A bit of World War II history: Darwin, Australia, took more bombs than Pearl Harbor, during World War II.
We learn this from the Australian Broadcasting Corp. story on the recent rediscovery of a large bomb crater there:
Map of Australia, from Australia.com
Bomb crater found in Darwin CBD
It has been confirmed that a large hole uncovered by earthworks in Darwin’s CBD is a bomb crater probably created during the first Japanese raid on Darwin in 1942.
The crater was spotted by a passing motorist who reported it to the Department of Heritage.
Archaeologist Silvano Jung has now investigated the site and says it is almost certainly a bomb crater.
“Judging by the diameter of the crater, it was probably a 1,000 pound bomb, or a 500 kilo bomb, dropped by a medium bomber either from Java or Ambon [in Indonesia],” he said.
“Most likely on February 19 [1942] as well.”
Mr Jung says the bomb crater will become a special part of Darwin’s history.
“Often it’s the small things in history that are really important and given that this is the only one, it makes it unique. It’s a unique hole in Darwin,” he said.
Darwin was subjected to 63 bombing raids during the war, with more bombs dropped on the city than Pearl Harbour.
Now we study bomb craters in archaeology.
According to some reports, it is the sole surviving bomb crater from the war, in Darwin:
Northern Territory heritage Minister Karl Hampton said the exciting discovery on McMinn Street provided a clear link with the past.
“World War II is an important part of the Territory’s history and identity,” Mr Hampton said in a statement released on Wednesday.
“Territorians are proud of our unique history, and we now have another attraction no other capital city can match – an authentic World War II bomb crater.”
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
Mr. (?) Higginbotham,
Correction cheerfully accepted. In all honesty, I’m not sure if that’s what I intended to write or if it was a mere typo. But I’ll certainly be more aware of that phrasing in the future.
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OT:
So no worries about you having other projects ahead in line.
Not that I singling out JH, but this seems routine these days – doesn’t anybody (other than myself) prefer the following?
So no worries about your having other projects ahead in line.
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Jim Stanley,
The numbers amaze me, although upon reflection I suppose they shouldn’t. I knew there were WWII munitions occasionally found still, but the Civil War seems like such ancient history that I just would have assumed…well, obviously the wrong thing.
I can certainly understand the fascination, though. And I’d have to agree with your assessment about safety. But if your friend had disarmed thousands, he was obviously very good at what he did. And what he did was a very good thing to do.
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Ed (or Mr. Darrell, whichever you prefer),
That chapter will not be ready until next week at best, and if not then, then not until mid-November, as I’ll be out of country for two weeks. So no worries about you having other projects ahead in line. And I appreciate it–unfortunately gross errors are not an impossibility (albeit hopefully an improbability).
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I can spot some gross errors, if you made 'em, generally.
At the moment, I'm in the middle of Chernow's book on Washington — which is a problem because I have a review due in a week. But send it along.
My e-mail address is at the "About MFB" tab, above.
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Hi James!
My friend — Sam White — was a good soul and, like me, a collector of artifacts from the Civil War. Sam had disarmed thousands of artillery shells recovered by the National Park Service, relic hunters and others without incident. I am still not sure if he was careless or if it was just a fluke. I have another friend, however, who only disarms the shells remotely…controlling the drill from a second room while protected by steel and concrete and while the shell is submerged in water. It would see, to me, that this is the safest way to go.
I am glad these things are recovered, defused and displayed for educational purposes. But utmost care should be taken. And, like you, I am truly dismayed at the millions of landmines left strewn about much of the third world. A war on these insidious weapons is long overdue.
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Off-topic request to Ed Darrell. If I understand correctly, you’re a historian (among other specialties). Are you fairly strong on the revolutionary and founding era of the U.S.? If so, would you be willing to review my chapter on that before I put it out for public view? I know the era in broad outline, but recognize my limitations regarding the details.
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Holy S**t! More things about which I had no idea and that completely amaze me.
And the world is peppered with landmines. How long will they go on killing?
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The ordnance of war does linger, yes? I recall reading that the final casualty of the battle of Gettysburg came in the 1950’s. A local boy was sledding down a hill when the runners of his radio-flyer struck a partially exposed artillery shell. (Of course, I am not counting those who have died since while attempting to disarm Civil War ordnance. I lost a friend in such an accident a couple years ago.)
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Ed,
He got the award 60 years after the fact, or he rescued them 60 years after the war? (I’m pretty sure I’d have heard about the latter!) *grin*
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I knew Japan had hoped to invade Australia, but I also was unaware of the bombings.
I saw a recent story about an OSS officer who got an award for rescuing 500 U.S. pilots from a POW camp in Yugoslavia, 60+ years after the fact. I’ll wager there are still thousands of important, gripping, untold and overlooked stories about WWII out there.
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I had no idea that Japan had bombed Darwin. I have always wondered vaguely whether they attempted the jump from Indonesia and New Guinea to Australia, but didn’t really know. Obviously I’m not much of a WWII expert (I think I know who the bad guys were, though).
But bombing Darwin 63 times? Wow. I would never have guessed that.
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