Lat
8° 46' 0S Long 148° 13' 60E Prewar Popondetta was a small agricultural station
near Girua Airstrip 18km to the north. During the battle of Buna
and Gona, it became strategically important area. After the battle, the entire area was developed into a major American and Allied base area. Post war, life slowly returned to normal. Natural violence
struck the area on January 21, 1951 when Mt. Lamington erupted killing
3,000 people and destroying the government HQ. Afterwards, Popondetta
became the provincial center of Oro Province.
Popondetta
Market & Center
The table tops for the Popondetta market
are made of marston matting, probably recovered from the nearby airfield
or dump areas. There is an american propeller on display outside
one of the buildings in town.
Popondetta Airfield
Built by the Allies and used to support the battle in the area.
Popondetta
War Memorial (New Popondetta War Memorial)
There is a war memorial in the center of
town, built in 1962. It includes plaques and relief map commemorating
the Australian and American units that fought in the Buna, Gona and
Kokoda
areas. Two Japanese Type 88 75mm Anti-Aircraft guns are displayed near the monument, both were recovered from the Buna battlefield
in 1962.
The
memorial was refurbished with funds from the Australian government,
rededicating it in November 2002. The new memorial includes new descriptive
plaques with photos a shelter and circular rotunda for bronze battlefield
plaques.
75mm Type 88 (1928) 75mm Anti-Aircraft Gun
Recovered from Buna displayed in Popondetta at the war memorial
75mm Type 88 (1928) 75mm Anti-Aircraft Gun
Recovered from Buna displayed in Popondetta at the war memorial
House of Kokichi
Nishamura
Former Japanese soldier Kokichi
Nishamura served in Oro province
during the war. He left his family and life in Japan to
move to Popondetta to devote himself to finding the remains of
his comrades and sending their bones back to Japan. Also he works
with local villagers and makes donations to their infrastructure.
P-40K Serial
Number 42-45981 Tail
Number 30 (5)
Pilot Props, crashed April 27, 1943 discovered 1946 recovered 2000
P-38F Lightning Serial
Number 42-12711
Pilot Hawthorne crashed January 22, 1944
