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Despite the allied losses in Singapore and countless other islands to the north of Australia the 14th Battery remained little affected as concerns mounted in Darwin and throughout Australia. They continued to enhance their defensive positions and improve their military skills both collectively and individually. There seemed to be an endless requirement for new roads and gun positions although time was found to celebrate Christmas 1941 with an outstanding dinner of Magpie geese. However, the war clouds, which had enveloped the map to the north of Australia, were growing darker as they approached Australia and in particular Darwin.
On the 19th February 1942 Darwin was bombed for the first time by the Japanese. Further detail of this and the subsequent sixty four raids on Darwin are appended. Major Ward Strutt put the outcome of the first raid succinctly when he said 'They made a hell of a mess of the town and the RAAF', Although Japanese Zero fighter aircraft strafed the anti tanker camp at Night Cliffs, they did no damage except put a few holes in the walls and roofs of the new huts - much to the disgust of their tenants who had laboured so hard to build their new home. A few anti tankers were able to express their annoyance a little more effectively by returning fire against the Zeros using Lewis machine guns on anti aircraft mountings.
Virtually unopposed, the Japanese force of two hundred aircraft left Darwin almost completely destroyed and the inhabitants in panic. The airfield was a shambles with a large number of American and Australian aircraft wrecked. In the harbour Australian troopships had been sunk along with the American destroyer USS Peary and a number of cargo vessels. The death toll stood at 243, more than half of whom had been on the ships in the harbour. A further 350 people were injured.
Cliff Whimpey and his crew were again manning the wretched gun position at King's Creek on the 19th. Line communication and the periodic visit by a water cart had been their only contact with the outside world for weeks at a time. Whimpey remembered hearing the Japanese aircraft as they approached in formation. Initially the thought was that the aircraft were American, then their foreign and hostile origin became evident. Soon Darwin was ablaze with plumes of smoke rising into the sky. During the latter stages of the raid an American aircraft was shot down over the King's Creek Swamp. The pilot, Major Pell tried to parachute out but was too low for a safe landing; he died shortly after some of the anti tankers reached him. Camp Pell at Royal Park in Melbourne, a World War Two staging area was named after the American officer.
It seems that only one casualty was sustained by the anti tankers during the course of the Darwin raids, and that casualty was to become quite notorious. The casualty was Ken Cook's truck which took a direct hit just off McMillan Road, at the south end of the RAAF runway. The truck and its contents of course had to be written off and adjusted financially however, as time passed, the contents list was the subject of continued amendment as anti tankers 'recalled' lost goods and equipment which had been loaded on the truck when it was destroyed. The Quarter Master Sergeant, Pup Wright, claimed it must have been the largest truck in the Northern Territory.
The anti tankers soon became accustomed to regular air raids by the Japanese. Another gun position was in the area north of the aerodrome, off Bagot Road. Here there was a most reliable air raid warning system. The system comprised a local dog which had befriended the anti tankers. The dog, having experienced a few air raids could detect the distant sound of approaching Japanese aircraft with its unique canine hearing, and would take immediate evasive action. The dog would leap from its slumber and dive into a 'funk' hole minutes before the alarm was sounded. Naturally the anti tankers paid close attention to the antics of the dog and would note carefully when the dog emerged, knowing that the danger had passed.
Again several minutes would elapse before the all clear alarm was sounded. Gossip had it that the continuum of alarms and raids was too much for one Sergeant from E Troop; disgusted with being dragged out of bed almost every night he resolved to sleep in the ammunition dump where he could be assured of peace and quiet. Clearly he could have counted on plenty of the former had the ammunition dump been hit!
Despite the best efforts of the Japanese the anti tankers in Darwin refused to disrupt their lifestyle, such as it was. Their defensive and other military duties continued with the accent on combating not only the enemy but the climate and elements. Countless trucks and other vehicles were dug out of the quagmire which developed as soon as equipment was moved off a sealed surface. Like soldiers everywhere culinary pursuits occupied the thoughts of most from time to time. George Dewar and his Dutch oven were popular, as were his scones, Wallaby tail soup and patties. Fishing was also a rewarding pastime although Cecil Brain and Jim Pearce almost came to grief when their 'exploding bait' of gelignite landed them on their backsides rather than with any fish.
Sporting fixtures were still favourite leisure activities. Football games were conducted near the Brigade Headquarters and adjacent to the airstrips. The woodchop event was eagerly attended and Mal Williams could always be found sharpening his axe when not required for duty. Jackie Wardrope and George O'Mara were quick to oblige punters on any sporting event with their betting books. It would take a lot more than a few nuisance visits by the Japanese to distract the anti tankers from their work and leisure.
The Japanese made many raids against the population and defenders of Darwin. Although loss of life was severe and the damage extensive, the anti tankers were fortunate not to incur casualties. As time passed the defence posture was further adjusted throughout northern Australia and General Herring came up to Darwin with two more infantry brigades to form Northern Territory Force. The impact of this on the anti tankers and other supporting arms was that sub units of the battery were attached to infantry battalions in direct support and thus lived in the infantry camps.
At one stage battery headquarters was with 23rd Brigade at the 39 mile post on the North Australia Road with the batteries scattered throughout the area. Thus deployed the anti tankers continued with exercise after exercise, from unit through to brigade and even force levels. For a change the occasional reconnaissance trip was undertaken through areas such as Humpty Doo and Rum Jungle.
All the time the anti tankers, like other units experienced countless changes as men came and went on course, sickness, reposting and so on. The 14th Battery however did not change, it maintained the same high level of esprit de corps and proficiency which had been forged with its sister batteries in the bleakness of Puckapunyal Camp. In fact it seemed that the loss of mates in Singapore had hardened the resolve of the 14th Battery anti tankers to attain the highest possible levels of proficiency.
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