Island Target

From the Film Australia Collection. Made by the Department Of Information 1944. Directed by Ralph Smart. Island Target shows the role of the Royal Australian Air Force in the invasion of the western Pacific islands during World War Two. This is the story of one squadron of Australian airmen whose daily job in the western Pacific typifies the spirit of the RAAF. The RAAF Kittyhawk squadron give air cover to Allied landing craft and an RAAF landing party clear land for a landing strip. P40 Kittyhawks of 78 and 80 Squadron RAAF are featured. Squadron Leader Leslie Douglas Jackson is identified.

[@2nostromo]

We owe them so much. I try not to let a day go by without giving thanks. Bless 'em. Bless every one of them for stopping our enemy that I might live free.

[@jackdaniel7465]

Glad to see a video highlighting the huge contribution Australia gave in the Pacific theater and Europe, we did it together, Much love to Australia and her magnificent people!!❤️🇺🇸🙏

[@maddyg3208]

One of the cameramen who shot this footage, William Carty, wrote an autobiography called Flickers of History, which includes his war service and is worth reading

[@lloyd3404]

There's a reference to Ward's Field ...My father's squadron (2nd Bombardment Squadron - 22nd Bombardment Group (H) USAAF) operated from Ward's Strip (near Jackson's Strip - RAAF) at Port Moresby before moving to Dobodura and then island hopping (eventually) to Clark Field in the Philippines by VJ Day. So great to see these historical videos!

[@robertsmart5600]

Nice to have Ralph's film Island Target narrated by our friend Wilfrid Thomas on youtube, thx. Wilfrid went on to do the Wilfrid Thomas Show on ABC & BBC radio, he wrote a book called "Living on Air". After WW2 Ralph made The Overlanders, Bush Christmas, Bitter Springs etc & TV series Robin Hood, Invisible Man, Danger Man etc. Ralph lived the last years of his life in Bowen, QLD, Australia.

[@geoffbell166]

Those rugged old birds took some damage,Commonwealth ace Geoff Fisken came back after a sortie with a 156 holes in the P-40 'Wildcat'

[@thewatcher5271]

Great Video! I've Seen A-lot Of P-40 Footage But Never This. The P-40 & The Australian Contribution To The War Is Underrated & I Can't Believe That Plane Returned At 17:00 Minutes In!

[@yakidin63]

Best quality Ive seen. thanks for posting.

[@waiting4aliens]

An excellent group of archived footage. Thank you.

[@NFSAFilms]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you.

[@tophatter15]

Heroes, one and all!!!

[@haideribrahim7261]

nice footage

[@olsmokey]

Extremely well done. Nice to see some 80 squadron planes landing 16:30. My dad flew BU-H but might have been flying BU-K when this was filmed. Unfortunately his logbook doesn't give squadron codes only aircraft serial numbers. Anyone have a date for this scene at 16:30?

[@ozhawk8938]

Hi olsmokey - the Kittyhawk BU-K serial A29-655 in this sequence at 16:30 was only with 80 Squadron for a short time between 22/6/44 to 20/8/44, so within those dates. I can provide further info if interested, just post on facebook group 'ADF Serials Military Aircraft Group' facebook.com/groups/ADFSerials

[@olsmokey]

@@ozhawk8938 Hi Ozhawk, thanks for the info. I've checked his logbook and found that that it wasn't him in that video. Oh well. I did read that on 2/3/45 he flew A29-656 but only on that day.

[@ozhawk8938]

@@olsmokey Yes, A29-656 was BU-E and there is a glimpse of this Kittyhawk in the film. There are also a couple of AWM pictures showing 656 in the background. You mentioned BU-H and BU-K, do you have any logbook information on those? I may have some photos for you.

[@olsmokey]

@@ozhawk8938 According to his logbook he flew A29-1199 exclusively from 21/4/45 to 5/8/45 apart from one time 14/4. Due to a runway incident which prevented A29-1199 flying he flew various others from 13/8 til 17/9. These were A29-1218, 1180, and 1157. Prior to 21/4/45 he flew the following: A29-609, 602, 656, 623, 651, 608, 651, 615, 626, 664, 527, 466, 652, 1142, 1153, 1165, 1161, 1184, 1187, 1158, 1135. Some of these were just test flights. Boy that was a fun time... PS Missed a few pages. Many more numbers to type, maybe later. If interested I can scan some pages for you.

[@ozhawk8938]

@@olsmokey I've been researching 80 Squadron for a year or so, and collected photographs and documents and I have details for a fair few of the above. I have added my email to the channel 'about' and would it would be good to swap info, no worries.

[@keithmcwilliams9907]

Like.it

[@AussieVet]

lol 14:47 he's looking at the camera plane.

[@surearrow]

>>-------------------------> "The woodpeckers have been at some of your kites. You'll have your time cut out, gett'em home."

[@NoTaboos]

RAAF ground staff used as infantry???

[@TheRealNeill]

Everyone in the ADF does ground combat at recruit training. The army obviously goes on with it far more, but everyone in the Air Force and Navy do annual combat exercises. When I was in the RAAF (97-03) it was taken very seriously. We were expected to defend our base and the likely enemy would be special forces. I'm sure during WW2 something similar applied.

[@pierredecine1936]

Wow, couldn't people get hurt climbing out of boats with fixed bayonets ?