The three flags are now being raised. Please be seated. Ladies and gentlemen, the Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Paul Keating, with an address on behalf of the people of Australia. I've been privileged in the past three years to visit some of the cemeteries in Asia and the Pacific and in Europe where Australian servicemen and women lie buried. It's been my duty to utter some words of tribute on behalf of the Australian people and participate in services to commemorate their deeds and their sacrifice. It has been one of the great privileges of my life, but it is a humbling experience because no Australian can fail to be affected by these places. This year, as part of the Australia Remembers Programmes, many veterans of our World War II campaigns have made pilgrimages to the battlefields and to those cemeteries. I think it's beyond the capacities of my generation to appreciate just how deep their feelings must have run. It is not, however, beyond us to understand, and it is our duty to try. It's our duty to convey to our children what the deaths of those Australians mean to all of us and will always mean. Most Australians will never stand among the graves in Bamana and Lay or Singapore or Kanchinaburi or Yokohama or in any of the cemeteries in Europe, Britain or the Middle East, but all of us should know that Australians are buried there. We should know why and the meaning it contains for us. We cannot know what their last days were like, what suffering they went through, what pain and longing and despair they endured so far from home. We can only imagine, and 50 years later we can feel the loss of their lives as our loss. To stand among those graves is to recognise the profound truth of the ties that bind us as Australians. These are Australians like ourselves, but these Australians gave their young lives, guide them so we might live in peace and freedom, guide them so we might enjoy the blessings of life and enjoy them in the country they loved. Contemplate those graves or the 40,000 names on the World War II honour roll at the Australian War Memorial and the story of this country and the story of everyone who calls it home takes on an irresistible meaning. It instills in our national life a sense of duty. The story tells us that there was a generation of men and women who so loved this country and the freedoms and the way of life we now enjoy. They were prepared to lay down their lives. There were Australians who so loved what is just and they defended what they believed to be just to the death. We cannot think about this without understanding the debt we owe them and the duty we have to honour their memory. To truly honour them is much more than a ritual task. It is to take the knowledge of their sacrifice into our daily lives and the life of Australia. It is to love this country and to give to it as they did, which is to say with the same faith from which their inspiration, effort and endurance flowed. It is to believe in freedom as they did, defend freedom as they did, to work together as they did. It is to make this country as strong and secure as they made it. Time has changed our perspective on the world and on ourselves. We've had to adjust our thinking to accommodate necessities. In many ways I think we're better for it. It may be that we are less naive and more worldly than the Australians of 50 years ago. I believe we're more tolerant and more open. But if we are to succeed as we should, we will always need their strength, their collective spirit, their sense of duty, their faith. We will need their inspiration. I hope that this Australia Remembers Year has reminded all of us of these things. Never did a generation of Australians have more passion, more reason to celebrate than those of 50 years ago. In pure and simple terms, they were celebrating a victory. They had fought for what they believed in and won. They had trusted in their values and each other and they had been vindicated. Now they had every reason to expect the rewards of peace and prosperity. What we've done this year is to join them in this celebration in the same confident belief in the future. Today we should recognise that we have the same unbreakable link to those people who danced in the street 50 years ago as we do with those who lie in the graves in New Guinea and Borneo and Thailand and Japan. We're all part of the same and one story. I think this Australia Remembers Year will have been a triumph if it has reminded us all of that. I hope our commemorations this year have reminded the Australians of today that they have as much reason to celebrate as those of 50 years ago and the reasons are the same. We are a free and independent people. We live in peace and we have a great future and we have these things in common and we have like they had a duty to Australia. The Prime Minister making a very moving speech there and reminding us of course that we're all part of the same, the one story, it's a bit of a favourite theme because I think looking back and for now we'll go to Ross Simons with a news update. Yes thanks Neil, good afternoon. Celebrations across Australia today as Australia remembers the anniversary of VP Day 50 years ago. In Brisbane the national event began with the wail of a World War II air raid siren. Prime Minister Paul Keating and Governor-General Bill Hayden were among the dignitaries to join the brave men and women being honoured. Spectators, knee deep in tick-up tape, turned out in their thousands to commemorate the end of the war. Overhead the biggest flypast of historical aircraft seen in Australia, below members of the Army, Navy, Mounted Police and vintage trucks and jeeps. In Sydney VP Day began with a dawn service of remembrance, wreaths were laid at the cenotaph in a moving ceremony. At midday two minutes silence before a new dancing man kicked off a parade through the city streets to the delighted cheers of a huge crowd. Today's the Japanese Prime Minister, Tomiichi Murayama, has used the word apology in a prepared speech marking the 50th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II. So don't forget Seven Nightly News brings a special VP Day bulletin with all the highlights of today's celebrations and of course the rest of today's news live from Sydney's cenotaph tonight. Now back to Neil and Anne. Thank you very much Ross. Now a final return to Cameron Williams who's at Tumbalong Park at Darling Harbour where the revelers are still reveling and those who marched today are probably having a quiet drink or two are they Cameron? Yes they are Ed and they're still reveling, they've only just begun in fact the Australian Army Marching Band has just begun proceedings down here at the moment. Bobby Lim has asked everyone to sit down so that our viewers can actually see that entertainment behind the interview here and a lot of people have come here actually to see a very talented young woman Genevieve Davis who's joining me now, Genevieve what are you singing for us today? Today I'm singing As Time Goes By and Auld Lang Syne and One Moment In Time. Probably not tunes that you'd sing in the shower but do you enjoy the music from that era? Yeah yeah the music from that era is very beautiful and it's a pleasure to sing it, have the opportunity to sing it at an event like this. Alright we're going to look forward to that very much and I see that you're wearing a broach to one of your grandfather here tonight. Yes my grandfather is inside, my grandfather gave this to my grandmother when he was in Papua New Guinea. Okay thank you very much. Back to you Anne. Thanks very much Cameron, the celebrations as we said are winding up at Darling Harbour and I think Neil it's a time for us to reflect, a time to share the memories and look back with genuine pride, a time for the rest of us to give thanks to those who gave their lives and to those who returned home, returned soldiers and those who didn't come back. We made it for us, our generation, a wonderful country that we have today. And for young kids, young kids today who realise their grandparents were young once themselves. It's a great day, absolutely wonderful day. We'll be back with more of the Australian members, VP Day Parade, right after this break. See you shortly. And now our men and women will come home. Our fighting men will battle on as thick upon them from every theatre of war. VP Day, 50 years ago Adelaide celebrated the end of the war, a huge turn off of today's tribute and Fitzroy's acts as coach. Tonight can your children spell? You have to question how they got some of those attainments if they can't spell. Are computers making them illiterate? The aspect now of spell checks on computers means that a lot of students think well why does it matter so much? It could affect your child's future in the workplace. Personally as all the spelling correct gives a better opportunity. Plus more remarkable footage from the war including the Japanese prisoner of war camp in South Australia. 