Here on the Mid North Coast, NSW we enjoy the best climate in the country, lush and beautiful countryside and a spectacular coast line. This idealistic setting lends itself to a comparatively carefree lifestyle and if you have lived or visited elsewhere in the country or the world, you will know how special this place is.
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But there was a time when we thought it was all going to be taken away from us. Like the rest of Australia during World War II, the Mid North Coast was caught up in a paranoia that we would be invaded by the Japanese.
The Federal Government at the time fuelled this fear and it is debatable whether Prime Minister John Curtain himself believed an invasion was likely.
The fear of being overrun by unwelcome invaders whipped up amongst the population served as good policy fodder to get him re-elected.
The paranoia was not altogether unwarranted. If bombing raids on Darwin and Townsville, enemy submarines in Sydney Harbour and a Japanese land force coming across the Owen Stanleys in New Guinea were not a prelude to invasion, then what was it?
Historians largely agree there was no real intention to invade and if it was ever to happen at all, it would have been long after the Japanese had secured victory on other fronts.
Building an invasion force would have weakened the Japanese army facing the Soviet threat in Manchuria and would have taken too many occupation troops from China. The Japanese purpose was to isolate Australia and lessen its potential as a staging base for allied counter offensives. The Japanese were pillaging the resource rich Dutch East Indies to fuel its war machine and attacks on Darwin were intended to protect this asset.
Mid North Coast prepare for an attack
Local gentleman Clyde Piggott, who passed away in August 2017, was someone who remembered the fear held by locals, that an invasion was coming.
In a series of interviews with Mr Piggott, conducted by local radio 2NVR’s Noel Robinson, Dallas Dent and Donna Collins, he spoke how life was at that time.
He explained there was an evacuation road built in preparation to get Nambucca Valley and Coffs Coast cattle away from the invaders and up onto the Dorrigo Plateau.
Locals were convinced that Coffs Harbour was a certainty for capture by the Japanese due to its port facilities and air strip.
Blacking out homes in the evenings and digging trenches for shelter from potential bombings was the order of the day.
Mr Piggott said that they all strongly believed in ‘Fifth Columnists’ who were spying for the Japanese and passing on local information to would-be invaders. Based on that concern he went on to say you never spoke to strangers at that time.
Aircraft recognition was an in demand skill at the time and Mr Piggott proudly explained how his cousin, Kitty, armed with an aircraft chart, became an expert at identifying anything flying over the area. She would pass this information on to the postmaster, who would then relay it up or down the coast as required. He went on to say that Kitty was awarded a small medal for sighting her first enemy aircraft.
Clyde Piggott’s recollections serve to remind us that life here in our little slice of paradise was not always so carefree.
About the author: Mick Birtles is a recently retired Army Officer now living in Nambucca Heads. During his 36-year career, Birtles served in Bougainville, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for command and leadership. Here he shares his interest in the welfare and well-being of veterans on the Mid North Coast.
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