PATRON: Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO Governor of NSW

COMMEMORATING THE DEEDS AND SACRIFICES OF OUR PREDECESSORS IN THE CENTURY OF ANZAC NEWSLETTER PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021 August / September2014

I invite readers to reflect on all of the Dramatically, the commencement of both CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE actions that we commemorate. Among World Wars in saw Fort Nepean those who gather at the Cenotaph will be (at Queenscliff Vic.) firing warning shots at those who experienced; took part; who German ships attempting to leave Australia. suffered; or wish to remember those who did. While no listing can be complete, I As we remember, whenever we gather, not would like to mention but a number of the only “all of those who served” but also events/actions that can be seen as part of those who waited, who lost loved ones and the Battle for Australia. A battle that who, by their efforts, made a considerable involved each of our three services and our sacrifice in the Defence of Australia. Merchant Navy, supported by all of those National organisations involved in the War. Thank you for your support to Battle of Australia activities and your contribution as Major activities that were the key elements we all seek to give substance to: of the Battle for Australia were: “We will remember them.” ● The Battle for Singapore-Malaya. Sincerely, Warren Glenny. AO RFD ED ● The campaigns across the island chain Major General (Rtd). Chairman, Battle for to our North, not limited to, but including, Australia Association. Major General Warren Glenny Timor, Rabaul and .

