Over 27,000 Australians were killed and 23,000 wounded in action during World War II. In addition, hundreds more servicemen and women were killed and injured in accidents during the war.
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Over 27,000 Australians were killed and 23,000 wounded in action during World War II. In addition, hundreds more servicemen and women were killed and injured in accidents during the war.
The following table is taken from The Final Campaigns by Gavin Long. It excludes deaths and illnesses from natural causes, including disease. [1]
| RAN | Army | RAAF | Total | |
| War against Germany, Italy and Vichy France | ||||
| Killed in action | 900 | 2610 | 5036 | 8546 |
| Died of wounds | 3 | 700 | 58 | 761 |
| Died of wounds while POW | 56 | 9 | 65 | |
| Died of sickness or injury while POW | 95 | 95 | ||
| Presumed died while POW | 91 | 14 | 105 | |
| Total killed | 903 | 3552 | 5117 | 9572 |
| POW escaped, recovered or repatriated | 25 | 6874 | 1020 | 7919 |
| Wounded and injured in action (cases) | 26 | 8925 | 529 | 9480 |
| War against Japan | ||||
| Killed in action | 840 | 6294 | 1140 | 8274 |
| Died of wounds | 41 | 1090 | 65 | 1196 |
| Died of wounds while POW | 50 | 50 | ||
| Died of sickness or injury while POW | 5336 | 5336 | ||
| Presumed died while POW | 116 | 2391 | 138 | 2645 |
| Total killed | 997 | 15161 | 1343 | 17501 |
| POW escaped, recovered or repatriated | 238 | 13872 | 235 | 14345 |
| Wounded and injured in action (cases) | 553 | 13191 | 253 | 13997 |
| All theatres of war | ||||
| Killed in action | 1740 | 8904 | 6176 | 16820 |
| Died of wounds | 44 | 1790 | 123 | 1957 |
| Died of wounds while POW | 0 | 106 | 9 | 115 |
| Died of sickness or injury while POW | 0 | 5431 | 0 | 5431 |
| Presumed died while POW | 116 | 2482 | 152 | 2750 |
| Total killed | 1900 | 18713 | 6460 | 27073 |
| POW escaped, recovered or repatriated | 263 | 20746 | 1255 | 22264 |
| Wounded and injured in action (cases) | 579 | 22116 | 782 | 23477 |
The Australian Army suffered 1,165 killed and died of injuries in operational areas and a further 33,396 soldiers were wounded or injured. Casualties in non-operational areas were also significant, with 2,051 soldiers being killed or dying of injuries and 121,800 being wounded or injured. These figures also exclude deaths and illnesses from natural causes. The RAN suffered 177 non-battle casualties and the RAAF 6,271. [2]
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Lieutenant Colonel Garth Callender is the author of After the Blast: An Australian Officer in Iraq and Afghanistan, published by Black Inc. in 2015.