Books

AIRCRAFT OF THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE

Big Sky Publishing Pages: 609, in hardcover RRP: $49.99 ISBN: 9781922488039

As the RAAF commemorates one hundred years since its formation, it is fitting to look back at the multitude of aircraft which have been in service during this time. From the first wooden and canvas de Havilland DH9As gifted from the British Government in 1920, to the recent arrival

THE MUSIC MAKER OF AUSCHWITZ IV

Author: Jaci Byrne Big Sky Publishers Pages: 264 in paperback RRP: $29.99 ISBN: 9781922387820

The inspirational true story of an Allied POW appointed Kapellmeister to the Nazis in Auschwitz. When called up to fight in yet another World War, Drum Major Jackson promised his beloved wife Mabel that he would return to lead his band and play for her once more. In May 1940, he was captured at Dunkirk and interned in several German forced labour camps throughout Poland. Two years later he was transferred to Auschwitz IV, part of the notorious concentration camp complex where it is not widely known held Allied POWs. When his captors appointed Jackson their ‘Kapellmeister’ (man in charge of music), he seized the opportunity to provide entertainment for his fellow prisoners at rehearsals, and cover for escapees during concerts. Finally liberated in May 1945, malnourished and gravely ill, Jackson carried his secret war diary—an incredible exposé on five years of life and death in Nazi concentration camps. Based on Jackson’s diary and written by his granddaughter. A stirring account of resilience.

of the 5th generation F-35 Lightning II, Aircraft of the Royal Australian Air Force provides comprehensive insight to each of the 150 unique aircraft types which have helped posture the RAAF as a responsive, agile and potent force in shaping Australia’s strategic environment. Each aircraft type is categorised into its ‘A’ series number, including technical data plates and a broad range of photos. This book will largely appeal to aviation and military history enthusiasts. An extensively researched, detailed and expertly compiled history of Australian military aviation through the ages. A definitive reference source and valuable addition to any collection, which will be highly sought after especially during this centenary year of the Air Force.

MASTERS OF THE AIR

How The Bomber Boys Broke Down The Nazi War Machine

Author: Donald L Miller Penguin Books Pages: 688 in paperback RRP: $19.99 ISBN: 9781529107883

Meet the Flying Fortresses of the American Eighth Air Force, Britain's Lancaster comrades, who helped bring down the Nazis. Historian and World War II expert Donald Miller brings us the story of the bomber boys who brought the war to Hitler's doorstep. Unlike ground soldiers they slept on clean beds, drank beer in local pubs, and danced to the swing music of the travelling Air Force bands. But they were also an elite group of fighters who put their lives on the line in the most dangerous role of all. Miller takes readers from adrenaline filled battles in the sky, to airbases across England, German prison camps, and onto the ground to understand the devastation faced by civilians. Drawn from interviews, oral histories, and American, British and German archives, an authoritative, deeply moving and important account of the world's first and only bomber war. Soon to be a major television event from Apple TV and Steven Spielberg, companion to Band of Brothers and The Pacific.

AUSTRALIA’S GREATEST ESCAPES Gripping Tales Of Wartime Bravery

Author: Colin Burgess Simon & Schuster Publishers Pages: 320, in paperback RRP: $24.00 ISBN: 9781760854294

Australia’s Greatest Escapes is a collection of stories about the most hazardous aspect of the prisoner of war experience – escape. Here is all the adventure, suspense and courage of ordinary Australians who defied their captors; men who tunnelled to freedom, crawled through stinking drains, or clawed a passage beneath barbed wire in a desperate attempt to flee captivity. Featuring stories of Australian POWs from all theatres of war, including one who fled a German work camp during World War I, another involved in a mass tunnel escape from a notorious Italian camp, and an airman who brazenly attempted to steal a German fighter and fly back to England. We also re-live the tragic saga of the Sandakan death marches in which six Australian escapers became the only survivors from 2000 POWs, and follow the perilous journeys to freedom undertaken by Australian infantrymen following the appalling massacre of their fellow soldiers on the Japanese-held island of Ambon. A great read about the fight to be free.

DARWIN MILITARY MUSEUM-

Fascinating History on Display

The Darwin Military Museum, located at East Point Reserve, shares the incredible stories of Northern Territory’s wartime history, including Darwin’s crucial and often forgotten role in World War II.

A must-do for every history buff and family, the Museum hosts a unique and vast collection of artefacts, from uniforms to bunkers, weaponry, photographs, and interactive displays.

Museum's History

The Darwin Military Museum was opened in August 1969, highlighting Australia’s military history. The first museum in Darwin, it includes the original concrete command post bunker used by the Australian army in WWII and one of the two 9.2-inch gun emplacements.

