Australian surplus auctions

[Lang]

Bill,

The story on the Australian deployment was when Japan entered the war and threatened Australia, the Australian Government withdrew their troops from the Middle East Rommel Show to fight in the Pacific.

The 6th and 7th Divisions came home very early and and were bounced straight away to New Guinea while the 9th Division was left to do Alamein before returning. This enraged Churchill who totally in character was prepared to sacrifice Australia (and anyone else) to fight British battles. He even turned the convoys taking the Australian troops home towards Burma without informing the Australian Government.

As soon as they found out they turned them around again but Australia's relationships with Churchill were never the same again (We are bloody slow learners after Gallipoli!).

The 8th Division was captured in Singapore and spent the war as Japanese slaves - those who survived.

Strangely the Australians in the Air Force were left in Europe for the duration and 10,000 Australian air crew died over Europe.

Far from winding back Australia continued to increase their combat numbers by sending Militia Divisions to New Guinea and Bougainville alongside the AIF (Volunteer) divisions.

I think your pictures of field parks in 1944 give a wrong impression as they contain a huge proportion of obsolete vehicles replaced by mostly US and Australian built CMP standardised equipment.

Lang