How Richard ‘Sandy’ Corr survived the Bombing of Darwin

As Japanese bombs rained down on Darwin, a group of Aussies- including a teenager – jumped off the cliffs of Parliament House to survive the carnage. This is Richard ‘Sandy’ Corr’s story.

Richard ‘Sandy’ Corr was only 19 when the Japanese dropped bombs on Darwin, forcing the teenager to jump the cliffs off Parliament House and hide in the scrub.

‘Sandy’ served as postal messenger when the most significant attack on Australia shores occurred – facts known to his sons, Patrick and Greg.

What the brothers didn’t know was their father’s conduct that fateful day.

“When the air raid started, he went to get into a trench – which was full,” Patrick said.

“So he went over the cliff now where Parliament House is and he sheltered there under the growth and trees with other men.

“When the ‘all clear’ came, he was injured – they were all injured – from cuts and bruises and on the way up to the cliff they had to dig out a dead body from the bombing.”

Teenager Richard ‘Sandy’ Corr in his Darwin postal messenger uniform, 1941. Photo: Supplied.

More than 40 years since his father died, Patrick Corr flew to the Top End from Port Macquarie with his brother to reminisce on the most character-defining experience of his father’s life.

“I’ve learned the most about what dad did on the 19th of February from records held by (the) National Archives,” Mr Corr said.

“My father didn’t tell me a lot of this stuff because either (the survivors) couldn’t tell because they were emotional or secrecy.”

Through research and first-hand accounts, Mr Corr learned that his father and a group of survivors took a truck south to Adelaide River where they nervously awaited a rumoured Japanese invasion.

“They sent an urgent telegram to a superintendent in Adelaide to say ‘what do we do? This is where we are’,” he said.

“And the message that came back the next day was to go back to Darwin where they joined the rest of the survivors.”

The Bombing of Darwin claimed more than 250 lives. Photo: Supplied.

Mr Corr said there were still “loose ends” to his father’s story and those that shared the tragic day.

“(My father) used to talk about people, that’s what he would talk about,” he said.

“He talked about Leo Cox, he talk about Bill Duke and Harry Hawke who were with him.

“He also talked about a Larrakia man, Nim, who worked for the post office – I’ve never heard what happened to him and I wonder if someone out there among the Larrakia nation knows what happened to him.”

Richard ‘Sandy’ Corr in 1970s Sydney after the war. Photo: Supplied.

‘Sandy’ would soon post to Katherine and on to Adelaide before joining the Navy.

“(In the Navy) he met mum while he was on shore leave, got married and settled in Sydney and the only time he came back to Darwin was just once after he retired.”

Mr Corr said he continued to learn more of the Bombing of Darwin and shed light on its significance.

“I think what’s happened is that the responsibilities have flipped – we’re now telling the stories, because we can.”

The bullet point summary was created with the assistance of AI technology (PaLM2) then edited and approved for publication by an editor.