Latest news with #FarEasternLiaisonOffice
The Advertiser
4 days ago
- General
- The Advertiser
World War II: 80 years since 'nightmares made real'
Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to war veterans as he joined thousands across the nation to commemorate 80 years since the end of the Second World War. The prime minister's address at the Sydney Cenotaph on Friday touched on the the words his wartime predecessor Ben Chifley had uttered to the nation on August 15, 1945: "fellow citizens, the war is over". "It was a sentence of perfect simplicity, but infinite power," Mr Albanese said. On the 80th Victory in the Pacific Day, when Japan accepted the terms of surrender to the Allied forces sparking the end of World War II, Mr Albanese paid tribute to all the stories of courage, resilience, exhaustion, fear and elation and the endless longing for the home so many never saw again. Almost one million Australians served in uniform during the war, but some 40,000 never got to see its conclusion. About 66,000 were wounded, while many thousands more became prisoners of war, with 8000 dying in captivity. "Every life and dream and future swallowed in that vortex of madness and cruelty, from every battlefield and every burning city, from the prisoner of war camps to the unprecedented horror of the concentration camps," Mr Albanese said. "These were nightmares made real - not by monsters but by human beings in a grotesque perversion of humanity." One of those stories, of country boy Frederick Balfe Emanuel, who flew a B-24 bomber over Borneo in July 1945 but did not live long enough to witness the end of the war, was honoured on Friday. At age 22, Emanuel enlisted in the Australian army, serving in New Guinea before joining the Far Eastern Liaison Office, where he participated in dangerous reconnaissance missions. "His story is a heartbreaking reminder of how close some came to seeing peace yet never returned home," memorial director Matt Anderson said. Commemorative services were held across the nation to mark Victory in the Pacific Day, including at the Sydney Cenotaph, the National War Memorial in Canberra, the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne and a fly-past over the National War Memorial in Adelaide. Federal Veterans' Affairs Minister Matt Keogh said the day marked the end of a great darkness - brought on by the most devastating global conflict in human history. Australia played a significant role in the Pacific during World War II, fighting against Japan from 1941 to 1945. Initially, Australian forces engaged in campaigns in Malaya and Singapore. After the bombing of Darwin in February 1942, the focus shifted to defending the Australian mainland and supporting the US-led counteroffensive in the Pacific. RSL national president Greg Melick said the occasion was an important time to recognise the sacrifices of so many fallen soldiers. "The end of the war brought heartache for many families when, after years of waiting for news of the missing, they were told that their loved ones were not coming home," Mr Melick said. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046 Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to war veterans as he joined thousands across the nation to commemorate 80 years since the end of the Second World War. The prime minister's address at the Sydney Cenotaph on Friday touched on the the words his wartime predecessor Ben Chifley had uttered to the nation on August 15, 1945: "fellow citizens, the war is over". "It was a sentence of perfect simplicity, but infinite power," Mr Albanese said. On the 80th Victory in the Pacific Day, when Japan accepted the terms of surrender to the Allied forces sparking the end of World War II, Mr Albanese paid tribute to all the stories of courage, resilience, exhaustion, fear and elation and the endless longing for the home so many never saw again. Almost one million Australians served in uniform during the war, but some 40,000 never got to see its conclusion. About 66,000 were wounded, while many thousands more became prisoners of war, with 8000 dying in captivity. "Every life and dream and future swallowed in that vortex of madness and cruelty, from every battlefield and every burning city, from the prisoner of war camps to the unprecedented horror of the concentration camps," Mr Albanese said. "These were nightmares made real - not by monsters but by human beings in a grotesque perversion of humanity." One of those stories, of country boy Frederick Balfe Emanuel, who flew a B-24 bomber over Borneo in July 1945 but did not live long enough to witness the end of the war, was honoured on Friday. At age 22, Emanuel enlisted in the Australian army, serving in New Guinea before joining the Far Eastern Liaison Office, where he participated in dangerous reconnaissance missions. "His story is a heartbreaking reminder of how close some came to seeing peace yet never returned home," memorial director Matt Anderson said. Commemorative services were held across the nation to mark Victory in the Pacific Day, including at the Sydney Cenotaph, the National War Memorial in Canberra, the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne and a fly-past over the National War Memorial in Adelaide. Federal Veterans' Affairs Minister Matt Keogh said the day marked the end of a great darkness - brought on by the most devastating global conflict in human history. Australia played a significant role in the Pacific during World War II, fighting against Japan from 1941 to 1945. Initially, Australian forces engaged in campaigns in Malaya and Singapore. After the bombing of Darwin in February 1942, the focus shifted to defending the Australian mainland and supporting the US-led counteroffensive in the Pacific. RSL national president Greg Melick said the occasion was an important time to recognise the sacrifices of so many fallen soldiers. "The end of the war brought heartache for many families when, after years of waiting for news of the missing, they were told that their loved ones were not coming home," Mr Melick said. