VE Day

[Geoff Bannister]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Shaun Hately" 
<drednort at a...> wrote:

Shaun: 
> Speaking as a citizen of Australia, whose studied the history of 
> warfare, and particularly Australian attitudes to World War II over 
> the years, let me also point out to people that VE Day is quite a 
big 
> deal here in Australia as well - and I think very, very few people 
> would have any problem with the recent focus on VE Day, even if the 
> fact that the war was continuing elsewhere was pushed into the 
> background.
> 
> Now bear in mind that Australians have good reason to remember the 
> war in the Pacific as far more significant than the war in Europe. 
> Australia faced Japanese invasion. The Battle for Australia lasted 
a 
> full year. Australia's northern cities were bombed repeatedly - 
> nothing like the blitz that hit England, but nonetheless, Darwin 
> alone was bombed 64 times. Towns on the east coast were shelled. 
> Ships were attacked by submarine - and one was sunk - in Sydney 
> Harbour.
> 
> Australians were fighting in Africa and in Britain, and later in 
> Europe - but certainly for us, the main focus after 1941 was the 
> Pacific War.

Geoff:
May I say just for completeness, Shaun, that I was not ignoring the 
contribution made by Australian (and I think Canadian) troops. I was 
drawing conclusions between the European and US points of view.

Thank you for the details on attacks on Australia; I hadn't realised 
they were as extensive as you indicate.