Five Australian divisions (from both the Australian Imperial Force and the Militia) were employed in New Guinea, as were a great part of the Royal Air Australian Force and most of the Royal Australian Navy. Today this contribution has been largely overshadowed, like most other aspects of Australian history, by the dominance of Gallipoli and Kokoda.
Beyond the scale of operations, however, the New Guinea offensive is also significant as it produced the war’s closest and most successful cooperation between Australian diggers and American GIs. Now that defence planers in Australia and the United States are once again focusing on the Pacific, this anniversary is a timely reminder of when Australian and American soldiers served, fought and died together in our region, fighting to liberate what was then Australian territory.
doriangray42
If you’re 2/3 independent, what happens with the rest of you?
cataids69
As an australian who lives overseas. The amount of people I have to convince that Australia was in every war in the 20th century is insane.
AlcoholicWombat
Yes, the Michigan national guard was sent to New guinea to fight in a bloody but important campaign alongside Australians but most people don’t know that as its overshadowed by Guadalcanal and the other USMC led brawls in the pacific.
Then again, most Americans don’t really know too much about ww2 outside of saving private Ryan and band of brothers sadly.
![Australian soldiers from the 2/3rd Independent Company at Timbered Knoll, Territory of New Guinea, July 1943. [880x642]](https://i.redd.it/1s3v6fqems161.jpg)
haydandan123
Kokoda?
pubwithnobeer
Five Australian divisions (from both the Australian Imperial Force and the Militia) were employed in New Guinea, as were a great part of the Royal Air Australian Force and most of the Royal Australian Navy. Today this contribution has been largely overshadowed, like most other aspects of Australian history, by the dominance of Gallipoli and Kokoda.
Beyond the scale of operations, however, the New Guinea offensive is also significant as it produced the war’s closest and most successful cooperation between Australian diggers and American GIs. Now that defence planers in Australia and the United States are once again focusing on the Pacific, this anniversary is a timely reminder of when Australian and American soldiers served, fought and died together in our region, fighting to liberate what was then Australian territory.
doriangray42
If you’re 2/3 independent, what happens with the rest of you?
cataids69
As an australian who lives overseas. The amount of people I have to convince that Australia was in every war in the 20th century is insane.
AlcoholicWombat
Yes, the Michigan national guard was sent to New guinea to fight in a bloody but important campaign alongside Australians but most people don’t know that as its overshadowed by Guadalcanal and the other USMC led brawls in the pacific.
Then again, most Americans don’t really know too much about ww2 outside of saving private Ryan and band of brothers sadly.