6.30 tonight on 7. Here in Paracetamol tablets are a world class product made by an Australian owned company. That's why they're my first choice for temporary pain relief. Make them your first choice too. Introducing Sat Duck. A toilet block which blues and fragrances. Just pop it in the system and Sat Duck blues and cleans adding a fresh fragrance with every flush. Sat Duck, now in potpourri. When it's out of whack and out of warranty what do you do? Now there's an answer. Introducing the repair shop at Tandy Electronics. Just call us. We'll tell you whether you should bring it in about how much it'll cost and how soon you'll get it back. We repair most major brands. Even the more stubborn ones. The repair shop at Tandy Electronics. You've got questions, we've got answers. Schwarzenegger. It's adventure like you've never seen before from the past and the future. Now you can enjoy the Schwarzenegger video collection from Time Life. Get these mind-blowing movies delivered right to your door. History-making Terminator 2. Hasta la vista, baby. Astonishing total recall. Crazy comedy Twins. They're not identical twins. Oh, no? Red hot action in red heat. I have my orders. Last Action Hero and many more. Phone 1-800-806-262 now to start your Schwarzenegger collection with The Terminator from $9.95. I'll be back. Keep The Terminator and another video will follow approximately every month. Call this number now to begin your Schwarzenegger video collection. Use your credit card and you will receive this exclusive keyring absolutely free. Phone 1-800-806-262 now to order The Terminator for only $9.95. Don't let me down. The Times has changed to 10.30 tonight. No other current affairs program would dare tackle issues quite the way we did. The Times is a winner. Punchier than 60 minutes. Downright mischievous. But isn't that a sign of The Times? A renovator's delight. Better homes and gardens. Escape to adventure in the great outdoors. John Burgess has Oslotto. High school secrets on Blue Heelers. Then the human drama of Chicago Hope. Adelaide's Channel 7 tonight. Good afternoon. Today we've seen the 50th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific celebrated throughout Australia. Concluding a short time ago with a speech from the Prime Minister in Queensland. For the next two hours we're going to recall some of the milestones of the struggle between Japan and the Allies for control of the Pacific. A struggle ending only with the terrifying birth of the Atomic Age. In the early 60s Channel 7 produced as its first documentary series a 26 episode account of the Australians in the Second World War. Using official film records made available by the Australian War Museum. This afternoon we will again see highlights from that series. How in 1942 Darwin was bombed with the loss of life and the cover-up that followed. The fierce fighting on the Kokoda Trail. The naval battles of the Coral Sea in Midway. And the thrust northward. Island hopping towards the heart of Japan with its terrifying conclusion at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And the celebrations here at home 50 years ago of VP Day. On April the 25th 1915 men of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landed at Gallipoli. It was on that day the traditions of our fighting forces were born. These stories of their sons and daughters at war we proudly dedicate to the memory of Anzac. Australia in 1939. Seven million people living in a continent innocent of war guarded by 3000 regular soldiers, a half-trained militia, one naval squadron and a token air force. On September the 3rd over the network of the Australian Broadcasting Commission Prime Minister Menzies announced Australia's declaration of war just 75 minutes after Britain. It is my melancholy duty to inform you officially that in consequence of the persistence by Germany in her invasion of Poland Great Britain has declared war upon her and that as a result Australia is also at war. The Australian Navy was already at sea patrolling the sea lanes against raiders. On land the sons of the 1st AIF answered the call of the 2nd. From town and country they came to fill the ranks of the 6th Division within three months of the declaration of war. Others chose the Royal Australian Air Force. 4,000 young Australians enlisted within one week of the call for volunteers. By the end of 1940 the RAAF had 32,000 trained men. The Navy mobilized its reserves and doubled its strength within three weeks to man the three armed merchant cruisers and eight converted minesweepers which it requisitioned. Australia armed and trained in earnest. None trained harder than the merchant navy for Australia depended on her imports. January 1940 the 6th Division raw civilian soldiers still sailed to the Middle East. These were the optimistic nuns when war was still a word. Adolf and Masso were a joke when these young men went laughing to war. Though pouring its main strength overseas Australia looked to its own defenses. Darwin became the Northern Army, Air Force and Naval base. Japan began to cast a menacing shadow over the peaceful Pacific Hemisphere. The arms and men remaining in Australia moved north and trained hard. One of the urgent tasks was the construction of a boom to protect Darwin Harbour from submarine raids. These Australian sailors, knowing of the exploits of HMAS Sydney and the scrap iron Fertilla in the Mediterranean, must have found boom construction in Darwin at dull duty. But their efforts weren't in vain for soon Japanese submarines would swarm toward the coast. The cumbrous buoys, each supporting its section of heavy underwater netting, were deployed around the harbour mouth. Before Japan attacked, booms like this protected every important Australian port. Only once at Sydney did the enemy penetrate this simple but dangerous area. On December the 7th, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbour without warning. On the following day, December the 8th, Prime Minister Curtin, attended by service chiefs and his ministers, met the Governor General Lord Gowrie at the harbour. On December the 7th, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbour without warning. On the following day, December the 8th, Prime Minister Curtin, attended by service chiefs and his ministers, met the Governor General Lord Gowrie in executive council. Ministers present included Frank Ford, Ben Chippley and Dr. Ebbett. Their business was to declare war on Japan. Men and women of Australia, we are at war with Japan. That has happened because in the first instance, Japanese naval and air forces launched an unprovoked attack on British and United States territory. As a result, the Australian government this afternoon took the necessary steps which will mean that a state of war exists between Australia and Japan. The Japanese onslaught had been prepared long before Tojo informed his parliament that Japan had launched its war of conquest. The parliament listened submissively. From Malaya and the Dutch East Indies, the scene of this captured Japanese film. From the Celebes to New Britain and the Philippines. From the far north in an island arc to the Solomons, Japanese might reached out to seas in 100 days, the richest colonial empire ever taken by war. Now, that wave of conquest was bearing down on a comparatively defenseless Australia. These dramatic scenes, photographed by Japanese war cameramen, graphically illustrate the rapid advance of the three Japanese armies, each of 83,000 crack troops as they overwhelmed the island garrisons north of Australia. This was the war machine, smooth running, deadly. A nation of people trained from childhood for the war of the future. Boys of 10 or 12. Girls of the same age. All of the same age. All of the same age. All of the same age. All of the same age. All of the same age. Boys of 10 or 12. Girls of the same age. All were trained for a bloody destiny. This was the war machine of a nation totally and fanatically mobilized for war. All of the same age. All of the same age. All of the same age. All of the same age. Japan's first rapid conquests secured her a web of bases stretched through Asia and the Pacific Ocean. From Burma and Singapore in the west, to Rabaul and the Solomons in the east. Now Australia was isolated from the north. It was only a matter of time before she, in her turn, would be attacked. And quickly ran out. By February, these Japanese bomber squadrons on Timor and Ambon were within range of Darwin, Broom and Wyndham. On the morning of February the 19th, 18 high-level heavy bombers, 54 dive bombers and a fighter's queen of 18 zeroes took off to bomb Darwin. That morning saw war burst on Australian soil for the first time. The zeroes shot down the base's fighter protection. In an hour, Darwin was an inferno. The first bomb crashed on Darwin walk, killing 25 people. The first bomb crashed on Darwin walk, killing 25 people. The first bomb crashed on Darwin walk, killing 20 labourers instantly. Shipping crowded into the harbour had no chance to disperse. Eight ships were sunk and 14 badly damaged. The hospital ship Menunda was among the casualties. Darwin town was bombed and machine-gunned mercilessly throughout that cyclonic hour. The town burned through the day and night. Servicemen and townspeople worked frantically to rescue the wounded. There were many wounded. There were many dead. A 1,000 pound bomb hit the post office, killing the postmaster, his wife and daughter and six employees. Mrs Selma Cook, accompanied by her son, was the last civilian woman to be evacuated from the Darwin area in 1942 and was one of the first to return in 1946. The first raid on Darwin cost 238 lives. 400 were injured. BP Day. 50 years ago, Adelaide celebrated the end of the war, a huge turn-up for today's tribute, and Fitzroy sacks its coach. 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Keep The Terminator and another video will follow approximately every month. Call this number now to begin your Schwarzenegger video collection. Use your credit card and you'll receive this exclusive keyring absolutely free. Phone 1-800-806-262 now to order The Terminator for only $9.95. Don't let me down. Brush with a specially shaped diamond head from Colgate and your teeth will always pass the tongue test. Back. All over. The diamond head from Colgate. For a clean you can really feel. A baby battles to live. Don't let her die. A father struggles to cope. I want another doctor. It's Judy Carlin. And a man with an extraordinary condition. You pull out your hair and you eat it. On the Yellow Brick Road to Recovery. Chicago Hope tonight on 7. Bastion of Australia's northern defenses. Where the Australian Army met, held, and repulsed the southward thrust of Japan on an immortal mountain trail. I'm speaking to you from the Kokoda Trail. I'm standing at McDonald's Corner. Where the Kokoda Trail actually begins. Every man who fought over the Kokoda Trail passed this spot. It's two days hard marching and hard climbing from Moresby. But that is nothing to what was to come. Let's have a look at some of this country. Here it is. Thick, steamy jungle. A few small clearings. Deep valleys and towering mountains. And this is where the Owen Stanleys begin. Up to the northwest into the clouds goes the Kokoda Trail. Over Imita Ridge and Erebaewa it winds across the gaunt backbone of the mountains. Gaunt backbone of New Guinea and on to Buna and Gona. Back here, only 35 miles from Erebaewa is Port Moresby. The goal of the Japanese thrust across the Kokoda Trail. And this was the most threat to Australia. Today, the jungle is peaceful and quiet. But