[Gravel]

February 19, 2012 marks the 70th year milestone with the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese aircraft.

While perusing this Forum posts, I saw a post by BOUGAINVILLE with reference to Japanese Navy Bomb topic post, which jogged my memory about the date when Australia was attacked in World War II.

In the 'States we have December 7th and Pearl Harbor . . . but lest not forget about our Australian friends that were also harmed in the 1942 attack on Darwin.

 

[Clyde]

I staged through Darwin on the way to my R&R at Sydney in 1969. Ton Son Nhut to Darwin to Sydney.Gas for the bird, beer and munchies for the troops, and sufficient delay to allow arrival at Sydney after the airport opened for the day. Then (and maybe still now) the Sydney airport was closed from something like 2100 or 2200 until maybe 0600 for noise abatement, or so we were told. Interesting place. All we saw was the airport, of course, which was pretty basic. in fact, all it would have neended is some P-40s, Wirraways and maybe some Dakotas or such to lok like it was still WWII. There were a couple of RAAF Dakotas and they somehow looked just right for the location.

I understand Darwin, and the airport, have changed considerably since then. Large, modern place now, and I do believe rail connection to Melbourne via Alice Springs.

 

[DocAV]

Yes, the "Ghan" ( reminiscent of the Afghan Camelliers who laid railways and the Telegraph lines) does Drawin, Alice Springs ("dead heart") to Tarcoola, ( on the East West "TransAustralian", then east to Port Augusta (connects to Adelaide) and across to Broken Hill and Sydney, or from PA to Adelaide & to Melbourne.
A bit like going from Chicago to Key West, via New Orleans ( except that 90% of the trip is across desert.).
Back in WW II, the majority of the distance from Darwin to the Alice was Road; ( short line from Darwin, then tracks finished. The Alice had a narrow Gauge connection to Port Augusta and from there either Broken Hill and eastwards to Sydney, or south to Adelaide, and then east to Melbourne.

All troops coming from and going to Darwin had a long bumpy trip.

Regards,
Doc AV

 

[caerlonie]

Saw a show about it on the history channel last night,watched it with my father who remembers the time well.I never realised the aftermath of the evacuation was such a shambles....and was hushed up by the authorities to avoid embarassment no doubt.

 

[chester]

And then on march 3 1942 the Nips shot and bombed the shite out of Broome in Western Australia killing 70 and wounding many, I think they also destroyed about 20 of our aircraft on the same day at Wyndham, Derby and Port Headland.