D day 6 June 1944 - Why not just talk

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Originally Posted by Bigbjorn

Whoever called the British "Perfidious Albion" got it right. Two faced, double dealing, self interested, liars, cheats, etc. Just look at their history. How they treated friends and allies over the centuries.

All poms should remember that if not for the actions of Commonwealth troops in two World Wars German would be very widely spoken in Britain.

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Obviously spot on,....which is the reason for Britain entering WW11 in the first place, which was,..... to "honor "a treaty???.....maybe you didnt know that?.....Yeah right.
The reason why the "Allies" won WW11 was not all to do with Britain, ..., it was because of the U.S., don't care whether you agree with them, like them, I don't really care, because any realist would admit that we wouldn't have won without them, even though my mum said ( She endured the blitz, and lost family), they didn't come in until they were attacked. Joe Kennedy actually advised the U.S. not to support Britain, as they were going to lose.
Pickles.

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

I believe some of the returning full-time Aussie troops from Africa were sent to PNG to reinforce and relieve the battered irregular Aussies who had taken the brunt of the Japanese advance up the Kokoda trail.

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can you enlarge on this Mick? you believe or you know?

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Become prisoners of the Japs?

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Huh? How come no one has called YOU out for not using the term Japanese? [smilebigeye]

I recently had my fingers smacked for saying J*ps ffs.[bighmmm]


Double standards of that person I reckon. Yes yes, I remember who you are.

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Joe Kennedy actually advised the U.S. not to support Britain, as they were going to lose.

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Joe Kennedy was a *****.

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Originally Posted by ramblingboy42

can you enlarge on this Mick? you believe or you know?

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I read it in a history of the Kokoda Trail, but I gave the book away as a prize in a fund-raiser on here, so I don't have it handy to check.

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Originally Posted by Pickles2

they didn't come in until they were attacked. Joe Kennedy actually advised the U.S. not to support Britain, as they were going to lose.
Pickles.

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Some historians put forward the thesis that this was a combination of US wish to not get involved in Europes problems again and in Joe Kennedys case along with a normal American reaction to having broken free from the UK 1776 etc and all that involves (well english state at the time) an almost visceral loathing of the UKs treatment of Ireland over several centuries. every reaction has a basis on past and present experiences, something politicans quite often forget...
to use a phrase you reap what you sow......

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

I read it in a history of the Kokoda Trail, but I gave the book away as a prize in a fund-raiser on here, so I don't have it handy to check.

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First let's get one thing straight - it's the Kokoda TRACK, not trail.
The first time the Japanese suffered a defeat in their land campaign, was at Milne Bay. They landed from ships and attempted to capture the airfield.
They were beaten back to their boats by members of the 25th, 9th and 49th Battalions of the Royal Queensland Regiment, all CMF (Citizens Military Forces, forerunners to the current Army Reserve)

Following that defeat, the Japanese then attempted to cross the Owen Stanley Ranges via the Kokoda TRACK.

I'm currently bouncing up and down in a tractor, so I'm going by memory of the history of my old Battalion (25RQR)

Good onyer donh.:TakeABow::TakeABow:


I wondered when someone would pick up that point. Trail is U.S. Track is Australian.

The Kokoda “Track” or “Trail”? | The Australian War Memorial

I'm afraid the track vs trail is still up for debate. I always thought a trail was more for walking, as in hiking trail and track applied more to vehicles, as in cart track, railroad track.

Now onto another contentious subject, we are a minnow in a very big pond, see "The Brisbane Line" Brisbane Line - Wikipedia,

It seems despite the acrimony levelled at the British, even Australian military minds thought that not all of the country could be defended. "(Lieutenant-General Iven Mackay, had advocated that in the event of an invasion, the majority of available Australian forces be concentrated in the area between Brisbane and Melbourne, where most of the nation's industrial capability was located.)" and "In his memoir, Reminiscences, MacArthur claims that the Australian military had proposed designating a line roughly following the Darling River as the focus of defence during the expected Japanese invasion of Australia"

I think the northernmost pill-box for defence of the Brisbane line is located on Bribie Island.

Interesting & I was basing my post on the USA Appalachian Trail, not track, along the East Coast of the USA & as I recall the subject of Bill Bryson's book (his first i think ???) where he did this trail over a series of Weeks or weekends.

'Appalachian Track' doesn't quite cut it but as history seems to get changed at the drop of a hat these days anything is possible.

Appalachian Trail - Wikipedia

To me it has always been Track in PNG.

JDNSW may be a bit of an authority on this. having worked there for some years.

The "Brisbane Line" did indeed start at Bribie Is. and went west through Caboolture and on up to Wamuran and on to Kingaroy where a sealed Airfield was built,this being beyond the range of Jananese carrier aircraft,US supplied fighter aircraft were unloaded at Brisnane's Brett's Wharf and then assembled in igloo type hangers close by and towed to what is now the old Brisbane Airport,also modernised by the US Army Airforce where they were test flown and dispatched to the squadrons,I know this as my grandparents (mother's side) lived at Ascot.
Dad was up in the Islands serving.

Grandfather ex WW1 was recalled in 39 and as a Commissioned officer served first at "Frasers Paddock " aka Enoggera Barracks,then on to "Sommerville House" which was MacArthur's Headquarters until late 1945 when he returned to the USA.

cheers