in July 1942... The Pacific War reached the gateway to Australia. Rebell had fallen in January, lay in March. Then from May onwards, the Japanese mounted a three-pronged attack on Port Moresby to threaten Australia itself. A seaborne invasion of Port Moresby was smashed in the Battle of the Coral Sea. A seaborne invasion of Port Moresby was smashed in the Battle of the Coral Sea. A seaborne invasion of Port Moresby. A seaborne invasion of Port Moresby. A seaborne invasion of Port Moresby. For the first time in history a naval battle was fought in which planes were the attacking force on both sides. It was plane versus ship and ship versus plane. When of the two enemy aircraft carriers the Shoho was sunk and the Shokaku damaged, the Japanese attempt to invade Port Moresby was called off. A second invasion of Milne Bay was defeated on land. Unknown to Japanese, a small Australian garrison had been built up at Milne Bay in July. The 18th Brigade of the AIF and the militia fought nearly 3,000 Japanese marines every yard of the way back to the vital airstrip. With the help of 75 and 76 squadrons RAAF, they smashed the invasion force. Only 1,300 Japanese survivors got ignominiously away. The third prong landed 12,000 Japanese at Buna and Gona. They attacked across the Owen Stanleys. They struck through unmapped cruisers and hit the harbour. They struck through unmapped country which the Australians wrongly believed to be impossible and which Australian troops were just then discovering. These were militia. One company from the Brigade of Raw Troops at Port Moresby which alone stood between Australia and the might of Japan. The Japanese attack had been brilliantly prepared. The striking force which assembled at Rabaul came from the flower of Japan's combat troops, veterans of gruelling campaigns in China. It landed on July the 21st and the next day, thoroughly briefed, struck inland towards these strategically vital airstrips at the port of Rabaul. It was the first of its kind. It was the first of its kind. It was the first of its kind. It was the first of its kind. It was the first of its kind. It was the first of its kind. From this forward base, it could then attack over the Kokoda Trail towards the prize of Port Moresby. Near Awala, here, it met its first opposition. This was a forward patrol of B company, of the 39th Battalion, only lightly armed and now facing all unprepared Still weary after the mountain reconnaissance, overwhelmingly outnumbered and outgunned, this tiny force marched from Kokoda to meet the invaders. Thus began the battle for Papua. One platoon and a handful of Papuan infantry, 32 men, against three battalions with more Japanese reinforcements only a day. The battle began. The battle began. The battle began. The battle began. The battle began. The battle began. The battle began. The battle began. You saw most of the reinforcements only a day's march away It was grim Other companies of the 39th were flown to Kokoda and into battle, Kokoda was lost. We regained it. Then lost it again. Rifles are no match for a mountain gun. But the boys of the 39th fought back like men. They depended on native carriers After a 12-day march up the precipitous trail, their first Bren guns, ammunition, and enough bully and biscuits to keep them alive. Across rickety bridges, uphill and downhill, the devoted Puzzy Wuzzies for weeks carried every morsel of food, every round of ammunition the 39th battalion so desperately needed. These primitive native carriers were the militiamen's only link with Port Moresby. As well as bringing up supplies, they carried back their badly wounded. While for a month, always fighting, always falling back, those Australian youngsters in uniform held the Japanese at bay. Let us remember the men of the 39th. Civilians less than a year before, who became tough fighters in less than a week. Men like Private Snowy Parr and Arthur Chambers from Victoria. Another was Lieutenant Gough Garland of Melbourne. Today, he's a commercial traveler. We found him on his day off, playing his favorite sport. I want to talk to you about the 39th battalion. While I was in B Company, we were the first troops to contact the Japanese on the Cacada Trail. What equipment did you have? We had rifles, 10 rounds of ammunition, and old Lewis guns from the First World War. But we weren't sent up there to fight, only to see if troops could cross the Owen Stanley's and reach Cacada. How old were you at the time, Rob? I was 20. A lot of the boys were only 18. But they fought magnificently and continued fighting heroically until they were utterly exhausted. Often, after we'd fought, we'd withdraw and dig in, and then we'd all fall asleep over our rifles. Gough, what do you think the 39th achieved? Well, we were the first Australian militia unit to fight the Japanese. We were heavily outnumbered, but we're very proud of the fact that we fought them alone for one month. And in our long fight, and in our long fighting withdrawal, we inflicted a thousand casualties. After being relieved by the AIF, we had a battalion parade on the Cacada Trail. There were about 250 of us left then. We were a pretty ragged lot. Our CAO, Colonel Honor, addressed us and told us the 39th battalion had covered itself with glory. He told them also what the AIF called them, the men who fought beside them. They called the 39th militia boys those ragged bloody heroes. For now, the ordeal of this militia battalion, which had stood alone for one month between Australia and the Japanese, had ended. The AIF had taken over. You're starting a small business and make a yummy dessert. Warm golden spice apples with maple syrup yogurt. On Better Homes and Gardens, 7.30 tonight. And at eight, don't just dream, go whitewater rafting. And as you've just seen, I can't walk on water. Join Penny in Coober Pedy because it's truly an amazing place. 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They reached Port Moresby on August the 12th while the militia were fighting back to Hizuraba. Four days later they were on their way to battle. Up and over the Kokoda trail they toiled. A 12 day march with 90 pound loads on their backs. Until then no white man had carried more than 15 pounds over the trail. But hardly a man dropped out. Suddenly behind them at Port Moresby disaster struck. Music At one blow the enemy wrecked the AIF plan to supply its battalions with air drops along the trail. Now the AIF would have to fight with dangerously limited supplies of ammunition without Vickers guns and on the barest rations. They too would have to rely on the porters. While the Japanese overran the militia's forward positions the AIF struggled forward. The traffic on the track converted it to mud. There were rivers to cross. Every night weary men fell where they halted. Some slept, some were sick from sheer exhaustion. They swore they couldn't march another mile. Yet the next day it was the same bitter climb all over again. Supplies dominated the battles along the murderous trail. At Port Moresby New Guinea Command recruited native workers from the rubber plantations to meet the crisis. They were trained by the old New Guinea hands. But there just weren't enough of them. Many Papuans worked bravely and tirelessly in conditions which exhausted them. But the effort was not enough. Then at Myola here, high above Isuraba and Eora Creek Valley a few planes began the desperately needed air drop. At Myola the dry bed of a lake was the one known place on the trail where the biscuit bombers could dive in and drop supplies. They had to fly in at minimum speed at 400 feet or less. Then weapons, ammunition and rations tied in blankets to minimise breakages were pushed out by the crews. Native carriers were assembled to gather in the dropped supplies. But sometimes fifty percent of the bundles broke open and were ruined. Sometimes in mist and rain a plane would miss Myola altogether. It was dangerous work for the pilots and crews. And no joke for the carriers on the ground. This looks risky. Pull her up, pull her up. He'll just make it. Below, men of the AIF helped gather in the supplies. There were casualties. Even army biscuits and bully couldn't stand this rough treatment. But slowly supplies built up. Dropping with experience and better methods became an art. The percentage of breakages was cut down. Rations begin to improve. After a hot meal, a rarity, morale is high again. With good food at last and fresh supplies of ammunition, now the 21st Brigade is ready for action. This was a new kind of warfare fought by isolated groups of desperate men in ragged scurries of murderous actions. The enemy outnumbering you will be ahead or above, behind you, all around. Fighting bitterly, the men from Syria inflicted casualties at the rate of three to one. Yes, they even took prisoners. There were wounded on both sides. The wounded. The wounded. The wounded. There were 367 from Kokoda back to Erebaiba. Those who were physically incapable of walking were carried back through the rain and mud from village to village and rough dressing station to dressing station by native bearers. Those who could walked. A few likely wounded had their wounds dressed and hurried back into action. Sometimes, so swift was the Japanese advance, sentries had to be posted at the dressing stations along the track. Doctors worked the clock round in flimsy native shelters, often within sound of battle. Stretchers on the way out passed through crowds of walking wounded awaiting attention. But without the native bearers, few of the badly wounded would have survived. They strove for the comfort of their patients. They toiled six to eight to a stretcher over that trail which intimidated the strongest of men. These were the fuzzy wuzzy angels. As staunch as soldiers, as gentle as women. Most of the wounded walked. There weren't enough bearers. So you struggled on to the next dressing station. You weren't alone. Even though the battle was never far away, you found helpers along the trail. Men like Albert Moore of the Salvation Army. A cigarette could be a godsend. Young faces, aged by exhaustion, taught with pain, steeled by fortitude, steadfast. These were the faces of the wounded on Kokoda Trail. And on to the climax. At Imita Ridge, the AIF turned. For the first time, infantry