Under Fire
World War II had a huge impact on Western Australian society and for some towns, the impact was tragic. It is not generally recognised that eight WA communities - Broome, Derby, Exmouth, Onslow, Port Hedland, Wyndham, Kalumburu and Port Gregory - were bombed during the Second World War.
The war hit Western Australian shores in quite brutal fashion. Broome suffered Australia's second worst air raid on 3 March 1942 when 70 people were killed and 24 air craft including 16 flying boats were destroyed. Simultaneous to the raid on Broome, eight Japanese fighters hit Wyndham. Broome was again hit on 20 March, the same day that Derby suffered its only raid.
Special events were held during 2005 in Broome, Derby, Onslow and Port Gregory to mark the air raids on their towns and commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII.
A Grateful State Remembers.