Lyla Lindsey
John Wayne, the American actor known for his roles in Hollywood Westerns, did indeed fly to Australia. He arrived in Brisbane, Australia, in 1943, during World War II, to entertain American troops. He was accompanied by Miss Vikki Montan, an accordion player and vocalist, and Benjamin DeLauche, a baritone. Wayne told reporters that he had no special act and hoped that his appearance would entertain the troops.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| John Wayne's visit to Australia | John Wayne visited Australia in 1943 to entertain American troops |
| Date of arrival | 29 December 1943 |
| Cities visited | Brisbane, Sydney |
| Travel companions | Vikki Montan (accordion player and vocalist), Benjamin DeLauche (baritone) |
| Purpose of visit | Entertainment for US troops, inspiration from Joe E. Brown's experience |
| Activities | Broadcast on national radio during "The Allied Hour", visited a military hospital, attended horse racing at Albion Park |
| John Wayne Airport | Located in Orange County, renamed from Orange County Airport on 20 June 1979 |
| Airport facilities | Two runways, international flights to Mexico and Canada, nonstop flights to various US cities |
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What You'll Learn
John Wayne's flight to Australia during World War II
John Wayne did fly to Australia during World War II, arriving in Sydney on 29 December 1943, accompanied by Miss Vikki Montan, an accordion player and vocalist, and Benjamin DeLauche, a baritone. The group gave a broadcast through the national radio network on the night of 31 December 1943 during "The Allied Hour" segment. John Wayne told Brisbane reporters that he had been inspired to visit the Southwest Pacific area by Joe E. Brown and his praise of the hospitality he had received.
Wayne's happiest memory of Australia was when Dr. Power and his family welcomed them to his home and took them to the Albion Park races in Brisbane. He also recalled learning that horse racing "was the baseball of Australia".
Before his trip to Australia, Wayne had applied for a position with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) on 2 August 1943 but was unsuccessful. He had tried to join John Ford's OSS Field Photographic Unit, which made documentaries for the Navy Department. However, the navy and marine allotments for Ford's unit were filled.
Wayne's trip to Australia during World War II was not without controversy. He was labelled a 'draft dodger' for choosing not to enlist and instead remaining in Hollywood to further his acting career. His decision to entertain troops in Australia and the Pacific Islands as a civilian in his mid-30s was met with boos from combat veterans in the audience.
Wayne went on to make several films set during World War II, including "The Longest Day", "They Were Expendable", and "Sands of Iwo Jima".
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John Wayne's arrival in Brisbane, Australia
John Wayne, the popular American actor, arrived in Brisbane, Australia, in December 1943. He had set out on an entertainment tour of the South Pacific and Australia with the American United Services Organisation (USO). Wayne travelled to Brisbane with Miss Vikki Montan, an accordion player and vocalist, and Benjamin DeLauche, a baritone.
Wayne told Brisbane reporters that he had been inspired to visit the Southwest Pacific area by Joe E. Brown, who had spoken highly of the hospitality he had received and the pleasure of bringing gaiety to the lives of boys in forward areas. Wayne said:
> "Joe was so full of praise of the hospitality he had received here, and the pleasure it gave him to bring some gaiety into the lives of the boys in forward areas, that I rushed off and volunteered for entertainment service. Guess I'm gonna like it too."
Wayne also told reporters that he had learned that horse racing "was the baseball of Australia". He shared that his happiest memory of Australia was when Dr. Power and his family welcomed them to his home and took them to the Albion Park races in Brisbane.
Wayne's visit to Brisbane was part of a larger trip to the Southwest Pacific area during World War II. He had applied for a position with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in 1943 but was unsuccessful. There are speculations that despite not officially enlisting in the OSS, he was on a secret mission for Colonel William Joseph Donovan, the head of the OSS. Wayne's role was allegedly to collect information on officers and enlisted men, specifically those serving under General Douglas MacArthur in the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA). However, he never got the opportunity to meet MacArthur, which may have been a deliberate move on MacArthur's part.
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John Wayne's visit to Cairns Airfield, Australia
John Wayne, the American actor and popular icon, visited Cairns Airfield, Australia, in January 1944. Wayne had embarked on an entertainment tour of the South Pacific and Australia in December 1943 with the American United Services Organisation (USO). He was accompanied by Miss Vikki Montan, an accordion player and vocalist, and Benjamin DeLauche, a baritone.
