The Ghost Army of New Guinea: The Papuan Infantry Battalion

The Papuan Infantry Battalion was composed of indigenous Papuans serving in the Australian Army. Known as the 'Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels,' they carried thousands of wounded Australian soldiers down the steep Kokoda Trail on stretchers made from local timber. In addition, the 'coastwatchers' — mostly Australian civilians and Solomon Islanders behind Japanese lines — provided critical intelligence. Coastwatcher Lt. Arthur Reginald Evans maintained a radio station on Bougainville for 18 months after the Japanese invasion, reporting Japanese ship movements and coordinating rescue of downed Allied airmen including John F. Kennedy after PT-109 was sunk.