An Australian story about travel, and ripping yarns.

I am a sixth generation Australian of Irish and Scottish extraction. A visit to my site is a light hearted adventure across time, countries and cities.

Author: Peter

Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels – and a genuine, tough, and inspiring old Medicine Man.

Military History / Time Travel Modern History

Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels – and a genuine, tough, and inspiring old Medicine Man.

A previous Postcard ‘Reluctant Heros – Hate, compassion, and daring’, introduced Raphael Oimbari, a Papuan New Guinean who represents many thousands like himself who cared for, carried, and maintained Australian troops in the vicious fighting on the Kokoda Track, Papua New Guinea in WW2. Raphael was a ‘Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel‘,(Wiki has an excellent in-depth report) although the Aussie Diggers just called him mate. Men like Raphael were the unsung heroes of this important military campaign. No commendations and little formal recognition found their way to Raphael’s jungle home. Another unsung hero worked alongside Raphael, Dr Geoffrey Hampden, we will meet him soon. This is their story, in a much-abbreviated form.

Nothing is ever as it seems. This statement has inspired my interest in time travel, IE: the study of history. The itching desire to find the truth, what really happened through time. Often our school education perpetuated myths and half-truths, even complete bull shit. Driven by the motives of government, religion or such. We learn things from our parents, siblings, and friends. Often, they speak through bias, or perhaps complete ignorance. Contemporary social media has made bull shit and fake news a constant attack on objective fact. Nothing new in this as Mark Twain, reminds us time travelling from the 1890’s:

“I was educated once – it took me years to get over it.”

Mark Twain 1890.
Mark Twain warns us that people believe things which simply are not true.
Mark Twain – Truth often just isn’t so.

Heroes, Lies, and Half Truths enter my World.

Books and the printed word have a certain legitimacy. We often readily accept their contents, even though its more frequently biased than objectively true. Even Winston Churchill, Britain’s World War 2 Prime Minister and prolific writer knew this to be true:

“History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it myself.”

Winston Churchill.

Winston was a brilliant man, inspiring Leadership skills, remaining studied to this day. However, he was also deeply flawed, and not beyond spinning ripping yarns of self-promotion.

WW2 British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, warns of the value of truth.
Old Winnie could be a notorious BS Artist.

So it was with the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels, I first learned of them at school in 1971. The ‘Queensland School Reader’ read like a travel blog promoting the former glory of the British Empire, Winston Churchill would have been proud. Hero’s and heroine’s exploits lived in vivid detail, and an expectation planted that we would aspire to be like them. Most of them were men involved in war, or other colonization pursuits.

Honour, courage, bravery and loyalty to Queen and Country. Worthy aspirational traits, well if you ignore Australian republican aspirations.

But it inspired me and prompted my lifetime interest in time travel.

The story of the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels first came to my attention through the 'Queensland School Reader'.
Australian School Textbook 1960 – For Queen and Country

Not so much lies as sparing on objective truth.

Such textbooks were anachronistic, something from a previous time, like Australia in 1890. 1970 Australia, involvement in yet another Asia war, this time in Vietnam. Australians, a growing number, believed war was not noble, or honorable, just savage and this time unjustified. Historical documents like the ‘Queensland School Reader’, provide a waypoint in time against which Australia’s progress as a multicultural society can be measured. The problem was that it only reported the good stuff, the history filtered through the ruling white establishment. So yes, the Papuans who assisted Australian troops in WW2 were brave, and loyal. But that’s not anywhere near the complete objective story.

The following summarizes objective facts omitted from the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel story:

  • Often little more than slaves, driven by Aussie masters;
  • Physically beaten and intimidated;
  • Worked like beasts of burden;
  • Poorly fed and paid, often not at all;
  • And many simply melted away into the jungle;
  • Many wanted nothing to do with this Australian war; though
  • Many were armed and deadly soldiers, as brave as the Aussies.

To understand something of the Papuans, let’s review where they came from, and some brief history:

Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels and European Empire Building.

Papuans arrived some 60,000 years previously having walked from Africa. Their lives did not change all that much until the dreaded European empire builders turned up in the 1880’s. Noting that the Dutch had taken and controlled the west, Dutch New Guinea from 1660 till 1966. The British colony, not yet the independent Australia, grabbed the southern half of east New Guinea, Germany the northeast.  The Europeans had no interest in the welfare of Raphael, other than his cheap labor on cocoa and coffee plantations. Of course, European Christian missionaries followed, their interest being the saving of Raphael’s soul. No one bothered asking Raphael if his soul was in peril, but it certainly was now!

Fuzzy Wuzzy, the native inhabitants of Papua New Guinea, lived on the East Side of their landmass.
1930’s Papua was all under the protection of the Aussies.

With the 1914 outbreak of World War 1, Britain decided the presence of a German colony in the Pacific was unacceptable. The newly formed independent Australian Navy steamed North to forcibly expel the German presence. After a violent but brief encounter, Australia found itself in charge of another large piece of someone else’s Country. It would remain so until 1975 when Papua finally achieved its independence.

There was off course several years, 1941 till 1943, when the Japanese Empire decided that their ‘Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere’, absolutely required invasion of Papua and a march down the Kokoda Track to secure Australia. Japan’s fine words actually meant: ‘Japan will prosper, whilst the rest of Asia simply COoperates‘.

And the positive impact on Papuans of all this frantic European activity? Diddly squat! Raphael and his village effectively gained nothing but hard work for minimum wages. In 2024 Papua remains one of the Planet’s poorest Nations. Raphael’s descendants remain largely in a subsistence existence.

Fuzzy Wuzzy’s and their Aussie Mates.

In retrospect the Papuans had little reason to be loyal to their Australian colonial masters, who often treated them as second-class citizens in their own country. Nonetheless many worked until they dropped. It is said that no living soldier was ever abandoned by the carriers, not even during heavy combat. Their compassion for the wounded and sick earned them the eternal gratitude of the Australian soldiers, who called them ‘Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels’.

One of my attractions to time travel, the study of history, is its ability to inform you of the more objective truth of any subject. Let’s have a quick captain cook at what Raphael actually thought of his Aussie Mates:

Raphael was a Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel of World War 2. Assisted many of Australia's young, wounded troops return down the Kokoda Track.
Reluctant heroes – Raphael and George

Go away, leave us alone!

After the war researchers were astonished to learn that Papuans were united in one opinion:

“We just want the ‘whites’, Japanese and Australians to go away, leave us alone.“

Raphael Oimbari

Australia did, but not until 1975.

Such an opinion, if broadly known would have been a shock to the wartime generation, who never gave much thought to what colonial rule meant for and did to indigenous populations. But,

This opinion should take nothing away from the commitment, bravery, sacrifice, and endurance that men like Raphael provided to and for wounded Aussie boys.

Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels. Heroes of the Kokoda Track, New Guinea, World War 2.
Many Aussie boys survived combat due to men like Raphael.

Benevolent masters versus Japanese Prosperity.

Australia treated men like Raphael as at best very low paid workers, if you can call rice and tobacco pay. But one opinion unified the Australian troops with their Papuan load bearers – Disdain of the Japanese! Quite simply the Papuans hated the Japanese – Who stole their food, raped their women, made them slave labourers, and killed indiscriminately. I guess by comparison Aussies were benevolent masters!

My school textbooks failed to mention that the Fuzzy Wuzzy were not just beasts of burden, they were also brave warriors. As much so as the Aussie troops, and they played a completely unrecorded role in stopping the Japanese advance.

The Papuan Infantry Battalion (PIB)

The Papuan Infantry Battalion was raised in 1940 by the Australian Army. Though all Officers and most NCO’s were Australian or New Zealanders, it should take nothing away from the bravery and courage of the Papuan troopers. Most significantly, few Australians even know of the Fuzzy Wuzzy Warriors. History was limited to portraying the loyal black servants of the dominant white Australians – History itself is more frequently biased than objectively true.

What little I knew of the PIB was of a poorly equipped force lead by a ‘Dad’s Army’ of old Australian Papuan resident plantation owners.

Fuzzy Wuzzy Warriors of WW2. Lead by old Aussie plantation owners.
Dad’s Army or Fuzzy Wuzzy Warriors

The objective truth is that such a Dad’s Army knew the rugged unmapped Papuan jungles as their back yard. As coast watches reporting, by air dropped radios, on the movement of Japanese forces, they contributed critical intelligence to the successful defeat of the Japanese. But then there were lethal Fuzzy Wuzzy Warriors.

Green Shadows and Fuzzy Warriors.

Soldiers of the Papuan Infantry Battalion (PIB) were the first to offer resistance to the Japanese invasion of their country. PIB Captain Harold Jesser said that the Battalion was called the ‘green shadows’ because of an entry found in a Japanese diary in Papua.

“The local natives moved silently in the jungle, inflicting casualties on us-and then are gone, like green shadows.“

Japanese War Dairy.
Papuan New Guineas were indeed warriors, who fought the Japanese invaders on their own terms.
Fuzzy Warriors – Tool of Trade, automatic weapons and machete!

Sergeant John Ehava, won the Distinguished Conduct Medal, the highest bravery award given to a Papuan during World War two. At the end of the Papuan campaign an element of the Papuan Infantry Battalion under Ehava was ambushing Japanese who were escaping north along the coast towards Salamaua. Ehava’s award citation describes what followed.

“On February 8, 1943, at the Kumusi River mouth a patrol under Sergeant Ehava attacked an enemy party attempting to cross the river. During this engagement Sergeant Ehava saw another enemy party approaching on his left. He immediately detached himself from his patrol and, at great personal risk, took up a commanding position and armed with a Bren gun held his fire until the enemy was less than 40 yards distant. He repulsed the attack and personally killed 30 of the enemy.”

Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) Citation.

Men like Sergeant Ehava fought as bravely as any of the Aussie Diggers who have been written into my Country’s mythology. Sadly, and dishonestly their stories simply were not passed on. It seems the white fellas were more interested in their own place in history.

Another Reluctant Hero:

Men like Raphael had one white fella in their corner: Doctor Geoffrey Hampden “Doc” Vernon Military Cross (MC).

The Fuzzy Wuzzy had one white fella firmly in their corner. Geoffrey Hampden "Doc" Vernon Military Cross (MC).
Geoffrey Hampden “Doc” Vernon Military Cross (MC).

Geoffrey was an Australian doctor and surgeon, resident in Papua growing coffee and providing medical services to remote communities. World War 1 had smashed enough war and slaughter into Geoffrey’s life. From March 1915 to August 1918, he served as a Regimental Medical Officer with the Australian Light Horse at Gallipoli and in the Middle East, where he was awarded the Military Cross for devotion to duty under fire. When the Japanese knocked on the door, Geoffrey lied about his age, enlisted again, pulled on his boots – He was 61!

Geoffrey may have been deaf, in consequence of a near miss with a Turkish artillery shell at Gallipoli, but nothing wrong with his legs – He was one of the few Aussies who could keep pace with Raphael up the brutal Kokoda Track. He also had command of pidgin English, the language of the Papuans – his years of diligent care of the Papuans meant that they had enormous respect for this skinny old man.

Raphael and the Aussie Myth.

Men like Raphael were held in great respect by my Grandparent’s and Parent’s generations, somewhat less by my own, and tragically rarely known to my children’s.

The respect and reverence for men like Raphael is captured in the following verse, written by a soldier of the 39th, which I had to learn in school in the 1970’s:

Many a mother in Australia,
When the busy day is done,
Sends a prayer to the Almighty
For the keeping of her son,
Asking that an Angel guide him
And bring him safely back
Now we see those prayers are answered
On the Owen Stanley track,
For they haven’t any halos,
Only holes slashed in the ears,
And with faces worked by tattoos,
With scratch pins in their hair,
Bringing back the wounded,
Just as steady as a hearse,
Using leaves to keep the rain off
And as gentle as a nurse.

The problem with such myths, is they disguise the truth. They invent a white man’s view on what happened to Papuan’s who really had little if any choice in the matter.

Raphael Oimbari said in 1982:

“We worked hard despite all the danger. We were promised compensation and I ask now for what we were promised. Australian government said you work, you will be like us, but it hasn’t happened. Work for us, we all sit down at the same table, same spoon, same food hasn’t happened. Worked day and night so that things would change, I thought of nothing else. I worked hard for nothing. Australian men went home and got pensions. I’m just rubbish. Old men like me are dying without getting anything … nobody counted how many of us were killed.”

Raphael Oimbari.

And with that quote Raphael disappeared from history, or did he?

Raphael and George – Lest we Forget.

Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels – Often reluctant, yet nonetheless Unsung Heroes.

The truth of Raphael’s words came home to me in researching this article, easy to find precisely how may Aussie (625) and Japanese (10,000) boys died on the Kokoda Track, not even an estimate in regard Papuans!

