A nautical story

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The Japanese never intended to invade Australia - it was too big to garrison.

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But Mick, who knew that back then? That thinking only came later after it was all over red rover.

All of Oz was in a level of turmoil/panic & householders were digging air raid trenches in their back yards even down here in SA & I remember helping my dad dig ours in red clay ffs.
The midget subs had been causing strife & destroyed in Sydney harbour, subs were off our East & South Coasts & our schools were taking precautions with window protection & we kids had to have an Emergency Bag containing sugared sweets & a couple of bandages, (OT Barley Sugar in my case) & we were taught how to get down on the school floor immediately if an air raid started. Air Raid Sirens were set up on various local commercial buildings as well as Telephone Exchanges. Fire Spotter shacks had been set up on the tallest structures around eg. Picture theatres etc

No-one told us it wasn't for real & for us kids there was a certain element of excitement in the air.[bighmmm] No not the Japs, more like the smell of school kid ****.[smilebigeye]

Those decisions had been made by someone & probably in Canberra for the whole country but wouldn't have happened if it wasn't a real threat.

Did they really get to the ridge overlooking Morseby? I'm not sure about that but I have read somebody's comment that is what happened as I didn't think they ever got to the Southern end of the Kokoda Track at Owers Corner & you can't see Morseby from there & there would have been a right old 'skirmish' if they had.
Well, you couldn't the last time I looked & you can't even see Bomana War Cemetery. As far I can gather they were stuffed/knackered further back along the Kokoda Track & never made it that far.

Don't forget the bombing of Darwin and Broome. Certainly with 20/20 hindsight it is easy to see that invasion was a practical impossibility - but nobody thought that in 1942. After all they had invaded and captured "the impregnable fortress", Singapore, in a few days, sinking major capital ships with impunity; who was prepared to say what they could not do?

We had an air raid shelter, at home near Parramatta, although I was to young to remember it being dug. My father was air raid warden for our road, and I still have the sign off the front gate and his black helmet embellished with a 'W'.

I do remember the sirens being tested though.

I know it was feared at the time they would invade.
According to Paul Ham's Kokoda they got to the ridge, were ordered to retreat and the Jap officer in charge considered suicide in despair after all they had sacrificed, but went on and died anyway.
I remember seeing the remains of defences on the beaches and headland at Coffs Harbour port as a kid. There was a radio room, where Gough Whitlam served briefly, which is now a Cartoon Art Gallery, and concrete gunposts on the headland.
Plans were made to evacuate civilians to Dorrigo.

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Originally Posted by 4bee

But Mick, who knew that back then? That thinking only came later after it was all over red rover.

All of Oz was in a level of turmoil/panic & householders were digging air raid trenches in their back yards even down here in SA

Did they really get to the ridge overlooking Morseby? I'm not sure about that but I have read somebody's comment that is what happened as I didn't think they ever got to the Southern end of the Kokoda Track at Owers Corner & you can't see Morseby from there & there would have been a right old 'skirmish' if they had.
Well, you couldn't the last time I looked & you can't even see Bomana War Cemetery. As far I can gather they were stuffed/knackered further back along the Kokoda Track & never made it that far.

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In the early stages of the Kokoda campaign, most Australians were complacent about the War. To quote Paul Ham, in his book Kokoda , they were " too interested in political faction fighting and industrial disputes and fights to realise their country was in danger " [ Professor Clunies-Ross, on his return from London. ] Also " They congratulate themselves on having a record crowd at the Melbourne Cup, resist petrol rationing , the control of civilian spending , anything in fact that that interferes with the ordinary life of the community. " At the Sydney rugby league Grand Final, September 1942, 26,000 people watched the game while the Japanese Army stood at Ioribaiwa and gazed on the Coral Sea.

The early tactics of the Australians , who were heavily outnumbered , under the command of Brigadier Arnold Potts, was to carry out a fighting withdrawal over the Owen Stanleys. Inflicting as many casualties as possible, and retiring to fight again. To stand and fight would have resulted in annihilation. Blamey and MacArthur , both of whom had never been in New Guinea, insisted they stand and fight. They sacked Brigadier Potts, and sent him home in disgrace. Blamey's 'Rabbit ' speech to the troops who had fought the Japanese to a standstill, was perhaps the most disgraceful moment in the Australian Army's history. The fact that the first US Army unit to fight in New Guinea, at Buna, [ a poorly trained National Guard unit] dropped their rifles and ran at first contact with the Japanese, didn't help the mood, either.

That Pott's tactics were the correct ones was bought home by the fact the Japanese were starving, when they reached Ioribaiwa, their supply lines were too long, they had no aircraft for resupply [ Guadalcanal need all the Japanese aircraft available] they had no reinforcements available, and were ordered by their Emperor to retreat. The state of the Japanese soldiers rations is recorded by LT. Sakamoto, at Ioribaiwa. " Not a single grain of rice left. Taroes sufficient for only another day. From tomorrow we will have to chew grass or bark. "

Order issued by Eighteenth Army to Japanese troops, 10 December 1944, to clarify official position on cannibalism. " Those who have consumed human flesh --- EXCLUDING THAT OF THE ENEMY-----will be sentenced to death for committing the worst possible crime against humanity " Excluding that of the enemy. Australian troops came across Australian bodies that had been cut up to eat. It was from this point no Jap prisoners were taken. And the stage was set for the next part of the campaign, in Papua. It was to be one of the bloodiest and terrible campaigns of the War.

Maybe it was a Paul Ham comment I read?

Must get that book.


Never having heard of "The Rabbit Speech" I went looking, & came across this interesting article.

https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php't=108903


Aussies were trying to live with this war thing & yet our Generals were having a personality spat.[bigsad]

Right, now back to looking for the rabbit speech.[bighmmm]

Yes, Paul Ham's Kokoda is the best I have read on the subject. Another book I recommend is " the path of infinite sorrow" the Japanese on the Kokoda track. By Craig Collie and Hajime Marutani. Now, run rabbit run.

Run Rabbit

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