“Some of us may forget that, of all the Allies, it was the Australians who first broke the spell of invincibility of the Japanese Army.”
- Quote from Field Marshall Sir William Slim, Commander of WW2 Commonwealth forces in Burma (and later Governor General of Australia).
And that first fracture in the Japanese Land Forces strength came at Milne Bay in September 1942. Alongside Guadalcanal weeks later, Milne Bay marked the first land defeats of the Japanese, shifting the Pacific war’s momentum.
Read more: On the 27th August 1942 the Japanese were on the doorstep of Australia.......
The Emu War is one of Australia's most curious and bizarre historical events. It took place in late 1932, when a large number of emus, flightless birds native to Australia, caused significant damage to crops in Western Australia.
In response, the Australian government sent a small military force, led by Major G.P.W. Meredith of the Royal Australian Artillery, armed with two Lewis guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition, to the region in November 1932. The plan was to cull the emus and reduce their numbers to protect the crops.
Curious? I am not surprised. Hell, if if the Australian Army couldn't despatch a few pesky birds then something was very wrong indeed. So let me enlighten you and tell you all about the time that the Australian Army went to war against its coat of arms.... and lost.
Of all the magnificent units and regiments of the Australian Army I doubt if any have a better claim to have been the one that saved Australia than the 39th Infantry Battalion, the first to advance down the Kokoda Track to confront the Japanese.
There are a number of units who could claim this title. The 25th Brigade in the defence of Milne Bay and the Coral Sea Battle. The former was supported by the RAAF. The Coral Sea Battle was a largely American enterprise. The 39th held the Japs at bay alone and unsupported until the 7th Division arrived fresh from the Middle East. For that they get my vote without detracting in any way the efforts and performance of all of our other units, and the Americans, who took on the Japs.
Read more: Those Ragged Bloody Heroes - “We are not a mob. We are the 39th.”
During World War II, Australia was a key player in the Allied war effort, providing troops, resources, and logistical support across the Pacific and beyond. However, not all sectors within Australia were fully cooperative in the war effort. The Australian Maritime Union (AMU), which represented dock workers and seamen, became notorious for its contentious relationship with the government and military authorities, particularly due to its refusal to load ships for the war effort at certain critical moments.
The AMU, formally known as the Waterside Workers’ Federation of Australia (WWF), was established in the early 20th century to represent the interests of waterfront workers, who often faced dangerous working conditions and low pay. The union was known for its strong commitment to workers' rights, and it frequently engaged in strikes and industrial actions to secure better conditions for its members.
But was it altogether about workers rights or was it more about political ideology? By the time World War II began, the AMU had become a powerful force in Australian labor politics. It was also influenced by left-wing ideologies, including socialism and communism, which played a significant role in shaping its policies and actions during the war.
Read more: Sitting on the Dock for the Pay.... Unions were no friends to the Troops In WW II
The first occupants of the Olympics village in Paris quickly taught the caterers that athletes did not favour their “climate-friendly” diet of things like avocados on toast plus almond-milk coffee. The athletes demanded more meat and eggs.
Paris Olympics CEO, Etienne Thobois, told reporters they suddenly needed more animal protein, causing them to order “700 kilos of eggs and a ton of meat, to meet the demands of the athletes.”
The Olympic caterers should have read a bit of French history – Vikings brought cattle to Normandy in the 10th century and valued them for both meat and milk.
Words are merely words, no matter how cleverly delivered or masterfully edited and pitched. Obama was supposedly a great orator until his teleprompter went bugger up. Then he became a bumbling idiot who couldn’t compose one umm without another quickly followed by another added for impact and emphasis.
Look at Joe Biden, Kamala Harris. They just can't stand up without their props.
Yet Trump can stand after being shot and the left hate him for it. Yes, they actually hate him for being a survivor.
That day, he became one of us. And, as a proud daughter of a manxman, when he came up and yelled " Fight! " all I could think of was my father and the Manx saying,
" no matter which way I fall, I will stand. "
All across the world, western leaders and aspiring leaders think that all they have to do is hire a speechwriter, turn up at an event and open their mouths. Well, it doesn’t work. Never has and it never will.
We want leaders who are lions and vikings and will rise up and fight.
" Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. " Ronald Reagan
It was Winston Churchill who made the tough decision to surrender the few to save the many back in World War II ......on many occasions.
I had read a book - some years ago - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - and was amazed that I had not known about the occupation of the Channel islands until I read the book. While the book is a very soft look at a harsh period of time, it did its job: it spurred me on to learn more.
Winston Churchill had made the tough decision to sacrifice the Channel Islands at the outbreak of World War II. To save the many, he sacrificed the few.
When you think of a cuckoo, do you think of a clock? You know, the ones from Germany, where a cuckoo pops out and greets you with a cheerful welcome? Time is ticking and it is nearly midnight folks.
Let me tell you a little about this strange little bird. It is rather sneaky.
It lays its eggs in the nests of other birds leaving those unwitting innocents to rear the imposter as one of their own. The cuckoo thrives and eventually throws the other baby birds out to die.