that fought along the Kokoda Trail had help. The RAAF countered the Japanese lines of communication. Flying far ahead of the troops, planes bombed the enemy's supply dumps. Then it was on to Buna to strap the barges bringing in fresh Japanese reinforcements. Twenty-five pounders were pulled up to Imita Ridge. This was the first time we'd been able to manhandle artillery into action in this terrible country. Already the fighting withdrawal of the 39th Battalion and the AIF's 21st Brigade had cost the Japanese 1,500 dead and 1,400 wounded. Now our guns could pound the Japanese. Bear captured guns too. The newly arrived 25th Brigade advanced, and victory was on the way. Slugging forward from Imita Ridge, the new troops recaptured Irabaiwa on September the 28th. Templeton's crossing fell on October the 12th. November the 2nd, Kokoda recaptured. November the 5th, Oibi. November the 11th, wire open. And by November the 17th, not four months after the Japanese had landed at Buna, the Owen Stanleys had been cleared of the enemy. And the threat to Port Moresby was finally removed. It was this withdrawal which began the long Japanese retreat to Tokyo. In 1971, it began. A brutal slaying that would lead to the longest manhunt in history. If you guys can't bring him in, I will. You're up against tremendous odds. But why would a loving father murder his entire family? It's a busy plague. Was it devotion or desire? We'd be together always. Just Genes presents David Caruso, Beverly D'Angelo, and Emmy Award winning Robert Blake in the true story Judgment Day premieres Wednesday on 7. And helping you sleep at night. Right to your door. History-making Terminator 2. Hasta la vista, baby. Astonishing total recall. Crazy comedy twins. They're not identical twins. Oh no! Red hot action in red heat. I have my orders. Last action hero and many more. Phone 1-800-806-262 now to start your Schwarzenegger collection with The Terminator for only $9.95. Keep The Terminator and another video will follow approximately every month. Call this number now to begin your Schwarzenegger video collection. Use your credit card and you will receive this exclusive keyring absolutely free. Phone 1-800-806-262 now to order The Terminator for only $9.95. Don't let me down. Look what I found at McClay's Bulk Store. They've flattened the price on carpet and vinyl. And look at this! Nylon plush carpet in 6 colors below normal costs just $45 a meter. And slate vinyl from only $25 a meter. What absolutely incredible value. Nylon plush carpet below costs just $45 and slate vinyl only $25. This is how you stretch a dollar further. McClay's have even got rugs and runners. McClay's Bulk Store, Coughlin Street, Brompton. Westinghouse All-River Frost stretch with 5-year warranty, $9.95. Washing in cold water won't remove greasy stains, right? Wrong. The new Coolzyme formula in Cold Power Ultra is a real breakthrough in the removal of greasy stains in even the coldest water. So let's put it to the test against a leading concentrate. Well, there you have it. New Cold Power Ultra. Unbeatable in cold. Trust Orthoxacol. Effective relief of colds and flu day and night. Orthoxacol. Working without drowsiness during the day and helping you sleep at night. Australia desperately needed aircraft. Men like Wing Commander Hodeswitch did their best with only two squadrons of Hudson bombers. Flight Lieutenant Bob Dulkin was also at Darwin in the February of 1942. Their major task was to hit the enemy convoys in the Java Sea. Squadron leader Ralph Moran helps formulate the plans. On February the 19th, Japan struck at the Darwin. The war had reached Australia. 18 heavy bombers and 54 dive bombers hit the port, the airstrip and the town itself. War correspondents were there to record this first historic attack upon Australian soil. One of them was Alan Dawes from Melbourne. A grim picture for Australia. In this one raid, the first of 51 in that year, 243 people died in Darwin. But help was coming. Squadron leader Bluey Truscott, Wing Commander Jeffrey and Squadron leader Rawlinson, veterans of the Battle of Britain, came home to fly the Kittyhawks. In a spectacular demonstration they showed Australia what a modern fighter aircraft could do in the sky. The Curtiss Wright Kittyhawk, armed with 6.5 Brownings, a handy speed of 350 miles per hour at 15,000 feet and a service ceiling of 30,500 feet. ready to go. Now the Royal Australian Airforce had a fighter that could challenge the Zero. By March of that year, 75 Kitty Hawk Squadron based at Moresby was hunting the Japanese. Meanwhile, Australia stepped up its air training program. With the Japs at the back door, fewer recruits now could be spared to be trained abroad. They had to be fully trained here. First came a toughening up in the bull ring, and tough it was. Australia was mobilizing as never before. By mid-1942, four of every ten Australians were wholly engaged in war. Airmen have to be as tough as infantry. They learned to fly in tiger moths. It didn't look like a Kitty Hawk, but you had to learn to fly before you could fight. There isn't a veteran pirate living who doesn't recall those first anxious moments at the controls. Open up slowly, keep her straight, easy does it. His first takeoff, and yet another rat man begins his flying career. There's nothing simple about flying. This is the instrument panel of the link trainer. At the controls of this ingenious machine, the trainee learns the secrets of instrument flying, while an instructor monitors the course a real aircraft would follow in actual flight. But Australia's paramount need is for aircraft. And beset by Nazi dive bombers need every available fighter, especially the Spitfires, which had curled back the Luftwaffe and won the Battle of Britain. Australia must have better high altitude fighters to combat the Zero. In 1942, Minister for External Affairs appeals first to President Roosevelt, and then in England, after meeting Australian airmen who are fighting there, appeals to Winston Churchill himself. His historic mission is not in vain. The decision is taken. Australia will get its Spitfires. RAAF aces like Wing Commanders Killer Caldwell and Bobby Gibbs return with veterans of the Royal Air Force to fly them against Japan. For Pacific operations, the Spitfires are modified with special tropical vox filters to combat coral and dust action. Evert and Air Minister Drakeford speak for Australia. To see the Royal Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force here together on the Spitfire squadrons is a dream come true. I can't say how I feel about it, gentlemen. We owe the presence in Australia to Mr. Churchill and to arrangements he made while I was in Britain. When the arrangements were being made in London, a high officer came to Mr. Churchill and said, sending these squadrons to Australia will hurt so-and-so, mentioning another high officer. Mr. Churchill said, if they don't hurt him, they won't be any use to Australia. Air Minister Drakeford. Dr. Evert, it is with deep gratification that I receive these aircraft which have been brought to Australia as a result of your mission overseas. We thank Mr. Churchill, we thank the Government of Great Britain, and we thank you, sir, for the results of that mission. Australia had never seen flying like this. The Spitfire, with heavy armament and capable of a speed of 408 miles per hour. In one year, these Spitfires shot down or damaged 132 enemy aircraft. Meanwhile, Australia's infant aircraft industry grew quickly. Its first frontline bomber, the Beaufort, wholly constructed from locally manufactured parts, was completed only one month before Pearl Harbor. By late 1942, Fisherman's Bend Aircraft, factory in Victoria, was producing 24 a month. It was adapted from British designs, but had a different engine. The American Pratt & Whitney was. It flew faster than its parent, had heavier armour and firepower. It was the fastest aircraft in the world. It was a deadly weapon. It carried a 2,000-pound bomb or torpedo load. Despite this load, it was highly manoeuvrable. Few bombers of its day could surpass it at low-level bombing, as this practice run against a dummy warship showed. The Mosquito, Britain's famous all-timber fighter-bomber, went into production at De Havilland's in Sydney in 1942. The laminated strips which formed the frame of this unique aircraft were glued together. Australia had to find a special glue and doping to withstand the tropical conditions. There were snags all along the production line. Heavier Australian woods forced changes in design, especially in wing construction. Finally, the powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engine is fitted, and this daring experiment by the Australian aircraft industry is ready for the acid test. Australia's Mosquito succeeds beyond expectation. Thereafter, this bomber that flew at 400 miles an hour and could come home handicapped like this, one motor dead, played a brilliant role against Japan. But perhaps Australian aircraft industry's most spectacular achievement was the boomerang, the Army cooperation plane which was tested in May 1942 by Gregory Paul, Australia's youngest test pilot and a veteran from Singapore. This 300 miles an hour aircraft was originally designed in Australia as a substitute for the Kitty Hawk if America had failed to meet our needs. It was rushed off the assembly line only four months after it was ordered. Though slower than the Kitty Hawk, it could out-climb and out-maneuver. The boomerang, designed in Australia, built in Australia, a triumph of Australian engineering in adversity, reached the front line just when it was needed. When the RAF power was building up to hit back against Japan. In the coming campaigns, the boomerang most effectively supported Australian ground forces. Now with Beauforts, Kitty Hawks, boomerangs, Spitfires and Britain's versatile Bowfighter, the RAF could bomb and strafe the enemy wherever they found them. They were ready for the battle of the Bismarck Sea. Music Tonight, can your children spell? You have to question how they got some of those attainments if they can't spell. Are computers making them illiterate? The aspect now of spell checks on computers means that a lot of students think, well, why does it matter so much? It could affect your child's