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046 Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to war veterans as he joined thousands across the nation to commemorate 80 years since the end of the Second World War. The prime minister's address at the Sydney Cenotaph on Friday touched on the the words his wartime predecessor Ben Chifley had uttered to the nation on August 15, 1945: "fellow citizens, the war is over". "It was a sentence of perfect simplicity, but infinite power," Mr Albanese said. On the 80th Victory in the Pacific Day, when Japan accepted the terms of surrender to the Allied forces sparking the end of World War II, Mr Albanese paid tribute to all the stories of courage, resilience, exhaustion, fear and elation and the endless longing for the home so many never saw again. Almost one million Australians served in uniform during the war, but some 40,000 never got to see its conclusion. About 66,000 were wounded, while many thousands more became prisoners of war, with 8000 dying in captivity. "Every life and dream and future swallowed in that vortex of madness and cruelty, from every battlefield and every burning city, from the prisoner of war camps to the unprecedented horror of the concentration camps," Mr Albanese said. "These were nightmares made real - not by monsters but by human beings in a grotesque perversion of humanity." One of those stories, of country boy Frederick Balfe Emanuel, who flew a B-24 bomber over Borneo in July 1945 but did not live long enough to witness the end of the war, was honoured on Friday. At age 22, Emanuel enlisted in the Australian army, serving in New Guinea before joining the Far Eastern Liaison Office, where he participated in dangerous reconnaissance missions. "His story is a heartbreaking reminder of how close some came to seeing peace yet never returned home," memorial director Matt Anderson said. Commemorative services were held across the nation to mark Victory in the Pacific Day, including at the Sydney Cenotaph, the National War Memorial in Canberra, the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne and a fly-past over the National War Memorial in Adelaide. Federal Veterans' Affairs Minister Matt Keogh said the day marked the end of a great darkness - brought on by the most devastating global conflict in human history. Australia played a significant role in the Pacific during World War II, fighting against Japan from 1941 to 1945. Initially, Australian forces engaged in campaigns in Malaya and Singapore. After the bombing of Darwin in February 1942, the focus shifted to defending the Australian mainland and supporting the US-led counteroffensive in the Pacific. RSL national president Greg Melick said the occasion was an important time to recognise the sacrifices of so many fallen soldiers. "The end of the war brought heartache for many families when, after years of waiting for news of the missing, they were told that their loved ones were not coming home," Mr Melick said. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046 Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to war veterans as he joined thousands across the nation to commemorate 80 years since the end of the Second World War. The prime minister's address at the Sydney Cenotaph on Friday touched on the the words his wartime predecessor Ben Chifley had uttered to the nation on August 15, 1945: "fellow citizens, the war is over". "It was a sentence of perfect simplicity, but infinite power," Mr Albanese said. On the 80th Victory in the Pacific Day, when Japan accepted the terms of surrender to the Allied forces sparking the end of World War II, Mr Albanese paid tribute to all the stories of courage, resilience, exhaustion, fear and elation and the endless longing for the home so many never saw again. Almost one million Australians served in uniform during the war, but some 40,000 never got to see its conclusion. About 66,000 were wounded, while many thousands more became prisoners of war, with 8000 dying in captivity. "Every life and dream and future swallowed in that vortex of madness and cruelty, from every battlefield and every burning city, from the prisoner of war camps to the unprecedented horror of the concentration camps," Mr Albanese said. "These were nightmares made real - not by monsters but by human beings in a grotesque perversion of humanity." One of those stories, of country boy Frederick Balfe Emanuel, who flew a B-24 bomber over Borneo in July 1945 but did not live long enough to witness the end of the war, was honoured on Friday. At age 22, Emanuel enlisted in the Australian army, serving in New Guinea before joining the Far Eastern Liaison Office, where he participated in dangerous reconnaissance missions. "His story is a heartbreaking reminder of how close some came to seeing peace yet never returned home," memorial director Matt Anderson said. Commemorative services were held across the nation to mark Victory in the Pacific Day, including at the Sydney Cenotaph, the National War Memorial in Canberra, the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne and a fly-past over the National War Memorial in Adelaide. Federal Veterans' Affairs Minister Matt Keogh said the day marked the end of a great darkness - brought on by the most devastating global conflict in human history. Australia played a significant role in the Pacific during World War II, fighting against Japan from 1941 to 1945. Initially, Australian forces engaged in campaigns in Malaya and Singapore. After the bombing of Darwin in February 1942, the focus shifted to defending the Australian mainland and supporting the US-led counteroffensive in the Pacific. RSL national president Greg Melick said the occasion was an important time to recognise the sacrifices of so many fallen soldiers. "The end of the war brought heartache for many families when, after years of waiting for news of the missing, they were told that their loved ones were not coming home," Mr Melick said. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046
7NEWS
5 days ago
- General
- 7NEWS
Fallen heroes honoured as Australia marks 80 years since end of World War II
A country boy who flew a B-24 bomber over Borneo in July 1945 did not live long enough to witness the end of World War II. Warrant Officer Class 2 Frederick Balfe Emanuel died mere weeks before Victory in the Pacific Day on August 15, when Japan announced its unconditional surrender to the Allies. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Fallen heroes remembered 80 years after end of WWII. At age 22, Emanuel enlisted in the Australian army serving in Papua New Guinea before joining the Far Eastern Liaison Office, where he took part in dangerous reconnaissance missions. He is being honoured at the Australian War Memorial on Friday, as the nation marks the 80th anniversary of the bloody war that reached its shores coming to a fateful end. 'His story is a heartbreaking reminder of how close some came to seeing peace yet never returned home,' memorial director Matt Anderson said. 'This is honouring a country boy who became a Sydneysider yet did not survive to finish his story.' Other commemorations include a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft conducting a flypast over the National War Memorial in Adelaide. Australia played a significant role in the Pacific during World War II, fighting against Japan from 1941 to 1945. Initially, Australian forces engaged in campaigns in Malaya and Singapore. After the bombing of Darwin in February 1942, the focus shifted to defending the Australian mainland and supporting the US-led counteroffensive in the Pacific. RSL national president Greg Melick said the occasion was an important time for Australia to recognise the sacrifices of so many fallen soldiers. 'For Australians, that day meant that the Second World War was finally over,' he said. 'As the number of WWII veterans dwindle, it is vital that we commemorate their collective contribution to our liberty and way of life.' He said nearly one million Australians, about one in seven of the population at the time, served in uniform during the Second World War. Almost 40,000 died and 66,000 were wounded. Many thousands more became prisoners of war, with 8000 dying in captivity. 'The end of the war brought heartache for many families when, after years of waiting for news of the missing, they were told that their loved ones were not coming home,' Mr Melick said.
Perth Now
5 days ago
- General
- Perth Now
World War II heroes robbed of return home honoured
A country boy who flew a B-24 bomber over Borneo in July 1945 did not live long enough to witness the end of World War II. Warrant Officer Class 2 Frederick Balfe Emanuel died mere weeks before Victory in the Pacific Day on August 15, when Japan announced its unconditional surrender to the Allies. At age 22, Emanuel enlisted in the Australian army serving in Papua New Guinea before joining the Far Eastern Liaison Office, where he took part in dangerous reconnaissance missions. He is being honoured at the Australian War Memorial on Friday, as the nation marks the 80th anniversary of the bloody war that reached its shores coming to a fateful end. "His story is a heartbreaking reminder of how close some came to seeing peace yet never returned home," memorial director Matt Anderson said. "This is honouring a country boy who became a Sydneysider yet did not survive to finish his story." Other commemorations include a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft conducting a flypast over the National War Memorial in Adelaide. Australia played a significant role in the Pacific during World War II, fighting against Japan from 1941 to 1945. Initially, Australian forces engaged in campaigns in Malaya and Singapore. After the bombing of Darwin in February 1942, the focus shifted to defending the Australian mainland and supporting the US-led counteroffensive in the Pacific. RSL national president Greg Melick said the occasion was an important time for Australia to recognise the sacrifices of so many fallen soldiers. "For Australians, that day meant that the Second World War was finally over," he said. "As the number of WWII veterans dwindle, it is vital that we commemorate their collective contribution to our liberty and way of life." He said nearly one million Australians, about one in seven of the population at the time, served in uniform during the Second World War. Almost 40,000 died and 66,000 were wounded. Many thousands more became prisoners of war, with 8000 dying in captivity. "The end of the war brought heartache for many families when, after years of waiting for news of the missing, they were told that their loved ones were not coming home," Mr Melick said.
