John Curtin was an Australian politician who served as the 14th Prime Minister of Australia from 1941 until his death in 1945. He led the country for the majority of World War II, including all but the last few weeks of the war in the Pacific. He was the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1935 to 1945, and its longest serving leader until Gough Whitlam. Curtin's leadership skills and personal character were acclaimed by his political contemporaries. He is frequently cited as one of Australia's greatest prime ministers.
William Henry Kibby, VC was a British-born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross during World War II, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that could be awarded to a member of the Australian armed forces at the time. Kibby emigrated to South Australia with his parents in early 1914 and worked as an interior decorator and served in the part-time Militia prior to World War II. In 1940, he enlisted in the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force and joined the 2/48th Infantry Battalion. His unit was sent to the Middle East, but soon after arriving, Kibby broke his leg and spent the next year recovering and undergoing further training while his battalion took part in the North African campaign. He rejoined his unit when it was serving on garrison duties in northern Syria after its involvement in the siege of Tobruk, but in June 1942 it was sent to Egypt and recommitted to the North Africa campaign. Kibby was with the battalion during the First Battle of El Alamein in July.
Colonel Matron Kathleen Annie Louise Best, was the first director of the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps.
The Owen gun, which was known officially as the Owen machine carbine, was an Australian submachine gun designed by Evelyn Owen in 1939. The Owen was the only entirely Australian-designed and constructed service submachine gun of World War II and was used by the Australian Army from 1943 until the mid-1960s.
Lieutenant General Sir John Northcott was an Australian Army general who served as Chief of the General Staff during the Second World War, and commanded the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in the Occupation of Japan. He was the first Australian-born Governor of New South Wales.
Ronald Grant Taylor, known as Grant Taylor, was an English-Australian actor best known as the abrasive General Henderson in the Gerry Anderson science fiction series UFO and for his lead role in Forty Thousand Horsemen (1940).
The Australian Information Service (AIS) was one of a series of federal government organisations created to promote the image of Australia, in existence between 1940 and 1996.
The Australian Institute of Architects is a professional body for architects in Australia. The post-nominals of FRAIA (Fellow) and RAIA continue to be used.
Evelyn Ernest Owen was an Australian who developed the Owen submachine gun which was used by the Australian Army in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Sir Thomas Walter White, was an Australian politician and pilot in the First World War. In 1914 he became one of the first airmen trained for the Australian Flying Corps (AFC), and the following year he was among the first AFC members to see action when he was deployed to the Middle East with the Mesopotamian Half Flight. After carrying out several missions behind Turkish lines, he was captured in November 1915 but escaped in July 1918. White was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and twice mentioned in despatches for his war service. He married Vera Deakin, a Red Cross worker and daughter of former Australian Prime Minister Alfred Deakin, in 1920.
Thomas Hallett Scholfield, MC was an Australian politician. He was a United Australia Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1931 to 1940, representing the electorate of Wannon.
Forty Thousand Horsemen is a 1940 Australian war film directed by Charles Chauvel. The film tells the story of the Australian Light Horse which operated in the desert at the Sinai and Palestine campaign during World War I. It follows the adventures of three rowdy heroes in fighting and romance. The film culminates at the Battle of Beersheba which is reputedly "the last successful cavalry charge in history". The film was clearly a propaganda weapon, to aid in recruitment and lift the pride of Australians at home during World War II. It was one of the most successful Australian movies of its day. It was later remade in 1987 as The Lighthorsemen.
Mary Teston Luis Bell was an Australian aviator and founding leader of the Women's Air Training Corps (WATC), a volunteer organisation that provided support to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II. She later helped establish the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF), the first and largest women's wartime service in the country, which grew to more than 18,000 members by 1944.
Lieutenant General Sir Mervyn Francis Brogan, was a senior officer in the Australian Army who served as Chief of the General Staff from 1971 to 1973.
Major General Victor Paul Hildebrandt Stantke, was a senior officer in the Australian Army, serving during the First World War and Second World War. His appointments were mainly to staff and administrative postings, including holding the position of Adjutant-General from 1940 to 1943, and commander Queensland Lines of Communication Area from 1943 to 1946.
Major General John William Alexander O'Brien, was a senior officer in the Australian Army during the Second World War. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his service as commander of the 2/5th Field Regiment during the Syria–Lebanon Campaign. As Deputy Master General of the Ordnance he was involved in the development of the short 25-pounder and the Owen Gun. After the war he was the Australian supply and defence production representative in Washington, D.C., from 1951 to 1954, and the mayor of Woollahra from 1971 to 1972 and 1975 to 1976.
These Small Glories was a collection of short stories by Australian author Jon Cleary which was published in 1946. They were set during World War II, during which Cleary had served in the Australian army.
Elements of the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF) were located in the United Kingdom (UK) throughout World War II. For most of the war, these comprised only a small number of liaison officers. However, between June and December 1940 around 8,000 Australian soldiers organised into two infantry brigades and supporting units were stationed in the country. Several small engineer units were also sent to the UK, and up to 600 forestry troops were active there between July 1940 and mid-1943. A prisoner of war (POW) repatriation unit arrived in the UK in August 1944, and over 5,600 released AIF prisoners eventually passed through the country. Following the war, small numbers of Australian soldiers formed part of a military cricket team which toured England, and the Army contributed most members of the Australian contingent to the June 1946 victory parade in London.
John Graeme Balsillie was an inventor, communications engineer, wireless telegraphy pioneer, business proprietor and senior public servant. He is perhaps best known for oversighting the establishment of Australia's first coastal radio network which utilised a wireless telegraphy system patented by himself and generally known as the Australian system. Born in Brisbane, Queensland, he migrated with his family to London. His studies focused from an early age upon wireless telegraphy and soon found employment in that rapidly developing industry. After a decade of wireless experience, he was recruited by the then Prime Minister Fisher as the "Commonwealth Wireless Telegraphy Expert." He helped to develop the Australian Wireless System free of royalty, jump-starting the nation's radio communications network. The coastal radio network was completed in time to play a significant part in Australia's defence of its borders in World War I.
Eustace Graham Keogh was an Australian Army officer and military historian who served in First and Second World Wars. He won the AMF Gold Medal Essay three times, and was the editor of the Australian Army Journal from 1948 to 1964. He published several books on the Australian Army's campaigns.
