Events

Troops rushing through the streets of ruined bardia in search of any stray enemy

Libya and the Siege of Tobruk 1941

2 smiling men in heavy coats, shirts and ties wearing 1940s Trilby-style hats

Greece and Crete April-May 1941

July 1942, former stonemasons, Private G Skipworth and Private J Govan cutting an inscription into a cliff beside the Haifa to Tripoli railway

Syria and Lebanon June 1941

'The crab's claw' cartoon. The image of a crab over map of Borneo. The crab has 'JAPAN' printed on its body. The front left claw enlarged and stretching down towards map of Australia. On claw is printed 'MALAYA'

Japanese advance (December 1941-March 1942)

Oil painting depicting air raid, harbour; HMAS Deloraine. A large plume smoke to the left, many white explosions in surrounding water and fire engulfing ship. In the foreground are two life boats overflowing with survivors.

Australia under attack 1940-1945

A Beaufighter from 30 Squadron RAAF in flight close to rocky outcrop in a valley in the Owen Stanley Range during an operation in late 1942.

Coral Sea, Kokoda and Milne Bay (May-September 1942)

2/32nd Australian Infantry Battalion holding German counter-attack at El Alamein, Western Desert, Egypt, on 31 October 1942. The men are from B Company and the tank depicted is a German Mark IV C model.

El Alamein October-November 1942

Trainee Rhodesian, Australian and British air crews on the ranges with their guns during the early stages of their training. The men are grouped around a British .303 Browning gun. Rhodesia, c1940

Little-known operations 1939-1945

Australian Wirraway on reconnaissance in the Sanananda area shot down a Japanese Zero. The image shows the Wirraway flying above the Zero which is going down in flames and smoke .

Beachhead Battles (Papua 1942-1943)

Salamaua, New Guinea. 1941-12. A crowd stands on the airfield watching women and children board the tri-motor Junkers 31 aircraft VH-UOV

The Japanese retreat 1943-1944

Australian Hospital Ship Centaur

War at sea 1939-1945

Recruiting poster for the RAAF air crew. A pilot is depicted wearing flying suit, helmet, goggles and parachute, climbing into the cockpit of an aircraft. He smiles and gives the thumbs-up

Air war Europe 1939-1945

Balikpapan, Borneo, July 1945. Sappers of the 2/4th Field Company preparing to blow up pipelines

Last battles

Three work mates celebrating the end of the war. Miss Lois Martin is wearing a knitted the red, white and blue vest especially for VP day, she is also is holding a hand cranked siren and her friends are waving Australian flags.

Victory (8 May 1945/15 August 1945)