Wayne told Brisbane reporters that his inspiration for visiting the Southwest Pacific area was fellow actor Joe E. Brown, who had spoken highly of the hospitality he had received and the pleasure of bringing cheer to the boys in the forward areas. Wayne himself told reporters, "I'm here to entertain the troops. I have no special act but hope to get by on appearances."
On Christmas Day, Wayne spent four hours at a military hospital near Brisbane, signing autographs and chatting with patients, many of whom had been wounded in New Guinea. He also gave a broadcast through the national radio network on the night of 31 December 1943 during "The Allied Hour" segment.
At Cairns Airfield, Wayne was photographed with two girls from his entertainment troupe and members of the USA Travel or USA Post Office Staff. Hollywood star Carol Landis and Charles Wilfred "Charlie" Lonnon, one of the early skippers of the U.S. Army Small Ships Section, were also part of the group. Charlie had obtained a lift with John Wayne's party from New Guinea to see his family in Cairns. Glenda Wilcox, a WAAF attached to the 25 Operational Base Unit (23 OBU) in Cairns, recalled Wayne's arrival: "He looked like a big lanky kid dressed up in khaki and was walking and growling about some delay."
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John Wayne's trip to Sydney, Australia
John Wayne arrived in Sydney, Australia, on 29 December 1943. He had travelled from Brisbane with accordion player and vocalist Miss Vikki Montan and baritone Benjamin DeLauche. The group gave a broadcast through the national radio network on the night of 31 December 1943 during "The Allied Hour" segment. Wayne told reporters that he had learned in Brisbane that horse racing "was the baseball of Australia".
His happiest memory of Australia, he said, was when Dr Power and his family welcomed them to his home and took them to the Albion Park races in Brisbane. "I had the feeling," he said, "that I had just gone to some friend's home in America. It was just like going from one town to another at home—not like being in a far-distant land."
Wayne and his entertainment troupe then left Sydney and headed off to New Guinea and the islands to entertain the troops in the many camps. He was in Australia to entertain American troops, telling reporters that his stage performance for the tour was not overplanned: "I'm here to entertain the troops. I have no special act but hope to get by on appearances."
On Christmas Day 1943, Wayne spent four hours at a military hospital near Brisbane. A few days later, on 27 December, he made an appearance at Albion Park Raceway at Breakfast Creek, Brisbane.
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John Wayne's application to the OSS Field Photographic Unit
John Wayne, the famous Hollywood star, had applied for a position with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) on 2 August 1943. He had tried to join John Ford's OSS Field Photographic Unit, which was headed by Commander John Ford, USNR. Ford was a renowned Hollywood film director who had been commissioned a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Naval Reserves in 1934.
A secretary at Roberts and Olson Wayne's Republic Studios recalled typing a letter in the spring of 1943 inquiring about openings in Ford's unit. A reply from a navy official was received in May 1943, stating that the navy and marine allotments for Ford's unit had been filled. However, the letter also indicated a possibility of joining the unit under the US Army's allotment. Wayne secured the application but then apparently knocked it back.
Wayne was exempted from military service during World War II due to his age (he was 34 at the time of Pearl Harbor) and family status, classified as 3-A (family deferment). Despite this, he had expressed a strong desire to enlist and repeatedly wrote to John Ford, inquiring about joining his military unit. However, Wayne kept postponing his enlistment, wanting to finish "just one or two pictures" before enlisting. Republic Studios was resistant to Wayne's enlistment, with Herbert J. Yates, President of Republic, threatening a lawsuit if Wayne walked away from his contract.
Despite not officially enlisting in the OSS, Wayne travelled to Australia and New Guinea in December 1943 with the American United Services Organisation (USO) on an entertainment tour. It is believed that Wayne was on a secret mission for Colonel William Joseph Donovan, the head of the OSS. His role was to collect information on officers and enlisted men serving in the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA), specifically about General Douglas MacArthur, who went out of his way to prevent the OSS from operating in his theatre of war.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, John Wayne flew to Australia in 1943.
John Wayne flew to Australia to entertain American troops. He was inspired to make the trip by Joe E. Brown, who spoke highly of the hospitality he received and the pleasure it gave him to bring some gaiety into the lives of the boys in the forward areas.
John Wayne spent time with troops in hospitals and entertained them with his performance. He also visited the Albion Park Racecourse in Brisbane and gave a broadcast through the national radio network during "The Allied Hour" segment.
