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1943 – Australia and the Pacific War; The Tide Turns – One-Day Conference – Book NOW!

Name: 1943 – Australia and the Pacific War; The Tide Turns – One-Day Conference – Book NOW!
Start: 2023-05-20T08:30:00+10:00
End: 2023-05-20T17:00:00+10:00
Location: Waverley RSL Sub-Branch Inc

May 20, 2023 @ 8:30 am - 5:00 pm

The fourth year of World War 2 saw the German Army suffer its first major defeat at Stalingrad, and an Allied victory in North Africa enabled an invasion of Italy which ended in its surrender. In South-East Asia, British forces continued to engage in heavy fighting against the Japanese in Burma.

Limited tickets still available. Registrations close 12th May 2023. BOOK NOW!

In Australia, the Federal election saw the ALP under the leadership of John Curtin retain power in a landslide result and the election of the first women to Parliament. Relationships with our US allies was further strengthened with evidence of increased tactical co-operation. Increasing numbers of US forces arrived in Australia. Conscription was sanctioned and the Citizen’s Military Forces (militia) were now deemed eligible to serve outside Australia. Rationing began in earnest and the Ministry of Information stepped up its propaganda war.

For Australia on the military front, our forces were involved in heavy fighting on the New Guinea battlefields, including the defeat of the Japanese at Wau and the Huon Peninsula. Naval and air forces defended our coastal shipping from enemy sea mines and submarines. RAAF squadrons worked with US allies to defend Darwin and Northern Australia from ongoing Japanese air raids. They then combined to inflict a stunning defeat on Japanese shipping in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. Special forces were engaged in clandestine operations and the propaganda war greatly increased as significant events of the war were highlighted to continue to win hearts and minds on the home front.

What conditions enabled Australia to move to the offensive against Japanese forces, especially in the New Guinea campaigns? How did allied air forces combat Japanese incursions to the Australian mainland? What measures were used to deal with threats to our coastal shipping? How did the US Fifth Air Force and RAAF combine in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea? How did propaganda play a role in maintaining morale and also used for raising War Bonds? What was the extent and effectiveness of numerous clandestine commando operations?

Our Conference will also include a special screening of Australia’s first Academy Award winning film from 1943, ‘Kokoda Front Line.’

Please join a group of well-qualified speakers including Dr Liam Kane, Captain Andrew McKinnon, Dr Tom Lewis, James Brien, Major James Eling and more, as we examine these and other questions in a one-day conference – ‘1943 – Australia and the Pacific War; The Tide Turns’ on Saturday 20 May 2023. The ticket price includes morning and afternoon tea as well as lunch.