Bomana War Cemetery

Bomana War Cemetery: A Final Resting Place for Heroes of the Pacific War

The Bomana War Cemetery in Port Moresby, PNG, stands as a solemn tribute to the sacrifices made during World War II in the Southwest Pacific. This cemetery, the final resting place for thousands of Commonwealth soldiers, reflects the brutal fighting that took place across Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

The Japanese campaign in this region was fierce. After their naval assault on Port Moresby was defeated in the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Japanese attempted an overland attack via Buna and Gona in September 1942. Earlier that year, the Japanese had also secured Bougainville in the Solomon Islands, establishing a key base there. The fighting for these strategic locations was exceptionally challenging, with Allied forces eventually pushing back the Japanese forces over the next several years. The struggles in these areas resulted in heavy losses on both sides.

The graves in the Port Moresby cemetery represent these sacrifices, brought in by the Australian Army Graves Service from scattered burial grounds where hard-fought battles took place. Many of these were from Papua and Bougainville. The cemetery includes not only Australian soldiers, but also personnel from local forces and others who served in the region. 

Notably, some of the graves are those of soldiers of the Royal Artillery. Captured by the Japanese at the fall of Singapore, these men tragically died in captivity. It is believed they were transferred to Bougainville to work in labour camps. Their remains were initially buried on Bailale Island in the Solomons, then later moved to a temporary cemetery on Bougainville, before finally being laid to rest in Bomana..

The Bomana War Cemetery contains 3,824 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, with 699 of them unidentified. The cemetery was carefully designed by Mr. A.G. Robertson and officially unveiled by the Governor-General of Australia, Field Marshal Slim, in October 1953. It's not just a place of rest; it is a site of remembrance and reflection.

Behind the cemetery, the Port Moresby Memorial commemorates almost 750 Australian Army (including Papua and New Guinea local forces), Australian Merchant Navy, and Royal Australian Air Force personnel who lost their lives in Papua New Guinea, but whose graves are unknown. The memorial provides a place for those who have no known graves and for those who died at sea to be remembered. It serves as a reminder of the tremendous sacrifices made in the region. Bougainville casualties who have no known graves are commemorated on a memorial at Suva, Fiji.

The Bomana) War Cemetery in Port Moresby and Memorial stand as a permanent reminder of the cost of war and a lasting tribute to the courage and sacrifice of those who fought for freedom in the Pacific.