future in the workplace. Personally, as all the spelling correct, it gives a better opportunity. Plus more remarkable footage from the war, including the Japanese prisoner of war camp in South Australia. I was talking to my brother today. Dad. And the reunion is definitely on. Dad. In a minute. So that'll be something, eh? I'll see. You'll also see. Dad. What? Who's the next explorer that got lost in the desert? Why can't? Oh. What else did he say? Well, he said they've started investing in property. Property? Commercial, industrial property. He says it's part of his future plan. Well, they're in the same situation as us. How can they afford that? He says you can start with as little as $500. It's through AMP. AMP? AMP. Everybody's talking about best friend magnetic products. Hundreds of satisfied customers are spreading the word about the benefits they're obtaining from magnetic products. From active sports people to the elderly. An effective new way for those cold, tired joints or muscles. Pillows for better sleep. Inner soles for warmth and foot comfort. Adhesive magnets can be applied to any part of the body. Make best friend your best friend. See your pharmacy or buy direct from best friend magnetic products. Oh, we thought you two had run away to sea. Yeah, we've been waiting for hours. This is gonna hurt. Hope you caught plenty. Yeah, we starved. Hey, this isn't fish. No, Daddy and Ben thought we might all like to have stir fry instead. This is good, Mum. If only life was as simple as magi. August Bargains in our hot new catalogue. Take a look at our new casual living coordinates. Half of Roman blinds with matching couch covers available in three popular colourways. All sold separately. The Roman blinds include all fittings and are ready to hang from $69. Couch covers include bows. One to two seat of $55, two to three seat of $65. Now that's a bargain. There's so much more, now only... Your typical kangaroo has one pocket. Yep, just one. Whereas new Uncle Toby's Dunkaroos has three. To make a Dunkaroos, take a small rouche-shaped biscuit, dunk it in this acerocase on the tip, then dunk it in these excellent muesli crumbles. Mmm. Uncle Toby's Dunkaroos. The great new Dunkin' Snack. Up into them. He said you'd do it through an AMP unit trust. Property. Talk about investing in the AMP Property Securities Trust on 1-800-800-882. At Rabaul in February 1943, a Japanese armada awaited storm cloud cover to sneak 6,000 troops to Lay and Salamone. Japan had lost Papua and planned a new assault. They sailed on March the 1st. They were spotted. Reconnaissance planes rushed photographs to Port Lawsby. It was a dramatic moment. Allied Air Commander General Kenny expected the enemy move. But how strong was the convoy's effort? Only the photographs would show. The vital film is booked in, the camera unloaded. In the processing laboratory, the negative is developed. While the film is still being printed, warning messages are flashed to the Allied forces. At Port Moresby in Milne Bay, aircrews sense action. But carry on with the assault. The enemy is on their way. At Port Moresby in Milne Bay, aircrews sense action. But carry on with the routine of the day. To fight well, you need to feed well. At another base, comfort parcels are a welcome distraction. The Japanese are almost forgotten. When it comes to comforts, nobody scores a zero. This was the eve of the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. One of the most crushing of all defeats inflicted on Japan. It was inflicted by men like these. At last, the photograph is ready. An intelligence officer takes it to the operations room. Now the attack can be planned to perfection. Air Commodore Hewitt of 9th Air Force, Air Commodore Hewitt of 9 Ops Group and Group Captain Gehring, his senior air staff officer, estimate the convoy's probable route. It's being shadowed by an RAAF Catalina from 11th Squadron. Tomorrow the convoy will be within easy striking distance. If only the storm will live. Air Commodore Hewitt confers with his American counterpart, Brigadier General Ramsey of the United States 5th Air Force. Every available fighting aircraft will be launched against the convoy. The stakes are high. Higher than they knew. 17 ships, not 40. And including 8 destroyed. The second, American flying fortresses prepared to strike with 1000 pound bombs. The storm frustrated them. Under its cover the convoy eluded the high level fortress attack and sped towards lay. March the 3rd. Now the RAAF Bowfighter, Boston and Beaufort Squadrons have the responsibility of halting the convoy with hazardous low level attacks. At Moresby, Wing Commander Black Jack Walker and Flying Officer John Mason of 30 Bowfighter Squadron peer at the sky. Will the enemy's luck hold? It won't. The weather is clear. An intelligence officer gives them the enemy's morning location. They are joined by Flight Lieutenant Torchi Uren and Squadron Leader Ross Little. An American Mitchell Bomber Squadron makes ready to join in the attack. No dirty weather will deter dirty Dora today. From all airfields within range, every available allied bomber and fighter makes ready to attack. It is now or never. 137 planes will take part in the strike. Flight Lieutenant Uren and men of 30 Bowfighter Squadron will lead the attack with a mass level cannon, machine gun and bombing blitz. Following them will come Wing Commander Sam Farmer's 100 Bowfighter Squadron from Milne Bay. With the convoy's air-to-air guns paralysed by the Bowfighter's fire, the men of 30 Bowfighter Squadron will lead the attack with a mass level cannon, machine gun and bombing blitz. With the convoy's air-to-air guns paralysed by the Bowfighter's fire, the Bowfoot's forwarders are to launch a torpedo attack at close quarters. Wing Commander John Hampshire's 22 Squadron flying Bostons will follow as wave after wave of bombers move in for the kill. It's scramble for the fighter boys. They'll all be there to deal with the enemy's fighter couple. Today there's a job for every airman in New Guinea. A flying fortress takes off, eager to avenge yesterday's frustration. 22 Squadron Bostons set course for the towers. From airfields all over Papua, allied aircraft converge on the enemy. Ignatius lightnings, America's twin fuselage fighter. These were the American fighters Japan feared most. Agile Bowfighters, sniffing out trouble, a claim they called whispering death. A year's build-up of allied might takes the air. From a distant base a Liberator joins the attack. Torchi Uren in the leading Bowfighter wave is among the first to sight the convoy. There it is. This is it. In a daring low-level attack the bows skim in and scorch the enemy ships at last level. Now each pilot seeks his own target as the attack mounts in grim intensity. Uren attacks again. With him shooting this film over his shoulder is Australia's ace war cameraman Damien Perrot who is later killed by a Japanese sniper on the island of Palau. The convoy is broken up. Seventeen direct hits have been scored in the first strike. Two destroyers have sunk. Four transports are sunk or are in flames. Bowfighters, their mission accomplished, return to Moresby to refuel. Far into the afternoon of March the 3rd and throughout March the 4th the allies run a merciless shuttle service from the mainland to the torrent. They attack, they reload, attack again. Ground crews return to Moresby to refuel. Ground crews work tirelessly to keep up the momentum of attack. By March the 5th all the transports and four destroyers have been sunk and 67 enemy fighters shot down. Twenty-two squadron hunting survivors blast enemy installations on the way to Salamone. Blackjack Walker's bowfighters head for Ley where Japanese submarines have landed hundreds of survivors. The Bostons follow them in. Uren takes Damien Perrot with him again. Off Ley he sights and straps Japanese barges carrying survivors to the shelter of their base. It's hot work, dangerous work, but work well done. Here's to victory. The job is done. The mission is accomplished. The mission is accomplished. The mission is accomplished. The mission is accomplished. The mission is accomplished. Here's to victory. The job is finished. All return to base, flashes the oldest man. At the end of this crucial battle in which 4,000 Japanese soldiers died, the Australians make their way home again. The Japanese gamble has failed. This is how the operations board read that night. Only four destroyers escaped. This is how the tide has turned. Never again did the Japanese dare to reinforce their New Guinea garrisons from Raba. In 1943, the Allies rule the skies over New Guinea. How would you like to win dinner here with us on the set of Blue Heelers? And be treated to Disney's fabulous Beauty and the Beast, the Broadway musical. Just watch Blue Heelers, 8.30 tonight on 7, for your chance to win. Good luck. Before nightfall, 40,000 children will die from hunger and disease. Fifty-five will die before you can ask yourself these questions. What if you couldn't afford to feed your child and she died? Soyla's mother lives with that fear every day. What if you couldn't get medicine for your little boy and he died? Hamilton's mother can't buy medicine. What if you had to give your grandchildren contaminated water and they died? This is the toilet. This is the water supply. Animals shouldn't drink from this. But here, Christina's grandchildren do. What if you raised your child in abject poverty, with no hope for a better future? Sonia is being raised in just that way. Children in crisis need us, and we need you. Sponsor one child in this village. You'll get her letters, her pictures. You'll know about her life, her family, her sadness, her happiness. And you'll see the wonderful results of the most important thing you'll do in your life. Call Christian Children's Fund now. The number is still on your screen. If you can love a child, please help. Call, and we'll send you the name and photo of the child you can sponsor. How do they make Kraft macaroni cheese? With macaroni. What else? Kraft cheese. Wow, you know everything. Kraft macaroni cheese. Without the Kraft cheese, it'd just be macaroni. Check it out at Chandler's for store-wide catalogue savings. New release, treat this Kenwood Hi-Fi $7.99. $51 off this Phillips 48-centimeter