spill it i'll take it i am not oh shirley mia caramirri shut up mama that's enough to raise you can take the tea and shirley you take some cake all right there you go [Music] would you like to stay for tea it's only stew nick said you could make stew out of an old army boot and make it taste good things aren't quite that bad yet thank you so much that's grandpa's house in broken hill that's rabbit when she was baby and that's your daddy daddy said you used to live in a hole in the ground with him and he snored and kept him awake that's not true mick used to read me bits of your letters at night i knew about margaret winning the athletics medal at school ray's coming top of the class rabbit trying to cut her own hair just about everything i reckon did he tell you why he called a rabbit he delivered her vic did she decided to come early he was frightened at first but then when it all started he was wonderful and then when she was born he held her in his arms and he cried and he called me rabbit that's right he said you look just like a skinned rabbit he was the best mate a man could ever have [Music] foreign [Music] oh [Music] oh [Applause] is [Music] hmm [Music] [Music] do you

Channel: tankengine888

Views: 330,884

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Id: z0d3CVST6qo

Length: 89min 5sec (5345 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 14 2021