Northern Territory Library
Bombing of Darwin Subject Guide
On 19 February 1942 a Japanese task force descended on Darwin, attacking
the shipping in the harbour and the civil and military aerodromes. A second raid
an hour later concentrated on the RAAF aerodrome at Parap. An estimated 243 people were
killed on that day and most of the civil and military facilities were destroyed. Believing that an
invasion would follow, there was widespread panic, looting and confusion as many civilians and
soldiers fled the township. In all, sixty four raids were carried out between 19 February 1942 and
12 November 1943. The towns of Katherine, Broome, Derby, Wyndham and Townsville were
also bombed during this time.
Books
Alcorta, Frank.
Australia's Frontline: the
Northern Territory's war.
North Sydney: Allen &
Unwin,1991.
NTC 940.5429 ALC
Alford, Bob.
Darwin's Air War, 19421945: an illustrated history.
Darwin: The Aviation
Historical Society of the
Northern Territory, 2011.
NTC 940.5442 ALFO
Australia. Commission of
Inquiry under the National
Security (Inquiries)
Regulations.
Commission of inquiry
concerning the
circumstances connected
with the attack made by
Japanese aircraft at Darwin
on 19th February, 1942 [The
Lowe Report]. First report.
Canberra : Govt. Pr., 1945.
NTC 940.5394 AUST
Department of Arts & Museums
Reid, Richard.
Australia under attack:
Darwin and the Northern
Territory 1942-1945.
Canberra : Dept. of
Veteran’s Affairs, 2007.
NTC 940.5426 AUST
Bartsch, William H.
Every day a nightmare:
American pursuit pilots in the
defence of Java, 1941-1942.
College Station, Texas. Texas
A&M Press, 2010.
NTC 940.54 BART
Bradford, John.
In the highest traditions: RAN
heroism 19 February 1942.
Henley Beach, S. Aust. Seaview
Press, 2000.
NTC 940.5394295 BRAD
Darwin and the Northern
Territory, 1942-1945.
Canberra : Department of
Veterans’ Affairs, 2002.
NTC 940.5429 DARW
Ewer, Peter.
Wounded eagle:
The bombing of
Darwin and
Australia’s air
defence scandal.
Chatswood, N.S.W.
New Holland
Publishers, 2009.
NTC 940.5426 EWER
Forster, Pat.
Fixed naval defences in Darwin harbour 19391945: how the Navy secured Darwin Harbour
against submarine attacks between 1939 and
1945. Darwin: MAGNT, 2007.
Online: Full Text
NTC 940.5429 FORS
Griffiths, Owen.
Darwin Drama.
Sydney: Bloxham
and Chambers,
c1942.
NTC 940.5394 GRI
Lockwood, Douglas.
Australia under attack: The
bombing of Darwin 1942.
French’s Forest, N.S.W., New
Holland, 2005.
NTC 940.5394 LOC
Powell, Alan.
The Shadow’s Edge:
Australia’s Northern War.
Darwin, N.T. Charles Darwin
University Press, 2007.
NTC 940.539429 POWE
Rayner, Robert J.
The army and the defence of
Darwin fortress : exploding the
myths of the critical phase, ʻtil
September 1942. Plumpton,
NSW : Rudder Press, c1995.
NTC 940.5429 RAYN
Rayner, Harry.
Scherger : a biography of Air
Chief Marshal Sir Frederick
Scherger. Canberra, A.C.T. :
Australian War Memorial, 1984.
NTC B358.4 (SCH) RAY
Hurst, Doug.
The fourth ally: The Dutch
forces in Australia in WWII.
Chapman, A.C.T. D. Hurst,
c2001.
NTC 940.54 HURS
Stanley, Peter.
Invading Australia: Japan and
the battle for Australia, 1942.
Camberwell, Vic : Viking, 2008.
NTC 940.5426 STAN
Lewis, Tom.
A War at home: a
comprehensive guide to the
first Japanese attacks on
Darwin. Darwin :Tall Stories,
2007.
NTC 940.54 LEWI
Thompson-Gray, John.