The nation now, and over the next four ● The (all three of our years, will commemorate the period that Services being involved) the losses of the A NURSE’S TALE saw Australia involved in WW1. A period RAN and RAAF, and subsequent bombing Sister Ewart and the 2/9th AGH in New Guinea that, by commitment and incredible of a number of our coastal towns. sacrifice, saw us develop a sense of identity Following her and emerge not only as a nation but also as ● The Sea battles and activities involving experiences one recognised on the World stage. The our Navy, including, but not limited to, during the end of WW1 had passed but 21 years when HMAS PERTH and HMAS SYDNEY. the nation was again challenged. WW2 Bombing of saw us facing challenges not only away ● The little-known battle around our Darwin, from our shores but immediately to Coast, as enemy submarines extensively (recorded in the North, within Australia and ultimately engaged our Merchant Navy. We a previous around our Coast. remember with sadness the loss of newsletter) Hospital Ship CENTAUR and more than 30 Sister Again we saw Australians rally to the Merchant ships that where lost to enemy Margaret nation, including many veterans of WW1 action off the Australian Coast. (Meg) Ewart who without hesitation again volunteered, went on joining all those who came forward to The War lost some of its remoteness when leave in May defend Australia. This time, war came Darwin was attacked and when Japanese 1942, after which she worked for a short th close to Australia and we as a nation submarines shelled Newcastle and Sydney time at the 119 AGH (Australian General experienced actions that then, but and mounted a major mini-sub operation Hospital) Concord. importantly now, we recognised as the against shipping in Sydney Harbour. “Battle for Australia”. During this posting Meg says… ‘I was sent with a member from each service to travel around the factories to tell of our war In August 1942 orders came for the men of exhaustion and their clothes in tatters. experiences (censored of course), which 2/9th AGH to move to Port Moresby. Medical patients far outnumbered the the Government hoped would encourage Because of the instability of the military wounded, almost ten to one, many had people to invest in the Austerity Loan situation the AANS sisters were not, at first dreadful malaria rigors, they were Bonds.’ permitted, to accompany the men. When debilitated and exhausted, with a variety of the men arrived they were taken to a site medical conditions including dysentery or Having never been required to do public ‘17 miles’ out of Port Moresby, near Rouna scrub typhus which caused semi- speaking, Meg found the experience rather Falls, and found all the hospital equipment consciousness and heart failure and daunting and a challenge. dumped in huge piles where in an area of required vigilant continuous nursing. Soon scrub had been burnt out. The hospital after the sisters arrived there were a large She continues her story… ‘On the 24th of site was long and narrow (because of the number of casualties from Buna, Gona and December 1942, having been posted as a hilly terrain) and spread out for over a mile. Sanananda, patient numbers soared to 826, reinforcement to 2/9th AGH, I boarded 2/1 In less than a fortnight the hospital was bringing a shortage of beds, so patients AHS (Australia Hospital Ship) Manunda admitting 46 patients per day. At the end had to be nursed on ambulance stretchers arriving in Port Moresby 29 December of three weeks the men had erected 11 under beds. 1942. The Kokoda Track Campaign was in tented wards and had 600 beds equipped; progress; all our wards were very busy. the establishment of a General Hospital. The arrival of the wet season did not help. The hospital had 1200 beds under canvas The 2/9th AGH was the only General Tents leaked, wards became ‘bogs’ and but at the time had 2000 patients, the Hospital in New Guinea at that time. beds sank into the mud at all angles. In overflow were on stretchers under the letters home the soldiers wrote that ‘the beds. It was a hectic time. The medical By October there were 732 patients. sisters in their grey uniforms made them wards were as busy as the surgical wards, Problems arose and were accentuated by feel that they must be in a safe area’, lots of all types of malaria, scrub typhus, the fact that the AANS sisters had not been which was good for morale. However the pneumonia, and dysentery. The ENT (ear- permitted to accompany the men. In grey uniform with starched veils, collars nose-throat) and Psychiatric wards were October a decision was made to send 68 and cuffs was unsuitable for New Guinea busy too. so the sisters were issued with army boiler suits and boots until grey On the 3 February 1943 the Sisters Safari Suits could be made. were admitted to the AIF with NXF numbers, and also given a rank. On By the end of 1942 there were over one occasion the Japanese bombers 2000 patients, 29 MO’s, seven other dropped their bombs on the hospital, Officers, 275 male other ranks, 112 fortunately no one was hurt. I was AANS sisters and three female sent on leave on November 10, 1943 physiotherapists in the hospital. In sailing on Canberra, and September 1943, 96 members of the disembarked in Cairns; it then took Australian Army Medical Women’s two weeks by troop train to reach Service (AAWMS) were sent to assist Sydney. I returned to 2/9th AGH the 2/9th. arriving December 21, 1943, and remained in New Guinea until April The 2/9th AGH was under the flight 24, 1944’… path of the Japanese bombers on- route to target airfields at 7 Mile or The 2/9th - known as ‘Seventeen the harbour. On one occasion Mile’ in New Guinea bombs dropped on the hospital, miraculously no one was killed. The With the rapid advance of the CO commented that the staff of the Japanese, between January and May 2/9th AGH were heavily overtaxed, 1942, it brought the threat of war and that the organisation would closer to Australia. In early March, break down unless reinforced, he the Japanese landed on the recommended that more northern shores of New Guinea, and accommodation be provided both in proceeded to advance over the hospitals and convalescent units. In Owen Stanley Ranges. In August January 1943 a second hospital, the the enemy was moving closer, with 2/5th AGH was established at large numbers of Australian and American AANS sisters to join the men. Bootless Bay near Port Moresby. In March troops arriving in Port Moresby. The six 1944 the 2/9th packed up and returned to They arrived on October 29 and started AANS sisters who were working at Murray Australia for rest before being sent to duty straight away. There was no time to Barracks in Port Moresby were sent back to Morotai between March and June 1945 for acclimatise and most found, at first, the Australia for safety. The first AANS sisters the Borneo Campaign. to return to New Guinea after this were heat oppressive and tiring. Although the those of the 2/9th AGH and the 2/5th CCS Japanese were being driven back the The great respect the doctors, sisters and (Casualty Clearing Station). troops had to fight the enemy in a new staff had for those gallant men who fought type of jungle warfare in difficult terrain, against such odds on the Kokoda Track, The 2/9th AGH along with other AGH’s and they also had to deal with an array of helped overcome many of the difficulties CCS’s returned from the Middle East during tropical diseases. This was compounded at ’17 Mile’. In October 1943 a group of February and March 1942 when the 6th by difficult casualty evacuation down the AANS sisters, who were on leave from New and 7th Divisions were withdrawn to Kokoda Track. By the time men reached Guinea, were invited by Major General V A th defend Australia. the 2/9 , they often had putrid fly-blown Vasey, Commander, and men of the 7th wounds, they were in states of extreme Division AIF, to lead their March of Honour 2 - Battle for Australia Assn. NSW Newsletter Aug./Sep. 2014 through Sydney. The 7th Division had just returned from New Guinea. For the AANS Sisters of the 2/9th, who had diligently nursed so many of these men who fought so gallantly over the Kokoda Track, it was a very moving experience.

Personal Interview with Sister Margaret Ewart AANS by Eileen Henderson RAANC (Ret)

NOTES: The Manunda (originally a costal passenger vessel) had been fitted out in 1939 as a DEM Ship, a defensively- equipped merchant ship, but later requisitioned by the Defence Department on 22 July 1940 and fitted out as an hospital ship).

