Interview with Ken Thompson (When the war came to Australia).

Mr Ken Thompson was a gunner with the Royal Australian Artillery, and served in Darwin during the war. He discusses the Darwin Infantry Battalion, formed in 1941 to guard the northern approaches and do patrol work. He details an intelligence document now available after the 30 year rule- the J/P3 paper,located in the Army Museum of Victoria Barracks. Mr Thompson describes Darwin of the period - a small village on an arid peninsula, very fine harbour, with the odd people who gravitate to such places. It was strategically important due to the harbour, oil installations and the new RAAF Aerodrome. It was not adequately prepared for any invasion, in Mr Thompson's opinion, had two coastal batteries which had had no practice. Mr Thompson narrates the events surrounding the first attack - they had no warning until they physically saw the airplanes coming over. It was the Japanese intention to neutralise Darwin so no counter-attack could be launched from there by the Allies. Authorities should have known an attack was imminent - convoys turned back from Timor, reconnaissance aircraft had been seen on previous days. There was no Allied air defence- the American Kittyhawks were there by coincidence and were shot down trying to repulse the Japanese. Mr Thompson did not see much of the aftermath of the raid, his group were readying the gun for the next attack. The government suppressed details of the raid from the civilian population, didn't want a panic. Mr Thompson describes the demolition of the oil tanks in 1942 - the Japanese came in over a five day period and finally destroyed them. Many casualities of the first raid went onto the hospital ship" Manunda", itself being bombed. It subsequently sailed to Perth. Mr Thompson describes conditions in Sydney- brownouts, rationing, air raid practices on Sunday mornings, full of American sailors. Sydney had adequate anti-aircraft defences. Hard to defend however, due to it's location and layout. The Americans in Sydney didn't contribute to its defence. Mr Thompson comments on Australia's overall defence against the Japanese- we would not have been able to defend ourselves. He mentions the Brisbane Line which he rates as a fictious political ploy.He concludes that his war experience was easy compared with most soldiers, but you only get killed once, it doesn't matter where it happens.