Tassie airforce veteran Brian Winspear recounts Darwin bombing

Brian Winspear AM, the sole survivor of his Darwin-based squadron, has again donned his WWII uniform to recount the battle where ‘The sun glinted off the bombs ... there were thousands of these things’

BRIAN Winspear knew he was in the fight of his life when Japanese bombers attacked Darwin in 1942.

Stationed in the northern outpost as a 21-year-old wireless operator/air gunner with the RAAF’s No.2 Hudson Bomber Squadron, the now 98-year-old clearly recalls the raid on February 19.

“As they approached and got overhead, the sun glinted off the bombs and there were thousands of these things all flooding down, and you could see them all,” Mr Winspear said.

“I was in a trench and you had to put a cork in your mouth to stop concussion apparently.

“After the bombers had gone, I stuck my head up outside the trench and it had bombs all around the edge of it and I got bomb splinters in my hand and one in my eye.”

Mr Winspear lost many good mates that day as Darwin harbour was left in ruins by the largest foreign attack on Australia.

It also marked the start of a decades-long campaign waged by Mr Winspear to get formal recognition for members of the No.2 Squadron, and men in the No.13 Squadron, which was also hard hit.

The No.2 Squadron was recognised internationally for its role in the Pacific battle when it was awarded a United States Presidential Unit Citation.

However, Mr Winspear says the Australian Government has never paid due respect to its men caught in the Darwin attack.

World War II veteran Brian Winspear AM, 98, of Hobart. Mr Winspear is the sole survivor from the squadrons that defended Darwin. He fought for 75 years for recognition of the achievements of members of the squadrons, which was finally granted this year. Mr Winspear is wearing his original uniform. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Bombing of Darwin Veterans: Basil Stahl, 96, from the 2nd field survey corp, Brian Winspear, 99, RAAF air gunner and Mervyn Ey, 97, from the 27th Scottish Infantry Batallion, posing at the East Point Gun Turret following their arrival to Darwin for the Bombing of Darwin 77th Anniversary. Picture: JUSTIN KENNEDY

No.2 Squadron had no formal commemoration of the bombing toll until earlier this year, when a memorial plaque was unveiled at Darwin cenotaph.

Mr Winspear believes the earlier snub was because Australia’s forces were caught napping when the Japanese aircraft attacked.

“They wanted to hide it. We didn’t have any army or any navy, no fighters. They were caught with their pants off and had nothing to boast about,” Mr Winspear said.

“For 75 years, I battled to get some recognition. I felt very sour about it because there were 200 blokes, and they all had mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters and fiancees and wives, so all those lives were just about ruined.”

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Mr Winspear said there was a spotter on an island off northern Australia that was designated to warn Darwin of an incoming threat, but the group there mistakenly thought the incoming aircraft were US planes, not Japanese bombers.

“[We] had just come back from a trip over the Timor Sea, doing air cover for the fleet of ships that were heading back to Darwin in knowledge that war was coming,” Mr Winspear said.

“And we had just landed about an hour. We were looking for breakfast and then the first wave of Japanese planes came over.

“Strangely, the air raid alarm didn’t go off until the planes arrived.”

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Mr Winspear is one of the last survivors of the bombing of Darwin in World War II.

When he meets the Sunday Tasmanian, he is spritely and jovial.

The RAAF veteran offers multiple cups of tea until they’re finally accepted.

And when talk turns to Darwin, he is all about honouring the men.

Mr Winspear has visited Darwin five times since the war’s end to participate in various services, but none were as special as February this year when the memorial plaque was unveiled.

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It came after years of working with Darwin historian Tom Lewis, the Order of Australia Association and the City of Darwin council.

Anzac Day remains an important time for commemoration for Mr Winspear, but also a stark reminder of the heavy toll of war.

“Death was terribly cheap [then]. If you heard someone didn’t come back from a trip you might make some comment like, ‘Oh that’s bad luck. I wonder what’s for dinner tonight’.

“It was happening like two or three times a week.”

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