The AANS (Australian Army Nursing Service) name came into use in 1909 but the nurses were referred to by their civilian titles as Staff Nurse, Sister or OUR SPEAKER Matron so when rank was conferred in Lynn was born and raised in Orbost, a 1943 it basically became LT, CAPT and small town on the mouth of the Snowy MAJOR. Initially most sisters became The speaker at the Battle for Australia Commemoration service this year will River. In 1965 he was conscripted into LT but with seniority and length of be long-serving NSW MLC, Charlie the Army and volunteered for active service some were promoted to CAPT. service in Vietnam the following year. MATRON was in charge of the Lynn. He has recently established Network Kokoda – a Foundation to After Vietnam he was selected for Hospital/CCS). nd develop a strategic plan for the Officer Training and graduated as a 2 Lieutenant in 1968. The final chapter of Meg’s story it is Kokoda Trail to be proclaimed as a National Memorial Park and to provide about Borneo… ‘The whole unit He later served with the ANZUK Force returned to Australia and was sent to health, educational and sporting assistance to the descendants of the in Singapore and as an exchange Tamworth, some of us were sent to 2/2 instructor in airborne logistics with the AGH and others 2/6 AGH at Atherton ‘Fuzzy-Wuzzy Angels’ who live along the track. Army. During his time to help for six months. Both units very with the US Army he completed the busy. He serves on the Board of the Kokoda Special Forces Military Freefall course, which involved high altitude, low We returned to our own unit October Track Memorial Walkway at Concord opening (HALO) tactical parachute 18, 1944. I was sent to Prince of Wales, and represents the Leader of the jumps from 7,000 metres at night. He Randwick for a couple of months, then Opposition as a Trustee of the Anzac completed 200 parachute jumps and to 103 AGH at Baulkham Hills until the Memorial Building in Sydney. was appointed Captain of the Fort Lee 2/9th reformed. In 1991 Charlie was asked to trek Parachute Display Team. On May 26, 1945 we embarked from across the Kokoda Trail with a view to He studied at the Army Command and Newcastle to go to Morotai: 2/5 and organising an event to commemorate th Staff College for a year and was then 2/9 AGHs looked after the casualties the 50 anniversary of the campaign. assigned to the 1st Brigade at from the Borneo Campaign, all under He later developed the Kokoda Holsworthy as the senior staff officer canvas and again very busy. Adventure Leadership Program for for Personnel and Logistics. He I was on night duty at the time Peace young executives from CRA (now Rio resigned with the rank of Major in was declared, in the acute surgical Tinto); the University of Western 1986 after 21 years’ service. ward, and felt so sad that these boys Sydney National Leadership Program; After leaving the Army he organised a should have been so badly wounded and the RSL Services Clubs Kokoda number of special events, which when it was so close to finishing. Soon Leadership Program. included the World’s longest, toughest after we were receiving men, women Since then, Charlie has led groups from and richest ultra-marathon, between and children from the prison camps, the Sydney Swans AFL team, Youth Sydney and Melbourne, caravan some of them I knew from the Bathurst safaris around Australia, the first Camp but didn’t recognise them - they Insearch, Camp Dare, the NSW Young Liberals and Father Chris Riley’s Youth Australian Youth Disabled Games, He were so frightfully thin their features off the Streets programs as part of was elected to the Legislative Council had altered. Some of us remained on as a Liberal Member in 1995. His term the Island to gradually evacuate all the their personal development initiatives. expires in March next year. patients and close the hospital’. 3 - Battle for Australia Assn. NSW Newsletter Aug./Sep. 2014 DARWIN’S WAR STORY – THE BOMBING

Darwin Military Museum

On February 19, 72 years ago, 242 Japanese aircraft attacked At Darwin, 205 bombers dropped 681 bombs weighing ships in Darwin's harbour and the town's two airfields, in an 114,100 kg., killing 235 people. The Japanese force consisted attempt to prevent the Allies from using them as bases to of four aircraft carriers, two heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, contest the invasions of Timor and Java. seven destroyers and three submarines.

The Defence of Darwin Experience at Darwin Military Eight ships were sunk, with the loss of most of the cargo Museum provides an “immersive, interactive, multimedia shipping available to support efforts in Java and the experience”, the story of Darwin's role in World War II. Philippines with Java being effectively sealed off from further surface shipments from Australia. The exhibition space includes the Bombing of Darwin Gallery, historic objects from that time, first-hand accounts and This followed the capture of Singapore by the Japanese and multimedia presentations. the largest surrender of British-led military personnel in history. The museum is surrounded by the other buildings and artifacts from World War II: artillery pieces; vehicles, About 80,000 British, Indian and Australian troops became uniforms, firearms, models and paintings and much more. A prisoners of war, joining 50,000 taken by the Japanese in the fully air-conditioned cafe and shop complement this earlier Malayan Campaign. presentation of Australia's north at war. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called the At Pearl Harbour, from the same Japanese force, 273 ignominious fall of Singapore to the Japanese the "worst bombers dropped 457 bombs (including 40 torpedoes) disaster" and "largest capitulation" in British military history. weighing 133,560 kg., killing more than 2,400 people.

4 - Battle for Australia Assn. NSW Newsletter Aug./Sep. 2014 GLANCE AT 2013

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