Battle of Isurava, Papua New Guinea, 26-31 August 1942
August 2002, Isurava, Papua New Guinea. I explored the Isurava battlefield in August 2002, around the 60th anniversary of the battle, during preparations to open the spectacular new memorial on the Kokoda Track. At the time, I was still serving in the Army back then, and I flew Prime Minister John Howard and veterans of the battle to the memorial site for the official opening.
Overview of the battle
The Battle of Isurava was a critical moment for Australia. Understrength Militia battalions – the 39th and 53rd – and the Pacific Islands Battalion, comprised of Australian officers and Papua New Guinean soldiers, were deployed forward to delay the Japanese 17th Army’s advance from Buna to Port Moresby.
A series of fierce actions were fought around Kokoda Village, which bought enough time for elements of the Australian reinforcements to cross the Owen Stanley Ranges on foot. Outnumbered and outgunned by the advancing Japanese forces, the Australian militia battalions fought a stubborn, desperate delaying action to stop the enemy from reaching Port Moresby.
The militia battalions fell back towards Isurava, where they linked up with the lead elements of the 21st Brigade, veterans of the North African campaigns. They were immediately subjected to a major Japanese attack over 26-31 August 1942.
Despite the Japanese having superior numbers and mountain artillery, the intense, close-quarters jungle fighting at Isurava saw heavy casualties on both sides, with Private Bruce Kingsbury awarded the first Victoria Cross on Australian soil for his courageous action on 29 August 1942.
Outcome of the battle
Ultimately, the battle resulted in an Australian tactical withdrawal from the position, as the perimeter was threatened with encirclement by a superior Japanese force. However, the fierce resistance bought crucial time for Australian reinforcements and supplies to be moved forward, slowing the Japanese advance across the Owen Stanley Range. The heavy casualties and delays sustained by the Japanese at Isurava effectively halted their momentum, turning a potential swift victory into a long, grinding campaign that ultimately failed to capture Port Moresby.
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Authored by Mick Prictor, a retired military officer with 40 years’ service, and a military historian specialising in terrain-focused analysis of tactics, doctrine, and command decision-making in land warfare. His work draws on extensive battlefield fieldwork—more than 280 sites worldwide—and one of the world’s largest private collections of historic military arms, uniforms, and equipment. About me
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