A Brown Shade of Hell: The Battle of Buna-Gona November 1942 - January 1943

Comments · 1.1K

• N1

  @N17C1 · 4 years ago

  I once met an old gentlemen who struck up a conversation about my uniform. He said he'd been in the Australian Army but only for 12 months. I asked if he had seen any action and he said 'Shaggy Ridge, Buna and Gona'. That's the toughest 12 months in the Army I could ever imagine.

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• BL

  @blokeabouttown2490 · 5 years ago

  The Australian War Memorial should give you a grant to produce content. Your work is commendable.

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• CJ

  @cj_m2477 · 4 years ago (edited)

  My father fought at Buna and Gona with the 32nd. He spent three years with the 32nd. Something people need to know is that The 32nd had trained to fight in Europe. They were in Boston preparing to board ships for England when their orders changed. Traveled by train to San Francisco and left for Australia. Once they got to Australia, they had to build their own camp (Camp Adelaide). Not long after building that camp, they were moved once again and had to build this camp as well, which was Camp Tamborine just south of Brisbane. Instead of training in jungle warfare etc, all their time was spent building camps. To add to it all, their Khakis uniforms had been sent out to a dry cleaner to be dyed OD Green. The dye had made the uniforms unable to breath. McArthur sent these untrained kids out to be slaughtered with no artillery or tank support. I’ve heard over the years that Aussies hated McArthur but I promise you no one hated MacArthur more than my father and he told me everyone Red Arrow man hated him too.

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• WT

  @wtdean · 5 years ago

  My dad fought at Buna and beyond with the US 127th regiment of the 32nd Division. He was in one of the companies surrounded by the enemy on Christmas 1942. To the end of his days, Dad cursed MacArthur but had nothing but praise and admiration for the Diggers he fought alongside. Thank you so much for this well researched and professionally produced documentary.

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• TE

  @tedthesailor172 · 5 years ago

  Despite being longer than many feature films, this meticulously researched and highly detailed narration held my attention throughout. It is the kind of work that truly mitigates the internet...

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• 77

  @77goanywhere · 5 years ago

  This is a first rate docunentary, worthy of the highest praise. You are committed to the even-handed and thoroughly respectful treatment of both the allied and Japanese combatants in this gruelling campaign. It reinforces the conviction in me that war is to be avoided at all cost.

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• PO

  @podaly · 5 years ago

  Brilliant documentary. My dad was in the 32nd and the New Guinea campaign. Before they deployed, he was a training NCO (artillery) and they were kitted out and trained for the European theater. Last minute, they were on trains to the West Coast. They got some jungle basics plus acclimatizing in Australia but it was a shitshow. Their uniforms rotted and caused infections because they tried to dye them camo. Their quinine melted in their pockets and most of the men were fighting while ill with malaria and dysentary. They went days without food, clean water, ammo or sleep. I cannot fathom the hell they went thru before the horrors of actual combat. MacArthur was an egomaniac that threw men and commanders under the bus in stead of taking responsibility for his ineptitude. It was absolutely revolting the way he treated the Australians.

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• DO

  @donaldneslund3057 · 5 years ago

  My father fought at Buna with the 32nd. Though he seldom spoke of his experiences, he did mention how incompetent the officers were and how supplies were always a problem. In his wallet after his death, I found small newspaper clipping about the 32nd. It read it 185 days on the line and suffered 156% casualties. He use one of the originals.

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• PE

  @peterhansen2347 · 5 years ago

  Thank you for all the work that went into this.  My father was there. 2/9th Batallion as a mortar Sargent. He told us that the landing itself at Buna was uneventful and over the years spoke of a couple of things about Buna and Sanananda. One was about grenades. Australian grenades are 5 secs. His words ...To get them in a bunker they had to hang onto them for 3 secs.  and then ..  "I got pretty good at it after a while". The second was this..  I asked him once where he was most frightened..  he said Buna. A mountain gun had them stuck and they couldn't dislodge it, No doubt one of the bunkers so well described here. Their mortars were bouncing off the top. The Japanese were working down the officers each time they rolled it out. After a time some American artillery guys turned up and silenced the mountain gun.  He was wounded at Sanananda, recovered, returned to fight at Shaggy Ridge, and by some miracle survived 6 years of war.  He lived to 96, two kids (me and a brother, 3 grandkids and two great-grandchildren) great bloke, very humble. Now.., he and the family have never forgotten the unknown to us, the American artillery crew.  Whoever you are, thanks guys!!

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• CA

  @casparcoaster1936 · 5 years ago

  As an American whose father and uncles fought in Europe, and neighborhood families who fought in the Pacific, wonderful to hear detailed, reasoned, account of Bona-Gona, with an Aussie accent, which makes it believable. My generation never heard much (except sinking  transports!)  Many thanks

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• LA

  @laurencetilley9194 · 5 years ago

  Of all the research material and documentaries I have read or watched on<br> the New Guinea campaign, this is by far the best. Congratulations on a <br>great documentary.

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• DO

  @donscheid97 · 5 years ago

  I worked with a man who&apos;s uncle had been at Bataan, and swore if he had ever met MacArthur again, only one would survive the encounter. He said when MacArthur left Bataan, he left all the nurses in spite of there being room for them. And they were treated worse than the soldiers captured. The general was an arrogant cuss. Even in Korea before being relieved by the president.

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