Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Alotau, Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea is a chain of volcanic islands, a tropical place with extreme temperatures and humidity - the definition of the tropics. A treasure trove of biodiversity with hundred of animals and birds found no where else and unique cultures with over 800 languages and dialects of local tribes. Alotau is a gateway to the islands of Milne Bay Province, where visitors can explore unusual cultures, stunning scenery, and snorkling and scuba. Today tourism is clearly the most prominent industries.

WWII Pacific history includes a monumental battle at Milne Bay in 1942 where the Australian troops defeated the Japanese with support from the US. The Aussies called the local Papuans Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels for their assistance and support for injured Australian soldiers in the bitter bloody battle ultimately hailed as the only allied victory in the Pacific. The New Guinea campaign was a major factor in WWII and there are war memorials in PNG and Philippines. We plan to visit the American cemetery in Manilla.

FUZZY WUZZY ANGELS

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 their ears,
And their faces worked by tattoos,
With scratch pins in their hair.
Bringing back the badly wounded
Just as steady as a hearse,
Using leaves to keep the rain off
And as gentle as a nurse.

Slow and careful in bad places
On the awful mountain track,
The look upon their faces
Would make you think that Christ was black.
Not a move to hurt the wounded,
As they treat him like a saint;
It’s a picture worth recording,
That an artist’s yet to paint.

Many a lad will see his mother,
And husbands wee’uns and wives,
Just because the fuzzy wuzzies
Carried them to save their lives
From mortar bombs, machine-gun fire,
Or a chance surprise attack,
To safety and the care of doctors
At the bottom of the track.
May the mothers of Australia,
When they offer up a prayer,
Mention those impromptu angels,
With their fuzzy wuzzy hair.

Written by Bert Beros, an Australian solider in 1942