TV, now $5.48. The best brands at the lowest price. Check it out at Chandler's. Every year, 2,000 Australians die on our roads. Road conditions could contribute to one-third of all accidents. The federal government collects $0.33 from every liter of fuel. Only $0.07 goes to roads. If $0.14 is returned, we can fix our roads and cut road trauma. Every political party must guarantee this money is returned. Ask your federal politicians where they stand. Fix Australia. Fix the roads. You could be lonely or have a relative who, for mental or physical reasons, feels insecure living alone. You might believe limited finances will deny them safe, comfortable accommodation. Then you'll be pleased to discover James House, offering excellent food, social activities, 24-hour qualified nursing care, and all with no entry fee, so that even if a pension is your only means, you can afford to make it your home. James House. Ever wanted to improve your home but didn't know where to start? We'll let AM Adelaide point you in the right direction, from indoors to outdoors and all points in between. Everything a handyman and woman needs to know. AM Adelaide Home Improvement Special, 10 o'clock Thursday on 7. And now Japan, with her powerful navy, brought desperate peril to Australia. In 1942, there were naval actions and landings throughout the South Pacific. Australian and American warships were heavily engaged, among them the Australian heavy cruiser Canberra. The Japanese thrust towards Australia was checked in a series of brilliant air-sea battles. Music For the first time in the war, amphibious operations with warships supporting landing forces became the pattern of conflict. Air attack and HMAS Australia's guns go into action, followed by the guns of American warships. Gunfire Gunfire Gunfire Gunfire At the decisive battles of the Coral Sea and Midway, the Japanese fleet received blows from which it never recovered. Gunfire Gunfire Gunfire In August 1942, American marines landed on Quartle Canal. Amongst the ships covering the landing was HMAS Canberra. Japanese warships struck in Savo Strait. Taken by surprise at night, Canberra was mortally hit. Gunfire Japanese guns raped Canberra and her American consorts with deadly fire. She was soon aflame from stem to stern. Australia mourned her loss. A memorial service for Canberra was held in St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney. Australians were joined in homage by American sailors. Also paying their respects to their Australian allies was a contingent of free French sailors. The widow of Captain Frank Getting, Canberra's gallant commander, attended the service escorted by Rear Admiral Bewer Head Gould. To replace Canberra, the cruiser Shropshire was learned to Australia by Britain. It had been grievous. Sydney and Canberra had gone down. The cruiser Perth and the sloop Yarra had been sunk in gallant actions in Sunder Strait. Other smaller ships of the RAN had sacrificed themselves against heavy odds. Ceaselessly the dockyards toiled to build new ships of war to take their place in the RAN's battle line. From Australian dockyards were also launched ships for the Royal Navy and the Royal Indian Navy. Destroyers and new warship types, called by the old names Corvette and Frigate, were designed to meet changing conditions of sea warfare. Mrs. Frank Ford, wife of the Deputy Prime Minister, launches a new vessel. This was a scene which became almost commonplace as Australia's naval building programme gathered momentum. Repetition could dull the sense of excitement and achievement as another new ship was born and took to the scene. Typical of the new ships was the Corvette Castlemaine. Castlemaine, with her 650 tonnes, her 15 and a half knots speed and her single four inch gun, took up coastal patrol work in perilous waters to the north of Australia. The engineers, unsung heroes of many a naval battle. It's peaceful enough now, but danger can come suddenly. The crew run to stations in a practice alert. Meanwhile, Australia and Shropshire were helping to cover American landings on New Britain. American warships worked with the two Australian cruisers and the Australian destroyers Arunta and Waramanga. In the strenuous island campaigning, there was little time to rest. When there was, Australia's crew made the most of it. But yet another landing lay ahead. In pre-dawn darkness, the troops in their barges waited. Landing barges hit the beach. American troops wade ashore and prepare to attack. The platoon of the landing was repeated many times as the allied thrust gained momentum. And in all these amphibious operations, ships and men of the Royal Australian Navy played their part, working with their American comrades-in-arms. The ships and men of the Royal Australian Navy played their part, working with their American comrades-in-arms. Typical of these operations was the landing at Arrowey, New Britain. Captain Collins boarded Shropshire for the attack on Hollandia. Captain Collins boarded Shropshire for the attack on Hollandia. Shropshire's gunnery officer, Lieutenant Commander Warwick Bracegirdle, briefed his gunners. On Shropshire's bridge, Captain Collins scanned the coast of New Guinea for signs of enemy reaction. Alarm! Enemy aircraft approaching. Action stations. Six bells and all's well. At Lay, the 9th Division AIF attack from the sea. Six bells and all's well. At Lay, the 9th Division AIF attack from the sea. Six bells and all's well. Six bells and all's well. At Lay, the 9th Division AIF attack from the sea. As the men of the 9th Division moved in for Australia's first amphibious operation since Gallipoli, ships of the RAN gave covering fire. With the Japanese reeling under repeated blows, the Pacific War moved to its victorious conclusion. Lying off every beachhead as Allied troops drove north towards Japan was a host of ships of the Royal Australian Navy. Among them, Australia, Shropshire, Arunta, Warramunga, Hobart, Hawkesbury, Barcoo, and Loughlin, Manoora, West Australia, Canimbla. At Labuan, at Balikpapan, from beachhead to beachhead, the Australians thrust forward. Wherever Australian soldiers fought, their comrades of the Navy were there with them and forged links of comradeship which endured beyond the final victory. This seven-nightly news update is brought to you by The New Colonial. Good afternoon. Adelaide was brought to a standstill 50 years ago by the VP celebrations. The city again came to a standstill today for the ticker tape parade marking the anniversary of the war's end. Fear was more subdued but still emotionally charged as up to 75,000 people lined the streets. We'll have a full report at six. Baby. Astonishing total recall. Crazy comedy twins. They're not identical twins. Oh, no! Red hot action in red heat. I have my orders. Last action hero and many more. Phone 1-800-806-262 now to start your Schwarzenegger collection with The Terminator for only $9.95. I'll be back. Keep The Terminator and another video will follow approximately every month. Call this number now to begin your Schwarzenegger video collection. Use your credit card and you will receive this exclusive keyring absolutely free. Phone 1-800-806-262 now to order The Terminator for only $9.95. Don't let me down. Oh, we thought you two had run away to sea. Yeah, we've been waiting for hours. This is gonna hurt. Hope you caught plenty. I'm starved. Hey, this isn't fish. No, Daddy and Ben thought we might all like to have stir-fry instead. This is good, Mum. If only life was as simple as magic. A few years ago, Graham Andrews realised that Adelaide's market was more than one-stop shopping. Rather, a one-stop experience of 250 stalls, which included local and international produce. Food is one of the few common denominators that crosses all cultures, crosses all age groups. Food is just such a common bond between all people from all races. Cooper's Brewery, Mitsubishi Motors, Adelaide Bank and Channel 7 proudly supporting South Australia way ahead. There's something for everyone at the Renaissance Tower restaurant. Renaissance Tower. Come to the top of the world for fine food. Enjoy a quiet snack in the cafe. Have a flutter with the lotteries. Then step across and have a look over Rondle Mall while you play the pokies in comfort. And don't forget our spectacular function facilities for that special occasion. And all the comfort and privacy of our very own pokies. Renaissance Tower Restaurant. Something for everyone. You'll come back for more this week at Foodland with Wonder Soft toilet rolls flying out at $1.89. Heinz baked beans or spaghetti, a snap at 79 cents. Enjoy cool savings with Cody's Cordials, just $2.49. Derrival premium ice cream, irresistible at $1.99. Smith's Delights Twin Chips take the crunch at $2.39. And spread the value with Eta Polly Margarine, a super low 89 cents. Catch more mighty specials this week at Foodland. Foodland, the mighty South Aussies, yeah. The Allies, having turned the Japanese back in the Coral Sea Battle, now plan their first offensive in the Southwest Pacific. United States Marines assault at Guadalcanal and seize the vital airstrip, Henderson Field. Despite counterattacks, they held it. With Guadalcanal finally secured, the next move was north to Bergenville. Again, United States Marines provided the assault troops. The target, Torokina in Empress Augusta Bay. November 1943. Once again, Bergenville is being invaded. But this time it's defended if 40,000 cracked Japanese troops. The Americans, veterans now in amphibious warfare after two years of bitter island fighting, concentrate their attack in one paralyzing blow at Torokina. Under cover of naval bombardment, the assault troops race to the beach and strike inland to establish a perimeter. The beachhead was quickly secured. The enemy counterattacked fiercely, but in vain. Reinforcements poured ashore, and within weeks the Allies had established a strong perimeter. For a year, Americans and Japanese shared this 90-mile-long volcanic island. Then in October 1944, Australian troops moved in and relieved the Americans. These Australian soldiers, men of the 3rd Division and the 11th and 23rd Brigades, were militia. They brought to this assignment experience of hard jungle fighting at Milne Bay and from Wao to Salomoa, battles in which they had