May 30, 1942 – Australia Today – Radio Australia – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
News of the South Pacific by way of Radio Australia and the latest reports on the defense of Port Moresby in this edition of Australia Today picked up via shortwave.
The Japanese made their first air raid on Port Moresby in the Australian territory of Papua on 3 February 1942. Twelve days later, on 15 February, the same day as the surrender of Singapore, Australian civilian government in New Guinea ceased. The Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU) was set up to run the territory for the duration of the war and Major-General Basil Morris took over control. Gradually, Port Moresby was transformed into a large Allied base with five operational aerodromes, fuel and logistical supply dumps, base hospitals and administrative buildings.
By May 1942 the Japanese had established themselves in the arc of islands north and east of the island of New Guinea as well as in the region around Lae and Madang on the north coast of the mainland.
On this day in May in the South Pacific, Australian Air Force Bombers carried out night raids on Rabaul and Timor, while a group of fighters engaged Japanese planes in the air over Port Moresby, five Japanese planes were shot down and three were damaged, with one Australian plane missing.
It was disclosed that nearly one-third of Australian pilots were active in the Middle East, leaving a crucial gap in air forces defending Australia. It was also learned that American Kittyhawk fighters had arrived in Australia. American, British and Australian correspondents were taken behind the scenes at three training camps in Australia. They inspected one American and Four Australian training areas. It was an indication of the growing strength of the Allies in the South Pacific and that an active movement was afoot to shore up whatever gaps in equipment or personnel the Australians were having in †he defense of Australia itself. It as also seen as a much needed morale boost.
And that was a small sample of the news coverage of war in the Pacific via Radio Australia’s program In Australia Today for May 30, 1942.
And while you’re here . . .you know we don’t run ads – stopped running them more than a few years ago. The ads were noisy and pretty awful and they were a huge distraction, having to wade through a lot of useless barking in order to get to the good stuff. But we still have to pay the bills, and there’s a ton of them and they don’t like to wait. And so we ask you consider becoming a subscriber and support all the stuff we do every day by kicking in what amounts to being an Americano Grande every month to be part of the solution and not the problem. In todays bizarre economy it ain’t much – but it means a ton to Past Daily. All you have to do (and we make this as simple and pain-free as possible) is head over to Patreon (that red box just below that says “Become A Patron” that you click on) and check us out. You can do 7 days free just to kick the tires and take a test drive. And if you like us, hit the subscribe button and become part of our rather haywire little family. Not bad, considering we just want you to like us.
