Monday, July 23, 2012 at 6:41AM First brief skirmish of the Kokoda campaign happens at Awala, about 20km inland from the invaders' landing site at Gona between Major Bill Watson’s tiny band of Papuan Infantry Battalion men and the first elements of Japanese Yokoyama Advance Butai.
Heavily outnumbered, the PIB troops withdraw back along the Track to Wairopi.
Sunday, July 22, 2012 at 10:42AM Now at Awala, between the Buna-Gona beachheads and Kokoda, Capt Sam Templeton orders 11 Platoon to come forward from Kokoda to join him to prepare to challenge the leading units of the Japanese Yokoyama Butai advance invasion group.
During the day Allied aircraft attack the Japanese beachhead area but are unable to inflict any serious losses, save for sinking a landing barge and running a troop transport vessel aground.
Immediately they have consolidated their beachhead, the Japanese begin patrolling inland.
Saturday, July 21, 2012 at 7:38AM Around 4pm, a cruser escorting the Japanese advance invasion party suddenly appears off Gona-Sanananda and starts shelling the beach area. At Buna, ANGAU Sgt Barry Harper sends an emergency signal in clear transmission: “A Japanese warship is shelling off Buna, apparently to cover a landing at Gona or Sanananda. Acknowledge, Moresby. Over …” He received no reply.
About 2000 Japanese troops of the Yokoyama Butai, the advance party, start disembarking at dusk and continue into the night.
That afternoon, Capt Sam Templeton arrives at nearby Buna planning to recce the area. On hearing of enemy landing, he hurries back to his young Diggers at Awala, about 20km inland, to prepare ambush.
Saturday, July 14, 2012 at 4:08PM Transport ship Gili Gili reaches Buna and immediately begins unloading supplies for carriers to take to B Coy, now at Kokoda.
They don’t know it but the carriers leave with the much-needed supplies less that 24 hours ahead of the advance party of the Japanese invasion force headed for the same coastal village.
Saturday, July 14, 2012 at 4:07PM C Company 39th Battalion heads off up the Track to Ilolo. That same day, unknown to the Diggers or their commanders, the Yokoyama Advance Butai of the Japanese Nankai Shitai (South Seas Force) sets sail from Rabaul, headed for the north coast of New Guinea.