Leslie Massey
Australia entered World War II when Britain declared war on Germany in September 1939. Australians fought in many theatres of the war, including Europe, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Greece, and the Pacific. They fought against Germany, Italy, Vichy France, and Japan. The Australian government raised a volunteer force, the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF), and sent divisions overseas to support Britain. Australian airmen fought with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Battle of Britain, and Australian troops participated in the defence of Britain throughout the war. In the Pacific, Australia fought against Japan, with Australian troops engaged in land battles in New Guinea, Borneo, and Bougainville. The war had a significant impact on Australia, with thousands of Australians losing their lives and many others contributing to the war effort on the home front.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Countries Australia fought alongside | Britain, New Zealand, Greece, United States |
| Countries Australia fought against | Germany, Italy, Vichy France, Japan |
| Battles | Battle of Britain, Battle of Cape Matapan, Battle of Crete, Battle of the Coral Sea, Battle of Midway, Battle of Milne Bay, Battle of Buna, Battle of Borneo |
| Notable units | Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Royal Australian Navy (RAN), 9th Division, 8th Division, 6th Division, 19th Brigade Group, 24th Brigade, 20th Brigade, 2/2nd Independent Company, 2/9th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Australian Artillery |
| Notable individuals | Wing Commander Ivan McLeod Cameron, Flying Officer John Tulloch Burrill Sadler, Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Edward Dunlop |
| Casualties | 30,000 Australians died, 65,000 wounded, 13,000 prisoners of war, 2,800 prisoners of war died |
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What You'll Learn
- Australians fought alongside the Allies against Germany, Italy, and Vichy France
- The Royal Australian Air Force and Navy defended Britain and fought in the Battle of the Atlantic
- Australian troops fought in North Africa, Greece, and Crete
- The Australian Army fought the Japanese in New Guinea, Borneo, and Bougainville
- Australian POWs were forced to build the Thai-Burma Railway Line
Australians fought alongside the Allies against Germany, Italy, and Vichy France
One notable early casualty was Wing Commander Ivan McLeod Cameron, who was serving with Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF). On September 28, 1939, his plane was shot down by a German pilot during a reconnaissance flight over Germany.
When Italy entered the war on Germany's side, sentiment in Australia turned against Italians, and thousands of Italian-Australians were interned during the war. Australian forces fought against Italian forces in Libya, Syria, and other Mediterranean regions.
Australia also fought against the Vichy French in Syria and Lebanon. This campaign was less well-known and overshadowed by other events, such as the exploits of the 'Rats of Tobruk', who held out against German panzers. The actions of the Australians in the Levant, however, contributed to the end of French colonial rule in the region, with Syria and Lebanon gaining independence in 1943.
While Australians fought against Germany, Italy, and Vichy France in various theaters, the country also had long-held fears that Japan would enter the war on the side of the Axis powers. This was realized when Japan entered the war in Malaya in December 1941, leading to the redeployment of Australian forces to the Pacific to face the Japanese threat.
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The Royal Australian Air Force and Navy defended Britain and fought in the Battle of the Atlantic
The Royal Australian Air Force and Navy played a significant role in defending Britain and its interests during World War II, including the Battle of the Atlantic.
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) contributed at least seven ships and hundreds of personnel to the Battle of the Atlantic, a prolonged campaign fought by Allied forces against German submarines targeting Allied convoys in the Atlantic Ocean. While largely remembered as a British-American operation, the Australian contribution was significant. RAN ships, including the heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, escorted convoys of merchant ships crossing the Atlantic, protecting them from German U-boats. The Australian ships operated from the west coast of South Africa to as far north as Bear Island inside the Arctic Circle.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) also served alongside the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Battle of Britain in 1940, with over 100 Australian airmen, including more than 30 fighter pilots, taking part. RAAF squadrons No. 10, No. 455, and No. 461 served with the RAF's Coastal Command, which was responsible for anti-submarine warfare, convoy escort, reconnaissance, and air-sea rescues in the Atlantic and along the coast of occupied Europe. Many Australian airmen lost their lives serving with the RAF, including Wing Commander Ivan McLeod Cameron, who was shot down over Germany in September 1939.
In addition to their role in the Battle of the Atlantic, the RAAF and RAN were involved in various theatres of the war, including Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific. Australian forces fought against German, Italian, Vichy French, and Japanese troops. The 9th Division, for example, saw heavy fighting in North Africa, suffering significant casualties. The RAN also participated in the defence of Greece, with HMAS Perth forming part of the naval force protecting Allied convoys and taking part in the Battle of Cape Matapan in March 1941.
The defence of Australia itself became a critical concern after the fall of Singapore in 1942, with the country now directly threatened by Japanese forces. The first air raid on the Australian mainland occurred in February 1942 when Darwin was bombed, resulting in the loss of 243 lives. The Battle for Australia, as it came to be known, saw the country prepare for a potential invasion with air raid precautions, manpower laws, and the establishment of camps and airfields for Allied forces.
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Australian troops fought in North Africa, Greece, and Crete
Australia entered World War 2 on the side of the British, declaring war on Germany in September 1939. The Australian Imperial Force was raised as a volunteer force, and several divisions were sent overseas to support Britain. Australian troops fought in North Africa, Greece, and Crete, among other places.