Alongside the romanticized myth lies a contradictory and unpleasant truth of what life was really like for some Papuan carriers. They were not all volunteers, nor were they all treated kindly with the respect and friendliness that the myth suggests. It has remained in Australia’s public consciousness with varying significance, yet always concealing the negative aspects of this historical narrative. What is most important is to recognise that without the help of the Papuan carriers, reluctant help in many cases: Australia may have had a very different outcome on the Kokoda Track.

Reluctant? Perhaps – Tough and Enduring, definitely!

And what of Dr. Geoffrey Vernon MC?

Geoffrey followed the 39th Battalion up the Track. From the first contact with the Japanese, Dr. Vernon placed himself just behind the front line. He surprised an old Warrant Officer friend from WW1 when walking up the track and out of the mist he simply said in classic Aussie laconic understatement:

“Jack, I heard there was some action here and thought you may need some assistance. Where do I start?”

Dr. Geoffrey Vernon. MC.

Without Geoffrey’s immediate aid, many more boys would have been lost or indeed suffered more than they already had. Dr. Vernon similarly cared for the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels who gave unrelenting care at tremendous loss in evacuating Aussie Troops down that horrible, hated Kokoda Track. Geoffrey survived Kokoda, how he managed to evacuate wounded, and reestablish front line triage, with the constant moving warfare up and down the Track, well that is indeed the work of an unsung hero.

Dr. Vernon simply largely disappeared from Australian History; Geoffrey died in Papua of malaria in 1946.

Fuzzy Wuzzy Warriors – Lest we Forget.

In June 2008, and Australian senator called for Australia’s Parliament to give official recognition to Papua New Guineans’ courage and contributions to the war effort.

I was stunned to learn that Australia has not officially recognized these wonderful Papuan nationals who saved the lives of Australian servicemen. They carried stretchers, stores and sometimes wounded diggers directly on their shoulders over some of the toughest terrain in the world. Without them I think the Kokoda campaign would have been far more difficult than it was.

In 2009, the Australian government began awarding the ‘Fuzzy Wuzzy Commemorative Medallion‘ to living Papua New Guineans who assisted the Australian war effort, usually bringing survivors and their families to Port Moresby for ceremonial presentations.

Lest we Forget, those Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels!

Raphael’s moment in history lives on.
Reluctant heroes – Hate, compassion, daring, Kokoda and Cannibalism

Military History / Time Travel Modern History

Reluctant heroes – Hate, compassion, daring, Kokoda and Cannibalism

Let me introduce two reluctant heroes, Private George Whittington and Raphael Oimbari. Raphael and George met in 1942, they would have preferred not to. This Postcard tells the story of men such as these. A story in our troubled times I believe it’s worth remembering.

Reluctant heroes - Raphael and George on the Kokoda Track, WW2, New Guinea
Reluctant heroes – Raphael and George on the Kokoda Track, WW2, New Guinea

39th Militia Battalion- very reluctant Aussie heroes.

George was part of the 2/10th Australian Infantry Battalion, professional soldiers, who relieved the decimated reserve 39th Militia Battalion, who had slowed the Japanese advance down the Kokoda Track, Papua New Guinea in 1942. George though shot in the face, survived, but died in 1943 of scrub typhus.

Both George and Raphael were reluctant heroes. George is a representative of all the young Aussie men, whose fight, wounds, and death on the Kokoda Track became legend. Raphael, the thousands of Papuans who carried wounded Aussie boys out of the bloody combat, back to the comparative safety of Port Moresby. What is a reluctant hero?

How do you recognize a reluctant hero?

Don’t take my word for it. I’m a notorious tale spinner and bull shit artist. So, in respect to yourself the reader, as follows a quote from Jessica Morrell who actually knows about such things:

“A reluctant hero is a tarnished or ordinary man with several faults or a troubled past, and he is pulled reluctantly into the story, or into heroic acts. During the story, he rises to the occasion, sometimes even vanquishing a mighty foe.”

Jessica Morrell in ‘Bullies, Bastards and Bitches’.

Why my interest in legitimate heroes?

I remain interested and proud of the Aussie reluctant heroes. National heroes create national myths. Such concepts are important to a Countries identity. Maintaining their legacy will require honesty, transparency and integrity. National mythology remains a consistent theme of my pondering Postcards. ‘Bastard Horses and Scared Young Men’, explores this further. Primarily because they typically are ordinary people, people who eventually say: ‘Enough, I don’t like what’s happening, I’m going to stop it”. I’m also very cynical about ‘classic heroes’, that some politicians pretend to be, that pretend they are our salvation, that they by stint of their ‘specialness’, can make things better. Sounds like bull shit to me! But, genuine classic heroes, well we are going to meet one of those, but also a small group of reluctant heroes. Firstly, a little time travel back to 1942 and the Kokoda Track:

Where the hell is the bloody Kokoda Track?

The Kokoda Track runs over the rugged steep inhospitable Owen Stanley Range, Papua New Guinea. Which in 1942 was an Australian protectorate and had been since the opening days of WW1 when Australia destroyed a German garrison in occupation. Papua had been a German colony from 1884 till 1914.

The Japanese Imperial Forces sent a naval force to seize Port Moresby, the capital of Papua, a strategy designed to separate Australia from the United States. However, subsequently Japan received a beating in that Battle of the Coral Sea. Inconsequence their second option prevailed, a force march over the Own Stanley Range.

Map of the Kokoda Track. In 1942 Australian and Papuan New Guineans, fought the Japanese Imperial Forces. It's a story of reluctant heroes.
Kokoda Track – Bastard of a Place.

Kokoda – What a bastard of a place!

The Kokoda Track was 150 kilometres of hell! Even today, with modern light backpacks, structured trails and professional guides – 10 days, and that’s only one half, Ower’s Corner to Kokoda. The rainforest is thick, dark, steep and impenetrable, a soldier wandering off 5 metres to relieve his dysentery, risked not ever finding his mates again.

Compared to the great land battles of WW2: Kursk, Alamein, Guadalcanal – Kokoda was a skirmish. A skirmish that killed 625 Australian, 10,000 Japanese boys, and an unknown number of Papuan New Guineans. Kokoda descended into a clash of cultures. A relatively new Australian society, versus a centuries old Japanese culture of martial pursuits. And the poor bloody local Papuans found themselves smack in the middle.

Kokoda was fought with rifle, pistol, bayonet, machine guns, small mortars, fists, and teeth. There were no tanks, no air support for resupply or evacuation – No Australian artillery to break up Japanese attacks, yet somehow the Japanese had manhandled their own artillery up there! Another aspect of Kokoda, complete underestimation of the professional Japanese Forces: We would more aptly call it racism!

Death, torture and yes, the human taboo – cannibalism!

Kokoda displays all the horrendous, horror of men at war: Death, mutilation, hunger, sickness, disease, murder, rape, torture and yes, cannibalism.

Cannibalism! Though the men of the 39th had no delusions about war, they knew it was not ‘cricket’. But they were totally unprepared for the Japanese culture of war. In the crisis of nearly being overrun, a group of Aussie wounded were left behind to the tender mercy of the Japanese. A counterattack drove the Japanese back, the 39th discovered all their mates had been tortured as bayonet practice, slain and then some eaten. Kokoda was a clash of cultures, much like Ukraine and Russia. Kokoda’s fighting had no limits, no pity or compassion – There were few if any POWs on either side after that episode. 10,000 young Japanese boys marched down the Kokoda Track towards Australia. Only 600 would ever see the Cherry Blossom in Japan ever again.

23rd July 1942, the Australian 39th Battalion first contacted the might of Japan at Awala, small extremely remote village on the Kokoda Track. The American Fleet lay smashed at Pearl Harbour, Singapore had fallen – All seemed lost and dark. Japan was rampaging toward Australia – In their way the 39th – A Bloody Rag Tag Bunch of Reluctant Heroes!

39th Militia Battalion – Boys and old men, reluctant heroes all.

Off to Kokoda then. WTF is Kokoda!

The soldiers of the 39th were part time reserve soldiers, some only just 18, many were well past 60. Australia introduced conscription in 1939, but it only applied to the Militia, the professional Army remained all volunteers. Militia members often joined the permanent Army, many didn’t. Some of the 39th had been passed over by the regular army. Too old, broken down, misfits, hopelessly unfit, lame, crippled, lacking fighting spirit, and reluctant. Fighting in Australia was one thing, but Africa no thanks, see the Militia could not by Law be sent outside Australia. The Lads had seen what WW1 did to their fathers and uncles – War was no longer some grand adventure. Understandable reluctance, yes!

Then some bright politician had an idea. If Papuan New Guinea was an Australian protectorate, well pretty much part of Australia – Off to Papua it is then lads!

So, the lads found themselves crawling and scratching up Kokoda, very little training – a few rounds through a 303, old weapons as befits ‘simple’ reservists. Clad in highly visible khaki uniforms in a sea of dark green – It really was a desperate measure! Australia’s professional army, Australia’s Imperial Force (2AIF) was fighting in Africa, would take time to ship them back. Assuming we could get around Winston Churchill, he did everything he could to block the return of the AIF.

So, there we are, reluctant heroes in place, in hell on earth and all hell is about to let rip.

How did the Australian Government lead such reluctant heroes?

The answer is not very well, well certainly not at supreme command level.

General Douglas Macarthur was the supreme allied commander based Down Under. Had been since the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbour and Douglas’ abandonment of his own troops in the Philippines. The US decided it needed an unsinkable aircraft carrier – What about a little place called Australia?

Winston Churchill did not help. Winnie, you said Singapore was invincible, now we are about to be overrun by some very brutal effective lads from the Land of the Rising Sun – We like our own land of glorious sunset plains and vision splendid, thanks a lot! And as for knicking our AIF because of some equally effective German Panzer commander in Africa – Might just call Washington.

United State General Macarthur became supreme commander in Australia in World War 2. He was no reluctant hero, you just had to listen to him say how brave he was!
US General Macarthur – All mouthy corn cob, no trousers!

Two Generals with big heads – But NFI about Kokoda.

Macarthur was all corn cob and personal self-seeking puffery – Just perfect for his aspiration to be the next US President!

Macarthur broke the cardinal rule of warfare, know your terrain. Douglas infamously said of Kokoda:

“It’s just like Leonidas the Spartan, at the Pass of Thermopylae, two old *iggers with shot guns could hold it.”

General Douglas Macarthur. Description of the Kokoda Track.

I’m sure Australia’s Prime Minister John Curtin, wished the British War Cabinet under Churchill was still in charge. But John has another blow hard to contend with, Australian grown, Field Marshall Sir Thomas Albert Blamey.

Australian Field Marshall Blamey WW2. Also, no reluctant hero, he always told you how brave he was.
Thomas Blamey, another blow hard.

Field Marshall Sir Thomas Albert Blamey, the Australian, supreme Australian commander, under ‘Old Corn Cob’, well he had no more idea of the horrendous conditions our reluctant heroes were facing at Kokoda. Not sure what ‘Field Marshall’ signified as he certainly knew nothing about the ‘Field’ of Kokoda, and little of infantry tactics.

Thomas said of the 39th:

“You ran like rabbits, remember it’s the rabbit who runs who gets shot, not the man with the gun.”

Field Marshall Sir Thomas Albert Blamey

Blamey was describing the 39th’s simply brilliant series of textbook tactical withdrawals, more of that soon. Thomas thought he could run Kokoda from Army HQ, Brisbane. Some 2000 kilometres away, an awful long distance in 1942. Thomas did more brown nosing, than nosing around such that he had appropriate knowledge of the Kokoda logistical obstacles.

Sir, Should I call you President?

Kokoda and Legitimate Leadership.

In Blamey it is hard to imagine a worst leader to be in charge of Aussie troops, However,

At the front the 39th were led by NCO’s and Officers who were simply first class. They really were ‘Dad’s Army’, veterans of WW1, they had reenlisted expecting to pass on their knowledge to their sons in boot camp. Another round of combat carnage was the last thing they expected. They lead from the front, statistics prove that. -Officer and NCO casualties were 15 times higher than in Africa fighting Rommel. If they were reluctant, they did not show it. Men like Colonel Ralph Honner who took command of the 39th, replacing the previously killed CO.

Colonel Ralph Honner lead Aussie Troops at Kokoda. He was far from a reluctant hero.
Shakesperean Drama on the Kokoda Battlefield.

So how did the 39th Perform:

From the first contact on 23rd July 1942, The 39th could not possibly block the Japanese, so they fought a series of textbook tactical withdrawals back to the Village of Isurava, where on 26 August 1942 the full-time professional soldiers of the AIF started to arrive and fill in their depleted ranks.

Together the 39th and the AIF continued their tactical withdrawal, until on the 05 September 1942 the 39th were relieved – All remaining 185 of them.

39th Battalion – Scruffy, Knocked about – Not Beaten!

The AIF dug in at Imita Ridge on 18 September 1942, the planned last stand, there would be no more withdrawal. But the Japanese were defeated. But there were no words for ‘retreat’ nor ‘tactical withdrawal’ in the Japanese Imperial Field Manual – They were simply instructed to ‘Advance to the Rear’.

