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  • Happy Belated Anzac Day

    To all our Antipodean Diggers & Kiwis I hope you had a good ANZAC Day yesterday.

    Sorry for missing it.

    "Those heroes that shed their blood
    And lost their lives.
    You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country.
    Therefore rest in peace.
    There is no difference between the Johnnies
    And the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side
    Here in this country of ours.
    You, the mothers,
    Who sent their sons from far away countries
    Wipe away your tears,
    Your sons are now lying in our bosom
    And are in peace
    After having lost their lives on this land they have
    Become our sons as well."
    “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
    Mark Twain

  • #2
    Kia ora AR.

    Chunuk Bair, Le Quesnoy, Passchendaele, Messines, Flers-Courcelette, Tobruk, Monte Casino:
    The Battles of Britain, Greece, Crete, Singapore, the River Plate, the Solomon Islands:
    The North African, Palestine, Italian and Pacific campaigns:
    Turkey, France, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Afghanistan.

    We've spilt a lot of blood in a lot of places over our short history
    Last edited by Parihaka; 26 Apr 13,, 22:45.
    In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility.

    Leibniz

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Parihaka View Post
      Kia ora AR.

      Chunuk Bair, Le Quesnoy, Passchendaele, Messines, Flers-Courcelette, Tobruk, Monte Casino:
      The Battles of Britain, Greece, Crete, Singapore, the River Plate, the Solomon Islands:
      The North African, Palestine, Italian and Pacific campaigns:
      Turkey, France, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Afghanistan.

      We've spilt a lot of blood in a lot of places over our short history

      And been damn good friends as well.
      “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
      Mark Twain

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Parihaka View Post
        Kia ora AR.

        Chunuk Bair, Le Quesnoy, Passchendaele, Messines, Flers-Courcelette, Tobruk, Monte Casino:
        The Battles of Britain, Greece, Crete, Singapore, the River Plate, the Solomon Islands:
        The North African, Palestine, Italian and Pacific campaigns:
        Turkey, France, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Afghanistan.

        We've spilt a lot of blood in a lot of places over our short history
        You got me thinking Pari.

        I think Australia started out its military history by sending troops (from the colonies) to beat up on your ancestors (well, the big scary ones) in NZ. From there we got about a bit too:

        Sudan, Boer War, Boxer Rebellion, Gallipoli, Beersheeba, Fromelles, Pozieres, Ypre, Amiens, Achangel, Mesopotamia, Baku, Battle of Britain, Greece, Crete, Tobruk, Cape Matapan, Muar River, Singapore, Java Sea, Milne Bay, Kokoda, Darwin, Wau, Bouganville, Balipkapan, Kapyong, Malaya, Long Tan, Firebase Coral/Balmoral, Gulf Wars 1 & 2, Timor Leste, Somalia, Rwanda, Afghanistan.

        What a long strange trip its been. Glad we had some good friends along the way.
        sigpic

        Win nervously lose tragically - Reds C C

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Bigfella View Post
          You got me thinking Pari.

          I think Australia started out its military history by sending troops (from the colonies) to beat up on your ancestors (well, the big scary ones) in NZ. From there we got about a bit too:

          Sudan, Boer War, Boxer Rebellion, Gallipoli, Beersheeba, Fromelles, Pozieres, Ypre, Amiens, Achangel, Mesopotamia, Baku, Battle of Britain, Greece, Crete, Tobruk, Cape Matapan, Muar River, Singapore, Java Sea, Milne Bay, Kokoda, Darwin, Wau, Bouganville, Balipkapan, Kapyong, Malaya, Long Tan, Firebase Coral/Balmoral, Gulf Wars 1 & 2, Timor Leste, Somalia, Rwanda, Afghanistan.
          Well if you're going to list out everything ;)
          In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility.

          Leibniz

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Albany Rifles View Post
            And been damn good friends as well.
            Originally posted by Bigfella View Post
            What a long strange trip its been. Glad we had some good friends along the way.
            Politics and politicians come and go but blood ties, shared sacrifice and common purpose endure. Amen to friendship and pass the salt brother.
            In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility.

            Leibniz

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Parihaka View Post
              Well if you're going to list out everything ;)
              Nah, sure I left out Syria, Burma, Dutch East Indies, Portugese Timor, Buna, Gona & a bunch more.
              sigpic

              Win nervously lose tragically - Reds C C

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Parihaka View Post
                Politics and politicians come and go but blood ties, shared sacrifice and common purpose endure. Amen to friendship and pass the salt brother.
                Indeed.
                sigpic

                Win nervously lose tragically - Reds C C

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                • #9
                  Yeah, sorry about 2008 and SWSNBN. Really happy you didn't declare war. It would be a mess trying to find you blokes in the snow.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Bigfella View Post
                    Nah, sure I left out Syria, Burma, Dutch East Indies, Portugese Timor, Buna, Gona & a bunch more.
                    Crimea :)
                    Linkeden:
                    http://au.linkedin.com/pub/gary-fairlie/1/28a/2a2
                    http://cofda.wordpress.com/

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by gf0012-aust View Post
                      Crimea :)
                      Crap! knew there were more. We surely do get around.
                      sigpic

                      Win nervously lose tragically - Reds C C

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Officer of Engineers View Post
                        Yeah, sorry about 2008 and SWSNBN. Really happy you didn't declare war. It would be a mess trying to find you blokes in the snow.
                        Relax, they made her wear a mask the whole time

                        Attached Files
                        In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility.

                        Leibniz

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                        • #13
                          To me, the Gallipoli monument is one of the most beautiful, meaningful general epitaphs ever written, and speaks volumes about everybody involved in that brutal campaign.

