Tomorrow marks the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Darwin. Marking the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese during WWII. HEADLINES IN LONDON LONDON, Thursday. Two Bombing of Darwin veterans, who were in Darwin during the bombing, along with the son of a crewman from the USS Peary, one of eight ships hit and sunk during the bombing, will all be attending the service. Significant Events leading up to the Bombing of Darwin Key individuals involved Effects of the Bombing of Darwin on the greater war or on the home front Lasting significance ( did the Bombing of Darwin produce continuity or change in society) Primary Sources References Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said the annual service provides the community and visitors alike with an opportunity to honour those who died during the bombing. The annual Bombing of Darwin Day marks the day, in February 1942, Darwin experienced the first ever enemy attack on Australia soil. This raid lasted about 20 minutes. In mid-February the vital British naval base of Singapore surrendered, followed 12 days later by the sinking of the main ABDA naval force when it tried to stop the Japanese invasion of Java. It is situated on a low peninsula northeast of the entrance to its harbor, Port Darwin, a deep inlet of Beagle Gulf of the Timor Sea. The harbor was found in 1839 by John Stokes, surveyor aboard the HMS Beagle, and was named for Charles Darwin. It managed to subtly blend many historical references into … The attack of 19 February 1942 was an attack of formidable military might, involving the dropping of more bombs, although a lesser tonnage of bombs, than at Pearl Harbour, two months earlier. You will see visible reminders and relics left behind after the Japanese bombing of Darwin during World War II. The bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942 was both the first and the largest single attack mounted by a foreign power on Australia. This documentary tells the story of why the Australian government kept the bombing a secret and why the military was unprepared for such a sudden attack. The bombing of Darwin – The Japanese air raids on Darwin and northern Australia, 1942–43. “Bombing of Darwin Day is important to everyone in the Darwin community. There are two stories those who are born and raised in Darwin hear time and time again: Cyclone Tracy and the bombing of Darwin. During this time, in 1942, Darwin was devastated and Australia was seriously threatened. Darwin High School Year 12 student Ricardo Kuvaja was among those who gathered at the Cenotaph on Darwin’s Esplanade for the Bombing of Darwin Day commemorations. Singapore had fallen to the Japanese only days earlier and the civilian population of Darwin, believing that an invasion was imminent, panicked. Historical Map of Australia, New Zealand & the Southwest Pacific (19 February 1942) - Bombing of Darwin: Allied efforts under ABDA proved unable to halt the Japanese offensive. 8 The bombing of Darwin in World War II was the first attack by foreign forces on Australian soil since the invasion by the British in 1788. The bombing of Darwin by the Japanese in World War 11 began in February 1942 with aircraft from four Japanese aircraft carriers, Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu and Soryu. The second raid began an hour later and involved high altitude bombing of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base at Parap.