Location
The present village was not built until the 1960's on the western edge of 'The Gifu' between Hills 31 and 27 to the west of Mount Austen.

Battle of the Gifu
'The Gifu was the strong point (the jungle area between Hills 31 and 27), named for Gifu Prefecture, the hometown of most of the defenders. To the west of The Gifu is Seahorse and Galloping Horse (Thin Red Line) battlefields. Henderson Field is about 9 miles to the west. US Army forces wanted to eliminate the Japanese from their flank. Intense fighting occured here for two months.

Barana Village
The present village was built in the 1960's on the western edge of the Gifu between Hill 31 and Hill 27.

70mm Japanese Mountain Gun
In 1996 locals found the wheels from the 70mm gun captured by the Americans on the hill.

Peter Flahavin reports:
"During the American surprise attack the Japanese crew had been caught resting under trees 30 yards from the gun and been cut down as they ran to man it - one wheel has a bullet hole through it.   The Americans then used the gun against the Japanese until the ammunition supply ran out.  The gun had been taken apart and buried in foxholes - 50 years in the ground but 90% paint and wood still remained on the wheels."

G4M Betty Wing Section
Peter Flahavin reports:
"When we went there in 1995 the first things we noticed as the taxi pulled up was a large segment of Betty bomber wing, still with the red primer paint and most of the "meatball".  There were also engine controls and a Zero drop tank leaning against a tree, (from the Lunga Point area they said).  Not wanting to see these items go the way of the Betty tail fin at Bloody Ridge the museum let it be known they would not be pleased if the aircraft remains went "missing".   These fragments were still there in 1996, although deteriorating and losing paint out in the open."

Peter Flahavin 1998

Peter Flahavin 1998

2nd Lt. Kojima
228nd Infantry

The present road goes past Hill 31 and you turn off to the right down a 600 yard dirt road to get to the village. Hill 31 was the site of the mass grave of the last 85 Japanese defenders killed during the final breakout attempt There were foxholes nearby and shattered pieces of helmets and shot up water bottles in the grass.

Recovery of Japanese Remains
The locals said the Japanese recovered lots of bones in 1984 at the foot of the hill, in the area of the Japanese counterattacks. The Japanese still periodically search for remains and cremate any bones found at the memorial in a bowl - in 1996 we found a half burnt Japanese leather helmet liner in the bowl.

Japanese Mass Grave
In 1984 the Japs came back and dug up the bones and erected a monument there. There were still shattered and shot up pieces of water bottles and helmets around the area when we were there. When the Japanese dug up bodies they cremate the remains but also seem to have a thing about destroying any equipment etc found with them.