Difference between revisions 121772687 and 121772690 on dewiki

[[Image:Work fight or perish (RC02370).jpg|thumb|An Australian Government leaflet bearing the likeness and signature of Prime Minister [[John Curtin]], telling Australians that they must make sacrifices for the war effort.]]
(contracted; show full)The town was reinforced by air and the Japanese were defeated in the outskirts of the town following heavy fighting. The Japanese force began to withdraw towards the coast on 4 February. Following the defeat at Wau the Japanese attempted to reinforce Lae in preparation for an expected Allied offensive in the area. This attempt ended in disaster when a Japanese troop convoy was destroyed by USAAF and RAAF aircraft during the [[Battle of the Bismarck Sea]].<ref>Long (1973). Pages 251-256.</ref>


The Papuan campaign led to an important reform in the composition of the Australian Army. While the AIF could be deployed anywhere in the world, Australian laws limited the conscripted milita, which was larger than the AIF in late 1942, to Australia and the Australian-administered territories in New Guinea. This restriction hampered military planning and caused tensions between the AIF and CMF. In late 1942 and early 1943 Curtin overcame opposition within the Labor Party to change the geographic boundries in which conscripts could serve to include most of the SWPA. This reform came into effect in January 1943 when the [[Defence (Citizen Military Forces) Act 1943]] was passed by Parliament.<ref>Beaumont (1996a). Pages 41-42.</ref>⏎
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===Attacks on Australian shipping===
[[Image:Starr King (AWM 128144).jpg|thumb|The US-registered [[Liberty Ship]] ''Starr King'' sinking after being attacked by [[Japanese submarine I-21|'I-21'']] near [[Port Macquarie, New South Wales|Port Macquarie]] in February 1943]]
{{main|Axis naval activity in Australian waters}}

(contracted; show full)s |accessdate=2007-12-02 |format= |work=Australia's War 1939—1945 }}</ref> Many Australians also served with RAF units in India and Burma, though no RAAF units were deployed to this theatre. In May 1943, some 330 Australians were serving in forty-one squadrons in India, of which only nine had more than ten Australians.<ref>Long (1973). Page 369.</ref>

In addition to operational deployments, thousands of Australian airmen were trained overseas under the [[Empire Air Training Scheme]]
 (EATS). More than 10,000 were trained in [[Canada]] and 674 in [[Rhodesia]]. While many of these men were posted to Australian [[Article XV squadrons]], the majority served within British and other Dominion squadrons.<ref>Clark (2003)</ref> Overall, between 26,000 and 27,000 Australians served in the RAF. As the Australian Government had no effective control over how these airmen were used, most Australian historians regards EATS as having hindered Australia's defence capability.<ref>Beaumont (1996). Page 18.</ref>

==Prisoners of war==
{{sectstub}}
{{see also|Japanese war crimes}}
30,000 Australians were taken [[prisoner of war|prisoner]] by the Axis during the war. Only 14,000 of the 22,000 Australian prisoners taken by the Japanese survived captivity. The majority of these deaths were due to malnutrition and disease. The treatment of Australian POWs led to many Australians continuing to be hostile to Japan after the war.<ref>Macintyre (1999). Pages 192-193.</ref>

==Home front==
(contracted; show full){{commons|Category:Military history of Australia during World War II|Military history of Australia during World War II}}

{{reflist|2}}

==References==
===Books===
* {{cite book |last=Adam-Smith |first=Patsy |authorlink=Patsy Adam-Smith |title=Australian Women at War |year=1984 |publisher=Thomas Nelson Australia |location=Melbourne |isbn=0170064085 }}

* {{cite book |last=Beaumont |first=Joan |editor=Beaumont, Joan |title=Australia's War, 1939–1945 |year=1996 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=Sydney |isbn=1864480394 |chapter=Australia's war: Europe and the Middle East }}
* {{cite book |last=Beaumont |first=Joan |editor=Beaumont, Joan |title=Australia's War, 1939–1945 |year=1996a |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=Sydney |isbn=1864480394 |chapter=Australia's war: Asia and the Pacific }}⏎
* {{cite book |last=Brune |first=Peter |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=A Bastard of a Place. The Australians in Papua |year=2003 |publisher=[[Allen & Unwin]] |location=Sydney |isbn=1741140110 }}
* {{cite book |last=Coates |first=John |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=An Atlas of Australia's Wars |year=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Melbourne |isbn=0195559142 }}
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* {{cite web |url=http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/index.html |title=Australia's War 1939—1945 |accessdate= |author= |date= |work= |publisher=[[Department of Veterans' Affairs (Australia)|Department of Veterans' Affairs]] }}


{{Australian Military History}}
{{WWIIHistory}}

[[Category:Military history of Australia during World War II| ]]