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Australia declares war on Germany
Menzies' announcement did not come as a surprise to Australians, says Dr John Knott, a historian at the Australian National University in Canberra. He says a fear of war had been building since Adolf Hitler came to power. "There had been a sense of anticipation slowly growing," says John. "Certainly by 1938 there was great fear of war.” -
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Australian fighter pilots participate in the Battle of Britain
Twenty-five Australians were considered eligible for the Battle of Britain clasp to the 1939–45 Star. Others flew during the battle with RAF Bomber Command and Coastal Command but the total number involved in the battle did not exceed 35. Eight Australians became air aces by shooting down five or more enemy aircraft. Pat Hughes from Cooma had 14 successes, which puts him among the ten leading aces of the battle. -
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Australia declares war on Japan
The Australian Government and its representatives abroad have struggled hard to prevent a breakdown of this kind. We did not want war in the Pacific. The Australian Government has repeatedly made it clear, as have the Governments of the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the Netherlands East Indies, that if war came to the Pacific it would be of Japan's making. Japan has now made war. -
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Australian troops capture Bardia, Libya, from the Italians
On 3 January 1941, the 2nd AIF took part in the first major Australian battle of World War II at Bardia, Libya, when battalions of the 6th Australian Division penetrated the defences of the Italian stronghold. Despite some heavy resistance the town fell to the Australians just two days later. The Australians captured Italian war materiel as well as thousands of Italian prisoners of war (POWs), many of whom were shipped to prison camps in Australia. -
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Australians defeat Japanese landing at Milne Bay.
Offering a sheltered harbour, Milne Bay, on the south-eastern tip of Papua was selected for development as an Allied base - the key component of which was three airstrips - in 1942. These facilities also made it a key stepping stone for the Japanese in their drive towards Port Moresby and late on the night of 25 August 1942 a force of 2,000 marines were landed to capture them.