Gallipoli and Kokoda - comparing two battles fought by the Australian Army.

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Two polar opposite battles, one on Australian territory, one half way around the world. One against the Turkish, one against the Japanese. Different battles, of which both saw soldiers through some of the worst events and situations anyone has ever had to face, each soldier had a different experience, but all of them alike, went into war and battle truly unaware of the real likelihood of what they were soon to face. Numerous amounts of men were lost during these campaigns, but both contributed to the making of a national identity and demonstrated the renowned Anzac spirit.

One of the most evident differentiating factors between the experiences of the soldiers in the two different campaigns is the soldier’s battle and living conditions. Gallipoli was TRENCH WARFARE; the trenches dug by soldiers were their homes, their fixed positions of defence and their small piece of shelter from the firing range of their enemy. Their style of attacking was based around the theory that they had ‘strength in numbers’, hundreds of men charged headlong towards the Turkish trenches straight into the firing line. Soldiers on Kokoda could not have used the same techniques as they would be obscured and haltered by the many obstacles and surprises that the jungle possesses.

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Therefore on the contrary, the soldiers on the Kokoda track in 1942 were part of a stealthier affair using techniques such as camouflage and hiding within their surrounding environment which is known as JUNGLE or guerrilla WARFARE. In Papua New Guinea natives given the nickname the ‘Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels’, were vital to the survival of injured soldiers as they transported them to places where they could be treated, in Gallipoli the soldiers lacked this invaluable source of help. In 1915 they relied on each other and the ideals of mateship which contributed to creating the renowned Anzac Legend which was ...

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