25 June 1942

At 0700 hrs, B Company 39^th heads off to start of Kokoda Track in trucks, led by Capt 'Uncle Sam' Templeton. When it arrives at McDonald's Corner, it finds that rations and supplies supposed to have been sent ahead are not there. HQ orders them to bivouac and await further orders.

Just before heading off Sam Templeton buys 324 sticks of tobacco from ANGAU to use in trading with natives along the Track. Alan 'Kanga' Moore wrote in his diary of Uncle Sam: "... he remained something of an enigma. He was remote, at times almost aloof, but fervently wanted to be friendly. He was reserved and shy but used his rank and seniority in his efforts to indicate otherwise. To combat his uncertainty he drove himself incessantly, seeking personal perfection. He sought to become involved in solving the personal problems of his troops and was possibly better at that than in solving his own. Finality seemed to be an integral part of his thinking and I am sure he knew that he would die in battle."