WWII Military History of Australia
Australia entered the Second World War shortly after the German invasion of Poland, declaring war on Germany and her Axis allies on September 3, 1939, as part of the British Commonwealth.
Because of this, Australia’s early war experiences occurred in the Middle East and the Mediterranean area. Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force units saw action in North Africa, Greece, Crete and Lebanon and ships of the Royal Australian Navy, which included two heavy cruisers, four light cruisers, five destroyers, formed a significant component of the British Mediterranean Fleet.
The Australian Army saw action in North Africa, Greece and Crete, facing Italian and German forces in the Middle East, Greece, and North Africa. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft joined the RAF in providing air support both in the Mediterranean area and over Britain, including forming a considerable part of Bomber Command. Many Australians also served in British squadrons. After the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbour in 1941 and subsequent attacks in Asia, some Australian troops were redeployed back to Australia to prepare for the possible invasion by Japan.
Indeed, Australia was in fact attacked from the air by raids on Darwin in February 1942. From this point on, Australian military activity was more closely aligned with that of the US military’s actions, as they fought together through New Guinea and Borneo and up the Pacific, driving back the Japanese Empire until their eventual success on August 14th 1945, when Japan surrendered to the Allies.
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