Battle Of Kokoda Trail Luxe Lanyard

Scribed across the front of the Battle of Kokoda lanyard are the words ‘courage’, ‘endurance’, ‘mateship’ and ‘sacrifice’. These reflect the qualities of our honoured Australian soldiers throughout the Battle of the Kokoda Trail.

Following the fall of Singapore in February 1942, the Pacific War’s focus edged closer to Australia. Minutes before 10am on 19 February 1942, Darwin’s sky filled with 188 Japanese aircraft, bombing Pearl Harbour’s wharf and moored ships. Including the destroyer USS Peary, which sank, killing 88 people. Japanese forces captured the village of Kokoda with its valuable airstrip, then headed for Port Moresby. Navigating through the Kokoda Trail that snakes through the mighty Owen Stanley Range.

What followed was the Papua New Guinea campaign of July 1942 to January 1943. Australian troops fought through treacherous conditions against vastly superior numbers. Under-trained and unfamiliar with the unforgiving jungle warfare, the Australian Army were ill-prepared to confront the Japanese. This saw 600 Australian soldiers killed, 1,600 wounded and over 10,000 Japanese fatalities. In January 1943, Japanese resistance on Papau ceased, marking a pivotal moment in stopping Japanese advances across the Pacific and towards Australia.