Impact on Australians During WW2

Question 1

Who are classified as Enemy Aliens?

Answer 1

People living in Australia of foreign descent from enemy nations - German, Italian, and Japanese

Germans in 1939, Italians in 1940, and Japanese in 1941.

Question 2

What was the Dunera Boys internment?

Answer 2

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.

Question 3

What did the National Security (Aliens Control) Regulations (1939) require?

Answer 3

Required all enemy nationals and their families to register and imposed restrictions on employment, travel, property transfers, and ownership of cars and radios.

Question 4

What was the purpose of internment camps during the war?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Where were internment camps located?

Answer 5

Camps were located in remote areas across Australia.

Question 6

What were the living conditions like in internment camps?

Answer 6

Detainees lived in barracks or tents
Had basic food, water and medical care
Overcrowding, limited supplies and isolation.

Question 7

What types of work did internees engage in within the camps?

Answer 7

Farming
Manual labour
Construction

Question 8

How were internment camps secured?

Answer 8

Camps were heavily guarded, and escape attempts were rare but did occur.

Question 9

How many women were in the workforce?

Answer 9

By 1943, around 800,000 women.

Question 10

What fraction of working-age women participated in paid work during WWII?

Answer 10

Nearly one-third.

Question 11

What fields were women encouraged to enlist in for WW2?

Answer 11

Non-combatant auxiliary branches of the armed forces e.g. medicine, the air force, the navy and communication in the army

Question 12

List some common roles for women during WWII.

Answer 12

• Wireless and telegraph operators
• Mechanics
• Coders
• Typists
• Drivers
• Cooks
• Nurses
• Ammunition and aircraft assembly

Question 13

What was the pay disparity for women compared to men in most roles?

Answer 13

Women were paid a little over half of what men earned.

Question 14

How many women formally enlisted in war-related service?

Answer 14

Just under 50,000 women.

Question 15

What types of contributions did women who preferred traditional roles make during the war?

Answer 15

• Worked in hospitality
• Fundraising
• Patriotic groups
• Knitting

Question 16

What was the expectation for women after WWII?

Answer 16

Many were expected to return to domestic roles after their greater independence.

Question 17

How did society change after WWII for women?

Answer 17

It largely reverted to a new version of the old status quo.

Question 18

In what year were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people not considered citizens?

Answer 18

1939

ATSI people were excluded from citizenship and certain rights.

Question 19

Estimate how many ATSI soldiers fought in regular armed forces.

Answer 19

3,000

This is an approximate figure; exact numbers are unavailable.

Question 20

List the roles of ATSI soldiers

Answer 20

Combatant roles
Trackers
Survailance
Labour roles

Question 21

What happened to enlistment restrictions as the threat of Japanese invasion grew?

Answer 21

They became more relaxed

This change was in response to the wartime needs as they were restricted to begin with.

Question 22

What promises were made to encourage ATSI soldiers to join the military?

Answer 22

Civil rights improvements after the war

This was a tactic to boost enlistment among ATSI individuals.

Question 23

What was a concern regarding the loyalty of ATSI soldiers during the war?

Answer 23

Fear that they might side with Japanese as liberators

This concern was largely unfounded based on evidence.

Question 24

What was a belief held by some in the ATSI community regarding military service?

Answer 24

It would improve their rights and status

Question 25

What fear did others in the ATSI community have about military service?

Answer 25

It would repeat WWI experiences without improvements

Question 26

How were ATSI soldiers treated in military roles?

Answer 26

Denied equal pay, oppotunities and recognition compared to white soldiers.

Question 27

What persisted after the war despite the contributions of ATSI soldiers?

Answer 27

Discrimination as they were often excluded from veteran benefits and their contributions were largely unrecognised.

Question 28

Were full citizenship rights granted to ATSI soldiers after the war?

Answer 28

No ## Footnote This was despite their wartime service.

Question 29

How many soldiers where imprisoned by the Japanese?

Answer 29

Over 22,000

Question 30

What happened to the prisoners when the Japanese surrendered?

Answer 30

POWs were often left abandoned in camps, weak and near death, until the Allies arrived. ## Footnote Japanese soldiers were tried for the mistreatment of the POWs

Question 31

How many soldiers were imprisoned by the Germans?

Answer 31

8,600 Australian soldiers ## Footnote Most were imprisoned for over 3 years

Question 32

What happened when the German's surrendered?

Answer 32

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.

Question 33

What was the experience for officers vs enlisted men?

Answer 33

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.

Question 34

What happened to Aboriginal communities?

Answer 34

They were displaced due to military training and defense projects on their land.

Question 35

How many Australian POWs died in Japanese camps after the end of the war?

Answer 35

Over a third

Question 36

What was the Geneva Convention Rules?

Answer 36

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.

Question 37

How did the German POWs live?

Answer 37

In overcrowded wooden barracks with straw mattresses and inadequate heating. Many POWs were forced into labor for the German war effort.

Question 38

What was food like in German prison camps?

Answer 38

Food was scarce and rationed, especially as the war dragged on. ## Footnote However, those who received Red Cross parcels had access to better food.

Question 39

What was medical treatment like in German prison camps?

Answer 39

Sanitation varied, access to doctors was limited and medical supplies/treatment was inadequate. | Disease was common

Question 40

Were there escape attempts in German prisons?

Answer 40

Some Australians took part in escape attempts, but it often ended in punishment and executoion. ## Footnote 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

Question 41

Why were German prisoners treated that way?

Answer 41

They followed the Geneva convention rules Australians were racially superior soldiers They were valuable for potential prisoner exchanges. Germany faced labour shortages

Question 42

What are the lasting impacts of the prisoners of war from Germany?

Answer 42

Physically weakened Psychological trauma Not always recognised as war heroes in the same way as front-line soldiers.

Question 43

How many people died German prinsons?

Answer 43

1 in 33

Question 44

What were the living conditions in Japanese prision camps?

Answer 44

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 ## Footnote 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.

Question 45

What was food like in Japanese prison camps?

Answer 45

Rations were minimal leading to servere malnutrition

Question 46

What was medical treatment like in Japanese prison camps?

Answer 46

Medicine was scarce, and sick prisoners were often left to die.

Question 47

Were there escape attempts in Japanese prisons?

Answer 47

Failed attempts at escape were met with torture and execution Those who escaped found it extremely difficult to survive due to the hostile terrain.

Question 48

Why were Japanese prisoners treated that way?

Answer 48

* 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

Question 49

What are the lasting impacts of the prisoners of war from Japan?

Answer 49

Survivors suffered long-term PTSD, physical disabilities, and health issues due to malnutrition and disease.

Question 50

How are the groups put into an overarching themes?

Answer 50

Homefront: Women, ATSI, Enemy Aliens Captivity: Japanese POWs, German POWs, Enemy Aliens Battlefield: Women. ATSI

Question 51

What happened to internees after the war?

Answer 51

Many were released before the end of the war Others were allowed to leave as soon as fighting ceased ## Footnote 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.