This month, Australia commemorates its own Pearl Harbour -it is the 70th year since the Japanese bombed Darwin, to the North of Australia; at least 200 men were killed – the women and children had been evacuated before the Japanese sent their bombers and fighter aircraft–specifically to destroy the infrastructure and American battleships. Over 100 raids occurred. At about that time in 1942 the great American General, General Douglas Mcarthur escaped on a PT boat from Corregidor in the Phillipines and later on in an aircraft with his entourage including his wife and boy-child and they had to divert around (the Japanese were after him) and land at Corregidor airfield near Alice Springs. From there, he caught the (slow) railway train to Adelaide in South Australia where he made his amazing Messianic speech that he had written on an envelope during the long journey from the Northern Territory. Very few words were written but the words that stood out – ‘I Shall Return.’
Warren James
