Bombing of Darwin: Diggers prepare for 75th anniversary

HELL rained down upon Darwin on February 19, 1942, and those still alive to remember the horror are preparing to make the pilgrimage back to ground zero

War veteran and Mornington resident Alan Day will turn 95 years old on February 12, just days before he returns to Darwin for the Bombing of Darwin 75th Anniversary. Picture supplied.

HELL rained down upon Darwin on February 19, 1942, and those still alive to remember the horror are preparing to make the pilgrimage back to ground zero.

Next week, World War II veteran Alan Day will celebrate two significant milestones — he turns 95-years-old and will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin.

The sprightly Digger was just 19 when he enlisted in the army and travelled north to assist in World War II efforts as a RAAF medical orderly.

On that fateful day in 1942, Mr Day’s innocence was ripped away when 188 Japanese aircraft tore through the sky above Darwin and laid waste to the coastal town.

It was to be Australia’s darkest wartime event which saw the death of 235 people.

“There were a lot of air raids in Darwin, it was quite scary at that time,” Mr Day said from his home in Mornington, Victoria.

“We were only young men.” Now, three quarters of a century later, Mr Day reflects on the events with a mixture of emotions.

“It means a tremendous amount in a lot of ways. It’s good to live to a long age like me ... But there’s a lot of sadness connected with it,” Mr Day said. “Memories of what happened in Darwin.”

On February 12, Mr Day turns 95-years-old.

Just a few days later, he will board a flight from Melbourne to join fellow survivors in Darwin for the anniversary.

Mayor Katrina Fong Lim said it was “a time to reflect on our past, acknowledge and to pay tribute to those who were there to courageously defend our country”.

This year, around 45 diggers, evacuees, widows and civilians will be in the NT for the occasion, including 29 Bombing of Darwin veterans.

The public is invited to a commemorative service at The Cenotaph, The Esplanade at 9.30am on Sunday February 19. Sirens will sound at 9.58am, to be followed by a minute of silence, flyover and military depiction of the day’s events.

Originally published as Bombing of Darwin: Diggers prepare for 75th anniversary