Villagers at war: some Papua New Guinean experiences in WWII

Abstract

Papua New Guinea was a theatre of warfare between the armed forces of the Allies and Japan from 4 January 1942 to 6 Sep tember 1945 . Three places - the Toaripi area , Hanuabada and Butibam - were studied in order to assess the impact o f the war on the lives of Papuans and New Guineans. The outline for this book is based on documentary sources , especially ANGAU patrol reports and the War Diary; it is fleshed out by oral evidence obtained during interviews with groups and individuals who took part in the war . The work of the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU) which governed the Allied-occupied parts of Papua New Guinea during the war, its relations with the civilian population and its effect on their lives are also studied . The war enabled many Papuans and New Guineans to gain self-confidence, to see virtue in co-opera ion within ethnic groups and to set 'developmental' goals which could be attained by group effort .