▁ ▁K ok oda ▁Track ▁Camp aign ▁The ▁ 3 9 th ▁Battalion ▁was ▁prepar ing ▁for ▁deployment ▁to ▁the ▁mountain ▁village ▁of ▁K ok oda , ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁step ▁in ▁an ▁Al lied ▁plan ▁to ▁occup y ▁the ▁north ▁coast ▁of ▁Pap ua . ▁The ▁first ▁troops ▁depart ed ▁the ▁day ▁after ▁O wen ▁assumed ▁command . ▁After ▁the ▁Japanese ▁land ed ▁on ▁the ▁north ▁coast ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁July , ▁O wen ▁was ▁flow n ▁up ▁to ▁K ok oda , ▁from ▁where ▁' B ' ▁Company ▁was ▁already ▁eng aging ▁the ▁enemy . ▁F acing ▁over wh el ming ▁odd s , ▁the ▁Austral ians ▁were ▁pushed ▁back . ▁O wen ▁ordered ▁the ▁burning ▁of ▁the ▁supply ▁dump ▁at ▁K ok oda ▁and ▁a ▁retre at ▁to ▁Den iki . ▁After ▁real ising ▁the ▁Japanese ▁had ▁not ▁occupied ▁K ok oda , ▁he ▁led ▁his ▁men ▁back ▁into ▁the ▁village ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁re open ▁its ▁air field ▁to ▁receive ▁rein for c ements ▁and ▁supplies . ▁The ▁aircraft ▁dispatch ed ▁to ▁K ok oda ▁were ▁not ▁able ▁to ▁land . ▁The ▁Japanese ▁started ▁attack ing ▁in ▁force ▁on ▁the ▁evening ▁of ▁ 2 8 ▁July . ▁ ▁O wen ▁was ▁mort ally ▁wounded ▁at ▁ 0 3 0 0 ▁h rs ▁on ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁ 2 9 ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁as ▁the ▁Japanese ▁stepped ▁up ▁their ▁attacks ▁on ▁the ▁d ug - in ▁Austral ians . ▁He ▁was ▁shot ▁just ▁above