No casual withdrawal, as the AIF chased them all the way back to Gona.

So, what was so heroic about the reluctant heroes of the 39th?

There are no recorded grand classic heroic actions by the soldiers of the 39th. But their big brothers of the AIF, at Isurava, they displayed plenty of that. Take Charlie McCallum’s action in covering the withdrawal of 39th and his own mates from the AIF:

“Charlie had already been wounded three times when his platoon was ordered to withdraw just as the Japanese were about to swamp their position on the high ground at Isurava. Charlie held and fired his Bren gun with his right hand and carried a Thompson submachine gun in the other hand. When his magazine ran out on the Bren, he swung up the Tommy gun with his left hand and continued to cut down the surging Japanese as he changed magazines on the Bren. When the Tommy gun was empty, he used the Bren gun again, and continued his one-man assault until all his comrades were clear. When he knew his mates were clear, Charlie fired a final burst and calmly moved off back down the Track.”

Extract from Charlie’s Victoria Cross nomination.

The Teamwork of heroes.

The 39th’s heroics were typically not of the individualistic self-sacrificing type, though there was plenty of that. Theirs was one of teamwork, the ability to learn fast and adapt in life-threatening, soul-destroying conditions. The fact that they mastered one of the most complex of infantry manoeuvres, the successful tactical withdrawal, and kept it over 7 weeks is quite remarkable – Many of these men had not even fired a 303 rifle until the voyage to Papua.

On the evening of the Japanese attack at Isurava, a Platoon size group of 39th seriously wounded had been sent, in the care of Papuans, back along the track to Moresby. On hearing the escalating din of battle from Isurava, the platoon about turned, hopped, crawled and staggered back to rejoin the fight. One had no foot, the other a bullet in the throat, and a third a forearm blown off.

One of the young 39th soldiers said:

“We never did it for King and Country – Fuck that. We did it because the 39th expected it of us.”

Unidentified digger of the 39th.

Lost, crippled, and bloodied – Not so reluctant heroes now.

Four days prior a 39th forward patrol had been driven off the Track by Japanese units surging on Isurava. Surviving the murderous, groping jungle, they emerged back on the Track.

Their Commanding Officer Col Ralph Honner described what happened then:

“It was enough to make a man weep, to see those poor skinny bastards hobble in on their bleeding legs. On hearing of the news that the 39th and AIF were fighting for their lives at Isurava. They turned and hurried off back up the track to Isurava, as fast as their crippled feet could carry them”.

Colonel Ralph Honner

Shakespearian elegance in the jungle of death.

How did the 39th perform? Strewth, all bloody rippers!

Col Ralph Honner, with much more Shakespearian elegance, addressed the last parade of the 39th on 05 September 1942:

One hell of a After Action Review.

Lt Col Ralp Honner’s address has understandably become a significant event in Australian nation building. The Australian made 2006 movie ‘Kokoda’ brilliantly and tear jerkingly recreates this address in the short extract.

The End of Reluctance:

May we never forget that common ordinary men can do extraordinary things. They can beat the odds.

Yes, we need classic individual heroes, men like Prime Minister Churchill, and President Zelensky – People who inspire us to keep going. Men and women who would rather stand against evil then hitch a ride away from danger.

But, more than ever we need everyday heroes, people prepared to stand up and resist oppression, evil and all the crap things in our world – Even if they start out somewhat reluctant!

Lest We Forget.

Travel Indonesia

Rock star: Spiritualism, surprise, life, curiosity, acceptance, and optimism: 

Spiritualism Indonesia. (Ok this is me. Well, me in a somewhat perplexed, cynical, and whimsical mood, which is much my permanent state. I've just turned 61 and 3 years into retirement as I start to write my 30th Postcard. This Postcard was intended to discuss my ponderings on various subjects during my October 2023 adventure in Indonesia. Surprisingly for me it turned into a discussion of spiritualism in Indonesia. I've explored Indonesia many times previously. I've written previously of my adventures there, one of these can be read at this link. 

I'm the least spiritual person I know, unless we are speaking spirits from the fine waters of Scotland or Kentucky. Though I was raised traditionally Irish Catholic, well it never really worked for me. Putting aside my observations of rampant hypocrisy and lashings of violence dished out during my foundational school years, my connection to God could be summarized as: "At my birth someone forgot to make the required phone connection between the temporal and spiritual planes".

So let me begin by setting the locational context, some historical background, and finish with a little discussion of the adventures that unfolded)
Adventure in Yogyakarta, Java Island, Indonesia

Spiritualism Indonesia.

Spiritualism Indonesia, what would I know? I’m coming to the end of my October 2023 month spent in Indonesia. My intent was to pursue my usual writing subjects: History; and how it impacts the present, politics, architecture, culture, food, and commerce. I certainly experienced all those things that my part of Indonesia had to offer, but something unexpected happened. I experienced, for me anyway, profound human spiritualism in Indonesia. So, I’m skipping my usual subjects for the moment, whilst I share some of that experience. I’ve also written about spiritualism on the island of Bali, Indonesia. That Postcard is available by following this link.

With a population of 278 million, Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim country. There is no official state religion, but only six religions are recognized in the Constitution: Islam (87%), Catholicism (3%), Protestantism (7.5%), Buddhist (0.73%), Hinduism (1.7%), and Confucianism (0.03%). This does not mean that Indonesia is intolerant of other religions, far from it.

Indonesia – Pancasila and religion.

‘Pancasila’ is the first principle of Indonesia’s philosophical foundation. The concept requires citizens to state their belief in “The one and almighty God”. So yes spiritualism in Indonesia is government business.

“Pancasila is an explicit recognition of divine providence, it is meant as a principle on how to live together in a religiously diverse society.“

Constitutional Court Indonesia.

All religions are generally tolerated. But there are areas with overwhelming Muslim majorities which are fundamentalist in nature, they enforce Sharia Law.

Welcoming and accepting of all? Well not quite. The Indonesian government has a discriminatory attitude towards its many tribal religions, atheism, and agnosticism. Appropriate time to mention my own lack of recognized religiosity. Most people would describe me an atheist, infidel, or simply a nonbeliever. That’s correct, though I would prefer the term fellow traveller, as I’m certainly not a spiritual anarchist, I have always sensed a spiritual side to life. Traveling internationally requires risk management of many issues: political disturbances, hygiene, financial scams, personal security, and notably in Indonesia, to keep your lack of formal religion to yourself. Previously I discussed my preparations for this Indonesia adventure at this link.

Indonesia is capable of unleashing extreme violence, I’ve written of that before at this link.

Spiritualism Indonesia and the risk to non-believers.

Blasphemy remains a punishable offence in Indonesia, and it applies to citizens and foreigners. If I were to speak openly in Indonesia about my personal religious views, I would indeed be guilty of blasphemy. I’m not stupid, I’m also not in the business of recruiting others to my view, so I never discuss such things. A blasphemy charge in a province that enforces Sharia Law would be very serious. Such a charge against a tourist is unlikely in most of Indonesia, but it does happen. EG: Russian tourists on the Indonesian Island of Bali, have been deported for being naked, drunk, and disorderly in Hindu Temples. Charged under a provision of the Blasphemy Laws. And it’s not just temples. Indonesian religious beliefs are taken very seriously.

Alina Fazleeva, Russian yogi influencer, was deported and barred from entering Indonesia for six months. She offended Balinese Hindus by posting images of herself posing naked on Babakan Temples’ 700-year-old sacred tree.

In Bali Indonesia, Russian Tourists have been deported for disrespecting sacred spiritual locations and objects.
Might be Art in the West – In Indonesia it can be blasphemy.

Where were you on 7th October 2023?

On October 7th I was sitting in a Cafe in Kuta on the Island of Bali, a short stop over before an internal flight to Yogyakarta. (Wikipedia, provides an excellent introduction) Most people are familiar with Jakarta, Indonesia’s crowded, busy capital City, so it’s easy, due to the similar name, to confuse it with the smaller city the subject of my journey. Yogyakarta is much smaller, but its history, and culture make it just as interesting. I’ve previously written of my adventures in Yogyakarta in several Postcards, which can be viewed at this link.

Over a snack of lumpia (fried spring rolls) and a cold Bintang (Local pilsner beer, the name meaning star in Indonesian), I had posted a whimsical note to Facebook:

“Sometimes, perhaps not often, all your stars align, life flows easily and fluidly. Other days the stars won’t either align or shine. All you can do is hang tough, take a pause, take the ‘high ground’ reorientate, get back up, have another go, and remember. Someone always has more serious setbacks than yourself”.

Peter Veal. Facebook Post Oct 23.

Lumpia, a Bintang and a real Postcard.

Hamas attacks Israel – Hate, murder, and retribution.

Then of course I heard of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. How prophetic my words, now in addition to Ukraine, Israel and Palestine would feel the destructive violence unleashed by ignorance, jealousy, greed, racism, and bigotry. In Bali, The Hindu Island of the Gods, as it is described, well I was feeling none of Indonesia’s spiritualism, just sad and hopeless about humanity or lack of it, certainly my usual whimsical manner had passed.

We considered heading home to Australia, prompted by the angry protests that broke out in Kuta, and images of protests in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta. Australia too was seeing similar protests erupt.

Indonesia support for Palestine is strong – Not so much for Hamas.
Australian protests at the Sydney Opera House in support of Palestine.

We decided to push on. After all we are neither Palestinian nor Israeli, Yogyakarta is not as extreme as Jakarta, and we hoped we could simply avoid such protests, and I guess we thought our Australian and New Zealand passports would see us through. So off we went.

Next Stop Yogyakarta.

Welcome to Yogyakarta: Birthplace of spiritualism Indonesia.

A real Postcard depicting the cultural variety of Yogyakarta.

The City of Yogyakarta on the island of Java, Yogyakarta is regarded as an important centre for classical Javanese fine arts and culture such as ballet, batik textiles, drama, literature, music, poetry, silversmithing, visual arts, and wayang puppetry. Yogyakarta is proud to be the location of the Planet’s oldest and largest Buddhist and Hindu Temples. Renowned as a centre of Indonesia education, Yogyakarta is home to a large student population and dozens of schools and universities.

Yogyakarta’s religious mix.

With a population of 390,000, the religious mix is a little different from Indonesia generally: Islam (82.3%), Catholicism (10.75%), Protestantism (6.5%), Hinduism (0.13%), Buddhism (0.34%), and Confucianism (0.01%). The history of the development of spiritualism Indonesia is told through its religious development.

The relative low levels of Buddhism and Hinduism is revealing when you know that firstly all of Indonesia was essentially Buddhist (4th Century AD), until arrival of Hindu traders (5th Century AD).   Islam arrived in the 13th Century and gradually dominated. Buddhism became less significant; adherents became Muslim or followed the Hindus to the Island of Bali. Hindus having exited Java Island from the mid15th Century AD and established kingdoms on Bali. Today Bali has 4.4 million people of which 87% are Hindus.

The Christian population shows the influence of European colonization and empire building. Portuguese Catholicism arrived in the early 16th Century, and Dutch Protestantism in the late 16th Century. I’m not sure why at Independence from the Dutch, Indonesia decided to record Christians as Catholic and Protestant, though I suspect it was intended to ‘keep an eye’ on who was being loyal to which former European oppressor. I also suspect that nominal Indonesian Christians are as secular as most in the Western world, thus the percentage of Catholics and Protestants officially recorded, says as much about the inability to safely record yourself as atheist/agnostic as any serious commitment to those Western religions.

Borobudur: 8th Century Buddhist Temple.

Borobudur – Lost to the jungle, rediscovered by all people Sir Stanford Raffles

I’ll admit to cynicism when it comes to temple visits in Indonesia. This stems from experiences 15 year previously on the Indonesian Island of Bali. It’s impossible to visit Bali without meeting a Hindu temple or at least a Hindu altar. They are ancient, old, new, large, small, in spectacular locations, in everyday streetscapes. The temples often share one, not so endearing characteristic, they are highly commercial and monetized. Hard to appreciate another cultures spiritualism when you’re constantly pestered by touts. Commonly tour guides, and assorted spivs sell anything but enlightenment. Welcome to the not so endearing aspect of Indonesia spiritualism.

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles – meddles in Indonesia.

So, with such trepidation, I journeyed to Borobudur. Evidence suggests that Borobudur was constructed in the 8th Century. It was subsequently abandoned following the 14th Century decline of Hindu kingdoms in Java and the Javanese conversion to Islam. Borobudur was lost to time and the jungle until rediscovery in 1814, by an unlikely historical character. Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore, was also a dab hand at Indiana Jones style archaeology. Thomas used his power as the British ruler of Java to have the ancient temple cleared of soil and jungle. Predictably, he also started plundering its carvings, stone and specifically the heads of Buddha statues. Borobudur has been called the temple of 1000 Buddha, most of them headless. Sir Thomas Raffles is know for many things, but no one at my school mentioned his monetizing of spiritualism in Indonesia.

Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was completed in 1983 by the Indonesia government and UNESCO. Followed by the monument’s listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Very little architectural exploration – But human contact in spades.

In an earlier life I practiced architecture for 20 years, I quite like wandering around old buildings. And Borobudur does not disappoint. I was planning on shooting pics of Budha statues, headless and otherwise, and describing the architectural space encountered. Then I ran into the local school kids:

An awful lot of hand coding going on – I had absolutely no idea!

 These children from regional villages were combining Indonesia’s spiritualism and religious history studies with ‘Interview a Foreigner Week’. How precisely the latter was to happen seemed dubious. As their English was about as good as my Bahasa Indonesian, very limited.

Rock stars are memorable – Then there is me.

My first reaction was that they had mistaken me for someone. The word ‘Rock Star’ was tossed around! Perhaps they thought I was Chris Hemsworth or ‘Thor’. Chris had after all recently been in Indonesia promoting a new movie.

A real ‘Rock Star’.

The similarity is staggering as both:

  • Are, Australian;
  • Not known for our spiritualism, Indonesia style or otherwise;
  • Weigh 100 Kg (220 Pounds);
  • Make a ‘dog’s breakfast’ of the Kings English;
  • He’s 40, very handsome, 190 Cm (6 foot, 3inches); I’m
  • 61, 175 Cm (5 foot, 9inches), oh
  • And we are both still breathing.

Note to self, translation between languages can be deceptive. So why the interest?

Boys will be boys – Even very old examples.

Although Borobudur, is world heritage, I was one of very few foreigners present. I realized most of these children had never spoken at length with a non-Indonesian. And I spoke Bahasa with a smile. Put simply: I was a ‘Rock Star’, because these children were curious, funny, accepting of difference, and oh so willing to engage. And then I panicked! With limited language, what and how to communicate? Teenage boys – Speak the international language understood by all teenage boys: Girls, posing, bragging, and physical horse play!

That’s not a bicep, this is a bicep!

Want to look half smart? Hang with clever, intelligent, confident and ambitious women.

And then I really panicked, the Wanita arrived! And they meant business. I had noticed these young ladies hanging back from the rowdy raucous boys. Of the same age and school, they were obviously much more mature. As is the case with young women compared to their male peers. ‘Rock Star’ again, I was getting very confused. Fortunately, their English was much better than my Bahasa, what to speak about? Fashion? Jeweler? Handbags? Cool sunglasses? One look at me says, “Dude, this bloke knows nothing about fashion”.

The ‘Rock Star’ and his minders!

I need not have worried, they simply dominated the conversation, with confidence, and intent that I never expected:

  • How come I speak such weird English?
  • What’s it’s like for women in Australia?
  • Are there careers opportunities in Australia for women?
  • Are women paid the same as men?

Indonesia has a shining future with youth like this.

You get the point. These young ladies were aspirational. They wanted to go places, see things, have careers, be independent, set new parameters for Indonesian women. Above all they were curious, open, and interested in our obvious differences. They wanted to learn. And they lifted my earlier sad and hopeless mood. With kids like this, the future must be bright, we just need to decide it will be so.

Just when I thought I might get back to exploring Borobudur, the university contingent arrived. Tertiary education has increased in Indonesia, significantly so for women as it dramatically increases female employment opportunities. I at once noticed their English language fluency skills, these were the earlier teenage ladies, 5 years advanced.

We communicated in Bahasa and English. Something they insisted on, perhaps they found my Bahasa, only slightly less painful than my tortured English vowels. Again, I found this group friendly, confident, engaged and oh so interested in exploring our differences and sharing experiences. I felt more at ease as their fashion sense was a bad as my own.

I was starting to get the hand code thing by now.

Indonesian spiritualism and the global village.

 I noticed that these students had a strong sense of being part of a global village, an international perspective. Indonesia will play a significant part in the future of the Planet. They asked me many questions that prove this point:

  • How come I speak such weird English? (I’m sensing a pattern here)
  • Are Muslims safe in Australia?
  • What is Australia’s position on the Gaza conflict?
  • Why has Indonesia and Australia had a at times strained relationship?
  • Is Australia a multicultural nation?
  • Why is Australia not a republic?

But above all we had a lot of fun and laughs. No longer was my mood one of sadness and hopelessness about humanity. I can’t recall why precisely they blessed and applauded me, must have been one of my dad jokes, translated into Bahasa Indonesian perhaps. But now I really felt like a ‘Rock Star’.

By now I really felt like a ‘Rock Star’.

Retail therapy and another dose of spiritualism.

 So, we left Borobudur, having seen very little of the temple and drove to Malioboro Street, Yogyakarta’s famed shopping street for some retail therapy.

Malioboro Street – Shopping, eating, and just hanging out Indonesian Style.

On Saturday Malioboro Street is the place to see and been seen, most of Yogyakarta seemed to be heading downtown. But it was extremely hot and humid, so we decided to take our retail therapy indoors. So, into Aladdin’s Cave – ‘Hamzah Batik’:

Hamzah Batik – Yogyakarta’s public transport has a lot of attendant ‘farting’ – Not just the horses.

Our first haven was a ‘Hamzah Batik’, owned and operated by one of Yogyakarta’s most successful retailers and famous Drag Queens, who regularly hosts Drag Cabaret on the top floor of this establishment. The latter is insignificant to the story other than to suggest that Indonesia is not necessarily the religiously conservative Country you might imagine it to be.

A drag queen shop in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Illustrates how accepting Indonesia can be.

Retail Therapy – Yogyakarta Style

Crippling humidity, more rock star fun, frivolity, and human tolerant spiritualism.

At this point we had not realized that the education system nationwide was celebrating ‘Interview a Foreigner Week’, but as soon as we emerged into Malioboro’s humidity, more ‘Rock Star’ activity.

These girls were not the fashion-conscious Wanita of our earlier encounter, they were much quieter, reserved, shy, humble, and restrained, they also spoke very little English. Nothing poise, and charm won’t overcome: Just as well my wife Lizzie and her Kiwi manner were present. Soon Lizzie had them gasbagging, not surprisingly, they were just as confident, eager to engage, pose for the camera and yes, the hand code signals! We chatted in Bahasa, during which they enquired about Australia, New Zealand, and told us of their career aspirations. They also asked me why Kiwi’s speak normal English and Aussie’s don’t!

With confidence like this – Indonesia has a bright future.

How I derailed Air Garuda’s international language program.

And it did not stop there, the ‘Rock Star’ event continued with an interview by this vivacious and extrovert group. In what seems peculiarly Indonesian, they were the graduating class of ‘Indonesia’s Air Stewards University’. I thought I missed something in translation, but their English fluency removed all doubt, such a thing actually exists.

Muslim teenagers rocking with an old Aussie dude. Acceptance or diversity.

Hospitality Air Garuda Style

Their last exercise involved seeking out a foreigner, communicating in their language, whilst serving them traditional Indonesian sweets. I have no idea what I ate, and given the hot, humid conditions, it was probably not very wise, but there you go.

We chatted in English and Bahasa, we also had the options of Dutch or French, yes, a multilingual education opens opportunity for young Indonesian Women. And as with every similar contact I had on this extraordinary day, they were confident, engaging, and oh so interested in exploring other cultures. They also asked me why I spoke such funny English, that pattern again! We closed on a lesson in how to speak Australian, like a real Aussie. So, next time you fly Air Garuda, if the flight attendant asks, “Howse ewes goin mate”, well you know who to blame.

Conclusions on spirituality.

I started this Postcard mentioning my spiritual experience. Are what I described actually spiritual experiences or just inspiring human connections?

I have no idea, I would for the reasons explained earlier, be the last person to answer such a question.

But I do know all of this made me feel better about the World. That young Indonesians could be so open and accepting of an old Aussie dude, from a completely different historical background and culture, gives me faith and hope.

I want to believe that the humanity that connects us is far stronger than the differences that can divide us. It’s a question of choice.

Military History / Time Travel Modern History

Fools, heroes, and villains – Venture out in the midday sun. 

(This Postcard was originally published in January 2023. Like many, I was both enraged and deeply concerned about Putin's illegal and unprovoked attack on Ukraine. When little Vlad suggested that the West needed to stay out of it, well I had to respond.)


Who would venture out in the midday sun? Well according to the 1931 Noël Coward song, only ‘Mad dogs and Englishmen’. Coward would perhaps smile in considering the deconstruction, and reconstruction of his lyrics. As a result, they have morphed to accommodate ideas quite removed from the simple witty satire originally intended. Noel knew social media to be newspapers and the medium he mastered, popular music. Today’s social media brings the glare of the midday sun, onto most people on the Planet. That is to say, Noel’s lyric are a metaphor for public exposure. Most people have some exposure to social media. As a result, most people, know how cruel, how energy sapping, how destructive, such exposure can be. Only a certain type of person enjoys such attention. Consequently, only fools, heroes, and villains venture out in the midday sun!

Does anything more than popular entertainment result from social media dominance? Perhaps it depends on whether those exposed are heroes, fools or villains. Above all whether we can understand the difference. I was pondering such issues when I decided to write to little Vlad.

Putin – fool and villain. Dear Vlad,

Recently I sent a letter via LinkedIn to President Putin as follows:

Oh, Mr. Putin you are a hypocrite. You say, “The Wests’ provision of weapons to Ukraine will prolong the war, it must stop”.

Do you remember the USSR, it was in all the papers, especially its dissolution on Dec 26, 1991. Well,

The USSR was attacked by Germany on June 22, 1941. The USSR was sustained by Allied Convoys delivering weapons and materials. Oh, that sounds remarkably familiar.

And you clearly forget that in excess of 10,000 merchant sailors perished on such convoys.

Convoys like PQ17, 35 ships commenced the journey, only 11 made it to the USSR.

Lest we Forget!

Peter Veal, January 2023

Vlad the Hypocrite.

I attached the following poster. Which depicts Allied Convoys making the extremely dangerous run to Russia. Arguably Russia would have succumbed to German Nazism during World War 2 if not for such sacrifice. Now Putin complains of the same Countries sustaining Ukraine: Hypocrisy!

Describes the Allied Convoys that supplied and sustained the USSR, when it was attacked by Germany in World War 2.

British Merchant Seaman – Uncelebrated Quite Heroes

I’m still awaiting a response from Vlad, perhaps he’s busy? My intent was to define Putin’s hypocrisy in complaining of the West’s support for Ukraine. Whilst ignoring the historical fact that in 1941 the West supported Russia (USSR).

Over 10,000 Merchant Seaman died crewing these convoys. This figure excludes military personnel, sailors and airman: In total 72,000 lives! Britain expended weapons and treasury it really needed for self-defense. British convoys commenced in August 1941, only a few months after the Battle of Britain, had ceased to be an existential threat. Consequently, as much as Britain needed Russia to resist Germany, it desperately needed all its weapons, men and treasury rebuild its defensive and offensive strength.

Extraordinary Heroism and Conspicuous Courage. Death in a freezing cold sea, a long way from home.

  • So, what does it mean to be a hero?
  • What is the importance in Society of Heroes?
  • Should we still value heroic endeavours in the contemporary world?

One person’s Hero, another’s Fool a short time travel trip.

In Ancient Greek tradition, a hero was a human, male or female, of the remote past. Heroes, in consequence of descendance from immortal gods, possessed superhuman abilities. Equally, they had all of the qualities and faults of their fellow humans. But those human characteristics were always on a much larger scale. Counterintuitively for the modern mind, ancient heroes were not paragons of virtue. Whether fool or villain, ancient heroes like their parent gods, were objects of cult worship.

Obviously, some of this tradition time travelled 2500 years down to us: Donald Trump.

A baseball card illustrating Donald Trump as a superhero. Image illustrates how are villainous fool can be portrayed as a hero.

Funny? No: Pathetic and Insulting to Real Heroes, yes!

If you’ve been lucky to escape this absurdity, Trump has recently released a range of digital trading cards which portray himself as a superhero! Quick pause to be sick and then we will continue………………………

Trump certainly fits the classical tradition: No virtue, all the failings of mortal humans but on a much larger scale, and at least in his ‘mind’, descended from a god albeit a self-seeking, sociopathic one, his father Fred Trump!

A sensible definition of a Hero.

Out of respect for legitimate heroes, like the merchant men on Convoy PQ 17, let’s move on. What’s a contemporary more plausible definition of hero?

The Oxford English Language Dictionary defines Hero:

  1. A person who is admired by many people for doing something brave or good;
  2. The main male character in a story, novel, film, etc.;
  3. A person that you admire because of a particular quality or skill that they have; or
  4. In North American English, a long bread roll split open along its length and filled with various types of food.

