By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
MEMORIES of Australia’s Pearl Harbour – the bombing of Darwin in February 1942 – were entrusted to a Geelong school in a moving ceremony this week.
Geelong’s Darwin Defenders handed over materials including archival-quality books containing eyewitness accounts, military flags and depictions of the events to Geelong Baptist College.
College coordinator Joy Findlay said the school was honoured to be entrusted with keeping alive the memories of the Darwin Defenders.
“It’s sad because their numbers have dwindled to the point where none of the local members of the unit can march,” Ms Findlay said.
“This year one of their favourite sons, Neil Webb, passed away, too. Neil had a very close relationship with the college.
“It means a lot to them that they won’t be forgotten.”
The college has been the custodian of the Darwin Defenders’ military colours for the past six years.
“Since then we’ve marched each year in the ANZAC Day ceremony in Geelong carrying their colours and have attended important ceremonies in Geelong or Melbourne on the 19 February each year – the day war first came to Australia,” Ms Findlay said
Japan launched the first of 64 air raids on Darwin 10 weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbour and four days after the fall of Singapore.
The brutal 18-month bombardment was the first and largest single attack on Australia.
More than 240 people died, up to 400 were wounded and eight of 47 ships in Darwin Harbour sunk.
