Latest news with #PacificDay
Sky News AU
4 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘So much suffering': King Charles delivers heartbreaking speech marking Victory in the Pacific Day
King Charles has honoured the victims of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during his historic Victory in the Pacific Day speech. The six minute message, which was recorded earlier this month in the Morning Room at Clarence House, was released on Friday to mark the upcoming 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war. During the address, the 76-year-old monarch reflected on his own Grandfather, King George VI's speech to the nation marking the end of the war eight decades ago. ''The war is over', declared my Grandfather, King George VI, in his address to the nation and Commonwealth on VJ Day eighty years ago today – four short words after six long years of bloodshed, fear and suffering,' the King said. 'Seldom can a simple message have resonated with such a potent mix of relief, celebration, and sorrow for those who never lived to see the glow of freedom's new dawn.' In addition to paying tribute to all lives lost in the global conflict, the King also made particular mention of the victims of the atomic bomb attacks on Japan in the closing days of the war. 'On this landmark anniversary, we should also pause to acknowledge that in the war's final act, an immense price was paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – a price we pray no nation need ever pay again,' he said. 'But in recalling so much suffering, we must not lose sight of how great was the cause and how sweet the victory. 'For those heroes of VJ Day gave us more than freedom; they left us the example of how it can and must be protected.' The King also emphasised the importance of different cultures and faiths living together as the 'vital lesson of our times'. 'Countries and communities that had never before fought together learned to co-ordinate their efforts across vast distances, faiths and cultural divides,' he said. 'Together they proved that, in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear, but the arms you link. 'That remains a vital lesson for our times.' The speech comes as US President Donald Trump is set to sit down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska amid renewed hopes of a possible end to the war in Ukraine and even bilateral nuclear arms control. The location of Friday's meeting is somewhat symbolic – with Alaska sharing a narrow maritime border with Russia through the Bering Strait. The two nations' closest point is between the islands of Little Diomede (Alaska) and Big Diomede (Russia), which are separated by just 3.9 kilometers of water.
West Australian
4 days ago
- General
- West Australian
Second World War II veterans gather at Kings Park to mark 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Pacific Day
Second World War II veterans gather at Kings Park to mark 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Pacific Day
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
‘Beacon to us still': PM honours WWII heroes
Anthony Albanese has spoken of the debt the country owes to those who served the nation in a speech on the 80th anniversary of the World War II victory in the Pacific. Japan unconditionally surrendered on August 15, 1945, the message making its way to Australia via the broadcast of a code word: Neon. The Daily Telegraph reported 'Neon' was the perfect combination of a short word, few Morse code signals and easily understood. After dispatching the message of Japan's surrender from London to Canberra, the paper reported, High Commissioner Stanley Bruce went out for a 'much-needed drink'. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley attended the 80th Victory in the Pacific Day commemoration at Martin Place on Friday. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Albanese, speaking at Sydney's Cenotaph, paid tribute to veterans and those who fell in conflict. 'Part of the debt that we owe to all who served our nation is to remind ourselves how close history came to taking a very different path, and to remember and honour every Australian – and every friend and every ally – who gave everything to ensure that it did not,' Mr Albanese said. 'We think of all the stories of courage. Of resilience and exhaustion, of fear and elation, and an endless longing for the home that so many never saw again. 'These are not stories rendered in bronze or marble, but written in flesh and blood.' Anthony Albanese paid tribute to WWII veterans at the 80th Victory in the Pacific Day commemoration at Martin Place on Friday. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Albanese added the 'nightmares made real' of the war was a weight, but that Australians stood against 'human beings in a grotesque perversion of humanity' lifted hearts. 'Amid the shadows of war, the power of their courage and the strength of their character is a light that is a beacon to us still. 'They showed us what it is to remain true to ourselves, no matter what. 'They showed us what it means to stand shoulder to shoulder with friends and allies. And together, they turned the tide.' Shadow Minister for Defence, Angus Taylor said Victory in the Pacific showed Australia could play a role on the world stage. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia 'Fear was real' The surrender of Japan came days after the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing thousands. News of the surrender, and the end of the war, came at 8.44am with then Prime Minister Ben Chifley starting a speech less than an hour later: 'Fellow citizens, the war is over.' The formal surrender of Japan took place on 2 September. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said victory in the Pacific showed Australia 'could play a pivotal role on the world stage'. 'In those early days of 1942, fear was real,' he said. 'A full-scale Japanese invasion was not just imagined, it was planned for. Australians dug trenches, volunteered for civil defence, and braced for the worst. 'But over the course of the war, our servicemen and women stood firm. 'Victory in the Pacific was not just a military triumph. It was a national achievement. 'It proved that even as a small nation, we could play a pivotal role on the world stage. Australia did not choose this conflict. 'But when the threat came to our shores, we met it with determination and resolve. We stood with our allies, and we did so not out of obligation, but out of conviction. 'Today, we reflect on the legacy of those who served in the Pacific and recommit to the values they defended.'
