30 OCT 1918: World War I and an Armistice is in place with Turkey The Armistice signed with Turkey, is enacted today ending Turkish involvement in the First World War. Australian troops had taken a prominent part in the war against the Ottoman empire, especially on Gallipoli and in Sinai-Palestine. The Armistice of Mudros (Turkish: […]
2017
Battle of Chongju
29-30 OCT 1950: Korea, and the Australians reach Chongju. Australian troops of the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, reach Chongju, the most northerly point of their advance into North Korea. In two days fierce fighting against determined North Korean opposition the Australians clear ,27BDE and the surrounding ridges. After leaving Kujin, the 27th Brigade, led […]
Conscription in World War I
28 OCT 1916: World War I and the first conscription referendum is held. Dismayed by heavy losses at Fromelles and Pozières on the Western Front, Prime Minister Billy Hughes proposed that conscription be introduced for overseas service. The proposal was defeated, despite Prime Minister Hughes proposing raising the numbers needed to maintain Australian troops at […]
China Enters Korean War
27 OCT 1950: Korea, and the Chinese enter the Korean War. Having secretly moved at least 180,000 men into North Korea, Chinese forces began attacking south, surprising UN Command. The battle of Pakchon marked the furthest point that the Australians reached into North Korea. It was also the first time Chinese forces were encountered in […]
PTE Percy Gratwick, VC
25-26 OCT 1942: World War II and WX10426 Private Percival Eric Gratwick, 2/48th Battalion, originally from Katanning, Western Australia, earns the Victoria Cross at El Alamein, Egypt. Percy Gratwick was a 38-year-old former gold prospector from Western Australia. Gratwick was born in Katanning, Western Australia on 19 October 1902, the fifth son of the local […]
Japanese Run at Eora
24 OCT 1942: World War II at Eora Creek, on the Kokoda Trail. The 16th Brigade, 7th Division, continued to drive the Japanese back along the Trail but met heavy resistance at Eora Creek in late October. The 16th Brigade commanded by Brigadier John Lloyd made up of the 2/1, 2/2, 2/3 Battalion. The Japanese […]
SGT William Kibby, VC
23-31 OCT 1942: World War II and SX7089 Sergeant William Henry Kibby, 2/48th Battalion, originally from Durham in the United Kingdom, earns the Victoria Cross at the battle of El Alamein, Egypt. William Kibby arrived in Australia from Britain with his parents in 1914. He was a 37-year-old family man when he enlisted in 1940. […]
The Battle of El Alamein Begins
23 OCT 1942: World War II and the Battle of El Alamein begins. El Alamein, in Egypt, one of the turning point battles of the Second World War, began with a massive artillery bombardment preceding attacks by British and Australian divisions. On the night of 23 October 1942, a massive artillery barrage heralded the great […]
Battle of the Apple Orchard
22 OCT 1950: Korea, and today sees the Battle of the Apple Orchard at Yongju. Kapyong and Maryang San in 1951 are the two better-known Australian battles of the Korean War. However three less well-known battles occurred the year before, in the early months of the war, when 3 Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) established […]
CPL James Ronald Sewell, GM
22 OCT 1946: Post World War II and NX73515 Corporal James Ronald Sewell, 10th Australian Bomb Disposal Platoon, British Commonwealth Occupation Force, was awarded the George Medal for his rescue of Japanese survivors after an explosion in a boat carrying high explosives. Australians were allocated the largely rural and severely devastated prefecture of Hiroshima. Huge […]