Many of the older generation know the saying whereby someone is a cuckold, referring to a man who unwittingly rears a child, thinking that the little one is his own.
Well, I think we have been cuckolded and, if things don’t change, we will continue to be thrown out of our homes and left to perish.
Read more: The Cuckoo's Nest... the Cuckoo Clock.... and it is about to strike midnight....
If Monkeypox is the new COVID and the WHO release their lockdowns and compulsory vaccinations, where will we be as a society? All on board or, as Bush Barbie would say, Nah,Yeah, Nah. It is just another round of sabotage from the left.
About another round of isolation, lockdown and postal voting. More blackmail and strong arm attempts to break us. From our governments across the world.
Last time many trusted them.
Today ? Not a show in hell. Hell, I no longer trust anyone apart from the few who no doubt feel the same way as I do.
Unless you are a brain dead multi vaxxed card carrying member of the " next vax I will get a free tofu burger" you are not likely to fall for the vax hoax a second time. We are over it. As a clean skin, I tend to venture into that land of reality. I treat many things with great circumspection.
Read more: Social Lepers and Leprosy... We Cannot Go Back to Those Days
When I was young, one of my favourite books was " Wind in the Willows. " Even today, as I approach 70 years of age, I can still relate to this book and, if anything, it means more to me now than when I first read it about 60 years ago. Why do I feel that we are cruising down the river with a weasel at the helm and the " riverbank" is no longer home? The Weasels have taken over and Toad Hall is conquered because we were all too busy being nice and playing on the river of life.
Are we asleep at the wheel?
Recently, I have found myself increasingly drawn back to the wonderful work of Kenneth Grahame. Written to enchant, excite and amuse, it makes me sad that children today no longer see such work in their school libraries, much less sit back in bed and snuggle down to share the joy of a tale woven out of love and the soothing pleasure of beautiful words. But, even in this lovely tale of friendship, home and the importance of family, there was a sinister threat that lurked.
The Weasels.
Read more: Weasels at the Wheel.... Has Toad Hall Been Taken Over?
I’ve started and restarted this article, pondered how to avoid hurting anyone’s sensitivities, and in…
181 hits
Forecast: Confused With a Chance of Bureaucracy - Microbursts, bureaucratic panic, and a wallaby with titanium…
290 hits
Beersheba is a name that should resonate with every Australian with the same ease and…
443 hits
How have we come to this mess in the Middle East? The strange thing is…
276 hits
From Bushfires to Bare-Chested Heroes Our resident Redhead proves that admiration, humour, and a little…
306 hits
In the mid-19th century, a flickering flame of innovation sparked a revolution that would illuminate…
341 hits
From the Valley of Death at Balaclava to today’s policy corridors, the brave bear the…
354 hits
Imagine women, beaten, humiliated, raped repeatedly in Nazi-run brothels, stripped of their dignity, and sent…
721 hits
Prentis Penjani’s Grand Debut – The Duck Was Just the Warm-Up Act By Roderick (Whiskers)…
348 hits
By Roderick “Whiskers” McNibble, Senior Correspondent (and dance adjudicator) Crikey, mates and matesses - you’d…
419 hits
I have often pondered why mankind decided to go after the humble whale. After all,…
415 hits
Critical Minerals: The Deal That Could Turn Australia Into the World’s Quarry There’s a new…
582 hits
In 1775, the U.S. Marine Corps was established to safeguard American ships and interests. …
389 hits
We stopped teaching goodness. Now we’re living with the consequences. There was a time when…
397 hits
In an Australia grappling with division and a search for identity, it’s time to rediscover…
448 hits
Ratty News: Dusty Gulch Dispatch — “When the Ghosts Came Rolling In” Filed by: Roderick…
423 hits
Eighty-one years ago this week, in October 1944, a tall, thoughtful barrister from Victoria gathered…
664 hits
On the evening of October 12, 2002, the peaceful tourist destination of Bali, Indonesia, was…
412 hits
Queensland and much of northern Australia are overrun with cane toads - an invasion so…
413 hits
Some time ago, a young boy visiting Redhead’s house asked to use the “dunny.” The…
449 hits
Have you ever wondered how and why the Youth of today are holding rallies , their…
410 hits
Over the last few weeks I have noticed that people are losing their sense of…
452 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Ratty News Bureau Chief There’s panic, pandemonium, and political puffery in…
466 hits
Try herding cats sometime. You’ll crouch, whistle, wave treats, and for one delusional moment, think…
450 hits
From Network to today, the prophecy is clear: truth has been turned into a commodity,…
654 hits
I am personally horrified by what has happened since October 2023. This wasn’t just a…
488 hits
Much of Australia’s early slang comes from the convict culture of the late 18th and…
528 hits
In 1925, a small courtroom in Dayton, Tennessee, became the stage for a battle over…
649 hits
Ratty News Exclusive By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Special Correspondent (aisle seat, back row) Reporting from…
441 hits
Back in 2002, an anonymous person sent an email from a disposable email address to…
371 hits
“We are perishing for want of wonder, not for want of wonders.” G. K. Chesterton Leonard…
420 hits