7 August 1942

Temp Co 39th Bn Maj Cameron decides to try to recapture Kokoda. Three companies to take part in the attack, carrying all the ammunition they can with three days emergency rations. To move off at first light the next day.

Back in Perth new CO Lt Col Ralph Honner has just one day with wife Marjory and his kids, then flies from Perth to Ceduna, to Parafield near Adelaide, to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Townsville and then by Catalina to Moresby.

6 August 1942

At 11am US Liberty ship James Fenimore Cooper heads out of Brisbane carrying 2/14^th Battalion to PNG to reinforce the embattled 39^th and 53^rd Bns on Track.

Around the same time, D Coy of 39^th reaches Deniki and for the first time the battalion is together as a unit, a total of around 500 gathered there - 31 officers and 433 other ranks of 39^th, together with 8 officers and 35 natives of the Papuan Infantry Battalion.

They face the first wave of the Japanese advance units, about 1500-2000 seasoned troops.

5 August 1942

Diggers holding off probing Jap patrols at Deniki. They find their new ‘Tommy’ guns are ideal for close-quarters jungle combat.

The young Diggers have the better of patrol clashes inflicting heavy casualties for little loss. 

4 August 1942

This afternoon signallers complete the telephone link from Moresby to Deniki, 106km of cable through the jungle, across countless rivers and creeks and over the 2000m high Owen Stanley Range. At last the 39th Bn at Deniki is in direct communication with their HQ.

Temp CO of 39th Maj Alan Cameron arrives to take command. Aggressive by nature and a survivor of Lark Force after the garrison had been overwhelmed in Rabaul, he decides the young Diggers who were separated from the main group after clashing with Japs at Oivi are "unreliable", Army code for "likely to shoot through under fire".

Their mates have no such qualms, knowing it was their baptism of fire and they were disoriented by the confusion of battle.

3 August 1942

Back down the Track Capt Bert Keinzle remembers some large dry lakes east of Kagi village, which he names Myola (Aboriginal for ‘dawn of day’) after the wife of his CO. He reports they are ideal for aerial supply drop zones and some planes could land there.

 Kienzle realizes importance of dropping supplies and blazes a new trail from Efogi to Myola, which then became main track used by incoming troops.

Jap Advance CO, Col Yakoyama reports to Rabaul: “Port Moresby can be captured at a stretch if adequate provisions are provided for 12 days, that is starting from Sambo (Sangara village), 4 days to Kokoda plus 8 days to Port Moresby.”