1942 — Townsville, the most important Allied  airbase in Australia, was bombed by Japanese flying boats operating from Rabaul

1942 — DARWIN was bombed for the 21st time when Vestey’s Meat Works was attacked

1945 — Japan was issued with an ultimatum to surrender

1950 — Acting Prime Minister Fadden announced the commitment of Australian ground forces for service in KOREA

2003 — HMAS WHYALLA arrived in the Solomon Islands in support of the Regional Assistance Mission during a period of unrest

1943 — Italian dictator Mussolini was arrested after being defeated in a vote at the Grand Council of Fascism

1943 — HMA Ships GAWLER, IPSWICH, LISMORE, and MARYBOROUGH were attacked by German bombers while on patrol off Syracuse, Sicily

1900 — CAPT N. HOWSE, NSW Medical Corps, won Australia’s first Victoria Cross when he rescued a wounded man at Vredfort, South Africa, during the BOER WAR. He is the only Australian medical officer to receive this honour

1916 — PTE T. COOKE won a Victoria Cross for bravery during the fighting at POZIERES. He stayed at his machine-gun position even as the rest of the team were killed or injured and was found dead at his gun. His body was later lost

1916— Battle of POZIERES began. This was the first protracted battle for the Australians on the SOMME. Australian casualties  sustained in several major attacks over 13 days numbered about 12,000

1916— LT A. BLACKBURN and PTE J. LEAK each won a Victoria Cross for bravery during the fighting at POZIERES

1970— 817 Squadron, RAN, was awarded a USN Meritorious Unit Commendation for search and rescue operations following the collision between HMAS MELBOURNE and USS FRANK E EVANS

1917 — Four members of the Australian Army Nursing Service were awarded Military Medals for rescuing patients from a burning Casualty Clearing Station in France. These were the first bravery awards won by Australian nurses in action

1938 — The Australian National War Memorial was opened at Villers-Bretonneux, France, by King George VI. The Memorial lists almost 11,000 Australians missing after fighting in the area

1942 — Japanese forces landed at GONA, New Guinea, with the intention of capturing Port Moresby by an overland route. This was the beginning of the campaign on the KOKODA TRACK

1942 — Coastwatcher SBLT C. L. PAGE, RANVR, was escorted by the Japanese to Nemboe Island, in the Solomon Islands, where he was executed

1969 — A USN Unit Commendation was awarded to HMAS PERTH for “exceptionally meritorious service” in Vietnam

1918 — Australian troops participated in an Allied counter-attack against the German Army at MARNE in the Champagne region of France. The German attack was designed to lure Allied troops away from the SOMME further north, and allow a German assault on Flanders

1943 — HMAS HOBART was torpedoed off SAN CHRISTBAL, Solomon Islands.  Seven officers and six sailors were killed in the attack but the ship was able to reach port the next day

1916 — FROMELLES, a village in France, was the scene of the first Western Front battle   in which the Australian Imperial Force took part. The ill-conceived action was intended as a diversion to assist British troops engaged in actions on the SOMME RIVER further south. The 5th Australian Division sustained 5,533 casualties.

1940 — HMAS SYDNEY brought about the destruction of the Italian cruiser BARTOLOMEO COLLEONI in an action off Cape Spada, Crete

1917 — An observer, aloft in a balloon from HMAS HUON, sighted an Austrian submarine on the surface in the Adriatic Sea. The submarine dived and escaped before HUON could get to it

1942 — Australian troops attacked and captured Trig22 on MAKH KHAD RIDGE during the fighting around EL ALAMEIN, Egypt

1960 — The first Junior Recruits (boys aged 15-16) commenced training at HMAS LEEUWIN, Fremantle, WA. The JR scheme continued for 24 years and over 12,000 young sailors graduated to the RAN

1918 — LT A. BORELLA won a Victoria Cross at VILLERS-BRETONNEUX for his bravery in capturing a German machine-gun, clearing a trench and dug-out ,and then inspiring his men to hold out during a heavy counter-attack. At 36 years old he was the oldest member of the AIF to receive this award. He had earlier been awarded a Military Medal and was mentioned in dispatches. He enlisted again in WW2

1945 — HMAS QUIBERON and HMAS QUICKMATCH were part of a force bombarding Japan.