Japanese blitz on Darwin.
Toowong : John Thompson-Gray,
2012.
NTC 940.5429 THOM
Journals
Frame, Tom. “The bombing of
Darwin and Australian nationalism”
Quadrant, Vol. 53, issue 5, 2009:
46-50.
Book review of “An Awkward Truth”.
NTL PER 820 QUAD
Bullard, Steven. “Briefing: Were
more bombs dropped on Darwin
than on Pearl Harbour?” Wartime:
Official magazine of the
Australian War Memorial. Issue
59 Winter 2012: 4-5.
National Archives of Australia
Access Factsheets, photos, official records and files
etc:
www.naa.gov.au
Northern Territory Archives Service – Website
contains a guide to archives relating to the Second
World War in the Northern Territory.
Access photograph catalogue, etc.
Audio Visual
Bombing of Darwin, Feb.1942.
"Video from film taken by Lt. Roy Wheeler on board
'Manunda' before, during & after the bombing of
Darwin February 1942”.
NTC MEDIA 940.5394 BOMB
Powell, Alan. “The Darwin 'panic', 1942. Japanese air
raid of 19 February, 1942“. Journal of the
Australian War Memorial, no.3, Oct 1983: 3-9.
Canberra : Media Marketing Group, 2001.
Australia's frontline. 1992.
“Ceremony held in Darwin 1992 to commemorate the
50th anniversary of the bombing of Darwin”.
NTC MEDIA 940.5394295 AUST
Powell, Alan “An Awkward Truth: The Bombing of
Darwin, February 1942 [Book Review]” Journal of
Northern Territory History, No. 21, Mar 2010: 101103.
Northern attack.
Television News Agency, 2002.
“Contains original footage of the bombing of Darwin,
interviews with ex-servicemen and the 60th
anniversary celebrations, including the concert at
the Performing Arts Centre”.
NTC MEDIA 940.5425 NORT
“Darwin WWII oil tunnels.” Australasian Tunnelling
Society Journal, no.1, March 2006: 54-55.
Barton ACT: Australasian Tunnelling Society, 2006.
Websites
Northern Territory Library’s Online Exhibition
Australia's Northern Territory WWII contains links
to many relevant websites:
www.ntl.nt.gov.au/online_resources/australias_no
rthern_territory_wwii
Roll of Honour Online Exhibition
This Roll of Honour focuses on the people who died
on 19 February 1942. We have tried to put a face to
the names and to tell their story. The Roll includes
only those who were killed on that day, or died
subsequently of wounds.
www.ntlexhibit.nt.gov.au/exhibits/show/bod
PictureNT contains photos of the bombing of
Darwin:
www.territorystories.nt.gov.au/handle/10070/11
Australian War Memorial
View the story of the bombing, photographs, and a
Roll of Honour. Research Australia's military history
and more: www.awm.gov.au
Complete List of Evacuees from Darwin
NTC 940.53159 COM:
www.territorystories.nt.gov.au/handle/10070/11
Artworks
Keith Swain Painting
The Northern Territory Library displays the Keith
Swain painting “Japanese Air Attack on Darwin
Harbour, 19 February 1942” on loan from the
Australian War memorial. HMAS Katoomba
Factsheet available.
Darwin Commemorative Wall Quilt
The Quilt contains about 1600 patches recording
almost 2000 names of people who spent time in the
Northern Territory during the war years.
Squares are indexed on Territory Stories.
hdl.handle.net/10070/74700
Image sourced from:
The Bombing of Darwin - a personal account of one of the few who remained behind to attend to A.R.P.
and other duties, and who was one of the last public servants to leave the town after the complete takeover of Darwin by the military. Darwin : s.n., between 1975 and 1982
NTC 940.5429 BOMB
www.ntl.nt.gov.au
Contact Details
Phone: 1800 019 155
or (08) 8999 7177
Email:
ntl.info@nt.gov.au
Fax:
(08) 8999 6927
Post:
GPO Box 42, Darwin NT 0801
Location: Parliament House, Darwin
More information and other subject guides available through the NT Library website.