Brisbane, Australia
Dublin Core
Title
Brisbane, Australia
Description
By November, 1944, Hi had been stationed in Brisbane, Australia. (For a wonderful history of Mort´s war assignments, read his War section in his book.) Brisbane and Australia played an important role in the war.
Even receiving the title "The Battle of Brisbane".
https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Brisbane
Within days of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, U.S. military planners began examining the possibility of pursuing the war against Japan from a base in the southwest Pacific. On December 14, 1941, Brig. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed the construction of a military installation in Australia, and that plan was approved three days later by U.S. Army chief of staff George Marshall. On December 22 a convoy led by the USS Pensacola disembarked more than 4,000 troops at Hamilton Wharf in Brisbane. Nearly one million U.S. troops would pass through Australia between 1941 and 1945, roughly 80,000 of whom were stationed in Brisbane at the height of the war. Brisbane’s population in December 1940 was estimated at 335,000; the American presence in the city would have a significant demographic impact. Initially the U.S. troops were greeted warmly. Indeed, many African American troops related that throughout their deployment in Australia they had received better treatment from Australians than from their countrymen.
In March 1942 U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur was ordered to Australia from the Philippines. The following month he was appointed commander of all Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific theatre, and in July he moved his headquarters from Melbourne to Brisbane. MacArthur’s first major operation as supreme commander was the defense of New Guinea after a Japanese invasion force threatened Port Moresby. Under extremely harsh conditions and lacking even the most basic provisions, outnumbered Australian troops under Gen. Sir Sydney Rowell fought gallantly, ultimately halting the Japanese advance about 32 miles (50 km) from Port Moresby. MacArthur made no secret of his belief that the Australian troops lacked spirit, however, and in September 1942 he ordered Rowell relieved of command. The action sparked widespread resentment of MacArthur among the Australian forces, an opinion that would not recede with time.
As time passed, however, resentment toward the U.S. "occupying" army turned to resentment. They were labeled "over sexed, over paid, and over here".
There was even a riot in Brisbane, where scores of American soldiers were injured, and one Australian soldier killed. Built mostly out of resentment of the Australians for the heavy handed, brutish manner of the American troops, rioted over a two day span.
This picture, just labeled "Pearl", was perhaps a girlfriend of Hi.
Even receiving the title "The Battle of Brisbane".
https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Brisbane
Within days of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, U.S. military planners began examining the possibility of pursuing the war against Japan from a base in the southwest Pacific. On December 14, 1941, Brig. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed the construction of a military installation in Australia, and that plan was approved three days later by U.S. Army chief of staff George Marshall. On December 22 a convoy led by the USS Pensacola disembarked more than 4,000 troops at Hamilton Wharf in Brisbane. Nearly one million U.S. troops would pass through Australia between 1941 and 1945, roughly 80,000 of whom were stationed in Brisbane at the height of the war. Brisbane’s population in December 1940 was estimated at 335,000; the American presence in the city would have a significant demographic impact. Initially the U.S. troops were greeted warmly. Indeed, many African American troops related that throughout their deployment in Australia they had received better treatment from Australians than from their countrymen.
In March 1942 U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur was ordered to Australia from the Philippines. The following month he was appointed commander of all Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific theatre, and in July he moved his headquarters from Melbourne to Brisbane. MacArthur’s first major operation as supreme commander was the defense of New Guinea after a Japanese invasion force threatened Port Moresby. Under extremely harsh conditions and lacking even the most basic provisions, outnumbered Australian troops under Gen. Sir Sydney Rowell fought gallantly, ultimately halting the Japanese advance about 32 miles (50 km) from Port Moresby. MacArthur made no secret of his belief that the Australian troops lacked spirit, however, and in September 1942 he ordered Rowell relieved of command. The action sparked widespread resentment of MacArthur among the Australian forces, an opinion that would not recede with time.
As time passed, however, resentment toward the U.S. "occupying" army turned to resentment. They were labeled "over sexed, over paid, and over here".
There was even a riot in Brisbane, where scores of American soldiers were injured, and one Australian soldier killed. Built mostly out of resentment of the Australians for the heavy handed, brutish manner of the American troops, rioted over a two day span.
This picture, just labeled "Pearl", was perhaps a girlfriend of Hi.
Date
November, 1944
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Date Start
1944
Date End
1944
Collection
Citation
“Brisbane, Australia,” Bloom Archive, accessed November 21, 2024, https://bloomarchive.org/items/show/1242.
Geolocation
Item Relations
This item has no relations.