Papua New Guinea, pack horses ...no doubt what these are! We were kindly sent some photos this week, by descendants of a soldier who served with a Pack Company on the Kokoda trai in WWIl, wondering it they were Walers. After a fascinating hunt through archives, I found reference to them taking some horses from Australia. Lots of references to their hardiness and intelligence and loyalty. But more references to horses obtianed in PNG, it was hard to find out solid evidence. Then the people sent me the transcript of a wonderful interview with one of the fifty - fifty men from South Australia, who with their horses obtained from the top end of South Australia, were sent to Victoria en route to PNG. There, they met 150 Victorian men and their horses. The horses went by ship, the men by rail to Brisbane. And then Townsville. Before sailing to New Guinea accompanied by their horse ship, Queenslander sjoined them, with horses from Queensland, and I believe, men from NSW too. All these men were chosen for their horsemanshiop abilities. (I also saw they even made horseshoes from the petrol tanks ofdowned Zero planes when deep in the jungle). Horses were also obtained in New Guinea such as some TBs near Moresby that needed breaking in, and some mules from a rubber plantation. If anyone has any information of the particular properties the Walers for PNG came from, we would love to know thank you. The sad part is, apart from loss through terrain (falling off cliffs etc when they first got there) and through being killed in action, most of these horses made it through the war. Like in the Middle East, the men had to shoot them, as they werent allowed home. Apparently they took each others horse, so shot their mates horse, and vica versa, as too hard to shoot your own faithful comrade. We all know what utter heroics these men and their horses did in PNG, particularly on the Kokoda Trail, which even native ponies couldnt tackle. Magnificent men, and magnificent horses and we can safely say yes they are Walers!
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 12:17:06 +0000
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