Ok, Item 4 demonstrates how contemporary language has become ‘monetized’, to the point of meaninglessness. So, this Postcard definition (with the help of people who actually know what they are talking about):

Definition of HEROICS:

  • It’s performed in service to others in need – whether that’s a person, group, or community – or in defense of certain ideals;
  • It’s engaged in voluntarily, even in military contexts, as heroism remains an act that goes beyond the requirements of military duty;
  • A heroic act is one performed with recognition of risks and costs, be they to one’s physical health or personal reputation, in which the actor is willing to accept anticipated sacrifice; and
  • It is performed without external gain anticipated at the time of the act.

Heroism is a concern for other people in need—a concern to defend a moral cause, knowing there is a personal risk, done without expectation of reward. What are the consequences of neither having legitimate heroes, nor honouring them:

Enough chat, lets discuss some real heroes:

Who were the Heroic Men of Convoy PQ17.

The merchant seaman of Convoy PQ17 were just average British men, men of combat age, who just loved being at sea, right? Absolutely wrong! PQ17 included: Indian, Chinese, West Africans, Scandinavians, Dutch, Canada, New Zealanders, and Australians. Notably and in contrast to the times – The British Merchant Navy was similar to a ‘Foreign Legion’, recognized as an open society, free of distinctions of class, race, religion, age or colour.

The men who crewed such convoys, are often portrayed as grizzled, crusty older men. Perhaps stoking boilers or a cook smoking whilst stirring yet another stew of salted beef. Much of this is true, for example the oldest known merchant seamen were in their seventies. Chief Cook Santan Martins of SS Calabria was aged 79 when he was killed in action in her sinking by German Submarine U-103 in December 1940. But, there were also boys.

The youngest merchant seamen were invariably “Boy” ratings, Deck Boys, Galley Boys, Mess Room Boys, Stewards Boys or Cabin Boys typically 14 or 15 years of age. Ken and Ray Lewis, aged 14 and 15 years respectively, were killed sailing together aboard the SS Fiscus when it was sunk by German Submarine U-99. 

Heroes of the British Convoys that supplied the USSR in World War 2.
Heroes of the British Convoys that supplied the USSR in World War 2.

What motivated such Heroes?

So why did they do it?

Well, it certainly wasn’t for the pay and conditions! The basic working week was 64 hours, before overtime kicked in. Food was usually coarse and poor as refrigeration was not available. Salt meat from brine tubs and butter from tins provided much of the staple diet. 

On British vessels attacked and sunk by enemy action, merchant sailors received no pay from the moment that their ship sank, regardless of survival if picked from the sea, it was all recorded as non-working time! Fortunately, this changed in May 1941, so the few survivors of PQ 17 were paid: An amount substantially less than a British Army Privates pay, so not very much!

From the outbreak of war in September 1939, British Merchant Seamen could decide if they wished to sail and risk attack by German forces. The extremely high losses were public knowledge. Such men knew the fear and went anyway.

The men of PQ 17 were not there for the pay or conditions, they weren’t volunteers as such, but it seems they had a choice: They really were unsung heroes! They must have known the risk of death in a cold dark sea.

Lying in the dark, trying to sleep, waiting for the shattering, shaking, and shock inducing impact of a torpedo: They really were heroes, scared and frightened, but nevertheless heroic.

Heroes: Real and Fictious:

Do we need to bring back real heroes? Why if at all do we need heroes?

We need heroes first and foremost because our heroes help define the limits of our aspirations – Courage, humour, and justice: Or indeed the lack of them. Sometimes those heroes are real characters, sometimes fictious. Sometime those heroes are very young and very scared, but they perform heroic acts regardless. The fictious ones are often satirical, funny, pathetic even: They provide a voice that the real unsung heroes may never otherwise have.

Old Tin Legs – Sir Douglas Bader:

Douglas Bader a Heroes, hero.
Watch this Mum – No legs! Nothing beats Determination!

Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader, or better known to those who respect him as, ‘Old Tin Legs’, or ‘Dogs Body (DB)’.

Those lucky to have been born in my generation or earlier, the Swinging 60’s, know Douglas well. For others, a potted history:

Douglas was a WW2 British Spitfire Ace. Quite remarkable given he lost both legs crashing his plane in 1931. Flew top cover over ‘The Dunkirk Evacuation’, then ‘The Battle of Britain’, until shot down over France in 1941: Multiple escapes from German captivity, the first within days of being shot down. Such a pain in the arse, Germany locked him in ‘Colditz Castle’. Not one to let the weeds grow under his tin feet, Douglas spent his time in Colditz smuggling contraband around inside his tin legs.

Sir Douglas is a legitimate hero in the classic military sense, boundless drive, courage, and resilience But, just as important is the example he sets in overcoming adversity. Imagine losing both legs in 1931? We’ve all seen contemporary amputees working hard to regain mobility, and that’s with extremely sophisticated prosthetics. Imagine having two tin legs manufactured by a craftsman who last week was beating out wing panels for a Morris Minor?

Heroism is not just displayed in military settings. Not all heroes are solely of the ‘daring do’ military type, some heroes, who time travelled down to us, were simply heroic regardless of setting!

Captain Lawrence Oates.

“I am just going outside and may be some time.”

Captain Lawrence Oates.

Last week, 19 January, was the anniversary of British Naval Officer, Captain Scott’s ill-fated race to the South Pole. He lost the race and his life. Also losing his life was a British Army Officer, Captain Lawrence Oates. Lawrence was another classic military hero. Seriously wounded in an 1898 Second Boer War engagement, when called on to surrender Lawrence replied, “I came to fight not surrender”. For that action Lawrence was recommended for the Victoria Cross, the Commonwealth’s highest military medal, since 1856 only ever awarded to 1358 individuals. But another action made him an enduring hero.

On the return from the South Pole, Lawrence performed an extraordinary feat of self-sacrifice. Injured and crippled from frost bite, he knew he was slowing down the team, compromising their chance of a safe return. Lawrence walked out into the night with classic British understatement: “I am just going outside and may be some time”.

Captain Lawrence Oates – ‘A Very Gallant Gentleman’.

Enduring British Heroes of total fiction.

Some fictious heroes, just endure, for their message travels across time – Take Captain James ‘Biggles’ Bigglesworth – then we have a not so humble bank manager, the WW2 British Home Guards, Captain Mainwaring.

Am I entering the Realm of Fantasy here?

Captain George Mainwaring a fictional WW2 British Home Guard Captain of the sitcom ‘Dad’s Army’ fame. First aired on 31 July 1968, ‘Dad’s Army’ still remains a favourite, despite 53 years of time travel! But seriously, what can the bungling George tell us about heroism?

George is pompous, blustering, with an overdeveloped sense of his own importance. But he is also brave, self-sacrificing, loyal to his men without fault, and prepared to make very hard decisions. If not perhaps classically heroic in appearance, Captain Mainwaring is at least out in public demonstrating fundamental Leadership skills. However, even the bumbling, likeable Captain, does at times display heroics beyond that expected of a Home Guard Officer. When the local parishioners are taken hostage by a downed Luftwaffe air crew, George leads a successful rescue mission. Success is only possible when George places his own life in danger as a distraction, allowing the Platoon to flank and overcome armed German airman.

Captain George Mainwaring symbolizes all the ordinary people that have performed extraordinary heroic feats of self-sacrifice in the interests of others.

Lest we forget that fact. Britain has not.

Lest We Forget all the Captain George Mainwarings

The End – of Heroes

The time has come to change our model of heroism. Being a hero is no longer a mythical classification reserved for superheroes in comic books, or a few legendary men and women, or classic military types. Nor should we tolerate narcissistic politicians, who debase the concept of ‘Hero’ for self-seeking purposes.

The meaning and definition of words is important. That the Oxford English Language Dictionary, defines ‘Hero’ as a: ‘Bread roll stuffed with food’, is quite absurd!

Our role models need reprogramming, who do we want to emulate. People we respect because of their ethical values and morals? Or those who have many social media followers?

Social media makes it far too easy to confuse celebrity with excellence.

Recognition and acceptance of the value of Principles is part of the answer: Trustworthiness, Integrity, Courage, Honesty, Authenticity, and Humility – Foundational Leadership aspirations. Oh, and let’s toss in some essential Captain Mainwaring – Loyal to his men without fault and prepared to make very hard decisions.

The war in Ukraine has many lessons – We need more of such Principles.

Who could ever have guessed that the good President was a fan of Corporal Jones?

The Wisdom of Humble Butchers can inspire Presidents!

Military History / Postcard Snippets

Putin murderer, liar, hypocrite – Death in a cold dark sea. 

(This Postcard, originally published January 2023, is one of my 'Postcard Snippets' range. Intentionally abbreviated, little more than introductions to a complex subject. Often, they first appeared as spontaneous Posts on Facebook or LinkedIn, sometimes on the anniversary of a historical event discussed therein. I provide links and suggestions to the interested reader so they may choose to follow the bouncing ball and discover more about the endlessly fascinating stories History and Time Travel expose.)

Recently I sent a letter to President Putin as follows:

Oh, Mr. Putin you are a hypocrite.

You say:

“The Wests’ provision of weapons to Ukraine will prolong the war, it must stop.”

Vladimir Putin

Do you remember the USSR, it was in all the papers, especially its dissolution on Dec 26, 1991. Well,

The USSR was attacked by Germany on June 22, 1941. The USSR was sustained by Allied Convoys delivering weapons and materials. Oh, that sounds remarkably familiar.

And you clearly forget that in excess of 10,000 merchant sailors perished on such convoys.

Convoys like PQ17, 35 ships commenced the journey, only 11 made it to the USSR.

Lest we Forget!

Peter Veal January 2022

I attached the following poster – Allied Convoys sustained Russia in World War 2, now Putin complains of the same Countries sustaining Ukraine: Hypocrisy!

British Merchant Seaman – Uncelebrated Quiet Heroes

I’m still awaiting a response from Vlad, perhaps he’s busy? My intent was to define Putin’s hypocrisy in complaining of the West’s support for Ukraine, whilst ignoring the historical fact that in 1941 the West supported Russia (USSR) after attack by Hitler.

I was struck by the sacrifice of Merchant Seaman, over 10,000 killed running convoys as depicted above. This figure excludes military personnel, sailors and airman: In total 72,000 lives!

Extraordinary Heroism and Conspicuous Courage. Death in a freezing cold sea, a long way from home.

Military History

Mongrel Warriors – Les and Bill the Bastard: Tough Buggers!

Bill the Bastard and Les - Aussie mongrels fighting a War.
Bill the Bastard and Les – Aussie mongrels fighting a War.

Let me introduce Bill the Bastard. You have already met my Uncle Les in my previous Postcard ‘National Myths – Bastard Horses and Scared Heroic Young Men’. Les was a country lad: riding, shooting, and living rough was part of his way of life. Leslie was like all Aussie Lighthorseman of the First World War, rough, tough, adventurous, brave, courageous – And that was the horses I am describing! Bill the Bastard was an Aussie War Horse, a Lighthorse Trooper. Les and Bill spent the War chasing Turkish cavalry around the Palestine Desert. Other Australian Light Horsemen were dispatched to the battlefields of Gallipoli and France.

Mongrel Warriors - Aussie Troopers and their Horses of World War 1.
Mongrel Warriors – Aussie Troopers and their Horses of World War 1.

What a contrast. Turkish troopers represented the upper segments of their society, mounted as they were on highly trained thoroughbred horses. Australian’s troopers, Les and Bill, well they were the other end of the social spectrum. They had the characteristics required for success. What Australians will still describe as: “You gotta have some mongrel in you to succeed.”. By example, my previous Post, ‘Lawrence of Arabia and other Lying Bastards’, describes another adventure of the Australian Waler.

The language we speak is ever evolving, and a brief historical example explains this. At the 1066, English Battle of Hastings, we would not recognize the English, French, or German languages being spoken. The English of 1066 used words, and changed their meanings in a manner we would recognize. A ‘bastard’, who we know as William, was present at the Battle of Hastings.

Another right Bastard called Bill.

William the Conqueror, led the successful Norman Invasion of England in 1066, which changed the course of British history. British King Charles 3 is directly descendent from William, consequently the ruling British Monarchy actually took the British Throne by force of arms. Try doing that in Europe in 2024, without creating an awful fuss. The Pre-Norman English, preferred to call William ‘Bill the Bastard.’ Not all was wine and roses in 1067, England.

Jumping forward to 1914, the year Australia entered World War 1.

1914, the Aussie subjects of George 5, King Charles 3’s, Great Grandfather: Well, they had turned the ‘Kings English’ on its head. ‘Bastard’ had become a salute of honour, praise, and respect. Only Australian’s would take another country’s derogatory terminology, spin it, give it a completely opposite meaning. Aussie’s still do this. It’s origins?

Perhaps started with British convicts, those from the ‘back blocks’ of London, those transported to Australia for petty crimes. Such people created a coded language ‘rhyming slang’, intended to be their own, intended to confuse those in authority.

