Did you know?

Whilst preparing an old fella’s affidavit, I discovered that Port Hedland was bombed by the Japanese during World War Two! Momentarily distracted by this revelation, as is my want, I stumbled onto this little summary of Japanese air attacks on Australia prepared by the National Archives. I noticed this interesting excerpt on the Japanese bombing of Darwin:

In the hours following the air raids on 19 February, believing that an invasion was imminent, Darwin's population began to stream southwards, heading for Adelaide River and the train south. Approximately half Darwin's civilian population ultimately fled. The panic in the town was repeated at the RAAF base, where servicemen deserted their stations in great numbers. Three days after the attack 278 servicemen were still missing. The exodus south (which later became known as 'The Adelaide River stakes'), and the looting and disorder which subsequently occurred, led the government to hurriedly appoint a Commission of Inquiry led by Mr Justice Lowe which issued two reports, one on 27 March and the other on 9 April 1942.

My first reaction was disbelief. I thought Australians were ready to fight tooth and nail. Isn’t that the Aussie digger spirit? Alas, we’re all human. It also got me thinking about another thing. It took the Japanese a matter of a few hours to make white fellas flee the north end. Something the black fellas have been trying, and have failed to do, for a lot longer. I guess, when you take something through violence, very often the only way you’ll give it back is when you taste your own medicine.