Japanese midget sub attack commemorated in Sydney

news.com.au ^ | 1st June 2012

[naturalman1975]

FOR the first time in 70 years, there were no surviving sailors to commemorate the attack on Sydney Harbour by Japanese midget submarines.

Twenty-one Australian and British sailors died in World War II during the early morning raid on June 1, 1942.

The last two sailors to have survived the attack - Neil Roberts and stoker Ray Major - died in November 2011 and January this year.

But 200 people turned up at Sydney's Garden Island Fleet Base East today to show the dead are not forgotten.

"It's going to be up to us to provide an ongoing narrative for the memory of those that died doing their duty for their country," Commander Shane Moore, director of the Naval Heritage Collection, told reporters.

Hillary Killeen's brother, Kenneth, was 20 when he died in the attack.

"It really hits you in the heart," he said of the memorial.

"It just shows that other people care as well."

The ceremony also recognised all six Japanese submariners who died.

"Though the Japanese were our enemy then, they too had mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters, just like we did," said Mr Killeen.

"They were human, just like we are."

[naturalman1975]

The Australian mainland had been attacked before during the Second World War - there had been numerous bombing raids on towns along the north coast like Darwin and Broome since the start of 1942. But an attack right in the heart of Australia's oldest and largest city, was a major wake up call that truly brought the war home for many Australians.

It could have been far worse - the main target of the Japanese attack was the USS Chicago at anchor in Sydney Harbour, a heavy cruiser with a complement of over 1000. Fortunately the two torpedoes fired at Chicago missed. The Australian cruisers HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide also escaped unscathed. Unfortunately the small depot ship, HMAS Kuttabul was struck by one of the torpedoes that missed Chicago. Nineteen Australian and two British sailors were killed. A submarine of the Royal Netherlands Navy was also seriously damaged but fortunately without loss of life.

[jazzo]

God Bless those Allies that paid the ultimate price. Here’s hoping that WE NEVER FORGET!!!!!

[max americana]

“They were human, just like we are.”

Human? You mean marching Allied prisoners through high humidity and bayoneting or shooting anyone who staggered due to heat exhaustion during the Bataan Death March?

[Jack Hydrazine]

Leftists try to bring equality to everyone and everything.

[BigCinBigD]

I wonder how many drove to the cerimony in Hondas and Toyotas...

[BigCinBigD]

I wonder how many drove to the ceremony in Honda's and Toyota's...

[jazzo]

Couldn’t agree more, barbaric practices by a bunch of lunatics. You notice I said “God Bless all the Allies”!!!

[max americana]

Yes, I did ;) Thank God we nuked these jackholes or more American soldiers would have died. Nuking twice just to make sure.