24 April 2021 Garand Picture of the Day

[Mark in Rochester]

US troops and native porters cross stream in New Guinea 1942

Information

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[CINDERS]

These native papuans were a great asset to our troops and also in fighting the IJA to help drive them from PNG.

The picture (25/12/1942) shows Private George (Dick) Whittington of the 2/10 Infantry Battalian, accompanied by a Papuan native, Raphael Oimbari. Whittington, who had been injured in the head during the battle for Buna, was being led, stick in hand, by Oimbari, who came from Hanau Village, some 10.5 km SSE of the Buna “Old Strip” and 5km SE of Cape Sudest, as the crow flies

George Whittington
George Whittington died on 12 February 1943 (Of typhus)so he never saw the famous photograph.
Raphael Oimbari continued to live in Hanau Village until his death in July 1996