 |
A 1943 map showing the range of bombing operations from bases in Australia...Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay clearly visible . The map surprisingly supplied information that stationed at Darwin, long range bombers could strike Japs as far north as Davao,Philippines. From a base on Cape York , enemy warships at Truk, the Carolines could be reached in five hours. If fully developed and supplied, the American air base at Guadalcanal could guard sea lanes for a radius of 1500 miles .
|
Interesting books and magazines with details of American and Australian soldiers and airmen based in North Australia during the Second World War have come our way . Of particular note is the January 1943 issue of the American National Geographic Magazine with a well illustrated article by roving photographer-writer Howell Walker -American Bombers Attacking from Australia .
While the text does not specifically mention places by name in Australia , the accompanying above map is full of place names . One photograph , below , shows 500lb bombs camouflaged by the distinctive magnetic anthills typical of the NT ; another photograph showing men digging a trench says it has to be in Queensland as it is in a cotton field , the only place where cotton is grown in that country .
After reaching Australia, Americans, Howell wrote , acquired the Aussie habit of drinking lots of tea , and liking it . "Their regular tea parties helped pass time while they were waiting for word to get going on the next mission," he continued . A local welfare room, run by friendly ladies supplied tea for a small charge , because it was hard to get during the war, but they donated all the bread for toast and sandwiches , and made cakes with their own hands .
The tearoom only admitted men in uniform at any time between 10 in the morning and 10 at night and American airmen could be found at the tables .
The superb pictorial coverage includes the above shot of a co-pilot who liked painting bombers, his art adorning an American officers' recreation room in Australia .
The Flying Fortress Tojo's Physic gets a special mention . Howell went on a six bomber raid on the Japanese base at Lae , New Guinea, during which they were attacked by Zeros . The caption on a photograph says it is of men in "the bush " lined up at a tent for a physical examination, far removed from a comfortable Australian town , in the wilderness camped in tents among gum trees, anthills and indelible red dust.
NOTE : Howell Walker came to the Northern Territory after the war , in 1948, on assignment for the National Geographic Society covering the American -Australian Scientific Expedition into Arnhem Land .
Lockwood logs in : Upon reading the above post , Melbourne journalist Kim Lockwood responded by saying he has the autograph of Howell Walker, obtained in the early 1950s, who was a regular visitor to the Top End . Kim also pointed out that the anthills in the wartime article were not of the so called magnetic kind . They were, he said , common-or-garden anthills .The magnetic variety have flat sides, with their sharp edges pointing to magnetic north and south,which no one had adequately explained, going on about the flat sides with east and west faces, soaking up the sun . These anthills occur mainly in the latitude of Adelaide River.
Lockwood logs in : Upon reading the above post , Melbourne journalist Kim Lockwood responded by saying he has the autograph of Howell Walker, obtained in the early 1950s, who was a regular visitor to the Top End . Kim also pointed out that the anthills in the wartime article were not of the so called magnetic kind . They were, he said , common-or-garden anthills .The magnetic variety have flat sides, with their sharp edges pointing to magnetic north and south,which no one had adequately explained, going on about the flat sides with east and west faces, soaking up the sun . These anthills occur mainly in the latitude of Adelaide River.
