Aramu Babo - Oral History interview recorded on 7 July 2014 at Karakadabu/Depo, Central Province, PNG
Description
Mr Aramu Babo tells the story of his father, Babo Kakira who worked as a carrier for the Australians during the Kokoda Campaign.
Interview
Warning: This site contains stories of war. Some of these interviews may include detailed and graphic descriptions of events and experiences that may be disturbing for some individuals.
My father - Babo Kakira was a carrier during World War Two, He together with the rest of the Koiari people were taken to Mariana, which was where the recruiting of the Carriers were carried out- and that is where my father was recruited. Mariana is about 3 kilometres from Donadabu. All the Allied Forces ammunitions were shifted there to attack the Japanese – it was at Goldie. At that time he was young and energetic boy so he used to work very hard for the Allied soldiers. He was appointed as the peace officer for the community. He took orders from the bosses and passed them onto the people and they used to carry them out. If they were big headed [disobedient] he used to arrest them and locked them up. He was a carrier. I did write some stories but when he died the stories were destroyed.
He was behind the enemy lines fighting. He did not give me the names of those who recruited him. The Papuan soldiers were first known as the PIB: some of them lost their lives in the war. Such stories I believe are kept in the archives.
All the Koiari people were there when the war came and most of them served in the war as carriers; Some became soldiers in the Papuan Infantry Battalion.
I am very proud of my father. He is a hero.
He was behind the enemy lines fighting. He did not give me the names of those who recruited him. The Papuan soldiers were first known as the PIB: some of them lost their lives in the war. Such stories I believe are kept in the archives.
All the Koiari people were there when the war came and most of them served in the war as carriers; Some became soldiers in the Papuan Infantry Battalion.
I am very proud of my father. He is a hero.
Interview Topics
Wartime Locations
Donadabu
Click to show/hide Additional Interview Details
Family Relationships
Interviewee
Aramu Babo
Interviewee Gender
Interviewers
Interview Date
7/07/2014
Interview Duration
00:07:49:94
Download Files
Rights Holder
© Deakin University. All rights reserved.
Collection
Citation
“Aramu Babo - Oral History interview recorded on 7 July 2014 at Karakadabu/Depo, Central Province, PNG,” Voices from the War, accessed November 2, 2024, https://pngvoices.deakin.edu.au/items/show/251.