How the Japanese bombed Darwin in Australia
In a couple of weeks time, Vee and I will be visiting Australia (and New Zealand) with stops in Bangkok and San Francisco that will literally take us round the world. To put us even more in the mood, this weekend, we rented the Baz Luhrmann film “Australia” [my review here].
The movie features the Japanese air attack on Darwin which took place on 19 February 1942. This was the first and the largest of almost 100 air raids which the Japanese made on northern Australia. Some 242 aircraft were involved, dropping more bombs than were used at Pearl Harbor, and the death toll was around 250-300.
I confess that this is an aspect of the war that was not familiar to me and you can find more details here.
February 16th, 2013 at 10:10 pm
Hello Roger
Last year the ABC ran a fascinating documentary – “Crocker Island”, about the escape of Aboriginal children and their young women carers from a missionary home on an island off Darwin in 1941.
http://www.documentaryaustralia.com.au/films/details/1270/croker-island-exodus
If you’d like to watch a film set in contemporary Australia, I’d recommend “Look Both Ways”
http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s1433709.htm
Happy travels!
Nadine
February 16th, 2013 at 10:45 pm
Thanks for the tips and the travel wishes, Nadine.