DVA 57 Tuesday 1 May 2001

This Week In History - Our Wartime Heritage

Issued by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Bruce Scott, to foster awareness of Australia’s wartime history and heritage during the Centenary of Federation.

May 4-10

4 May 1942: The Battle of the Coral Sea began.  A combined task force of United States Navy and Royal Australian Navy ships and Allied air forces based in New Guinea, thwarted a massive Japanese naval attack and threatened invasion.  The action was precipitated by Japanese attempts to send a force by sea to capture Port Moresby, the Allies’ principal northern air base.  This would have prevented its use against Japanese movements in the islands, while enabling Japanese air dominance to be extended over northern Queensland.  This was one of the decisive events of 1942, foreshadowing the defeat of Japan’s ambitions in the Pacific.

5 May 1941: HMAS Voyager made the first run by the ‘Scrap Iron Flotilla” into Tobruk.  The ‘Tobruk Ferry Service’ became as famous as the Rats of Tobruk themselves, defying German fire to bring in reinforcements and supplies and take out the wounded.  The ‘Tobruk Ferry Service’ included HMA Ships Voyager, Stuart, Parramatta, Vendetta, Nizam and Waterhen.  HMAS Waterhen became the first RAN ship to be lost in WWII through enemy action.

6 May 1917: Corporal George Howell, 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Division, born in Enfield, NSW, was awarded the Victoria Cross for his valour during the Second Battle of Bullecourt, France.  On seeing that his battalion was about to be outflanked, Howell climbed into clear view of the enemy and started to bomb the Germans.  When he ran out of bombs, he set upon the enemy with his bayonet.  Howell was severely wounded, but his actions allowed the tide of the battle to turn.

6 and 11 May 1969: Warrant Officer Class II Ray Simpson from Chippendale, NSW, was awarded the Victoria Cross for his valour during an operation near the junction of the borders of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.  When Simpson saw that a platoon leader had been severely wounded, he moved across open ground under heavy fire and carried the injured Australian to safety.  On 11 May, Simpson again led a rescue of several wounded Australian soldiers, in this case putting himself in between enemy fire and the wounded during the evacuation mission.

8 May 1915: Australian 2nd Brigade and New Zealand Brigade took part in the Second Battle of Krithia, a Greek village situated 7km from the toe of the Gallipoli Peninsula, at Cape Helles.  The Australian 2nd Infantry Brigade were ordered to assist British forces attempting to advance against growing Turkish opposition to the beach-head established there on 25 April.  Two brigades were transferred from Anzac Cove and brought ashore on 6 May.  The Australians made it within 400m of the leading Turkish

positions, but the village of Krithia was still some 2000m away.  The hour-long advance cost 1000 Australian casualties.

Media Contact:   Mark Croxford   02 6277 7820    or     0408 645 787



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