Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin - Darwin CBD and Suburbs
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A tribute to honour and remember those who helped defend Darwin.
The Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin is commemorated each year on 19 February at the Cenotaph, Bicentennial Park, and Darwin. On 19 February 1942, World War II was brought to the shores of Australia when the Japanese dropped bombs over Darwin.
After devastating Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, the Japanese attack fleet led by Admiral “Isokoru Yamamoto� steamed straight for Darwin in North Australia. The same commander “Mitsuo Fuchida� led both the raid on Darwin and the raid on Pearl Harbour. The Bombing of Darwin is often referred to as Australia’s Pearl Harbour. But in fact more bombs were dropped on Darwin than on Pearl Harbour.
On this all those years ago 243 people, both armed forces personnel and civilians, lost their lives. Eight ships were sunk and 11 damaged. A section of the wharf was destroyed, killing 22 waterside workers. Over the next 21 months, Darwin, Adelaide River, Katherine and Milingimbi in Arnhem Land were bombed 64 times.
The service begins at 0930 with the sounding of the WWII air raid siren at 0958 - the same time it sounded on the 19th February 1942.
A number of regiments, based in Darwin today, re-enact the historic attack - the first time that war had come to the Australian mainland