Definitely an Australian motivation for such colloquial language is in large part a ‘thumb your nose’ approach to those who get above their station. Australians still aspire to an egalitarian society where no man is king, and no man’s fine language makes him better than the rest.

Up steps ‘Bill the Bastard’! A horse who really represented this Australian Mythology of the ordinary bloke, being as good as the next, and capable of extraordinary achievements.

Australia’s War Horse – No they weren’t all called Bill.

Bill was an Australian ‘Waler,’ a War Horse. A Waler is an Aussie Iconic image: stout, ugly, tough, loyal, and resilient war horse unique to Australia. Troopers, like my Uncle Les, consider them mates. Bill had his origins in the English Thoroughbreds and Arabs the English Government shipped Down Under, along with an awful lot of Convicts. This was a tough new land; no fine English blood line would cut it. After introducing some ‘mongrel’ blood from South Africa and Timor: Bill appeared. A tough new breed, just the thing for: Beating the toffs at the Local Races, pulling the wife and kids in a buggy to Sunday Mass, riding to the pub: And fighting a war!

Bill fought in and survived the Battle of Romani 1916. He and his rider, raced through Turkish gunfire to collect four wounded Aussie Troopers. Two wounded troopers climbed up in the saddle behind the rider. Bill’s stirrups each supported another. It was fortunate for all, that the Turkish soldiers were consistently poor marksman. Bill galloped 1.6 miles back though soft sand, with Turkish rifle fire cracking around their heads.

This old horse was tough, he was a ‘Ridgee didge beaut Bastard!’

Bill the Bastard rescues five Australian soldiers.
Bill the Bastard rescues five Australian soldiers.

Bill, the now tired old bastard, had earned his rest. Withdrawn from combat, he worked on Gallipoli, retrieving the fallen bodies of Aussie and Turkish boys. He retired on a farm in Gallipoli, and now rests in a marked grave with other fallen heroes. Bill has not been forgotten and recently a large bronze statue has been created in his honour.

How these Australians bastardize the King’s English.

(Another diversion to discuss Australian slang. I did warn in 'Time Travel and Me' of my unapologetic Aussie voice. The Aussie use of the derogatory 'Bastard' is the finest example of what my Countryman have done with the King's English. As follows a famous quote to illustrate)

(During the 1932-33 cricket test between England and Australia , English captain, Douglas Jardine, walked into the Australian dressing room to complain about being called a bastard. The Australian captain asked his team):

“Which one of you bastards called this bastard a bastard?”

Bill Woodfull, Australian Captain 

Bill and Les – Leadership lessons.

What is the point of this Postcard? It’s a ripping good yarn. National Myths, Values and Ethos develop and are sustained by such yarns. Language changes and morphs with time and context. Another reason explaining my interest in Time Travel, or the study of history. And,

It is a Leadership Lesson, about the risk of underestimating the underdog, the rough trade, low breed, back blocks stock, non-establishment types: They are often the heroes!

A book about Bill the Bastard, tough Australian War Horse.
War in Australia – Death, hate, violence, innocence – Clash of cultures

Military History / Postcard Snippets / Time Travel Modern History

War in Australia – Death, hate, violence, innocence – Clash of cultures 

(This Postcard is one of my 'Postcard Snippets' range. Intentionally abbreviated, little more than introductions to a complex subject. Often, they first appeared as spontaneous Posts on Facebook or LinkedIn, sometimes on the anniversary of a historical event discussed therein. I provide links and suggestions to the interested reader so they may follow the bouncing ball and discover more about the endlessly fascinating stories History and Time Travel expose.)

On the 7th of December 1941, Australia was at war with Japan. Both Countries commenced their catastrophic clash of cultures in the Pacific. Australia declared war on Japan, in consequence of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. That surprise attack awoke the sleeping giant that was the United States. It was however, along with the British Commonwealth, woefully unprepared for war. Japan had the upper hand as a result of preparation, recent combat experience, and shear bloody ruthlessness.

Then things changed as a result of two primary victories. Firstly, men such as though below, halted, reversed, and then drove the Japanese forces out of New Guinea. Secondly, in parallel with the first action, A combined US and Aussie fleet, defeated the Japanese Imperial Navy in the Battle of the Coral Sea.

One of my passions is Time travel, you may recognize it more readily as the study of history. Military history remains at the forefront of historical studies, above all because it contains so many lessons about the nature of humans.

Japan brings war Downunder.

23rd January 1942, Japan landed on New Guinea, approaching Australia via the Kokoda Track. After a year of brutal, ruthless, slaughter, where few POWs on either side were taken; on the 9th of December 1942 Japan began its withdrawal from New Guinea. But such withdrawal came with a problem. Japanese Imperial forces had no military order for retreat, they had never needed too or even drilled a retreat action. The commanding General had a pragmatic solution:

“Advance to the rear“.

General Tomitarō Horii

However, it was not that simple. Aussie men, men of my grandfathers and father’s generation, men just like those below, they weren’t having any of this simply walking away routine. Consequently, they chased the Japanese all the way out of New Guinea, well actually most Japanese boys stayed permanently, rotting in the ground.

Yes, typical of Aussie troops, what are scruffy lot! They might have been unkept, but when Australia was at war, well these blokes stepped up.

1941 multicultural Australia at war.

This photograph is historically interesting, because of the two issues it illustrates:

  • An Australian will recognize the multicultural mix we already were by 1941. First Nations, fair skinned Scots, olive skinned Italians and Welsh, light-built Angles and heavy-built Saxons – All Australian; and
  • For a Country caught with its pants down by the outbreak of war, well in barely more than half an Infantry Section, there are by 1942 standards, a predominant number of automatic weapons. 303 Bren Gun, jungle clearing sweeper, usually fired from the hip in advance, and supplying fire support in withdrawal. The .45 Thompson Machine Gun of 1920’s gangster fame, a heavy unreliable weapon, but critical fire power at close quarters in New Guinea’s heavy rainforest. Devastatingly effective when poked through the firing port of a once concealed Japanese bunker.

Scruffy Aussies at War.

“I saw an Australian step out of the jungle, naked other than a pair of torn shorts, firing a Thompson with one hand, he threw grenades with the other. I knew we could not defeat men such as these.”

A Japanese Warrant Officer
Scruffy, naked, but effective Aussie Diggers.

Australia at War – Lest we Forget, but please don’t celebrate.

On ANZAC day, Australians and New Zealanders stop and remember the sacrifice of men such as these. War is the worst form of human behaviour. As a result, war must always be the last resort. Of course, sometime wars of self-defense are the inevitable response to aggression. The Rules of War must be maintained, otherwise we many never find our way back to peace. It’s difficult to consider peace with an enemy, who invaded without provocation, and then rapped, pillaged, tortured and cannibalized their way across your Country. The alternative to war by rules is simply terrorism and inhuman brutality.

17,000 Aussie men like these, died in the War against Japan, 8,000 of these as starved, brutalized, tortured, and over worked prisoners of war.

10,000 Japanese boys marched down the Kokoda Track, New Guinea toward Australia – Less than 600 would ever see Japan again.

Fortunately, Australia and Japan are now close friends, as Australia is with Vietnam, after similar brutal combat. No holds barred enemies, don’t have to remain so, things can change, but both sides must make the choice.

Lest we forget out shared humanity in our present troubled times.

Travel Indonesia

Seductive Eating on the Island of Devil Demons. 

(This Postcard was written in October 2023, on the evening before jumping a flight from Australia to Indonesia. The commencement of my latest Indonesian adventure)

Tomorrow at dawn, I’m starting my Indonesian journey flying into Denpasar International Airport, Bali, Indonesia. After a few days on the Island of Bali, I’m flying to Yogyakarta. Bali, the Island of the Gods will see us doing much eating and relaxing. Such a life can be very seductive.

It’s difficult to avoid Hindu spiritualism in Bali. In consequence of temples, altars, and daily offering being ever present. Almost as difficult as avoiding the many touts and spiffs trying to sell you stuff you don’t really want. In summary this Postcard captures my current reflections on Bali. Where precisely is Bali in reference to our home?

Australia – A huge empty country, bumping Asian history.

Bali’s history – Praying, eating and chilling.

So, what’s all the praying, eating and chilling got to do with Bali, actually it appears to be the essence of tourism. I’m no stranger to Bali as we have both visited, I guess ten times or more, but it’s not to everyone’s taste. Bali is an island primarily of Hindu culture. Indonesia was primarily Hindu until the end of the 13 Century. With the emergence and eventual dominance of the Muslim religion on one hand and secondly war and conflict, the Hindu population gradually retreated to Bali. The Bali economy, since 1970, has primarily been driven by Australian tourism. In those days it was a hippie surfer destination, then Julia Roberts arrived. Bali gained international popularity with her 2010 movie ‘Eat, Pray, Love’. An international audience was introduced to the seductive eating, and the captivating spiritualism of Bali. I have written previously about spiritualism and religion in Indonesia, you can follow the link here.

Markets in Bali – Not quite this romantic, closer to hand-to-hand combat.

Commercial chaos, eating and chilling – An awful amount of waiting around.

Don’t get me wrong, Bali can be very romantic, but it’s also insanely commercial. It’s impossible to leave your accommodation without constant pestering to buy trinkets, clothes, jewelry, massage: it never stops. “Tidak, terima kasih, aku tidak menginginkan itu”, yes it helps to speak some Bahasa Indonesian, or simply say, “No Thank you”.

The Balinese invariably speak English, as a result of long contact with Australians. Though not surprisingly, often with a strong, broad, vowel twisting, Aussie Twang! Take the Australians out of Bali, like what happened through Covid, economic collapse. Every Balinese is an entrepreneur, everyone is on the game, all seeking an edge. They also seem to have hearing like arctic foxes. I always laugh, when a merchant dozing in the afternoon heat, clearly hears my own tortured Aussie vowels, responding: “Howse ewes going mate?” A tactic that seeks to imply understanding and mateship.

Our neighbourhood Kuta, Bali. Balinese often just sit and wait all day for custom.

Irrespective of Bali’s commercial mayhem, it’s usually clean. No, the attentive young ladies are not what you think. They work in legitimate massage parlours, extremely common. It’s easy to be cynical, to see Bali as full of grifters and chiseling spiffs. And that’s true, however in addition to being friendly and charming grifters, on the other hand Balinese inevitably take their Hinduism very seriously.

Seductive spiritual food – a Whole lot of praying.

Balinese believe that ancestors never leave, their spirit remains. Evil spirits and demons preside, and humans must keep them at peace and in balance. The process of making offerings and undertaking ceremony are critical daily activities, even commerce takes a back seat. Locals’ making offerings, conducting, or preparing for ceremony will frequently interact with your own activity. For a confirmed infidel like me, it’s something incredibly special. However, despite the spiritual atmosphere, it’s often simply necessary to seek refuge in your accommodation. I have a Postcard specifically about spiritualism and eating on the Island of Bali Indonesia. Perhaps you might like to read it by following this link.

Daily offerings of flowers and fruit – Makes the local squirrels incredibly happy chaps.

Accommodation: escape the chaos.

Fortunately, 15 years back I discovered Poppers right in the middle of this madness which offers refuge and peace, a time to refresh before getting back into the fray. It’s a collection of traditional villas, surrounded by a sculptured walled perimeter, creating an oasis. Step inside the gate and chaos simply disappears.

Poppies Kuta – Gateway to peace and tranquility

The accommodation is very traditionally Balinese, a bit old hat these days, but very charming. The Balinese thatched roof or ‘Alang Alang’ is a notable trait. This is actually authentic, there is no western tin roof underneath to ensure water tightness.

Your own villa surrounded by tropical gardens.

The Balinese are exceptional hosts. Poppies staff have been working together for decades, so they exude an obvious sense of ownership and pride. And do they like to chat and practice their English. Mornings for me always start, eating and chilling, with coffee and tropical fruit on that terrace, chatting with the gardeners in our respective broken English and Bahasa. Coffee addicts will love Bali as it grows some of the world’s finest coffee. You might like to sample what Aussies jokingly called ‘poo coffee’, or Kopi Luwak (Luwak Coffee). First you feed raw coffee beans to a small mammal called a Luwak. Balinese collect the partially digested beans that have passed through the Luwak’s bowels, and process as normal.

Yes, I’m with you, I also thought it was a joke, however it’ s no joke now Kopi Luwak is huge international business.

Coffee time – Saya mau, kopi hitam.

Personnaly I prefer Kopi Hitam (Black coffee), or to us Aussies, ‘Bali Collision Kopi’. Rough grind dark roasted beans, add to jug, pour in boiling water, stir and serve. A little grainy, pungently aromatic but simply superb.

Breakfast – Bali Time

Afternoons in Bali can be hot and steamy, cooling rain is not as abundant as it was. So, retreat to Poppies and a cooling swim.

