© irene waters 2018
We were lucky in Weewak, the capital of Papua New Guinea’s East Sepik Province, to pick up a local girl in a brand new dual cab. Not only did we have the best guide on the island but in air conditioned comfort. The girl turned out to be the daughter of a kamakaze pilot who was lucky that the war ended before he had to suicide. At 96 he still lives in Weewak and hosts an annual pilgrimage from Japan to remember those lost and another that comes yearly searching for bones and other war wreckage. She took us to the top of Mission Hill where a monument to the soldiers is found. The Japanese used this as a lookout being able to see Milne Bay and any ships entering.
© irene waters 2018
Occupied by the Japanese during the war the foliage gave perfect hiding spot for the heavy artillery.
© irene waters 2018
© irene waters 2018
© irene waters 2018
© irene waters 2018
In Rabaul the Japanese built over 300 miles of underground tunnels, an engineering feat designed to conceal munitions stores, hospitals and more.
© irene waters 2018
© irene waters 2018
Remanants of a couple of japanes fighter planes. Prior to the volcanic erruptions of 1994, which half buried these relics in ash, they were in better condition (well as well as could be expected for a plane that has been shot down.
© irene waters 2018
© irene waters 2018
© irene waters 2018
On Kiriwina Island we had relics of a different kind to look at.
© irene waters 2018
I don’t know that these are genuinely the remains of local people who fought and died in World War II. I think it much more likely that these are local remains, possibly in the resting place they have always been but the local people, poverty stricken, have discovered a new way to part the tourist from his dollar.
© irene waters 2018
In a country where vegetation grows quickly there are still traces of the past to be seen.
In response to Paula’s Traces of the Past – A Thursday’s Special Prompt
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
My Great Uncle was stationed in Milne Bay when the Japanese attacked. I never met him and my Mum only had some very scant details, but I’ve managed to fill in a few of the gaps. It was such a rugged place to do battle and so many of the men who came back weren’t the same. t’s such a tragedy but they paid their lives for our freedom.
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We always think of Vietnam being the first place that had that kind of jungle warfare – I guess it was the first one that you didn’t know who the enemy was, but it struck me that WWII New Guinea would have been just as terrifying. I’m not surprised they didn’t come back the same. We have to be grateful.
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WWII was terrifying and the Japanese could hide so well in the jungle. There were also terrible atrocities done to POWs. You can only hope that mankind has learned something from this evil.
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Looking at the world today I fear we haven’t learnt a lot.
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I agree.
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yes my father was war damaged for his service in that area… nobody wins a war except the gun runners!
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Yes you are right Kate and what makes me sad is we just don’t learn.
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we the masses are led by the nose by those who profit … it’s only about greed 😦
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You are a cynic Kate… 😄
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a cynic trying to change the world one drop at a time 🙂
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At least you are trying.
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always trying 😉
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or is that one word at a time?
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Both work. 😄
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🙂
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Unbelievable footage
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Thank you.
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Great photos! Something I would never get to see unless you posted them.
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That is the wonderful thing about blogging. You get to travel and see places that you wouldn’t otherwise – like your wonderful winter scenes.
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Stunning photos, Irene. Just something most people wouldn’t even know about. There’s something surreal about the plane wreckage and pretty pink flowers.
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Until you pointed them out Charli I hadn’t really noticed those pink flowers. It does make it surreal.
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So many ruined lives, Irene. Beautifully told. 🙂 🙂
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Thank you Jo. War is always such a destructive waste of lives and sadly, we never seem to learn from the past.
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Total fascinating, Irene. Not a place I would have thought of visiting but so interesting.
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There were elements that were fascinating and some places better than others but the overwhelming factor that stood out was the extreme poverty. Sad.
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Oh Irene, I am used to your posts being different, but this is a whole new category. Powerful documentary. Thank you!
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Thank you Paula for that lovely comment.
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