History- Yearly
Bombing at Darwin
On 19 February 1942 mainland Australia came under attack for the first time when Japanese forces mounted two air raids on Darwin. The two attacks, which were planned and led by the commander responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbour ten weeks earlier, involved 54 land-based bombers and approximately 188 attack aircraft which were launched from four Japanese aircraft-carriers in the Timor Sea. In the first attack, which began just before 10.00am, heavy bombers pattern-bombed the harbour and town; dive bombers escorted by Zero fighters then attacked shipping in the harbour, the military and civil aerodromes, and the hospital at Berrimah. The attack ceased after about 40 minutes. The second attack, which began an hour later, involved high altitude bombing of the Royal Australian Air Force base at Parap which lasted for 20–25 minutes. The two raids killed at least 243 people and between 300 and 400 were wounded. Twenty military aircraft were destroyed, eight ships at anchor in the harbour were sunk, and most civil and military facilities in Darwin were destroyed.
Contrary to widespread belief at the time, the attacks were not a precursor to an invasion. The Japanese were preparing to invade Timor, and anticipated that a disruptive air attack would hinder Darwin's potential as a base from which the Allies could launch a counter-offensive, and at the same time would damage Australian morale. With Singapore having fallen to the Japanese only days earlier, and concerned at the effect of the bombing on national morale, the government announced that only 17 people had been killed.
The air attacks on Darwin continued until November 1943, by which time the Japanese had bombed Darwin 64 times. During the war other towns in northern Australia were also the target of Japanese air attack, with bombs being dropped on Townsville, Katherine, Wyndham, Derby, Broome and Port Hedland.
Conscription
In 1943 the issue of conscription arose.
As in 1916 and 1917, the government had the power to conscript men for home service, but not for overseas combat. 'Home', however, included New Guinea, where Australia had a protectorate, and therefore conscripted troops could be and were sent to the war front where they were needed most.
But as the Allies began to defeat the Japanese, the war front spread north, and there was a demand that Australian troops be able to go to the new areas which were outside the definition of 'home'. American conscripts were fighting in these areas so it seemed unfair that Australian conscripts should not also be compelled to fight there.
As in 1916 and 1917, all the government had to do was to change the Defence Act and it could achieve this; and, unlike the situation in 1916, Prime Minister Curtin knew he had the majority in both Houses to make this change.
He did not, however, push the measure through. Rather, he let the Australian Labor Party debate the issue, and come to their own decision which was to support the extension of areas where Australian conscripts could be sent to fight. This debate within the party allowed the opponents to be heard, but also showed how small a minority they were. This avoided a potentially ugly and divisive public brawl on the issue.
The Act was changed, the area where conscripts could be sent was extended - though still strictly limited - and it was all done with little opposition in the community.
Rationing
As part of the Curtin Government's 'Total War' strategy, certain foods began to be rationed in 1943. An important part of the Australian war effort was the provision of food to servicemen in our region, as well as the provision of food parcels to Britain. Rationed goods included tea, sugar, beef, pork and chocolate.
Rationing impacted more on some Cottesloe (Curtain's home town) families than others. In the war years Cottesloe was not as built up as it is today and many residents had large back yards which could be turned over to growing vegetables and raising hens, thus providing a steady stream of fresh vegetables and eggs.
Others had blocks big enough to support their own cow and supply themselves with butter, cream and milk.
Prior to the war most Australians ate large quantities of fried food and meat, drank strong tea and enjoyed sweet foods such as cake and biscuits. The government feared that rationing would result in deterioration in health on the home front but, in fact, the outcome was positive. Rationing resulted in a decline in diet related problems like obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Fish, sausages, chicken, ham and rabbits were not rationed. The "rabbit-o" walked the streets selling rabbits and skinning them for customers on the spot.
The fish monger came to the back door once a week and would scale and fillet the fish right there and then.
Recipes designed to cater for the lack of eggs, butter and meat appeared in newspapers and magazines on a regular basis.
The Women's Weekly interviewed Elsie Curtin during the war. She was happy to share her ration recipes and ideas for the austerity campaign with them.
Both she and John took the campaign very seriously and set an example to all householders.
Animal parts such as brains, livers and kidneys were more readily available than better cuts of meat during the war and formed a significant part of people's diets.
Hand mincers were well used kitchen appliances at this time. Elsie Curtin used hers to make one of her husband's favourite meals, shepherds pie, by mincing left over meat and combining the mince with stale bread and eggs.
