Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Just under 6 years of my fathers life went into WW2.
He did coastal gunnery training initially. Sent to New Guinea as a camouflage layer in the northern coastal bases, and back Port Moresby where he was in Stores.
He never did claim to be be close to the enemy but endured the ongoing bombing in Port by the Japanese. Among his anecdotes to me were the bombing of the coastal freighter Macdhui and had been on the Malaita a few months before it was sunk by torpedoes. He said going back to Australia was fraught with attack at any moment by Japanese aircraft initially and subs further South., but everyone just thought of seeing their families. He was good friends with an anti aircraft gunner Jack Campbell who told him of the frustrations of not having Bofors AA batteries that could reach up to the bombers. But one night they arrived and were installed and on later bombing raid caused much joy amongst the men who could see the effect on the Jap' formations. He also mentioned the bravery of our Air Force pilots, who had little chance against the numbers of the Jap' fighters and fighter/bombers but their sacrifice meant a huge amount to the Port fortress. Similar to the big AA guns was the secretive bringing in of the latest Kittyhawks and a few Spitfires that made bombing raids less attractive to the Japanese. His greatest admiratuion was directed at the Beaufighter and Kittyhawk pilots who attacked the Jap's at Milne Bay, and of course the boys on the Kokoda Trail. Among whom was his future brother-in-law Pat' Pauling. Dad was forever grateful to the USA and while he had some derogatory opinions of their willingness to take on the Jap's in the air, it was their Navy that saved Australia. He took a lifelong hatred of the Japanese after his best mate was beheaded by the Japs', in what was later found to be wanton slaughter of several captured diggers. He became an active member in the RSL and awarded Life Membership to the RSL Australia.