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Darwin 1942 : Australia's Darkest Hour
On 19 February 1942 the Japanese air force bombed Darwin. Whilst this fact is well known, very few people know exactly what happened. Timothy Hall was the first writer to be given acess to all the official reports of the time and as a result he has been able to reveal exactly what happened on that dreadful day a day which Sir Paul Hasluck (17th Governor-General of Australia) later described as a day of national shame . The sequence of events in Darwin that day certainly did not reflect the military honour that the War Cabinet wanted people to believe. On the contrary, for what really happened was a combination of chaos, panic and, in many cases, cowardice on an unprecented scale. "
Hardcover
First published May 26, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 17, 2025
Where to begin…This book clearly lays out the details of the infamous Japanese attacks (64 raids) on Darwin which began on February 19, 1942 and lasted for some eighteen months. Much of the book lays out the systematic failures within Australia’s political leadership and military ranks that left the cities of Darwin and Broome so vulnerable to potential attacks and so disorganised in their ensuing aftermath.
Shameful is a word that creeps into nearly every page when, as a reader, you're able to unlock why the locales were so precariously manned by ill equipped military personnel who were led by the dregs of the pool of commanders.
What then followed the chaotic raids was a complete breakdown of local governance and an “every man for himself” selfish mentality, which only worsened the devastation.
The author does an excellent job of exploring the cultural differences in work ethic between various cities in Australia. So, in essence, the day to-day unproductive nature of the Port of Darwin wharf workers had a flow-on effect which only added to the catastrophe by having laden ships docked for weeks without having been offloaded to a reasonable standard.
In addition, author Timothy Hall explores important topics such as the Brisbane Line philosophy, the misinformation about the raid which was routinely fed to Australians and the ensuing raid on Broome two weeks later.
It’s a difficult read but a rather poignant one. In this day and age, the domestic events of WWII aren’t even touched upon at many high schools in the country. What you still hear is that “Australia has never been attacked” which is totally false.
We cannot learn from the past if we are too distracted to even teach the basics of the past.
Shameful is a word that creeps into nearly every page when, as a reader, you're able to unlock why the locales were so precariously manned by ill equipped military personnel who were led by the dregs of the pool of commanders.
What then followed the chaotic raids was a complete breakdown of local governance and an “every man for himself” selfish mentality, which only worsened the devastation.
The author does an excellent job of exploring the cultural differences in work ethic between various cities in Australia. So, in essence, the day to-day unproductive nature of the Port of Darwin wharf workers had a flow-on effect which only added to the catastrophe by having laden ships docked for weeks without having been offloaded to a reasonable standard.
In addition, author Timothy Hall explores important topics such as the Brisbane Line philosophy, the misinformation about the raid which was routinely fed to Australians and the ensuing raid on Broome two weeks later.
It’s a difficult read but a rather poignant one. In this day and age, the domestic events of WWII aren’t even touched upon at many high schools in the country. What you still hear is that “Australia has never been attacked” which is totally false.
We cannot learn from the past if we are too distracted to even teach the basics of the past.
December 18, 2019
A very easy read which paints a terrible picture of no planning, no preparation, and no leadership - a failure of the first order. The author outlines the many failures from the military (Australian and American), as well as the police, and the government. He pulled no punches with regards to individual failures and names like Abbott come across as fifth columnists.
It is poignant to learn: there was 64 Japanese bombing raids over Darwin in WW2, the harbour was full of vessels at the time of bombing due to failure to heed warnings, the navy (and Army and RAAF) had failed on many simple military defence strategies, and then the desertion of the soldiers post first raid.
The overview of the royal commission, the Brisbane Line, and the bombing of Broome all add to the mess and confusion.
It is poignant to learn: there was 64 Japanese bombing raids over Darwin in WW2, the harbour was full of vessels at the time of bombing due to failure to heed warnings, the navy (and Army and RAAF) had failed on many simple military defence strategies, and then the desertion of the soldiers post first raid.
The overview of the royal commission, the Brisbane Line, and the bombing of Broome all add to the mess and confusion.
May 20, 2025
Well written from the material available to the author are declassification of relevant documents
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews