Section C

• Kokoda

  • Conditions
  • Muddy, hot
  • Deep water and currents
  • Steep hills
  • Fallen tree bridges, they had to cut through jungles
  • Diseases
  • Malaria
• Fighting in Isurava

  • They had advantages of high ground
  • They could be overlooked by even higher ground and it would be lethal if Japanese found out
  • Tactics used:
  • Intersecting fields of fire
  • Set up to maximise aim and hitting enemy
  • They had to withdraw bc enemy had big numbers
• Importance of fighting in Kokoda

  • It saved Australia
• Women

  • War front
  • Nurses
  • Had to be white, unmarried
  • Overworked
  • Challenging
  • Home front
  • Donations
  • Rationing
  • Encouraging enlistment
  • Family
  • More active role
  • Caretakers
  • Manage food and income
• • Australian Women’s Land Army (AWLA)
  • July 1942 - Dec 1945
  • Agricultural labourers
  • Growing fruit and veg
  • Raising pig and poultry
  • Sheep and wool work
• • Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF)
  • March 1941-1947
  • Clerical and admin work
  • Technical workers on aircraft
• • Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS)
  • 13 Aug 1941 - 30 June 1947
  • Drivers, provosts, canteen workers
  • Cooks, typists, signallers, cipher clerks (decrypts messages)
• • Women Royal Australian Navy Service (WRANS)
  • April 1941 - 1980
  • Telegraphists
• Changes for women

  • Change in attitude - more acceptance
  • Could vote since 1902 (only white)
  • Commonwealth franchise act
  • More opportunities for jobs (economic)

  Jobs:

  • Government and politics
  • Transport and public service work 
  • Eg) bus, train assistants or drivers
• Continuity

  • Some continued to stay at home, agricultural work
  • Gender roles - inequality
  • Allowed to be in politics, weren’t taken seriously
• Jobs that continued:

  • Home / domestic work
  • Clerical works - admin
  • Agriculture
  • Volunteer work
  • Nursing
• Attacks in Sydney and Darwin

  Sydney

  • May 31 - June 1 1942
  • Small submarines attacked Syd Harb
  • 2 were destroyed
  • Last sunk a ferry (fail)
  • Overall did little damage
• Darwin

  • 9 Feb 1942
  • Started at port, 252 ppl killed
  • Went to towns north
  • Aimed to interrupt Aus military facilities
  • Bank bombed, vessels and boats sunk
  • Hoped to impact morale but didn’t
• US:

  • Coral sea - American planes contributed by sinking a Japanese small carrier
  • Their first strategic success against the Japanese Navy. 
  • Midway - US located ship which escaped initial attack, bombed
  • Also supported Australian troops by ‘Island hopping’ across the Netherlands East Indies and other locations while they fought minor battles. 
• US in Solomon island campaign (guadalcana)

  • Lasted 6 months
  • Land, sea and air
  • Many deadly naval battles
  • Aim - fighting for control of guadalcanal
  • Japan surrendered 
• US:

  • Had bases at Iwo Jima and Okinawa
  • These bases were close but not on Japan so they had greater access 
• Aus:

  • Despite being outnumbered 10 to 1, they fought on the Kokoda Track, trail that went for 200km.
  • Significant, showing their overall persistence. Moreover, on the 9th of December, Australian troops overcame the last defenders of Gona. 
  • Fought various battles as well as lesser known campaigns such as Wau-Salamaua, engaging in many land battles. 
  • Salamaua was the administrative centre for New Guinea and allied troops launched along the coast to divert Japanese attention. 
• American involvement in Battle of Coral Sea

  • American:
  • Battle of the Coral Sea, American planes sunk a Japanese small carrier
  • Their first strategic success against the Japanese Navy. 
  • Attacked the Port Moresby covering group and sunk Jap carrier and cruiser
• • Aus involvement in Battle of Coral Sea:
  • Assisted Americans with their ships and aircraft
  • Did day and night attacks on enemy surface craft when they joined Force 17
  • Heavy cruiser HMAS Aus and light cruiser HMAS Hobart left Syd to join US carrier
  • They were sent to find and attack Port Moresby invasion Group (Jap)
• Conscription- Oct 1939

  • In June 1940, all unmarried men who were 21 years old were conscripted
  • Then changed to ages to 18-35 who did not have children when Jap were attacking PNG and Darwin
  • Militia established - military made up of ordinary people rather than soldiers
  • All men over 20 had to do 3 months of militia training
• Rationing 

  • Shortages of labour because people signed up for military or nursing service
  • More war-related production = encouraged people to spend less money etc:
  • Food - rationed/limited or not encouraged
  • Taxes - increased on luxury items
  • Banks - encouraged people to put in savings
• Policies to ‘aliens’ 

  • Relationship with Asia - Aus was in Asia but not of Asia
  • Further enforced the white Australia policy
• Manpower

  • Government established the Directorate of Manpower 
  • Enabled them to direct labour where they thought was essential 
  • eg. transferring workers to munitions factories, clothing companies 
• Censorship

  • Letters written to others were checked and any information regarding identity, location or strategy of specific units were blotted out
  • Homefront - controlled information that Aus newspapers printed and radio stations broadcast, type of films shown at cinemas. 
  • Articles and newspapers were only allowed to refer to unidentified troops in unnamed units in order to protect locations  
• Socio-Economic for women in work

  • Work opportunities for women limited
  • Only paid 54% of men
  • Piece work system (paid by piece)
• Bomb 1 - Aug 1945

  • Little boy exploded 1,800 feet above city so it could spread
  • Destroyed 5 miles
  • ~120,000 people died
  • Many were instantly vaporise and many died afterwards from burns and radiation
  • Gave 3 days to surrender again but refused
• Bomb 2 - Aug 1945

  • Fat man was more powerful but terrain of city limited the devastation
  • Destroyed 2 miles of city
  • ~73,000 people died