Into Kakadu
Posts
Darwin Defenders by Lauren Smith
Servicemen who enlisted from my home town in Victoria were a part of what is known as the Darwin Defenders 19th Machine Gun ‘Gunners’ Battalion which was headquarters in Horsham. Through personal research and anecdotes I will explain a collective memory of their experiences and outlooks. These soldiers originated from Goroke, Victoria. Brooks, Arthur John Burns, Cecil James (also Z Force) Guthridge, Richard John (Z Hinch, Adrian Hinch, Howard Edgar Ingram, Max Kuhne, Walter Albert Maher, Arthur Thomas Mayvery, Charles Hallam McKinnon, DOuglas Fraser McPhee, Geoffrey Michael Nuzum, Lindsay Gordon Rask, Alan John Robinson, Ray Ernest Scott, Angus Keith (still alive) Scott, Ronald Darell Watts, John Lewis One of the men, Uncle Cecil Burns, was the first person to spot the Japanese zero’s flying toward Darwin on 19th February 1942. At the museum you will see a theatre that portrays the first zero’s coming in. A voice will say “I think the Japs are...
Allan Smith by Peter Cates
Our fantastic RSL SA delegate: Peter Cates Allan Scott SMITH was born in Chatswood , Sydney on the 02 July 1908 to Cecil and Norah Scott-Smith. He was married to Amelia Scott-Smith from Bega in New South Wales. Allan joined the Australian Merchant Navy on 26 August 1939 at the age of 30. He was a Third Officer in the Merchant Navy onboard the Hospital Ship, AHS Manunda which was anchored in Darwin Harbour when the bombing of Darwin occurred. Despite her highly prominent red cross markings on a white background, the Manunda received several hits in the first Japanese air-raid on Darwin on the 19 February 1942 . Initially Manunda received a near miss with shrapnel going across her decks. Then a bomb exploded on B & C Decks, causing extensive injuries amongst the staff. 12 members of the ship's crew and hospital staff were killed, 19 others were seriously wounded and another 40 or so received minor wounds. 3 rd Mate Allan Smith was among the injured. Fortu...
Museums and sites to tell the story
Our 6.30am morning walk - most students up early and into exercising whilst learning history. Today we visited the World War 2 Oil Tunnels, Goyder Park, Ross and Keith Smith Memorial, Darwin Aviation Museum and the Northern Territory Parliament House. A lot to learn and consider in relation to the settlement of Darwin, the Bombing of Darwin, the governance of the Northern Territory, aviation over the years and the spirit of adventure. Here are some pictures from this day of history and politics.
Putting the Bombing of Darwin story together
On the Darwin Harbour Cruise - learning about the Bombing of Darwin The 1941 gun emplacement at East Point Lunch at Subway in the Darwin CBD A chance meeting in the Darwin Mall with Dayle Lord - the travel consultant in Darwin who has done the bookings for our trip. It was great for the students to meet and thank Dayle for her amazing work on our behalf. Pizza dinner on the Esplanade
We are here! 2023 trip underway
After a quick change of plans due to a flight cancellation, we left Adelaide at 10.00pm on Saturday 15 April (instead of 8.00am on Sunday 16 April). Well done to Aaron for this amazing re-scheduling work all day yesterday - a marathon phone effort. We arrived in Darwin at 1.40am on Sunday morning and all were in rooms in H on Smith by 3.30am. We met for breakfast at 9.00am and then went on our first historic walk along the Esplanade in Darwin. Here are some early photographs. Ton ight we head down to Stokes Hill Wharf for dinner. All going well after an unexpected start to the tour! Our first history talk on Darwin Harbour at the USS Peary Memorial. The USS Peary was a US destroyer sunk by enemy air attack in Darwin Harbour on the 19 February 1942. 92 (although the information at the site says 88) servicemen died aboard the ship, the greatest loss of life on any of the ships sunk in the attack. Today visiting US naval ships still pay tribute to its fa...