                          My WW2 history is weak compared to so many here, but I sometimes wonder if the reason the Japanese did not bodily invade Australia was the reputation of her troops, her people. They knew they'd be in for a tooth and nail bloody slog; no Chinese or Manuchurian cakewalk there.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Officer of Engineers View Post
                            Yeah, sorry about 2008 and SWSNBN. Really happy you didn't declare war. It would be a mess trying to find you blokes in the snow.
                            OUCH!!!! I just blew beer though my nose reading that!!

                            Talk about an MWD!
                            “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
                            Mark Twain

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Chogy View Post
                              To me, the Gallipoli monument is one of the most beautiful, meaningful general epitaphs ever written, and speaks volumes about everybody involved in that brutal campaign.

                              My WW2 history is weak compared to so many here, but I sometimes wonder if the reason the Japanese did not bodily invade Australia was the reputation of her troops, her people. They knew they'd be in for a tooth and nail bloody slog; no Chinese or Manuchurian cakewalk there.
                              Like to think so, but no. Bit unfair on the Chinese too. They fought bloody hard - just weren't up to it militarily.

                              Keep in mind that the earliest date Japan could have contemplated invading Australia was the second half of 1942 - after they had taken New Guinea, the Solomons & probably something like New Caledonia to secure the flank. Even had they done that, the decision not to had been taken for other reasons.

                              Since the end of 1941 Japan had defeated British, French, American, Dutch & sundry other forces. They had taken the 'fortress' of Singapore, humiliated the US at Pearl harbour & the Philippines & driven the British from Burma. The pride of the RN was sitting on the sea floor off the coast of Malaya & the avaiable remnants of the Dutch, Australian & US fleets in the region were at the bottom of the Java Sea. Japanese forces had strcuk as far west as Trincomalee in Sri Lanka. I don't know exactly how many European POWs were in Japanese hands, but it was several hundred thousand I would think.

                              The Japanese had already met Australian troops in Malaya, Burma & the Dutch East Indies. They comprehensively towelled us up. My uncle was at Maur River in Malaya. His battalion, the 2/29th, was all but destroyed. He was a bren gunner & led a group of men through enemy lines to withdraw with what was left of the battalion. Some of those left behind were massacred. The remnants of the battalion & some unfortunate replacements were captured on Singapore. (more than half those who served in the battalion died during the war. My uncle was one of the fortunate ones)

                              Allied soldiers, under the command of Major General Gordon Bennett, inflicted severe losses on Japanese forces at the Gemensah Bridge ambush and in a second battle a few miles north of the town of Gemas. Members of the Australian 8th Division killed an estimated 700 personnel from the Japanese Imperial Guards Division, in the ambush at the bridge itself, whilst Australian anti-tank guns destroyed several Japanese tanks in the battle north of Gemas.

                              Although the ambush was successful for the Allies, the defence of Muar and Bakri on the west coast was a complete failure which resulted in the near-annihilation of the 45th Indian Infantry Brigade and heavy casualties for its two attached Australian infantry battalions.....

                              ......During this delay most of the 2/29th Battalion were cut off from Anderson's position. Only an estimated 200 men from 2/29th Battalion and 1,000 Indian troops from the 45th Brigade were able to join up with Anderson's column.[4] Other survivors from the 2/29th would make it back in small fugitive parties.....
                              Battle of Muar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

                              By mid-1942 the Japanese had no fear of anyone....except the Russians. It turns out that was relevant here. The IJN wanted to take at least bits of Australia as a base. The IJA realised it would take a lot of troops simply to secure the land mass & vetoed it - they didn't want to further weaken the Kwangtung Army and saw Australia as a distraction. The issue wasn't that we were too tough to beat, but simply too physically large to tie down cheaply & easily. Truth be told, Japan probably could have taken Darwin at some point had they been serious - they already had Timor. Defences weren't in a great state & major settlements are so isolated that once taken they would have been hard to re-take quickly or easily. As it was they preferred to focus on their 'perimeter' which ended north of Australia.

                              Japan's success in the early months of the Pacific War led elements of the IJN to propose invading Australia. In December 1941 the Navy proposed including an invasion of Northern Australia as one of Japan's 'stage two' war objectives after South-East Asia was conquered. This proposal was most strongly pushed by Captain Sadatoshi Tomioka, the head of the Navy General Staff's Planning section, on the grounds that the United States was likely to use Australia as a base to launch a counter-offensive in the South-West Pacific. The Navy headquarters argued that this invasion could be carried out by a small landing force as this area of Australia was lightly defended and isolated from Australia's main population centres.[2] There was not universal support for this proposal within the Navy, however, and Isoroku Yamamoto, the commander of the Combined Fleet, consistently opposed it.[3]

                              The Japanese Army opposed the Navy's proposal as being impractical. The Army's focus was on defending the perimeter of Japan's conquests, and it believed that invading Australia would over-extend these defence lines. Moreover, the Army was not willing to release the large number of troops it calculated were needed for such an operation from the Kwantung Army in Manchuria as it both feared that the Soviet Union would enter the Pacific War and wanted to preserve an option for Japan to invade Siberia.

                              Prime Minister Hideki Tojo also consistently opposed invading Australia. Instead, Tojo favoured a policy of forcing Australia to submit by cutting its lines of communication with the US. In his last interview before being executed for war crimes Tojo stated that:

                              We never had enough troops to [invade Australia]. We had already far out-stretched our lines of communication. We did not have the armed strength or the supply facilities to mount such a terrific extension of our already over-strained and too thinly spread forces. We expected to occupy all New Guinea, to maintain Rabaul as a holding base, and to raid Northern Australia by air. But actual physical invasion—no, at no time.
                              Proposed Japanese invasion of Australia during World War II - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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                              Win nervously lose tragically - Reds C C

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