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
ABC News
24-04-2025
- General
- ABC News
Intelligence gathering in Geraldton 80 years on from WWII
In the 1940s, Geraldton was a small coastal town of just 5,000 people. But with fears of a Japanese invasion during World War II, the population swelled dramatically, as 40,000 troops were stationed there for the defence of key infrastructure such as the railway, port, and airport. Radar station in Geraldton during WWII (left) and the Kojarena Defence Communication Station (right). ( Supplied: Geraldton Historical Society/ABC News: Chris Lewis ) Geraldton historian Stan Gratte OAM was just nine years old when the war began. He developed a friendship with one of those soldiers who left a lasting impression. In his memoir A Boy and the War, Stan credits Sapper Raymond Hicks of the 5th Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers, with expanding his love of photography. With a shortage of chemicals to process photos, Raymond taught young Stan how to develop his own film — a skill he used to capture the world around him during wartime. Anti-aircraft gunners in the Geraldton area kept watchful eyes on the skies for enemy planes. ( Supplied: Geraldton Historical Society ) Stan can remember the time he witnessed hundreds of soldiers marching down Geraldton's main street, Marine Terrace. Soldiers conducting drills near the Geraldton Cathedral Church during WWII. ( Supplied: Army Museum of Western Australia ) He believes the public parade was a show of strength to Japanese spies, a message for the enemy that Australia was ready. Mr Gratte can recall the day he saw hundreds of WWII soldiers marching through the main street of Geraldton. ( Supplied: Stan Gratte/ABC News: Chris Lewis ) When peace was eventually declared on Pacific Day, Geraldton erupted in celebration. Victory Pacific Day was celebrated on the streets of Geraldton, when Japan surrendered to US Allied forces. ( Supplied: Geraldton Historical Society ) Leftover ammunition was dumped into the sea, aircraft was dismantled, hangars were packed up, and soldiers sent home. The town gradually returned to the quiet fishing and farming hub it had once been. Even the radar station on top of Geraldton's highest sand dune was dismantled. It was one of 355 radar stations built in Australia to monitor enemy communications during WWII. After the war Avro Anson planes were dismantled and hangars were no longer required to protect WA's coast. ( Supplied: Geraldton Historical Society ) Echoes of the past unearthed While searching for sea glass at Bluff Point in Geraldton earlier this week, beachcomber Dianne Kitney stumbled upon an old tyre revealed by the low tide. She snapped a photo, which clearly showed a "US Royal Airplane" logo. Dianne Kitney stumbled upon an old tyre revealed by the low tide in Geraldton, WA. ( Supplied: Dianne Kitney/ABC News: Chris Lewis ) Historian and archaeologist Bob Sheppard says it may be from a World War II aircraft, but cautions against jumping to conclusions. "In my view, it's definitely an aircraft tyre," he said. "But these tyres were often reused — as fenders on cray boats, for example — so we can't say for certain it came from a WWII bomber. That said, bombers were flown out of the Geraldton air base during the war … so you never know." A US Catalina plane at the the Geraldton air base during WWII. ( Supplied: Geraldton Historical Society ) Eyes in the skies World War II forever changed the way wars are fought, elevating the role of signals intelligence and code-breaking. John Blaxland, an expert on international intelligence and security based in Washington DC, and author of Revealing Secrets, says there are now several key methods for gathering intelligence. John Blaxland says several key methods of intelligence gathering are used. ( ABC News: Mark Moore ) "There's the traditional human espionage, signals intelligence — which includes communications and electronic intelligence — as well as geospatial intel through satellite imagery," Professor Blaxland said. "Then there's open-source intelligence and diplomatic reporting. " When you triangulate all that, you get a pretty accurate picture of what's going on in your neighbourhood. " The Kojarena Defence Communication Station is 30 