Second World War 1939 - 1945
The Second World War was the most destructive conflict in human history. For Australia, the conflicted lasted for six years, from 3 September 1939 to 15 August 1945.
Defeat of Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, and expansionist militarist Japan came at a heavy cost: at least 60 million people died, tens of millions were displaced, and areas of Europe, Asia, and the Pacific were devastated as a result of the war.
Almost a million Australians served, over half of whom saw overseas service. Forty thousand Australian servicemen and servicewomen died in the conflict, and more than 30,000 suffered as prisoners of war, while 1,500 Australian civilians were interned by the Japanese in Asia and the Pacific. Tens of thousands of Australians were wounded or injured. Moral injuries were uncounted.
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Remembering 1942
Using documents and photographs drawn from its collection and introduced by its historians, the Memorial remembers Australia's war in 1942.
Changi
The name Changi is synonymous with the suffering of Australian prisoners of the Japanese during the Second World War.
The bomb: what it meant to Australians
Read about the effect the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had on moral
Bringing them in
Indigenous men made a contribution during the Second World War, despite the barriers.
Australians in the Atomic City – BCOF interactions in Hiroshima
On 6 August 1945 the United States Army Air Force dropped the first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. The effects were devastating.
VP Day: A ceremony and a celebration
These photographs donated by local newspapers of the day, official and amateur photographers a like, highlight how the everyday Australian took part in the numerous parades and ceremonies held around the Country on August 15th and 16th, 1945.
Recollections of Victory in the Pacific Day
The following accounts from records held at the Australian War Memorial reveal how servicemen and servicewomen reacted to Victory in the Pacific (VP) Day.
VP Day at the Australian War Memorial
On 16 August 1945, a National Thanksgiving Service was held in front of the Australian War Memorial to mark Victory in the Pacific Day (VP Day). A reported crowd of 5000 people gathered to witness the ceremony and commemorate the end of the Second World War.
