On 12 FEB 1942 the Sarawak royal yacht Vyner Brooke left Singapore just before the city fell to the Imperial Japanese Army. The ship carried many injured service personnel and 65 nurses of the Australian Army Nursing Service from the 2/13th Australian General Hospital, as well as civilian men, women and children. The ship was […]
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The Fall of Singapore
15 FEB 1942: World War II and the fall of Singapore. Over 15,000 Australians were taken prisoner after the Japanese had bombed the city and captured Singapore’s reservoirs and pumping stations. The bombing, fighting and heavy shelling continued; many of the troops, separated from their units, wandered around aimlessly and the hospitals were crowded and […]
OP Coburg During TET
The Australians began an intensive patrol program in AO Columbus and were soon fighting up to platoon-sized Viet Cong units in a series of bunker complexes. Between 25–29 January the Australians conducted reconnaissance-in-force operations and a series of minor patrol clashes followed up to the end of January. On 26 January B Company, 2 RAR/NZ […]
Tet Offensive Kicks Off In RVN
The Tet offensive begins in Vietnam today, in 1968. While the Tet Offensive, named for Tet, the Vietnamese lunar new year holiday period over which the attacks occurred, was a military defeat for the Communist forces it proved to be a propaganda victory accelerating the American public’s growing opposition to the war and causing United […]
Japanese Attack Ambon
Australia’s ‘Gull Force’ along with some 2,600 Netherlands East Indies troops fought in defence of Ambon but were unable to defeat the Japanese invasion of the island. From 6 January onward, Ambon was attacked by Japanese aircraft. Allied aircraft made some sorties against the approaching Japanese fleet, with little success. On 13 January, the two […]
EX Boss Lift Soon
In the jungles of Malaysia, 19 Australian senior executives from private and public organisations will receive a taste of life in the Army Reserve during Exercise Boss Lift 2019. Exercise Boss Lift is a Department of Defence program designed to show employers the training, skills and experience that the Australian Defence Force Reserve service provides. […]
EX Red Flag To Test RAAF
Flight Lieutenant Emma Hazelton, Number 6 Squadron Aviation Medical Officer at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, during Exercise Red Flag 18-1. The Air Force has deployed more than 370 personnel and eight aircraft to participate in the world’s most complex air warfare training at Exercise RED FLAG Nellis 19-1 in the United States. Air Commander […]
Paint Perfection’s Reward
Soon after posting into No. 36 Squadron, Corporal Kelvin Green noticed a problem with the C-17A Globemaster’s paint. “I look at every aircraft in detail – I can spot a repair and can tell if paint is not going to last,” he said. Corporal Green noticed paint was delaminating about three months after returning from […]
Boardings At Sea Succeed
Boardings at sea are key to Australian warships achieving counter-piracy, counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics missions. The capability, which is as old as navies themselves, allows a small team from the ship’s company to board a suspect vessel while under way to verify its registry, status and cargo. Royal Australian Navy Lieutenant Sam Hicks leads one of […]
Villa Gusti Pact Signed
3 NOV 1918: World War I and an Armistice with Austria-Hungary is signed with Italy. With Turkey having already signed an armistice Germany was left to confront the Allies alone for the remaining days of the war. Mutiny strikes the German Navy at the ports of Kiel and Wilhelmshaven as sailors refuse orders to put […]