Elsie was lucky that her family liked plain food because many spices, including pepper were not available during the war as these were imported from countries captured by the Japanese.
Hawkers from Rawlins and Watkins visited homes in the Cottesloe area on a regular basis. They carried their own brands of groceries, toiletries and sometimes if you were lucky, they might even have spices for sale.
Shopping during the war was very different from today. Sometimes you had to queue at the grocers for rationed goods.
When Elsie visited McAllister's grocer, Mr. Mac would personally fetch things off the shelves for her as he would for any customer. An assistant would weigh her requirements for sugar, tea and flour, package it, check to make sure that she had not exceeded her ration allowance for that week and collect the required coupons from her. A boy on a push bike would deliver the goods to her door if they weighed above a certain amount (as determined by government regulations).
For those women who were unable to get to the shops, S J Luce, the proprietor of a shop under the cinema on Stirling Highway, had a man who traveled the district every week collecting orders for delivery.
The milkman, butcher and baker made regular deliveries to homes but once rationing was introduced the frequency of home deliveries by the butcher was reduced.
Some of these services were still provided by horse and cart rather than motor vehicles which were subject to petrol rationing.
Children could buy sweets at the corner shop opposite the Cottesloe School in Keane Street.
Sweets were laid out in glass containers and jars ready for individual selection. Dr Jim Graham recalls that you could buy quite a lot of sweets with one penny. He recalls also that you could buy an apple, a pear and a small bunch of grapes at Dennis and George's fruit shop in Napoleon Street for just three pence (3 cents).
Women in the army
During World War Two many people who normally worked on farms to produce food and other essential items joined the armed forces to fight the war.
The government had to find people to replace farm workers to be sure that people in Australia as well as those fighting overseas had adequate supplies.
The nationwide Women’s Land Army (WLA) was formed in July 1942.
Within two years there were about 3000 women working on farms in the country. Most WLA members worked full time. Their work was especially important in growing fruit and vegetables, the cotton industry, and on dairy and poultry farms.
The primary role of a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) member was that of nursing orderly in hospitals, carrying out menial but essential tasks – scrubbing floors, sweeping, dusting and cleaning bathrooms and other areas, dealing with bedpans, and washing patients.
Author: Unknown- contact me at sbniru@gmail.com with your details to get listed here
On 19 February 1942 mainland Australia came under attack for the first time when Japanese forces mounted two air raids on Darwin. The two attacks, which were planned and led by the commander responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbour ten weeks earlier, involved 54 land-based bombers and approximately 188 attack aircraft which were launched from four Japanese aircraft-carriers in the Timor Sea. In the first attack, which began just before 10.00am, heavy bombers pattern-bombed the harbour and town; dive bombers escorted by Zero fighters then attacked shipping in the harbour, the military and civil aerodromes, and the hospital at Berrimah. The attack ceased after about 40 minutes. The second attack, which began an hour later, involved high altitude bombing of the Royal Australian Air Force base at Parap which lasted for 20–25 minutes. The two raids killed at least 243 people and between 300 and 400 were wounded. Twenty military aircraft were destroyed, eight ships at anchor in the harbour were sunk, and most civil and military facilities in Darwin were destroyed.
Contrary to widespread belief at the time, the attacks were not a precursor to an invasion. The Japanese were preparing to invade Timor, and anticipated that a disruptive air attack would hinder Darwin's potential as a base from which the Allies could launch a counter-offensive, and at the same time would damage Australian morale. With Singapore having fallen to the Japanese only days earlier, and concerned at the effect of the bombing on national morale, the government announced that only 17 people had been killed.
The air attacks on Darwin continued until November 1943, by which time the Japanese had bombed Darwin 64 times. During the war other towns in northern Australia were also the target of Japanese air attack, with bombs being dropped on Townsville, Katherine, Wyndham, Derby, Broome and Port Hedland.
Conscription
In 1943 the issue of conscription arose.
As in 1916 and 1917, the government had the power to conscript men for home service, but not for overseas combat. 'Home', however, included New Guinea, where Australia had a protectorate, and therefore conscripted troops could be and were sent to the war front where they were needed most.
But as the Allies began to defeat the Japanese, the war front spread north, and there was a demand that Australian troops be able to go to the new areas which were outside the definition of 'home'. American conscripts were fighting in these areas so it seemed unfair that Australian conscripts should not also be compelled to fight there.
As in 1916 and 1917, all the government had to do was to change the Defence Act and it could achieve this; and, unlike the situation in 1916, Prime Minister Curtin knew he had the majority in both Houses to make this change.