Followed by an afternoon nap, just the thing to set your spirit as ease.

A very traditional Balinese interior, maintained in superb condition.

To place some financial context around Indonesian accommodation, one night’s accommodation in the Villa above costs as follows:

  • 140 Australian Dollars.
  • 73 Pounds Sterling.
  • 89 US Dollars.
  • 85 Euro; and
  • 9000 Russian Rouble.

Unwelcome guests – Russian style eating, chilling and vodka chasers:

Since my last Bali visit, one thing has changed – Russians! Russians have had a presence in Bali for some time. There have always been rumours of dark criminal Russian money being invested in Bali real estate. Previously I have encountered Russian tourists in the more remote beach side scuba diving resorts, Bali has excellent diving opportunities. Since the invasion of Ukraine, up to 20,000 Russians per month have been arriving in Bali, escaping Putin’s military draft.

One of Russia’s finest – Nude biking is completely acceptable apparently.

Many of the allegations made against the Russians—drunkenness, disrespect of local culture, and dangerous driving—have long been levelled against visitors from across the world, especially so my compatriots. However, Russians are widely seen as particularly egregious offenders.

The Australians also cause problems, that’s for sure, but they are just drunk persons, it’s just childish naughtiness, kind of annoying but that’s about it. But the Russians—no, they think they own the place.”

I Wayan Koster. Govenor of Bali.

Balinese police recently announced a Russian man would be deported and banned from re-entering for six months after partially undressing on a sacred mountain in Bali. He will become the 58th Russian to be evicted this year. (The Balinese might be commercial, but they remain 100% intolerant of disrespect of their spiritualism)

Welcome guests – Aussie style eating, chilling and vodka chasers.

Over the years, Balinese authorities have deported plenty of my countryman, found to have broken the rules, often while intoxicated. But locals say Indonesians and Australians have come to know each other, with many repeat holidaymakers. Drunk young men in Bintang singlets are a minority – even if they make a lot of noise.

So as excited as I am about being back in the Island of the Gods, I could do without the increased presence of drunk Russians!

Corrupt Cops and Military Muscle.

Indonesia has an exceptionally large military. Australia’s relationship with Indonesia has been a roller coaster, the up, down, and sideways relationship of two neighbours who don’t always agree. There has been much distrust from both sides. During my time in the Australian Army, our theoretical opposition, on which volumes of methodology existed, was clearly intended to be Indonesia. Armed forces: military, paramilitary, and police, lurk as a shadowy presence in Indonesia.

There is a frequent police presence in Bali, it’s much like Rome, Italy in the sense that there seem to be uniformed police for every function: Traffic, cultural, religious, tourist, narcotics, theft, etc. Most of them are like Sgt Wayan below, kinda like your uncle, yes, he is a cop, but a friendly one, don’t think he even knows how to use the geriatric old revolver he carries. Sgt Wayan represents a culture of ‘on the spot fines’, you and I would see it as Balinese corruption. It’s notably improved, but still occasionally occurs.

Dad’s Army Indonesian Style

Indonesian Policing – The cute and funny side.

Sometimes Indonesian policing is quite funny, as in the ‘Naughty Tourist Task Force’ (NTTF). I’m sure Indonesian’s laugh at my attempt at speaking Bahasa, they’re just too polite to let it show. You never consider that your native language is complex, it seems logical, you’ve been speaking it since you were born. But nonnative speakers, often can never learn the nuance that you don’t even think about. Oh, I hope I don’t get busted by the NTTF!

Knock Knock – NTFF calling, who knicked the Nasi Goring?

Sometimes the police forces are cute. The role of women in Indonesian society continues to mature and evolve, that’s a good thing.

I can imagine these ladies under cover in the NTTF?

Indonesian Policing – The paramilitary muscle and no laughing matter side.

Then overnight in an otherwise quiet Bali, serious paramilitary force can simply appear. You realize that such muscle is just hidden away, constantly on tap.

And at times of threat of terrorism, well it gets profoundly serious, Densus 88, anti-terror special forces simply materialize. Note the Steyr Assault Rifle, carried on the right? That just happens to be the standard issue weapon of the Aussie Military. Perhaps surprisingly, given the sometimes-difficult relationship, Densus 88 is substantially trained by Australian Military.

Knock, Knock – Densus 88 calling!

Fortunately, such times are rare. But for an Australian living in a society, where police are scarcely armed, few citizens own weapons and when Australian military simply never go armed in the street – You realize that your probably not in Kansas anymore.

Eating and chilling – Bali style.

One of the pleasures of travelling is the food. Bali does not disappoint. Hygiene is important. There is no such thing as safe tape water in Indonesia. So, a lettuce or vegetable washed in tap water, or a cocktail with tap water ice, well welcome to Bali Belly. Trust me, it’s not only your belly that ends up hurting.

Fortunately, most establishments control the risk, but it’s always present.

Some nights we will eat in the garden at Poppies, with an environment like this, why would you not?

Romance for four? In your own tropical garden.

Bali Dutch colonial influence remains in the food.

A little bit of history and a delicious meal can be found by sampling a ‘Rijsttafel’, a Dutch word that literally translates to rice table. Popular side dishes include egg rolls, sambals, satay, fish, fruit, vegetables, pickles, and nuts. The Dutch introduced the rice table not only so they could enjoy a wide array of dishes at a single sitting but also to impress visitors with the exotic abundance of their colony. Which is ridiculously arrogant, but the Indonesians liked the idea, and it remained well past independence.

‘Rijsttafel’ – The Indonesian Smorgasbord.

The real taste of Indonesia is to be found in the street food. Food carts remain common in cities like Yogyakarta, not so much Bali. Two reasons I suspect, firstly the roads are horribly congested, and secondly infecting tourists with Bali Belly is probably not a good marketing strategy. As tempting as it looks its probable best to avoid.

However, there are plenty of safe alternatives, such as Madi’s Warung.

Madi’s: Authentic Street Food without the risk.

Madi’s is a real institution, often hard to get a table. Offers all manner of authentic Balinese and Indonesian street food.

Breakfast: Bali Style

So yes, I’m excited about my journey which commences in 10 hours.

I’m looking forward to reporting more on my observations on accommodation, architecture, politics, security, society, food, and spiritualism – Indonesian Style.

Travel Indonesia

Travel preparation – The long and short of it. Mongrel boots. 

(This Postcard was written 48 hours before commencing October 2023 Indonesian adventure. I was pondering travel preparations, the 40 yearlong planning cycle that found me arriving where I am today, and off course the new experiences ahead.)

Travel preparation captures many issues. Finance, how do I pay for it. Time scale, long term thinking, yes that’s very boring, but it’s also a superpower. Achieving most things in life requires planning over time. Excitement, really important to embrace the passion and excitement of travel adventure, the thrill of experiencing new things. History, many people travel to Indonesia and know nothing of its history, I’m fine with that. Indonesia offers unique adventures, and a travel budget to suit everyone. But I believe knowing something of the history of a travel destination, adds immeasurably to the experience.

Kenalkan, saya nama Peter. Siapa nama Anda? (Let me Introduce myself, my name is Peter. What’s your name?)

Well, that’s me!

Travel preparation and language.

Ok not time for Bahasa Indonesian but soon. For in less than 48 hours I’m in the air to Indonesia for October. Learning something of the language of the countries you visit is recommended but not critical travel preparation. I taught myself Bahasa Indonesian starting from age 40. I’m far from fluent, and it’s not the easiest language to maintain in Australia. Contemporary Australia is indeed multicultural, most of the Planet’s cultures and languages are represented. But, unless you reside in a major metropolis, English is generally all most people speak. What other critical travel preparations require consideration?

Safe Travel – Starts with a solid foundation, Aussie ‘Mongrel’ Work Boots

Foundations of travel preparation.

Footwear and luggage are fundamental travel preparation considerations. I favour Australian made ‘Mongrel’ work boots. The Aussie boot is tough, durable, traditionally made, yet includes contemporary technology to ensure foot support and comfort. They are also exceptionally economical, when a long-life cycle is taken into account. Experienced military and construction professionals, careers involving long hours on your feet, know well, look after your feet and the body and mind will follow. What about luggage.

I favour bag packs, a small one and a larger one. As my travel companion, my wife Lizzie, opts only for a suitcase, well back packs give me free hands to add to my gentleman credit and man handle that suitcase downstairs and over common obstacle. The small pack is versatile. Well packed as carry on, it captures 7.5 Kilograms, as well as essentials for flying: food, water, electronics, notebook and reading material. It also becomes an everyday hauler when the adventure commences. With 7.5 Kg captured, my large back for a month will come in at around 13 kilograms (easy all-day haul if necessary), well excluding spill over from that bloody suitcase!

I currently use US Designed 5.11 backpacks. Durability, comfort, and storage design are my primary travel preparation considerations in selecting luggage. The 5.11 ticks those boxes. Constructed of 100% nylon, a little more expensive, but much superior to the common use of polyester. Wide, well padded, and adjustable shoulder harness and hip belt, bring excellent comfort, especially for the ‘well-built mature’ person. The storage design in the smaller 5.11’s is excellent. I find them perfect day travelling packs, good security zones, hidden areas, and plenty of smaller compartments for essentials.

Travel preparations over a lifetime.

Since my trip to Singapore this time last year, well I’ve been busy. Yes, I’m reaching the end of my third year of retirement, but that does not mean life stops. I’ve been busy, renovating an old Aussie farmhouse, reading, trying to learn how to write, and squeezing in some running and gym work. I’m 61 in two weeks, it’s important, increasingly so, to try to keep the old corpse in some condition.

Getting to now has taken some planning. Forty-one years of planning. At age 20, three years into my architectural apprenticeship, my work environment inspired the itching desire to retire early in good condition financially and health wise. Three years’ work had introduced me to many ‘mature’ people, who were worn out physically and financially broke. I knew that’s not for me.

A crash course in handling money, practice, patience, a whole lot of years, enduring four international financial downturns, I slowly gained knowledge. All that combined with Australia’s tax effective superannuation system: Well, I made it in the end. My travel preparation was effective. Not to say there were not a few false starts, dead ends, new beginnings, and plenty of tears along that way. Key learnings? Focus, clear understanding of the end state desired, some luck, resilience, determination, and a big swag of discipline. Now it’s time for some fun!

Anticipation rising with the Phoenix Hotel.

Photo of my home in Yogyakarta.
My home in Yogyakarta, Indonesia – Phoenix Hotel

Ok, so I’m not backpacking. Been there, got the ‘T shirt’. In my time in harness for my Queen, I lived plenty out of a backpack. However, Indonesia offers delights for backpackers. Accommodation with breakfast is available under $20 AUD. Such accommodation varies from a beachside bungalow to shared dormitory style in a major city. This trip however I’m travelling 5-star all the way. Well similar, the 5-star western system is not generally used in Indonesia, outside the major cities like Jakarta. I’ve booked some interesting hotels. To place some financial context around my choice, my maximum expenditure per night with breakfast $140 AUD.

The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta started life in the 1890’s the home of a Chinese spice entrepreneur. In the European Art Deco style, infused with Javanese architectural aesthetics. It is an inspiring example of Indonesian-Dutch architecture, known as Indische. European colonization of Asian and African countries rightfully gets a bad rap today. But, if you look hard enough, you can see evidence of the results possible when cultures merge and inspire each other. Due to its great historical significance, in 1996 the Indonesian Government, designated the Phoenix Hotel a national historical landmark.

The original owner’s fortunes crashed with the stock market in the 1930’s. Perhaps he should have realised all good things end. On life’s journey we encounter waypoints, whispers that it’s time to change course, to get out, to renew. That’s my view, the trick is too really listen to those voices, and to act.

Damn! I built it now you’ve knicked it:

A new owner transformed the house into a hotel. Such a splendid place that in the 1940’s the Japanese Imperial Army said, “We’ll have that thanks”, and they did. Japan off course was tossed out, however the Dutch wanted their empire back. All the Europeans wanted their Asian empires back. Ironic given the blood and treasury expended destroying Japanese empire building. Indonesia descended into a war of liberation, achieving independence on 17 August 1945.

The Phoenix rose from the ashes in 1951 becoming another fine hotel. So fine that the Indonesia’s first, President Sukarno said, “I’ll have that thanks”, and made it his home. In 2009 the Phoenix Hotel, as it now is, emerged.

Breakfast Dining Room at the Phoenix Hotel, Yogyakarta. All travel preparation starts with a breakfast.
Breakfast – Yogyakarta Style.

Travel preparation budget – Indonesia can be ‘Murak sekali’. (very cheap)

So, I’m extremely excited about exploring such a fine restored example of Indonesian architecture. You may think I’ve sold mum’s silver service to fund this trip? Well, this is part of the attraction of getting off the main Indonesian tourist beat, it’s very economical. A night in the Phoenix, including a ‘Rijsttafel’ breakfast (think smorgasbord), costs less than an average motel in Wagga Wagga, Australia. No offence to Wagga Wagga, it’s a typical rural Aussie Town, but it can’t make spicey Nasi with a side order of sambal. Actually, I was born in Wagga!

