Continuing the exploits of some DCA officers, working as civilians, but very much caught up in the action of World War II

Following the bombing of Darwin, Wyndham, in north-western Australia also received attention from the Japanese. Rod Torrington was the Aeradio operator at Wyndham, and recalls: "March 3rd 1942 dawned, and at about 10am down came MacRobertson-Miller’s Lockheed 10 from Darwin on its way to Perth. Jimmy Woods was the Captain of the aircraft. While they were refuelling an RAAF Dragon came in. When refuelling was finished, they all got in the aeroplane and Jimmy went to take off as normal. I went over to Aeradio and while I was waiting for Jimmy’s departure signal, to my amazement, one of the RAAF people went racing past Aeradio towards the bush and he was really going at a rate of knots. As there was nothing to attract one in that direction, I thought I’d go to the door and see what it was all about. When I reached the door, I could see this line of Zeros (Japanese fighters) coming straight for the aerodrome and Aeradio. With the noise of a couple of receivers going, I hadn’t heard the Zeros coming. I then decided I would follow him in the same direction because I could see a couple of Zeros in line coming towards us. I wore a white shirt, white shorts and white socks in those days, and there I was trying to crouch down under a small bush with few leaves on it, and in full view of the Zero pilots. I never again wore a white shirt and white shorts after that!"

"Looking back, I could see the big stack of 44-gallon drums, which had arrived from Wyndham a week before, on fire. The hangar and the RAAF Dragon were also burning but, amazing as it was, Aeradio wasn’t on fire. The 20mm cannon and ordinary 7mm shells had gone through the Aeradio hut. Fortunately they had gone through fairly high, above the radio equipment but had minced up the hurricane lamps hanging from the rafters. Fortunately, not one bit of the aeradio equipment had been damaged, so I came back and put it all on the air again. I contacted Jimmy Woods, who had just got out of sight before the Japanese came into the area. He was very lucky; if he had waited another five minutes he would not have had an aircraft to go home in. That was the first air raid on Wyndham aeradio. It was all rather frantic."

Wyndham Aeradio after the Japanese raid. Bullet holes can be seen in the upper part of the building. Note the bicycle propped out the front ready for a quick getaway!

(Photo: CAHS collection)