Australia's Pearl Harbour

Manuscript of Douglas Lockwood's 'Australia's Pearl Harbour, 1942', published in 1966.

Douglas Lockwood was a journalist for the Melbourne Herald assigned to Darwin in 1941. While there he witnessed the attack on Darwin by Japanese aircraft. He later joined the Australian Imperial Force working in security and intelligence. Following the war and his discharge he returned to Darwin where except for short periods he remained until 1968.

He then moved to Port Moresby as managing editor of the South Pacific Post and in 1971 was back in Melbourne at the Herald and Weekly Times, where he became manager in 1973. He returned to Port Moresby for a short period before health issues forced his return to southern Australia. He finished his journalistic career as managing editor of the Bendigo Advertiser. Douglas Lockwood died in 1980. In 1966 he published his account of the bombing of Darwin, Australia's Pearl Harbour. Lockwood has written a number of other books including I the Aboriginal and The front door: Darwin, 1869-1969.

Lockwood interviewed Japanese and American as well as Australian veterans of the air assault on Darwin in the preparation of Australia's Pearl Harbour.

On 19 February 1942, 188 Japanese planes were launched against Darwin, whose harbour was full of Allied ships. It was the largest Japanese attack since Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, 7 December 1941. Attacks continued on the town until November 1943. Darwin was seen as a key defensive position for Australia against the aggression of Japan which entered World War II with the attack on Pearl Harbour. Darwin was also seen as a key port in the defence of the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia).

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