fought and held their own alongside the 6th and 7th Divisions of the AIF. Now, led by AIF veterans, these militia units of two corps were undertaking a major operation of their own for the first time. They were to succeed brilliantly. The infantry battalions moved ashore to take over the perimeter. Their supplies were moved in after them. Supplies were precious, but shipping was scarce. It might be many weeks before another convoy could be spared for Bergenville. Nor could reinforcements be spared. Every fighting man in General Sturdy's 1st Army was committed to battle in mopping up operations against nearly 100,000 Japanese on a 900-mile front extending from Wewhack in Dutch New Guinea to Bergenville. The Australians, moving in with orders to destroy the enemy, would have to fight under severe handicaps. The campaign was planned as a three-prong drive along the Numanuma Trail, south to Bowen by a status noll, and north to Burkina Faso. This was the Numanuma Trail, a native pad snaking some 35 miles from Torakina over a 10,000-foot mountain spine to the west coast. With the support of New Zealand and Australian aircraft, the 9th Battalion broke out of the perimeter and moved up the trail to cut the enemy force into one piece. It was a long journey. If you wish to see your next of kin, don't forget your Attebrin. The Numanuma Trail was the Kokoda Trail of Bergenville. Brain-soaked, fever-ridden, the yellow anti-malarial Attebrin pills had to be taken every day. The Numanuma Trail was the Kokoda Trail of Bergenville. The Numanuma Trail was the Kokoda Trail of Bergenville. The men snatched a rest when they could. In this treacherous country, rest was a rarity. This was total war, waged by handfuls of men, living, fighting, and dying less than 100 yards from each other in murderous scuffles with an unseen enemy. Royal Australian and New Zealand Air Force pilots played a vital role. Once again, the men of the Sister Dominions of the Pacific were in action together. They made an unbeatable team. This New Zealand corsair is headed for the first big obstacle of the Numanuma Trail, Atulri Hill, a strongly fortified ridge held by the Japanese. Enemy losses were heavy. Australian casualties were light, but the wounded faced an agonizing journey back to Torikina. These Solomon Islanders proved as staunch as the buzzy buzzy angels of the Kokoda Trail. Atulri Hill fell to one company of the Australian 9th Battalion. Meanwhile, Air Force reconnaissance planes probed to the north of the island. Beneath them, the Australian 3rd Prong fought its way against Japanese marines, through swamps, over ridges, and from one plantation to another. The Australians pressed on until they could overlook Buka Passage. In this fighting, Private Frank Partridge of the 8th Battalion became the youngest Australian of World War II to win the Victoria Cross. The Japanese still had coastal barges and could strike where least expected. The Air Force task was to strike first. Brahman Avenger torpedo bombers of the RNZAF pounded the northern air bases and blasted enemy shipping. On the ground, the 3rd Prong of the attack pinned an enemy force in the narrow Sorakan Peninsula. From there, Australian heavy artillery began to bombard the Japanese anti-aircraft defences on Buka Island 9 miles across the strait. Their accurate fire silenced the enemy guns. The Burgenville fighting ended only with a Japanese surrender after Hiroshima. Then, cards like this, safe conduct passes promising good treatment, were issued in bundles to the Air Force to distribute over the areas where still powerful parties of the enemy garrison were known to be hiding. Leaflet bombers carried Japanese signs painted under their wings to indicate that their mission was peaceful. On August the 18th, a Japanese surrender delegation crossed the Mevo River to report to officers of 3 division headquarters. HMAS Lithgow carried them to 2 core headquarters. The Air Force, junior member of the armed forces, was not absent from this historic scene. Now, the mopping up operation was over. Operation Roundup was beginning. The Japanese army was ready to take on the Japanese. Now, the mopping up operation was over. Operation Roundup was beginning. But on both sides, suspicion was still high. On August the 20th, the enemy commander in the Solomons, Lt. Gen. Kander and his staff, boarded Lithgow for an appointment with Lt. Gen. Savage, commanding the Australian 2nd Corps. What did the men of Lithgow feel at this climax of their war? Elation, relief, curiosity. And what were the thoughts of their enemies? Only they can tell. No chances were taken. This had been a treacherous war. Who knew when treachery ended? Each of the party had to submit to search, and the search was thorough. Now the stage is set for the last scene of all. The meeting of the senior commanders on each side, and the formal surrender. Gen. Kander hands over his sword to Gen. Savage, and with it surrenders 23,500 Japanese soldiers, sailors and airmen, the survivors of a force which had once numbered nearly 40,000 men. The latest videos, 8 o'clock Wednesday on 7. Maclay's Coughlin Street Bulk Store, huge expansion sale. Now twice as many carpet rolls and remnants on display, with 25,000 square feet of carpets, rugs and vinyls at bargain prices, including carpet from $25 a metre. Half and three-quarter rolls of Feltex, wool carpet and Stainmaster plush, all reduced by 40%. Hundreds of rugs from $25, with a new shipment just arrived. Discontinued vinyls down by $30 a metre. Maclay's incredible bulk store, Coughlin Street Brompton, now twice as many carpet rolls to select from. If your taste buds are crying out for a cuppa and a chocolatey treat, but your hips say no, then you'll just love Ovaltine Light Break. It's a delicious, healthy, chocolatey drink made in an instant with water. Give yourself a break with Ovaltine Light Break. I couldn't tell my boss I don't feel like coming to work cause I'm constipated. What's he gonna say? Hey, take a laxative. Then I discovered natural fibre therapy with Metamucil. Metamucil's made from psyllium husks, a rich source of natural soluble fibre. It's gentle enough to take every day, and it won't hit you real sudden like a harsh chemical laxative. So with Metamucil, I got regular, and I feel great. Metamucil, also available in smooth texture formula, the natural way to stay regular. Cash Converters Furniture is one of the biggest secondhand furniture stores in South Australia. You'll find hundreds of household furniture items priced to fit your budget. Lounges, beds, tables, wardrobes, fridges, freezers and dryers. If you're selling, just one phone call and Cash Converters Furniture will come to your home and convert your used furniture into cash on the spot. Cash Converters Furniture. A better way cash converters. Look, a limited edition Iams Collector's Item Food Canister. That means they either bought a three kilogram or seven and a half kilo bag of nutritious Iams and got the canister for $6.95. Or bought a 15 kilo bag of Iams and got the canister absolutely free. It's just the perfect thing to store Iams in. It's available at vet clinics and all good pet shops. Iams, the number one in super premium cat food. Recommended by vets worldwide. Hurry, stocks won't last. You could be lonely or have a relative who for mental or physical reasons feels insecure living alone. You might believe limited finances will deny them safe, comfortable accommodation. Then you'll be pleased to discover James House. Offering excellent food, social activities, 24 hour qualified nursing care and all with no entry fee. So that even if a pension is your only means, you can afford to make it your home. James House. Last time we met Mandy, she drove home a winner in a new car. Good luck gang. Today she's back to try her luck again. It's enough to make us song and dance about Wheel of Fortune 5.30 today. Australians had reconquered Papua from the Japanese and were pushing them back in New Guinea. The Japanese were still masters of the rest of Southeast Asia. Now, bypassing strong Japanese bases at Rabaul and Wewak, General MacArthur began his strategy of island hopping to Japan. The first hop was planned from Finchhafen to Hollandia. On April the 22nd, 1944, a great allied armada bearing 80,000 troops closed in on Hollandia and Itope. The strong escort included Rear Admiral Critchley's Australian cruiser force, including HMAS Australia. Troop carriers included Manure, West Australia and Canimbla. The attack began at dawn. Guns of HMAS Shropshire hammered the shore. Under cover of the mighty sea and air bombardment, the move to the shore began. From Manure, veteran American combat troops transferred to LCIs for the landing. The attack went in like clockwork as platoon after platoon disembarked. The enemy counterattack from the air. The first wave of infantry, American veterans of the Nassau Bay landing against Alamoa, hit the shore and raced for cover. But once the enemy was taken by surprise. Utterly intimidated, his forward troops fled inland. Flying fortresses pressed home the attack with devastating bombing runs. As the infantry spearhead troops fanned out to the shore, as they advanced, their grip closed like a vice on the doomed base. The allied success was total. Soon the Hollandia airstrips were in our hands. General MacArthur went ashore to see what was going on. General MacArthur went ashore on D-Day itself and narrowly escaped a sniper's bullet. By then his troops were on the heights commanding Hollandia. It cost America 159 lives. It cost Japan 3,300. Now with Hollandia secure, the major target of MacArthur's island hopping was to be Mauritai, a small island in the Halma-Hiras from where allied air forces could soften up the Philippines and the AIF's objectives in Borneo, Tarakan, Labuan and Balikpapak. At first there was to be an intermediary hop from Hollandia to the neighboring islands of Biak and Numpah. This is the story of Numpah. The attack began at dawn on July the 2nd. 28 warships escorted the convoy. Americans led the assault. HMAS Australia led the cruisers. The first target was Kamiri airstrip. It's captain was vital if we were to protect our new bases from the suicide bomber pilots Japan was now using in a last bid to hold its crumbling empire. The men of the Royal Australian Air Force 62 works wing, steel helmeted and ready for battle followed the first waves of American assault troops to the shore. Their job was to repair the airstrip. Australians and Americans were under the command of Group Captain Dale, RAAF. The RAAF men went ashore as infantry and straight into battle. The Japs were waiting for them. Once again the enemy garrison took to its heels. The men of 62 works wing advanced through scattered water fire to find the airstrip already abandoned. At Kamiri the RAAF dug defense positions and made a first survey of the battered strip. Within hours the allied attack was striking towards a second strip. In land the American attack was meeting fierce resistance. Reinforcements were rushed shoreward to dig out the defenders from their jungle hideouts. Main resistance ceased within three days, but mopping up continued for six weeks. Meanwhile construction and engineering units and equipment poured ashore to begin work at Kamiri. 