When the first bombs fell at Darwin

 

Good morning from me to you this Wednesday, here is a little more about the bombing of Darwin during WW11.

Just before the air rain alarm went off there were 70 waterside workers unloading vessels and when the pier was hit these men found themselves stuck ad on the edge. Dozens of them ended up in the water and had to swim through burning oil. Twenty-two are known to have died.

There were of course many heroic deeds happening like the men in the water being pulled from the water by med in small boats.

            The Darwin Post office after the bombing 

In the town the post office was hit killing nine people, these were the postmaster, his wife, their daughter and four female telephonists who were essential workers and their supervisor and another PMG worker.

            Taking shelter in an air raid trench

The air-raid shelter in the post office garden where they went for safety took a direct hit.  

Another business bombed was the hospital, but no one died there.

One story of a man escaping injury during the attack was that of Reginald Rattley a 26yr old telephone mechanic who had tried to shelter with the postmaster and other only to there wasn’t room so went over the Esplanade cliff to the beach. As he jumped a bomb-blast lifted him bodily onto the sand where he landed safely.

By 10.30am the first raid was over it lasted just over half an hour.

More to come next week………………