kilometres east of Geraldton. ( ABC News: Chris Lewis ) In the late 1980s, then defence minister Kim Beazley visited Geraldton to announce the construction of a new defence communication station 30 kilometres inland, near the farming district of Kojarena. "The Defence Signals Directorate is a very important gatherer of foreign information for the Australian Defence Department and the government as a whole," he said at the time. Mr Beazley said the new base would significantly enhance Australia's intelligence-gathering capabilities. Focus on deterrence Gordon Flake, who leads the Perth USAsia Centre at the University of Western Australia, says the Kojarena site remains "really important" to international security, playing a key role in the Five Eyes agreement. Gordon Flake says the Kojarena Defence Communication Station plays a key role in the Five Eyes agreement. ( Supplied: Perth USAsia Centre ) The Five Eyes intelligence alliance is a treaty for joint cooperation in signals intelligence, comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. "Publicly you'll see ships and soldiers but underneath it all there's this foundational element of intelligence sharing and the Five Eyes agreement provides a foundation for the joint collection, analysing and actioning of intelligence globally," Professor Flake said. "Just recently the highlighted transit of "But as our director of National Intelligence Andrew Shearer made clear … the clear indication was their capability and intent on the Chinese part. "You begin to understand it's not a benign world. There's been a lack of transparency from the Chinese." He says looking back at wartime lessons is essential to preventing future conflicts. "If you think back to World War II, what you don't want is another Bougainville, another Kokoda Track, or another Pearl Harbor," Mr Flake said. " Information is essential for deterrence. It's essential for protecting our national security. " The Kojarena Defence Communication Station is situated among farming land. ( ABC News: Chris Lewis ) University of Melbourne professor Richard Tanter has researched security and international relations for more than five decades. He says the Kojarena facility is "essentially a spy base". Richard Tanter says the Kojarena site is essentially a spy base. ( Supplied ) For years, the true nature of the Kojarena operation was the subject of speculation, until the Edward Snowden leaks The Kojarena site was one of several locations run by Australia's Signals Directorate that formed part of the international Five Eyes satellite eavesdropping network. "It was like having a curtain across the whole thing whipped out and then suddenly closed again," Mr Tanter said. The Kojarena Defence Communication radar and dome sits among bushland neighbouring farms. ( ABC News: Chris Lewis ) He believes the Australian government could be more transparent about what goes on at such facilities and which countries are being monitored. "People can have many opinions about Snowden. He certainly paid a huge price personally," Mr Tanter said. "But like Julian Assange, he and his colleagues released information which I think people need to know about to make up their own minds. Photo shows A black and white image of nine men attend to a radar structure on an unidentified World War II radar station. Some of Australia's forgotten military history is being brought back to life by a team of archaeologists searching coastal scrub in Western Australia's Mid West. "Is this the right thing to do? Is it for Australia the best thing to do? And I think that's the essence of what we always have to think about." Professor Blaxland thinks spy bases such as Kojarena are pretty transparent. "You can go right up to the fence of Kojerena, right up to the fence at Pine Gap," he said. "Now try that in North Korea. Try that in Russia. Try that in China. And good luck to you." But Professor Blaxland notes that it's wise not to reveal all your cards. "You certainly don't want to proudly display how good you are, because in doing so, you will make sure that your target will make it harder in future for you to keep doing that." The radar station in Geraldton during WWII was used to help intercept enemy communications. ( Supplied: Geraldton Historical Society )
