Impact on Australians During WW2 Flashcards
Who are classified as Enemy Aliens?
People living in Australia of foreign descent from enemy nations - German, Italian, and Japanese
Germans in 1939, Italians in 1940, and Japanese in 1941.
What was the Dunera Boys internment?
Refugees from Nazi Germany and Austria, including musicians, artists, philosophers, scientists, and writers, were initially interned but later released in 1941
Many remained in Australia and contributed to society.
What did the National Security (Aliens Control) Regulations (1939) require?
Required all enemy nationals and their families to register and imposed restrictions on employment, travel, property transfers, and ownership of cars and radios.
What was the purpose of internment camps during the war?
To detain those seen as threats, ease public concerns and hold internees sent by allies
Over 12,000 people were interned at the peak of the war.
15000 overall, 7000 Australian residents, including 1500 British nationals and 8000 people from overseas
Where were internment camps located?
Camps were located in remote areas across Australia.
What were the living conditions like in internment camps?
Detainees lived in barracks or tents
Had basic food, water and medical care
Overcrowding, limited supplies and isolation.
What types of work did internees engage in within the camps?
Farming
Manual labour
Construction
How were internment camps secured?
Camps were heavily guarded, and escape attempts were rare but did occur.
How many women were in the workforce?
By 1943, around 800,000 women.
What fraction of working-age women participated in paid work during WWII?
Nearly one-third.
What fields were women encouraged to enlist in for WW2?
Non-combatant auxiliary branches of the armed forces e.g. medicine, the air force, the navy and communication in the army
List some common roles for women during WWII.
- Wireless and telegraph operators
- Mechanics
- Coders
- Typists
- Drivers
- Cooks
- Nurses
- Ammunition and aircraft assembly
What was the pay disparity for women compared to men in most roles?
Women were paid a little over half of what men earned.
How many women formally enlisted in war-related service?
Just under 50,000 women.
What types of contributions did women who preferred traditional roles make during the war?
- Worked in hospitality
- Fundraising
- Patriotic groups
- Knitting
What was the expectation for women after WWII?
Many were expected to return to domestic roles after their greater independence.
How did society change after WWII for women?
It largely reverted to a new version of the old status quo.
In what year were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people not considered citizens?
1939
ATSI people were excluded from citizenship and certain rights.
Estimate how many ATSI soldiers fought in regular armed forces.
3,000
This is an approximate figure; exact numbers are unavailable.
List the roles of ATSI soldiers
Combatant roles
Trackers
Survailance
Labour roles
What happened to enlistment restrictions as the threat of Japanese invasion grew?
They became more relaxed
This change was in response to the wartime needs as they were restricted to begin with.
What promises were made to encourage ATSI soldiers to join the military?
Civil rights improvements after the war
This was a tactic to boost enlistment among ATSI individuals.
What was a concern regarding the loyalty of ATSI soldiers during the war?
Fear that they might side with Japanese as liberators
This concern was largely unfounded based on evidence.
What was a belief held by some in the ATSI community regarding military service?
It would improve their rights and status
What fear did others in the ATSI community have about military service?
It would repeat WWI experiences without improvements
How were ATSI soldiers treated in military roles?
Denied equal pay, oppotunities and recognition compared to white soldiers.
What persisted after the war despite the contributions of ATSI soldiers?
Discrimination as they were often excluded from veteran benefits and their contributions were largely unrecognised.
Were full citizenship rights granted to ATSI soldiers after the war?
No
This was despite their wartime service.
How many soldiers where imprisoned by the Japanese?
Over 22,000
What happened to the prisoners when the Japanese surrendered?
POWs were often left abandoned in camps, weak and near death, until the Allies arrived.
Japanese soldiers were tried for the mistreatment of the POWs
How many soldiers were imprisoned by the Germans?
8,600 Australian soldiers
Most were imprisoned for over 3 years
What happened when the German’s surrendered?
The prisoners were freed from advancing allies as prisons were evacuated.
Some weren’t lucky enough to be freed and they were forced on death marches with little to no food in bitterly cold weather.
Many died from exhaustion, exposure, and disease.
What was the experience for officers vs enlisted men?
Enlisted men in Stalags were forced to work in farms, mines, and factories under harsh conditions under tough conditions to support the German war effort.
Officers in Oflags were usually exempt but sometimes volunteered to work to support their fellow prisoners.
What happened to Aboriginal communities?
They were displaced due to military training and defense projects on their land.
How many Australian POWs died in Japanese camps after the end of the war?
Over a third
What was the Geneva Convention Rules?
A set rules for humane treatment towards POWs, including food, medical care, and the prohibition of mistreatment.
It generally provided a framework that limited extreme abuse.
How did the German POWs live?
In overcrowded wooden barracks with straw mattresses and inadequate heating.
Many POWs were forced into labor for the German war effort.
What was food like in German prison camps?
Food was scarce and rationed, especially as the war dragged on.
However, those who received Red Cross parcels had access to better food.
What was medical treatment like in German prison camps?
Sanitation varied, access to doctors was limited and medical supplies/treatment was inadequate.
Disease was common
Were there escape attempts in German prisons?
Some Australians took part in escape attempts, but it often ended in punishment and executoion.
For example, the famous “Great Escape” from Stalag Luft III in 1944, in which 76 men tunneled out of the camp. Unfortunately, 50 escapees were caught and executed, none of the Australians survived
Why were German prisoners treated that way?
They followed the Geneva convention rules
Australians were racially superior soldiers
They were valuable for potential prisoner exchanges.
Germany faced labour shortages
What are the lasting impacts of the prisoners of war from Germany?
Physically weakened
Psychological trauma
Not always recognised as war heroes in the same way as front-line soldiers.
How many people died German prinsons?
1 in 33
What were the living conditions in Japanese prision camps?
Geneva Convention rules were not followed and:
Beatings were routine, often for minor offenses or no reason at all.
Australians were used as slave labor in brutal work conditions to help the Japanese war effort
They were forced to build the Burma Thailand railway through the tropical jungle
They worked in coal mines and factories
They were marched until they died. One from Sandakan to Ranau had only six survivers out of 455.
What was food like in Japanese prison camps?
Rations were minimal leading to servere malnutrition
What was medical treatment like in Japanese prison camps?
Medicine was scarce, and sick prisoners were often left to die.
Were there escape attempts in Japanese prisons?
Failed attempts at escape were met with torture and execution
Those who escaped found it extremely difficult to survive due to the hostile terrain.
Why were Japanese prisoners treated that way?
- The Japanese saw surrender as dishonorable
- They has a lack of resources due to the underestimation of how many prisoners they would get
- POWs were used as expendable workers on brutal projects
What are the lasting impacts of the prisoners of war from Japan?
Survivors suffered long-term PTSD, physical disabilities, and health issues due to malnutrition and disease.
How are the groups put into an overarching themes?
Homefront: Women, ATSI, Enemy Aliens
Captivity: Japanese POWs, German POWs, Enemy Aliens
Battlefield: Women. ATSI
What happened to internees after the war?
Many were released before the end of the war
Others were allowed to leave as soon as fighting ceased
Most Japanese internees were sent to Japan in 1946, including some who were born in Australia.
Those from Britain and European countries were allowed to stay in Australia.
