By Elizabeth Jobson, RSL Secretary
I was recently asked if I knew Darwin had been bombed in the war.
As a migrant of 53 years in Australia I confidently replied, “Absolutely, I knew that. Darwin was bombed a couple of times”.
Right and wrong.
Yes, Darwin was subject to aircraft missions and bombed, 69 times in 1942, 44 times in 1943 and 4 times in 1944 – that is a total of 117 raids – not a couple of times.
I was shown a poster headed ‘WW11 Air Combat Flights Against Australia’.
There were 188 aircraft in the first Darwin raid on February 19, 1942. My information is taken from research by Military Historian Dr Tom Lewis OAM. This poster is one of several by Mike Reed.
Apart from Darwin, another 18 areas of Australia were subject to bombing by the Japanese as well as air attacks on shipping in Northern Territory, Queensland and West Australian waters.
I was never aware that among the other areas under attack included Mossman, Cairns and Townsville and as many as six areas in Western Australia.
It would appear that the full extent of the aerial bombardment is not widely known.
I have asked several people of varying ages which bears this out.
History is very important, to any country – true history, not the picking out the bits that suit certain theories.
ANZAC services generally refer to Gallipoli and 1915, but when we say ‘Lest we Forget’ we remember all those who forfeited their lives for this country so that we may have the democratic life we have hitherto enjoyed.
All of the servicemen and women in all wars and conflicts since that time.
We will remember them.