The 9th Division of the Australian Imperial Force stayed in North Africa until early 1943. They were involved in the Siege of Tobruk, which took place between April and November 1941. This siege was part of the Western Desert campaign (1940-1943) of the Second World War. The 9th Division was commanded by Lieutenant-General Leslie Morshead and was besieged in the North African port of Tobruk by German and Italian forces. The defenders became known as the Rats of Tobruk.
In 1941, German and Italian forces drove the Allies out of mainland Greece. Allied troops, including Australians, retreated to the nearby island of Crete, where they took up defensive positions. The Battle of Crete took place from May 20 to June 1, 1941. The Allied defenders consisted of Australian, New Zealand, British, and Greek troops. They fought against German paratroopers and mountain soldiers. Despite their bravery, the Allies were defeated, and most of the Allied force was evacuated to Egypt.
The Greek Campaign of 1941 was a brief but savage campaign. The Australians inflicted heavy losses on the German paratroopers. One German battalion lost more than two-thirds of its men. However, around 3,000 Australians were left behind in Crete, and most became prisoners of war. The war cemetery at Suda contains the graves of Australian soldiers who died in the campaign.
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The Australian Army fought the Japanese in New Guinea, Borneo, and Bougainville
In 1941, the Australian government sent forces to strengthen the British Empire's defences in Asia. These forces became part of the forward defences of Singapore, Britain's greatest naval base in the region. The protection of this base was of utmost importance as it guarded the sea between Australia and any enemy to the north. However, the fall of Singapore in February 1942 threatened the Commonwealth, the United States, and the entire English-speaking world.
The Japanese capture of Rabaul in New Britain in January 1942 brought the war closer to Australia. This was followed by the first-ever air raid on the Australian mainland, with Darwin bombed and 243 people killed. The Japanese aimed to isolate Australia from the United States by capturing Port Moresby, the colonial capital of Papua. They also intended to cut Australia off from America by advancing from their new base at Rabaul.
The Australian Army fought back against the Japanese in New Guinea, with the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942 being a significant engagement. The Japanese had intended to launch an amphibious operation from Buna, but MacArthur wisely chose not to attempt an occupation by paratroopers. Instead, the Japanese occupied Buna with an initial force of 1,500, eventually increasing their numbers to 11,430. The Australians held firm and began their counter-drive on 26 September, forcing the Japanese to retreat.
The Australian Army also fought in the Borneo campaign, which consisted of three stages. The second phase began on 10 June with assaults on the northwest coast of the island, including Labuan and Brunei. The third and final stage was the capture of Balikpapan on the central east coast. The Australian Army played a crucial role in liberating most of northwest Borneo by the end of the war.
The Bougainville campaign was one of the largest fought by Australian forces during World War II, with over 30,000 Australians serving on the island. The Australians engaged in bitter battles and vicious patrol clashes, proving themselves masters of jungle warfare by 1945. The campaign resulted in significant casualties, with over 500 Australians killed and thousands more wounded.
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Australian POWs were forced to build the Thai-Burma Railway Line
During World War II, Australia fought alongside the Allied Powers, which included Britain, New Zealand, and Greece, against the Axis Powers, primarily Germany, Italy, and Japan.
In the early years of the war, from 1939 to 1941, Australian soldiers, sailors, and airmen fought against the Germans, Italians, and Vichy French in Europe, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. Australia's involvement in the Mediterranean theatre included the defence of Greece and Crete, alongside British, New Zealand, and Greek forces.
Australia's primary concern, however, was the threat posed by Japan. As such, Australian forces were dispatched to reinforce British troops in Singapore and Malaya as early as February 1941. Despite these preparations, Japan's entry into the war in December 1941 and its rapid advance across the region posed a significant challenge to the Allies.
One of the most notorious episodes in Australia's war effort was the involvement of Australian prisoners of war (POWs) in the construction of the Thai-Burma Railway Line. From October 1942 to October 1943, approximately 13,000 Australian POWs were forced to work alongside other Allied POWs and local civilians to build a 415-kilometre railway linking Thailand and Burma.
The conditions these prisoners endured were horrific. They were subjected to relentless labour, inadequate rations, and the harsh environment of the malarial jungle. The Japanese guards were often cruel and indifferent to the prisoners' suffering. The construction of the railway resulted in a significant loss of life among the POWs and civilian labourers. Of the 13,000 Australian POWs, approximately 2,800 died during the construction, with over 18% of them perishing. Overall, the Thai-Burma Railway Line stands as a testament to the courage and resilience of Australian POWs in the face of extreme adversity.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia fought against Germany, Italy, and Vichy France in Europe, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Greece, Crete, and the Mediterranean. When Japan entered the war, they fought against them in the Pacific, including in New Guinea, the Huon Peninsula, and Borneo.
Yes, over 100 Australian airmen fought with the RAF during the Battle of Britain in 1940. Australian fighter squadrons also contributed to defending Britain from German air raids and, from mid-1944, V-1 flying bombs.
Yes, Australia was a member of the British Empire and fought alongside British troops in several theatres of the war. They also fought alongside New Zealanders in Greece and alongside American troops in the Pacific.
No, the first air raid on the Australian mainland occurred on February 19, 1942, when Darwin was bombed and 243 people were killed.
