Australia played a not insubstantial role during the Second World War. As well as contributing soldiers, pilots and naval ships to the Allied war effort, the island of Australia itself served as a base of operations for the campaign against the Japanese in South East Asia.
When the United Kingdom declares war on Germany on 3 September 1939, Australia, having not ratified the Statute of Westminster, was automatically drawn into the conflict. Australian involvement was never in doubt as Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies believed that Australian national security could only be ensured by supporting a British war effort.
The Australian military, however, was in a very poor state, even worse then it was prior to the Great War. The Great Depression had seen large cuts to defence spending and when war broke out, Australia only had 3,000 permanent soldiers and some 80,000 part-timers. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was also in a very poor state with obsolete aircraft and few trained pilots whilst the Royal Australian Navy was small and largely comprised of outdated ships (though these ships would perform incredible feats throughout the war).
Shortly after the declaration of war, the formation of the Second Australian Imperial Force, the successor to the force that sailed for Egypt in 1915, was announced. Initially comprised of one division, the 6th Division, the Second AIF expanded to include the 7th, 8th and 9th Divisions as well as the 1st Armoured Division though the armoured division remained in Australia for the duration of the war.
The RAAF also expanded but rather then deploy its expanding numbers to Australian only squadrons, Australian airmen were deployed to RAF squadrons and what were known as Article XV squadrons. This deserves an explanation as it was a critical feature of Britain’s air war. In late 1939, the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS), also known as the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BTCAP) was established. The objective of the Scheme was to train airmen for service in RAF or Commonwealth squadrons. Prior to the outbreak of war, it was determined the Britain would not be able to provide the pilots it estimated it would need for the coming war. To compensate, it planned to draw replacement pilots from the dominions. Because it was believed that the coming war would take place on the continent as the First World War had done, by transferring trained pilots to the RAF, it meant that the dominions did not need to field their own squadrons and incur the costs that went along with them but were able to benefit from the training of pilots who would eventually become veterans and return to their home nations after their service had ended. Under Article XV of the training agreement, graduates of the EATS could be assigned to squadrons made up of their own countrymen or a combination of nationalities and deployed to any theatre that they were needed. The RAF was also responsible for the wages of the pilots and any entitlements whilst the dominions would incur the cost of training. As a result, most Australian aircrew served with RAF fighter or bomber squadrons or Article XV Squadrons in almost every theatre. After the Japanese began their expansion throughout South East Asia, most Australian aircrew remained in the Pacific for the war against the Japanese threat.
The navy meanwhile began service with the Royal Navy’s Mediterranean Fleet. The Cruiser Sydney and five First World War era destroyers served throughout 1940, seeing a number of actions against Italian naval elements. As the war in North Africa escalated the RAN played a crucial role in resupplying British, Australian and Allied forces along the North African coast.
The army began its war in North Africa with the deployment of the 6th Division which served in the theatre until it was withdrawn in early 1941 for deployment to Greece. It was replaced by the 9th Division. In late March 1941, an Axis offensive led by the recently arrived Germans forced the British back towards Egypt. The 9th Division served as rearguard and held the vital port of Tobruk alongside British units until the majority of the Division was withdrawn. One battalion remained until December of 1942 when the siege was lifted.
The 6th Division was landed in Greece and the. Evacuated when the situation became untenable. Most of the Division was returned to Egypt though the 19th Brigade was sent to Crete for the ill-fated defence of the island. When the island fell, approximately 3,000 Australians that could not be evacuated were taken prisoner.
When war broke out in the Pacific, the 6th and 7th Divisions were withdrawn in case they were needed to combat the Japanese. The 9th Division remained in North Africa, participating in the crucial battle at El Alamein. It continued to serve in the North African campaign until it was withdrawn from the line due to losses. The Australian government then requested the Division be returned to Australia in January 1943 as it could not provide reinforcements to the Division if it remained in North Africa. The withdrawal of the 9th Division effectively marked the end of Australia’s war against Nazi Germany and Italy though Australians continued serving in British fighter and bomber squadrons until the end of the war.