Lloyd Birdsall & Doug Thompson

Lloyd Birdsall

Lloyd Birdsall

#1 (1.01) Signal man with the artillery

#2 (1.00) Imita Ridge the golden stairs

Doug Thompson

Doug Thompson

#1 (1.50) Experiences on the track as a linesman

Lloyd Birdsall and Doug Thompson

#1 (2.00) Experiences in the signals section, and comments on the conditions

Notes The interview numbers are consecutive, so to hear the veterans complete story you should listen to the interviews in order. For technical reasons some segments have been omitted. The numbers in brackets refer to the duration of the interview
ie (3.48) = 3 mins 48 seconds.

The Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway is a living memorial and a principal site of commemoration honouring all those who fought for Australia during World War II.

A principal focus is on the sacrifices made during key Papua New Guinea battles which took place in 1942-43 along the Kokoda Track, at Milne Bay on the south-eastern tip of Papua, and at Buna, Gona, and Sanananda on the northern coastline.

The Walkway covers more than 800 metres from Rhodes Station to Concord Hospital in Sydney’s inner-west, and runs along the mangrove-studded shores of Brays Bay on the Parramatta River.

At the centrepiece are magnificent granite walls bearing photographic images of the Kokoda campaign. There are 22 audio-visual stations along the Walkway, each describing a significant place or military engagement. The Walkway has been planted with lush tropical vegetation simulating the conditions of The Kokoda Track.