500 men of the RAAF men and women were deployed. Some to fight, some to work. The main body of 62 works wing joined Group Captain Dale's advance guard and headquarters. An immense task faced them. Wandering through the twisted debris of war, the conquerors surveyed their prize. In this condition it was necessary for the RAAF men to prepare for battle. In this condition it was useless. There was work to be done and done urgently. The island had to be surveyed. It had to be cleared of land mines, unexploded bombs and booby traps. Dangerous work. Death was never far away. It was in the jungle where the men worked. It was in the ground on which they walked, lurking in ambush or sleeping in a detonator. Methodically, steadily, the work went on. Climbing fortresses began to parachute additional equipment and supplies to this isolated outpost of the allied front line. Meanwhile, heavy equipment like this mechanical shovel was ferried ashore. Coral from the beach made a good substitute for tarmac on the runways after it had been crushed and levelled. When necessary, equipment was improvised. Homemade levellers and modern graders worked side by side. Group Captain Dale was responsible for the development of the RAAF men's army. The RAAF men were responsible for the development of the RAAF men's army. Modern graders worked side by side. Group Captain Dale was responsible for building not only a fighter strip, but a 7,000 foot bomber strip as well. But the Japanese never gave up while they had life and arms. Australian RAAF men and American infantry, guided by friendly natives, patrolled constantly to bring the island under full control. Numpah, though only 12 by 14 miles, provided ideal jungle shelter for Japanese soldiers determined to die fighting. Native villagers were an easy enemy target. Angrily, the RAAF men hunted down the raiders. It was nervy, exhausting, dangerous work, and a very rare role indeed for airmen. This was really an infantry job. Rain or shine, the offensive went on. Under the protection of the Numpah fighter wing, RAAF bombers struck at targets in the western extremes of New Guinea, in Suram and nearby islands, and against enemy shipping. Not every bomber returned. This bow fighter is searching for a comrade who crash landed. The triangle mark at the rubber dinghy suggests the pilot is alive. If he is, base will organize a rescue party. Was he alive? He was, and he was rescued. The offensive gathered momentum. 78 wing kitty hawks were unleashed against targets revealed by air reconnaissance. Aerial photographs continually guided the fighters to the last enemy footholds in western New Guinea. A big attack is planned by Air Commodore Harry Cobby, fighter ace of both World Wars, and squadron leader Jeff Atherton of 80 Squadron. Group Captain Brooks, commanding 78 wing, joins the conference. Last week, this wing flew 677 sorties. Now it's a mass attack against enemy strongholds in the Vogelkop Peninsula in western New Guinea. For the aircraftmen, the pressure is on. Extra belly tanks allow the fighters to range far and wide. This kitty hawk had the honor of returning an enemy bomb which had fallen into our hands. Cameraman Bill Terese mounted his camera beneath this aircraft to secure the film you will see. July the 29th, squadron leader Les Jackson of 78 wing, a New Guinea veteran, briefs his pilots on the assignment. MacArthur plans to seize one last airfield site at Sansa 4. 78 wing's task is to harass enemy defenses and sink his supply craft. So begins the last of MacArthur's New Guinea operations, completing a westward advance of 1,500 miles in 13 months. With Sansa 4 occupied, the offensive will pivot northwards, headed for Japan. The pilots of 80 Squadron lead the attack. Just watch our fall. Squadron leader Curly Brydon leads 78 Squadron. Jeff Hatterton leads 80 Squadron. While 75 Squadron is led by Cole Lindeman. 78 wing is ready to strike. Well, almost ready. He's perfectionist. Ah, but today the form must be perfect. 78 wing is all set. Three squadrons of kitty hawks. 75, 78, and 80. Gregg Jones is airborne. Peter Lavender takes a last nostalgic look at Numpah. He's got a gun. He's got a gun. He's got a gun. He's got a gun. He's got a gun. He's got a gun. He's got a gun. He's got a gun. Peter Lavender takes a last nostalgic look at Numpah. There it is, the Vogelkopf Peninsula. They keel off to come in at low level. The pattern of attack is to be first dive bombing, then strafing with deadly fire. There's the Japanese headquarters. Another kitty comes in with guns blazing. A Jap truck, that's worth a burst. Now both sides are giving it all they've got. One kitty AWP drops a petrol laden belly tank on the target. He's made ignited with incendiary bullets. Enemy AK fire grows heavier. That's Tom Jackman going in. Looks like he's been hit. No, he's pulling out. This is a hot spot. That's flak coming up. And there are four shells for every tracer you can see. Each kitty is searching out its own target. Looks like Curly's scored a direct hit. Give it one more burst for luck. Just one more crack at the headquarters. That completes the mission. Now it's back to Numpah to report, refuel, reload, relax for all too short a pause and wait for the next mission. VP Day. 50 years ago Adelaide celebrated the end of the war. A huge turn off for today's tribute and Fitzroy sacks its coach. When it's out of whack and out of warranty, what do you do? Now there's an answer. Introducing the repair shop at Tandy Electronics. Just call us. We'll tell you whether you should bring it in, about how much it'll cost and how soon you'll get it back. We repair most major brands. Even the more stubborn ones. The repair shop at Tandy Electronics. You've got questions, we've got answers. Things have changed a lot since I retired. We got more time to shop around. That's why we decided on Australian Pensioners Insurance. They offered lower rates and knew for old replacement. But better still, they treat you like you count. If you're over 55 and no longer working full time, there is a company that gives you understanding, not just insurance. Australian Pensioners Insurance Agency. Call and hear all the advantages. If your taste buds are crying out for a cuppa and a chocolatey treat, but your hips say no, then you'll just love Ovaltine Light Break. It's a delicious, healthy chocolatey drink, made in an instant with water. And you can enjoy it any time of the day. Give yourself a break with Ovaltine Light Break. Look, a limited edition Iams Collector's Item Food Canister. That means they either bought a 3 kilogram or 7.5 kilo bag of nutritious Iams and got the canister for $6.95. Or bought a 15 kilo bag of Iams and got the canister absolutely free. It's just the perfect thing to store Iams in. It's available at vet clinics and all good pet shops. Iams, the number one in super premium cat food, recommended by vets worldwide. Hurry, stocks won't last. Who's got the lowest carpet prices? Thousands of people can't be wrong. It's LaCour News. And LaCour News guarantees you the lowest carpet price or we give you $500 in cash. Over $35 a metre, 100% pure wool, $59 a metre. Performance Plus Carpet saves $62 a metre Red Book and Minster at half price. LaCour News guarantees you the lowest carpet price or we'll give you $500 in cash. So if you don't see LaCour News for your carpet, you could be throwing away $500 just like this. Oh, I've been up to Cunninghams Warehouse, Cunninghams Warehouse, yes siree. Max and Two Slice Toaster, Absolute Bargain, $16.99. Quality Waltham 3R videotapes, 3 yes 3 for $5. ILEC 4-Way Power Board, sale price $5.99. Famous brand 90-minute audio cassettes, any type, $2 each. Famous Twining flavoured teas, 10-pack sachets, 4 packs for $2. And Carly Tapestry or Denier Travel Barrel Bags, sale price $14.99. Overnight bag, sale price $9.99. Cunninghams Warehouse, yes siree. A baby battles to live. Don't let her die. A father struggles to cope. I want another doctor. It's Judy Carlin. And a man with an extraordinary condition. You pull out your hair and you eat it. On the Yellow Brick Road to Recovery. Chicago Hope Tonight on 7. One casualty of that allied victory was the Prime Minister, who turned Australia into a mighty arsenal and armed camp. John Curtin, one of the greatest of allied civilian leaders, died in office in 1945. All Australia mourned its first citizen, whose death resulted from his conscientious and unstinting service to his country. One month after John Curtin's death, the end came. The end of the Pacific War. The end of World War II. VJ Day. The people of Australia had reason to rejoice. And reason besides for pride. This island continent of 7 million people had furnished to the allied corps more than 1 million fighting men, including 600,000 in the AIF, 45,000 in the RAF, and 190,000 in the RAAF. Australian women served in all services. 3,000 in the Navy, 35,000 in the Army, 27,000 in the Air Force. Four out of ten of the civilian population were wholly employed in the war effort. Many thousands toiled at unfamiliar tasks to release others for the fighting services. In every home, in every part of Australia, a sacrifice had been made to uphold the tradition of ANZAC. ANZAC ANZAC You've been watching some of the highlights of the conflict in the Pacific in the Second World War.