bodkin Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 ANZAC day is a very special day for Aussies and Kiwis, I went to the dawn service today, still emotional considering we're still losing lives overseas even if it is for a just cause. I went with my mother who wears her fathers medals with pride, he ended up being a POW of the Japenese for 3 years, he somehow survived just, but I never appreciated his service when I was a kid which I suppose is normal. I do now. I know some people may feel it's wrong that relatives wear the medals of their kin but I think most Aussies don't mind. It's a way to remember their service, whether that be in Vietnam, Korea, WW2,WW1, Iraq or Afghanistan any of those foreign wars that Aussies travelled to right or wrong. God bless. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REVS Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Just reading Max Hastings' book 'Nemesis' about the last year of the Japanese part of WWII, and while he's hardly complimentary about the Aussies and their leadership, it did remind me that people also served in the most godforsaken places doing the most thankless tasks, and many died in pursuit of futile aims. Anzac Day is for those poor buggers, as well as all the heroes. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodkin Posted April 27, 2009 Author Share Posted April 27, 2009 Yeah, there's not enough recognistion of the US role in defending Australia, the advance along the Kokoda track was halted through lack of supplies thanks to to the US Navy which resulted in desperate measures by the Japanese to stay alive including canibilism. The Japanese would have probably taken Port Moresby if they didn't run out of steam due to lack of supplies. Fierce fighting anyway. Also interesting to note the poor opinion of Aussies fighting capabilty by historians. After their actions in the North Africa campaign even Rommel was impressed yet they failed to get recognition in the Pacific, probably due to the fact they were relagated to minor tasks in the Pacific theatre late in the war once New Guinea was safe. http://www.anzacday.org.au/history/ww2/overview/ww2-06.html 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Field Marshal Blücher Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Also interesting to note the poor opinion of Aussies fighting capabilty by historians. After their actions in the North Africa campaign even Rommel was impressed yet they failed to get recognition in the Pacific, probably due to the fact they were relagated to minor tasks in the Pacific theatre late in the war once New Guinea was safe. I agree. I've read accounts of Aussies fighting in North Africa and they appeared to be excellent soldiers. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pak_43 Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 The Crucible of War by Barrie Pitt about the N. African campaign, has nothing but good to say about the Aussies performance in N. Africa... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDork Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I'm in the US Air Force currently stationed in Ankara Turkey. Next year I definitely want to make the trip up north to Gallipoli if possible. Being in the military I feel it is important to honor all those who have fallen. Special occasions like this need to be commemorated by our current generations and all those to come. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Affentitten Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Aussies in North Africa = the pick of the volunteer crop, including many units and men with pre-war training in reserve formations, with an officer and NCO cadre of regulars / career soldiers. Aussies at start of Kokoda = militia conscripts, woefully trained, pathetically equipped, 2nd class in every respect as far as the AIF was concerned. Aussies at end of Kokoda = a good jungle fighting force, though many would never be fit to serve again because tropical disease had wiped out their helth. Aussies post-1943 spent most of their time in training camps because the Americans had no need for them. Just a couple of sideshows at the end of the war such as Balikpappan. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 ... the Americans had no need for them. ... Interestingly, there was some pressure from the US to keep 3 (NZ) Div in the Pacific, rather than disbanding it and sending the men to 2 (NZ) Div in Italy. But then 'we' were in the South Pacific under Nimitz, rather than the South-West Pacific under MacArthur. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanonier Reichmann Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Apparently MacArthur had a very low opinion of Australians as fighting troops. Based on what I have no idea. It appears the fact that the Aussies were the first to defeat the Japanese in a land battle (at Milne Bay) and were able to halt their advance along the Kokoda Track with 2nd rate conscripts who many assumed would melt under fire like chocolate in the sun (hence 'Chocko's'), counted for little in his eyes. Regards Jim R. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REVS Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Max Hastings' book is quite a good read with a very wide coverage of events and people at all levels, both military and civilian, who were caught up in the conflict. While he entitles his chapter on the Aussies 'Australians: bludging and mopping up' and he pulls no punches, he reserves a full book-load of venom for Macarthur. Hastings almost flies into a literary rage whenever Macarthur strides back onto the stage. Such undiluted dislike for a man always makes you wonder at the author's objectivity in general, but his assessments of so many others, including the Japanese and even the maligned Aussies, read like the well-researched thoughts of a reasonably balanced mind. He puts both groups into a well-rounded perspective, citing a great many positive examples to balance the scales. He's very fair and often simply admiring of many of the other American commanders, but that big American blowhard Macarthur, he can't take a bar of him! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Affentitten Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Apparently MacArthur had a very low opinion of Australians as fighting troops. Based on what I have no idea. It appears the fact that the Aussies were the first to defeat the Japanese in a land battle (at Milne Bay) and were able to halt their advance along the Kokoda Track with 2nd rate conscripts who many assumed would melt under fire like chocolate in the sun (hence 'Chocko's'), counted for little in his eyes. Regards Jim R. It's mainly because MacArthur was made to look like an idiot by Australian troops. When the Australian militia retreated down the track, MacArthur couldn;t shut up about how when American soldeirs arrived, they'd show everyone how it was done, the Aussies were crap, Amewricans would wipe the floor with the Japs etc etc. And of course, when the Americans did turn up, woefully untrained for jungle combat and with officers trying to play by the West Point field manual, they were thrashed. the Aussies had to go back and help them out. MacArthur never forgave them for that and was almost assiduous in making sure that Americans and Australians never fought side by side again. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Max Hastings' ... reserves a full book-load of venom for Macarthur. Hastings almost flies into a literary rage whenever Macarthur strides back onto the stage. ... big American blowhard Macarthur, he can't take a bar of him! hahaha. I'm not wildly enthusiastic about Hastings as an author, but that almost makes Nemesis worth reading 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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