BACKGROUND

Over 6 weeks in early 1942 the Imperial Japanese Army swept through Malaya taking Singapore, and then into New Guinea, taking Lae and Rabaul. In that corridor, they built 67 airfields capable of taking 16,000 planes, purposed to support the invasion of Australia.  At this time, many of our troops were overseas and there were virtually no air defences north of Townsville.

THE SQUADRON

The 75th was a ‘scratch’ force formed hastily from volunteers of whom only a handful had operational flying experience. Most were under 20 years of age. Their planes were US-built P40 Kittyhawk fighters. Trainee pilots normally needed 100 hours of flying time on these but the volunteers got only 10 hours of flying time in 10 days, with no experience of flying in formation, bad weather or clouds. John Francis Jackson, an experienced RAAF fighter pilot was appointed Squadron Commander (Jackson Airport in Port Moresby is named after him). 22 planes flew out from Sydney in February 1942 to Townsville and then on to Horn Island. 19 arrived safely but 3 crashed killing 2 pilots.

RAAF personnel on Horn Island (Australian War Memorial)

CONDITIONS ON HORN ISLAND

Horn Island is situated 17kms north of Cape York. Its climate is hot (25 – 30C) and humid with 35cms of rain falling during two months.

Living conditions on the island were basic in the extreme. There were no facilities for washing so men slept and flew in the same clothes. Their tents had holes, letting in ferocious mosquitoes that at night-time were feared more than the Japanese bombers.  The men’s health was at risk from dengue fever, leeches, malaria and fungal infections. There was only one doctor in the squadron, who had to manage the men’s hygiene and mental health and carry out any necessary surgery. He also had to decide who was fit enough to fly and who wasn’t. Such was the dire threat posed by the Japanese that men sometimes had to fly even if they were suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea. There was no natural water available, and the beer was always warm, except when it was delivered in the bomb bays of arriving Australian bombers. Food was mostly bully beef supplemented by locally caught fish.  For entertainment, there were only cards, fishing and the music provided by the sole gramophone and a couple of records.

SQUADRON MORALE

Jackson inspired and built a cohesive team that worked closely together.  He abolished differences of rank: there was no saluting and no formal dress. Moustaches were compulsory and competitive. Mechanics and pilots ate and worked together, learning from each other.

THE OUTCOME

During 44 days of combat the squadron destroyed 18 Japanese aircraft in the air and 30 on the ground. Another 33 were listed as ‘probables’. The 75th lost 15 planes in the air, 4 on the ground and 5 in accidents, with the loss of 11 pilots, one of whom was Jackson himself. A Catalina flying boat base on the island was instrumental in saving some pilots who ‘ditched’ at sea. The bravery and sacrifice of the 75th squadron on Horn Island stalled the possible Japanese invasion of Australia, which was finally made impossible by Japan’s loss of Guadalcanal, one of the Solomon Islands, and its devastating defeat at the Battle of the Coral Sea.

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