Currently the Aussie Dollar has been in free fall. Quite a concern for an Aussie time travelling adventurer, blame the Chinese economy. What? Well despite many warnings, all my homeland sells internationally is iron ore and invites to come Down Under and “Toss a shrimp on the Barbie”. What a horrible travel slogan. Australians don’t use the word shrimp. So, the Chinese don’t want any more iron ore, and have plenty of shrimp at home, thank you very much!

So what else am I up to?

Yogyakarta, Indonesia adventures – Spiritualism and eating!

Borobudur – World’s Largest Buddhist Temple

Yogyakarta has many fine historical examples of Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist architecture. Some date back to the 10th and 13th Century, collectively they illustrate the complex history of contemporary Indonesia. I’m an infidel myself, but very much interested in all traditional faiths. So, I will indeed be spending time exploring this history. (PS: Actually, I had a human spiritual experience at Borobudur. My story available by clicking this link.)

Then there is eating?

Growing up a 1960’s child in Australia, well let’s say the food was very ho hum. The basic British meat and three vegetable style. Fortunately, in consequence of immigration, and that my Country generally embraces multiculturalism, international food styles are now commonplace. But there is nothing common place about Yogyakarta food, especially the everyday street food.

For context – 20,000 Indonesian Rupiah (RP) – 2 Aus Dollars, 1 Brit Pound, 1.3 US Dollars, 1.2 Euro

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I’m extremely excited about my journey. Hopefully, I can squeeze in some writing around developing my spiritualism and savouring some ‘Nasi Gudeg Ayam Paja Atsa’. Although I have truly little idea what that is.

Life is a journey of exploration, it should be fun, it requires planning and defined objectives. Also, a willingness to embrace change. Oh, and a dose of luck and good fortune, for my share of such things I am incredibly grateful.

Selamat tinggal.

Travel Indonesia

Travel through history- time travel, dangerous, dirty, splendid Yogyakarta. 

(This Post, written in September 2023, is part of a series written from Australia prior to commencing an adventure in Indonesia. The series explores my proposed travel destinations, whilst placing them in a historical context)

My previous Postcards introduced my time travel through history adventure in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Where exactly is it? Why would you, the reader, go there? Indonesia has a complex society with a rich history, Wikipedia Indonesia is certainly worth a visit for background.

Adventure in Yogyakarta, Java Island, Indonesia

Why do we choose to travel through history?

People have been asking this question for two thousand years. Answers time travel through history down to us from the great thinkers of their times. But we know nothing of the common men and women that frequented those bars, cafes, inns, and brothels along the Silk Road of 200BC. What if they could talk, what voice would we hear?

As a child my house and yard were my world, as I grew, my neighbourhood, my town etc. Yet in my parochial isolation, in say 1974, I never dreamt that Marco Polo, and many others, were part of an internationally connected world, centuries earlier, many of whom would travel through history

Would those common folk say:

  1. I do it for the adventure?
  2. Because I can?
  3. I’m searching for myself.
  4. It’s how I trade, and trading makes money!

Parts unknown – Time travel through history.

I am sure they would, perhaps all four. Would they reflect the voice of the USA’s Anthony Bourdain, common man, but not so common Chef, Restaurateur, and Author who said of his own travel through history:

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body.”

Anthony Bourdain
Ever had Bali Belly? – Not your heart that gets broken!

Well, I’m not delusional. And I’m 60 not back packing, nor on a back packer budget – I’m not expecting my trip to Yogyakarta to physically hurt all that much. However, I am hoping it changes me for the better, expands my mind, even just a little. As I move toward my actual final resting place, it would be great to think the trip gives me just a little more wisdom about my place in the world. I have specifically written of the spiritual aspects of Indonesia, you can explore my thoughts on this subject at this link.

What about Yogyakarta’s place in the World?

I believe you should know something about where you’re from in order to travel through history to where you’re going. So, what about my place, Australia’s place in the world? Put simply: Where you from Cousin?

Australia is the result of a transported Britain, in 1788AD slammed down in someone else’s part of the Planet. 788 men and women (convicts), Britain’s unwanted, plus 200 odd British Marines (The ones no Regiment wanted), sailors, and officers. It’s often thought these ‘convicts’ were the criminal underbelly of Britain: In reality minor pick pockets and knickers of pigs and chickens. Serious criminals: The rapists, and murderers – Well, they simply had their necks stretched on the end of the King’s rope.

Somewhere in this chaos my family arrived and commenced their Australian travel through history: Perhaps as pick pockets, more worrying for me as the unwanted trash of the British Marines, but definitely as Irish economic refugees in the 1860s.

In 2023 Australia is a country of 26.33 million people. Multicultural and generally accepting of all races, creeds, and political beliefs.

Travel through history with unconscious bias.

We tend to assess other Countries against what we understand of our own immediate world. IE: I think of myself as a citizen of a liberal democratic multicultural society. It’s easy to unconsciously compare other Countries against that base line – Perhaps even an unconscious bias.

The error and danger in this came home to me in Singapore last year. Singapore has always been criticized as autocratic, not genuinely democratic. With this bias Singapore should not be successful, right? Wrong! I found a society where most people have: Access to:

  • Clean water;
  • Education;
  • Sewerage;
  • Cheap first-class public transport;
  • World class medical treatment;
  • Time and money to shop, eat out and then do some more shopping; and
  • high paid work and affordable public funded housing – Housing that as they ‘rent’, tenants create capital that belongs to them.

A form of Socialism? Yes! But socialism that actually works and is economically sustainable. Liberal Democracy may not be the perfect answer to all situations.

So, that’s a potted summary of my own time travel through history. What of Yogyakarta, Indonesia?

Origins of Yogyakarta:

Indonesian people are a mix of different genetic groups of modern humans whose travel through history from Africa arriving on the Indonesian archipelago around 50,000 ago. Descendants of this group continued to walk to Australia. Well, there’s a connection, at least some of the blood lines in Yogyakarta once walked alongside the First Nations People of Australia.

Indonesians and Australians walked out of Africa.

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Travel through history to Yogyakarta – 1066 AD

I’m travelling back through history to 1066AD for two reasons: A quick snapshot has to start somewhere, and to establish a context benchmark against the British culture from where my genes continued their time travel. So, Britain 1066AD, what was happening:

1066 Battle of Hastings, British history changed forever.

1066, the Anglo-Saxon culture of England fell to the ‘William the Conqueror’s’ Norman Invasion in the ‘Battle of Hastings’, portrayed in the famous Bayeux Tapestry. It’s easy to believe that everyone simply shook hands after Hastings and went back to business but fighting continued until 1071. Was England then peaceful?

Yes, there was comparative peace, largely because North England was raped, burned, pillaged, depopulated, and devastated by the Norman desire for Peace.

To get some context on this: Think of your country’s largest city. Imagine if in a period of 5 years, all your neighbours in the – Aristocracy, government, military, church, or the business of land ownership: Were replaced by a Foreigners? Imagine what that would do too the place you call home?

I’ve always imagined the what ifs, should the gloriously, funny, silly, experiment we call Australia, simply be taken by force and moulded into something different. That’s what happened to England in 1066, and I suspect Yogyakarta as well. But,

Cultures fall, rise and continue their time travel.

A travel through history shows, that though cultures and civilizations fall, they often get up again. England did that after 1066. Then saw its culture change dramatically again, Civil War started in 1646AD, resulting in the execution of King Charles I, and the creation of England’s only Republic until 1660AD, when the Monarchy was re-established.

Cultures and civilizations fall, but life goes on. For those living it, the choice is acceptance or often death. For us centuries later, it’s usually the case that we have simply forgotten where we came from. Take the recent coronation of King Charles III: You would never think the Norman Invasion occurred or that English Republicanism ever triumphed! A fact brought home by considering that the new English King, Charles III is directly descended from William the Conqueror. (I should note that as an Aussie, dear Charles remains my King as well)

William The Conqueror’s Great ….. Great Grandson

So, what was happening in Australia in 1066AD? The First Nations People were continuing much as they had since walking from Africa, via Indonesia some 60,000 years previously – Living a spiritual life in profound connection with Country. So, they never fought? Well of course they fought amongst themselves. Most Indigenous people fought wars between clan groups, etc. But these were often ceremonial in nature, and certainly seldom wars aimed at elimination of another groups culture – Often they were culture affirming not culture destroying, whereas.

Year 1066 – Britian’s car crash

The 1066 Norman Invasion of England was car crashingly destructive of the Anglo-Saxon culture and civilization it conquered. Yet, England continued to grow and prosper, becoming the Planet’s dominant international Empire by the 20th Century, not waning until 1945, when the cost of World War 2, was more than even the plucky Brits could endure.

If history does not repeat but often rhymes, as suggested by Mark Twain, can we see such rhythms in Yogyakarta and the broader Indonesia?

Great words – Lousy haircut.

So, what of Yogyakarta in 1066?

Yogyakarta did not exist as a notable identity. But as for the Island of Java where Yogyakarta developed – Fighting and conflict a plenty! I guess BBC documentaries inspired the desire for ‘How to build an empire’?

By 1066AD the ‘Melayu Kingdom’, had risen to dominance. The name time travels to us in the words: Malay, Malaya and of course Malaysia. Melayu is known as a grand international kingdom, centre of knowledge, power, trade, and wealth. It was connected to the rest of the world, much as Singapore is today.

In 1285AD it welcomed a great Italian traveller Marco Polo, who wrote extensively about his travels. Indeed, many suspect it was Marco’s writings that inspired the future rampaging European empire building in other people’s back gardens.

Marco perhaps regretted leaving Venice.

So, trying to build your own empire? Or, simply planning a relaxing holiday somewhere along todays Silk Road – Toss some Marco in your backpack.

Marco also said:

“I have only written half of what I have seen, as no one would believe the other half.”

Marco Polo

Which seems accurate as Marco claimed to have seen unicorns in Melayu! He may have been a busy traveller, but it seems he always had time for long liquid lunches.

Time Travelling Mongols.

In 1289AD the Melayu had a less welcome visitor, an envoy from Kublai Kahn. Kublai was following the travel recommendation of Marco – I suspect it was gold not unicorns he wanted. Recognize the name Kahn? Yes, Kublai was the grandson of the all-conquering Genghis Kahn. Since 16 million people are descended from the ‘busy’ Kublai, one can assume he had many grandsons. But,

This grandson conquered China forming the Yuan Dynasty – Whilst also remaining Emperor of Mongol. Now he set his sight on Melayu.

The Melayu promptly informed Kublai’s envoy that they had no interest in being vassals to Mongols. When he did not listen, and to improve his hearing, they promptly cut off his ear and sent him packing back to Kublai.

In 1293AD Kublai responded by sending more emissaries in the form of an invasion force of 1000 ships – Roughly the force that William used to take England.

Who Invited Marco Polo and his Drinking Mates?

Traitorous relatives, Kingdom lost

The people of Melayu fought well, Mongols were highly effective in battle, but the Sultan had a son in law, a traitorous one – Raden Wijaya. He joined with the Mongols – The Melayu were defeated, their Kingdom raped, burnt, and pillaged – The go to response of all would be conquerors. Young Raden then turned on the Mongols – He won! I suppose being a traitor to your dad, does not prevent you being a brilliant military commander.

The Mongols caught the monsoon winds and travelled back to China. All this travel seems remarkable, how did they know where they were going? After all, the legendary navigator, His Majesty’s Captain James Cook, only found Australia centuries later, by the expedient of running straight into it and wrecking the King’s ship. The answer is pretty simple, travellers in these Middle Ages were moving all over the place. No great secret, we simply in our contemporary smugness have forgotten.

What of Marco Polo? Well as you imagine Kublai was pretty cranky that Marco failed to mention, that as well as gold, spices, and perhaps unicorns – These Indonesians to be, could really fight! In grand Mongol tradition Marco’s last journey was to walk to a chopping block and a Mongol axe. See Marco had for decades been spying for the Mongols – No one taught me that in primary school!

Another Kingdom commences its Time Travel

With the destruction of the Melayu Kingdom, via force and treachery, a new Kingdom emerged – The Majaphit Kingdom. Known as the high point of Indonesian culture and civilization. Religion, government, legal systems, art, military arts, architecture, trade, and international connectivity, all prospered and developed through this Kingdom. Then,

Other great travellers dusted off their Michelin Guides, and the long-forgotten Silk Road Maps of the Sea – Sailed forth to see what Marco Polo had carried on about: The Dutch and English arrived – They weren’t much interested in culture and art, like Kublai they wanted gold! I sense another culture and civilization is about to fall!

When I reflect on my tiny little world way back in 1974, well? Well, I end up agreeing with Anthony Bourdain:

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