DARWIN'S AIR WAR
An Illustrated History Commemorating the Darwin Air Raids
By Bob Alford

This is a book which needed to be written. The Aviation Historical Society of the Northern Territory is to be congratulated on bringing together the history of the first aerial attack on Darwin and the subsequent events until the raids posed no further threat to Australia.

The Japanese raid of 19 December 1942 was the first attack by any power on Australian soil and as the bombs rained down on Darwin, and on the ships in the harbour, no one knew that this was not the beginning of the invasion of Australia. It probably would have been if the Japanese Japanese had not been stopped at Milne Bay, in New Guinea, which is the furthest south they ever got.

The exodus from Darwin as result of the attack was not good for Australia's morale. Hundreds and hundreds of people fled south and arrived in southern states full of foreboding. But the troops remained in Darwin and American and Australian fighter pilots fought off the invaders when and where they could,  but this did little to diminish the damage done in the initial raid and the 63 raids which followed.

This second edition of the book follows on from the successful 1991 publication of the same name. Published by the Aviation Historical Society of the Northern Territory, the original drew on information available via the range of sources available at that time.

Over the following years, and particularly after the 50th anniversary of the Darwin bombing activities in 1992, the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II events as part of Australia Remembers and the annual 19 February commemorative activities in Darwin and elsewhere, much new information has come to hand, primarily through those who served, the veterans themselves, who have provided their stories, papers and photographs.

RRP $55:00

A4 size, soft cover, 261 pages, 5 Appendices,
extensive 28 pages of indexes,
9 page Bibliography, numerous photos
including colour photos

To purchase your copy of this great book please contact
The Australian Aviation Heritage Centre for postage costs and payment details.

Please e-mail to ahsnt@bigpond.com

The book is also available at the Museum's Souvenir Shop

Please tell the Museum that you heard about this book
via Peter Dunn's "Australia @ War" web site

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 18 March 2011

This page last updated 21 January 2020