In the 1930s, Darwin was an important strategic military base in Australia’s line of defence and the government was heavily investing in its wartime facilities. In August 1932, a workforce of labourers and prisoners from Fannie Bay Gaol began constructing ‘Fortress Darwin’ at East Point Reserve, which proved to be a long and challenging project. The first of the 6-inch guns, defences to protect the Port of Darwin, were installed in January 1933, and over the next four years, support buildings including observation towers, radio communications buildings and a narrow-gauge railway to deliver shells to guns on the front line were constructed. Installation of the two 9.2-inch gun emplacements at East Point began in May 1941 with work continuing until the first Japanese air raid on 19 February 1942, an event now known as The Bombing of Darwin.

During WWII, neither the 6-inch or 9.2-inch guns fired ‘a shot in anger’ as the Japanese air raids on Darwin ceased in November 1943. At the time, the 9.2-inch gun emplacements were not completed, with emplacement number one finished in 1944 and emplacement number two in 1945. The 6-inch guns were not anti-aircraft guns and as such, proved ineffective in engaging an enemy who flew too high and too fast. Also, no Japanese surface ships sailed close enough to the Darwin coast to be in range of the 6-inch guns.

In the years following the war, East Point was largely abandoned as a military establishment and went through a period of neglect and vandalism until the mid-1960s.

In 1968, Lieutenant Colonel Jack Haydon and members of the Royal Australian Artillery Association of the NT (RAAANT) acquired the lease of land at East Point from the Commonwealth Government. Throughout 1968 and 1969, the RAAANT accumulated a collection of war memorabilia and military equipment to open the Darwin Military Museum, which at the time was known as the East Point Military Museum. Since 1969, the Association has continued to grow the collection and now holds over 3000 items, although not all are on display.

Bombing of Darwin

The Bombing of Darwin is an extraordinary but often forgotten chapter in Australia’s wartime history.

Just before 10am on 19 February 1942, 188 Japanese aircrafts bombed Darwin’s harbour, town and airfield, marking the first and largest foreign attack ever mounted on Australian shores. Unfortunately, the air raid sirens were sounded too late to give warning. The second wave of Japanese aircraft struck Darwin at midday. An astonishing 150 bombs (82,050 kgs of explosives) were dropped on Darwin, killing 236 allied service personnel and civilians, 128 of whom were US military personnel.

From that day until the last raid on 12 November 1943, the Northern Territory was bombed over 70 times. During this time, the Top End community rallied together to support the war effort, with men serving actively in the war and women volunteering at military hospitals, camps and assisting with day-to-day roles.

Often referred to as ‘Australia’s Pearl Harbour’, the Bombing of Darwin changed the city forever.

Museum Highlights

The Darwin Military Museum has a broad array of fascinating wartime

artefacts which tell the story of Australia’s wartime efforts, from the Boer War in 1899 to WWII, the Vietnam War and modern conflicts, including Australia’s involvement in Afghanistan.

The Museum’s vast collection includes weaponry, uniforms of Australian, Allied and opposing soldiers, wartime photographs, propaganda pieces and the Defence of Darwin Experience which brings the Bombing of Darwin to life in an innovative, audio-visual format.

Outside in the gardens, visitors will find an impressive range of wartime vehicles and larger artillery pieces on display, from a Portuguese cannon to a 105mm Howitzer that saw action in Vietnam.

Defence of Darwin

In February 2012, as part of the 70th commemoration of the Bombing of Darwin, the Defence of Darwin Experience was launched. Exclusive to the Darwin Military Museum, this is a powerful and interactive audio-visual journey that captures the devastation behind the Bombing of Darwin in February 1942. In the air-conditioned theatre, visitors watch a short yet intense, 12-minute film that recounts the attack and shares first-hand accounts of survivors, using actual footage from the event.

The experience is also accompanied by an App, which offers further information, images and a guide for visitors visiting the Museum and wishing to learn more about the Top End’s WWII experience. Visitors can record their family story or response to the exhibition at the Story Share booth, continuing the conversation about the events of that fateful day in 1942.

Events

The Museum exhibits unique displays dedicated to historical events throughout the year including a special display on the Bombing of Darwin Day, on the 19th February every year.

The museum holds its Annual Military Muster, which remembers Australia’s participation in international conflicts, in August every year. In 2021, the Museum will also be celebrating 100 years of the Royal Australian Air Force and 150 years of RAAF Artillery – a momentous milestone for Australian military history.

KEY INFO

The Darwin Military Museum recommends guests to allocate 1.5 hours for their visit. There is also a fully air-conditioned café and gift shop on-site. Tickets: Free for children under five, $10 for children (5-15 years), $20 for adults. Pensioner concessions apply. Usual opening hours: 10:00am to 3:30pm, Monday to Sunday. The museum is closed on Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. Opening hours during Dry Season: 9:30am to 5:00pm No bookings are required unless for large groups. Darwin Military Museum, 253 (Lot 8158) Alec Fong Lim Dr, East Point NT 0820 Phone: (08) 8981 9702 info@darwinmilitarymuseum.com.au www.darwinmilitarymuseum.com.au