On the first Wednesday of September each year, commemorations are held to recognise close-to-home events of World War II, collectively named the ‘Battle for Australia’. This relatively new day of commemoration was established in 2008 for what previously had been a largely under-recognised part of the global conflict that was the Second World War. 

For context, the events in the Asia Pacific region started to unfold as early as the 1930s because of Japan’s growing determination to strengthen its regional dominance. In the late 1920’s Japan had begun to develop its army in line with its growing population and as part of its expansionist policy planned to seize countries as it moved South. It commenced this strategy in 1931 by taking northeast China, and Japanese forces continued to spread throughout the southeast Asian Pacific region over the next ten years. In what was probably their boldest move, Japan made its loyalties known during WWII with the December 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbour. US retaliation in subsequent years had its successes. Still, the focus of WWII was directed very much on Europe. 

Japan continued its onslaught through the Asia Pacific in the early 1940s with a new motivation to target Allied forces. This included establishing bases and cutting off supply lines to the USA and its trading partners and channels. In Malaysia, Australian and Allied forces were decimated, with those remaining retreating to Singapore. Japanese troops crossed the strait into northeast Singapore and were met with fatigued and depleted Australian forces - almost 700 men had died in the difficult battles in Malaysia and hundreds were out of action due to illness or wounding. Japan easily took the island and in just 6 days had achieved the Fall of Singapore on the 15th of February. The events that would become the Battle for Australia began to unfold. 

Just a few days later, on the 19th of February, Japanese aircraft commenced - in what would become a series of bombings of mainland Australia - the Bombing of Darwin. With an intent to demolish what was a strategic trading port, on that day 188 aircraft targeted the harbour and the city centre, sinking 8 ships, destroying numerous buildings and homes and much of the RAAF base and most tragically, killing more than 250 people.   

Between Feb 1942 and November 1943, the Japanese conducted 97 air raids in total on and near the North Australian coast, destroying cities, towns, and numerous Royal Australian Navy vessels and merchant ships. The Battle for Australia reached a turning point in May, with the largest naval battle ever fought off Australian Shores. The Battle of the Coral Sea (4th - 8th May 1942) prevented Japan’s first attempt at invasion of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. Back in Australia, the war spread east, with the sinking of HMAS Kuttabul in Sydney Harbour (31st May 1942) by Japanese submarines. 

Around this time, airstrips and a base were established at Milne Bay in PNG (July 1942) and despite extremely challenging conditions of constant rain and malaria, the base was constructed and populated with almost 9000 Allied personnel. Japanese forces made subsequent attempts to take Port Moresby and advances over land were seen as the key to success so they entered from the north on the 21st of July 1942. Between then and mid-November, the Japanese and Australian troops fought what is still considered to be one of Australia’s most gruelling and vicious campaigns of WWII as they battled overland along the Kokoda Trail.  

As troops fought in the rugged terrain south of Kokoda, the Japanese were able to get 2000 marines onto land at Milne Bay (26th August 1942). Underestimating the capacity of the Allied forces coming out of the Milne Bay base, they were quickly overwhelmed and over just 12 days, pushed back to their original landing point. On the 7th of September 1942, the Japanese evacuated their surviving troops and the Australians were able to celebrate the first defeat on land of the Japanese by Allied forces in the Battle of Milne Bay. 

This brings us back to the significance of the date the Battle for Australia is commemorated. Recognition of this series of events in defence of Australia occurs every year on the first Wednesday of September, in tribute to that victory at Milne Bay. Thanks to the efforts from the RSL and the Battle for Australia Commemoration Committee, the national day was confirmed in 2008 and services are held across the nation every September in recognition of veterans who served in the defeat of Japan in the air, on land, and at sea in Australia, the Coral Sea and Papua New Guinea.