He faced Japanese soldiers wielding samurai swords on the infamous Kokoda Track and later introduced canned baby food into Australia.
Alan Moore, one of Australia’s last remaining veterans of the Kokoda Track campaign, has died aged 100. Mr Moore was the sole surviving officer of the 39th Battalion, which fought in Papua New Guinea to prevent Japanese forces from capturing Port Moresby during World War II. He died on the Mornington Peninsula last week.
Norman Stockdale, former president of the 39th Australian Infantry Battalion Association, said Mr Moore was “one of the old blokes” when he joined the fighting as a 21-year-old lieutenant.
“The average age of the 39th was less than 18,” he said. “They were all young men sent to do a bloody silly job with bodgy equipment, not enough food and wrong clothing.”
Mr Stockdale said there were just seven members of the 39th Battalion left alive.
On the 70th anniversary of the Kokoda battle, Mr Moore told The Age he believed the campaign had stopped mainland Australia from being invaded by Japan.
A Celebration of Alan Moore’s life will be live streamed on Friday 19 March at 2:30 pm.