He did not, however, push the measure through. Rather, he let the Australian Labor Party debate the issue, and come to their own decision which was to support the extension of areas where Australian conscripts could be sent to fight. This debate within the party allowed the opponents to be heard, but also showed how small a minority they were. This avoided a potentially ugly and divisive public brawl on the issue.
The Act was changed, the area where conscripts could be sent was extended - though still strictly limited - and it was all done with little opposition in the community.
Rationing
As part of the Curtin Government's 'Total War' strategy, certain foods began to be rationed in 1943. An important part of the Australian war effort was the provision of food to servicemen in our region, as well as the provision of food parcels to Britain. Rationed goods included tea, sugar, beef, pork and chocolate.
Rationing impacted more on some Cottesloe (Curtain's home town) families than others. In the war years Cottesloe was not as built up as it is today and many residents had large back yards which could be turned over to growing vegetables and raising hens, thus providing a steady stream of fresh vegetables and eggs.
Others had blocks big enough to support their own cow and supply themselves with butter, cream and milk.
Prior to the war most Australians ate large quantities of fried food and meat, drank strong tea and enjoyed sweet foods such as cake and biscuits. The government feared that rationing would result in deterioration in health on the home front but, in fact, the outcome was positive. Rationing resulted in a decline in diet related problems like obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Fish, sausages, chicken, ham and rabbits were not rationed. The "rabbit-o" walked the streets selling rabbits and skinning them for customers on the spot.
The fish monger came to the back door once a week and would scale and fillet the fish right there and then.
Recipes designed to cater for the lack of eggs, butter and meat appeared in newspapers and magazines on a regular basis.
The Women's Weekly interviewed Elsie Curtin during the war. She was happy to share her ration recipes and ideas for the austerity campaign with them.
Both she and John took the campaign very seriously and set an example to all householders.
Animal parts such as brains, livers and kidneys were more readily available than better cuts of meat during the war and formed a significant part of people's diets.
Hand mincers were well used kitchen appliances at this time. Elsie Curtin used hers to make one of her husband's favourite meals, shepherds pie, by mincing left over meat and combining the mince with stale bread and eggs.
Elsie was lucky that her family liked plain food because many spices, including pepper were not available during the war as these were imported from countries captured by the Japanese.
Hawkers from Rawlins and Watkins visited homes in the Cottesloe area on a regular basis. They carried their own brands of groceries, toiletries and sometimes if you were lucky, they might even have spices for sale.
Shopping during the war was very different from today. Sometimes you had to queue at the grocers for rationed goods.
When Elsie visited McAllister's grocer, Mr. Mac would personally fetch things off the shelves for her as he would for any customer. An assistant would weigh her requirements for sugar, tea and flour, package it, check to make sure that she had not exceeded her ration allowance for that week and collect the required coupons from her. A boy on a push bike would deliver the goods to her door if they weighed above a certain amount (as determined by government regulations).
For those women who were unable to get to the shops, S J Luce, the proprietor of a shop under the cinema on Stirling Highway, had a man who traveled the district every week collecting orders for delivery.
The milkman, butcher and baker made regular deliveries to homes but once rationing was introduced the frequency of home deliveries by the butcher was reduced.
Some of these services were still provided by horse and cart rather than motor vehicles which were subject to petrol rationing.
Children could buy sweets at the corner shop opposite the Cottesloe School in Keane Street.
Sweets were laid out in glass containers and jars ready for individual selection. Dr Jim Graham recalls that you could buy quite a lot of sweets with one penny. He recalls also that you could buy an apple, a pear and a small bunch of grapes at Dennis and George's fruit shop in Napoleon Street for just three pence (3 cents).
Women in the army
During World War Two many people who normally worked on farms to produce food and other essential items joined the armed forces to fight the war.
The government had to find people to replace farm workers to be sure that people in Australia as well as those fighting overseas had adequate supplies.
The nationwide Women’s Land Army (WLA) was formed in July 1942.
Within two years there were about 3000 women working on farms in the country. Most WLA members worked full time. Their work was especially important in growing fruit and vegetables, the cotton industry, and on dairy and poultry farms.
The primary role of a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) member was that of nursing orderly in hospitals, carrying out menial but essential tasks – scrubbing floors, sweeping, dusting and cleaning bathrooms and other areas, dealing with bedpans, and washing patients.
Author: Unknown- contact me at sbniru@gmail.com with your details to get listed here
posted by Niru at
1:49 AM
