1915 — Major General Sir William Throsby Bridges, who was born in Scotland and settled in Moss Vale, died of a wound sustained three days earlier at Anzac Cove. Bridges commanded the Australian 1st Division for the beginning of the campaign and is the only identified Australian fatality of the Great War buried on Australian soil.
1885 — The New South Wales Contingent to the Sudan departed after two months’ service.
1900 — The town of Mafeking, under siege by Boer forces for seven months, was relieved by a British force including the New South Wales Mounted Rifles.
1901 — During fighting at Brakpan during the Second Boer War, Lt Frederick Bell of the Western Australian Mounted Infantry rescued a wounded man under heavy fire, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
1943 — 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force conducts Operation CHASTISE, attacking several dams with ‘bouncing bombs’ to flood German industrial areas. Thirteen Australian personnel took part, including F.O. Harold ‘Micky’ Martin of Edgecliff, Fl Lt Jack Leggo of Lake Macquarie, and Fl Sgt Bob Kellow of Newcastle.
1942 — Australian prisoners of war in Japanese captivity began to be transported from Singapore to work on the Thai-Burma Railway.
1945 — After four days of fighting, troops from the Australian 6th Division seize the town of Wewak, which by then was the last Japanese stronghold in Papua New Guinea. Victorian Pvt Edward Kenna of the New South Wales raised 2/4th Battalion was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions during the battle.
2001 — HMAS Darwin arrived in the Solomon Islands to assist with peacekeeping operations.
1943 — The AHS Centaur, a hospital ship, was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in waters off Brisbane. Of 332 souls aboard, only 64 survived the sinking.
1968 — When his unit was ambushed during a patrol around Fire Support Base Coral, Gundagai-born Pvt Richard Norden, serving with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment, charged enemy positions three times to rescue wounded comrades and regain the initiative. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for this action in 2024.
1957 — Liberator bombers of No.1 Squadron RAAF conducted a large-scale air raid against Communist Guerrillas during the Malayan Emergency.
1968 — The first of many Communist attacks fell against Fire Support Base Coral, costing the lives of 11 Australians before the assault was driven back.
1917 — During consolidation operations at Bullecourt, Victorian Lt Rupert ‘Mick’ Moon was wounded four times charging a German machine gun nest and consolidating his troops’ defensive positions. For these actions he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
1945 — During fighting on Tarakan, Leichardt-born Cpl Jack Mackey serving with the 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion, single-handedly charged successive Japanese machine gun positions until he was killed. For these actions, he was awarded the Victoria Cross and remains the only Australian pioneer so decorated.
1966 — During an ambush, Redfern-born W.O. Ray Simpson who was serving with the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam, shielded wounded comrades with his body while covering their evacuation. For this, and an earlier action, he would be awarded the Victoria Cross.
1900 — During the advance to Pretoria, the New South Wales Mounted Rifles repelled a Boer counter-attack against their column at the Zand River.
1940 — German armoured columns began their attack on France, overrunning the country in six weeks. Forty Australian airmen flew with British formations in the defence of France.
1943 — HMAS Maroubra, a coastal cutter, was sunk during a Japanese air raid on Millingimbi Island.
1921 — German New Guinea, which had been under Australian Military rule since its seizure in 1914, was transferred to Australian Civil Administration under a League of Nations Mandate.
1943 — A Royal Australian Air Force base on Millingimbi Island, off the coast of the Northern Territory’s Arnhem Land, was bombed by Japanese aircraft.
1956 — The aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne (III) arrived in Sydney Harbour to begin duties as flagship of the Australian fleet. Thousands turned out to welcome her.