Why Did The UK Abandon Australia??

As you can see by the title, my question is simple why did the UK abandon Australia during WW2.
The Battle for Australia began after the Fall of Singapore, however even after fortress Singapore fell and Australia pleaded for British help, NO reinforcements were sent?
This subsequently began a two year conflict (1941-42) in which Australia was under threat of invasion. During this time Australia was an independent dominion, but even after Australia had sent hundreds of thousands of young men to fight and die in the first world war as well as participating in Britains colonial wars, they could not return the favour??
Australians are a very loyal people but were completely betrayed. Whats your say on this?


EDIT:
What? Why won't any of the British respond to my question?

reply to post by CrimsonKapital


I think that it is a travesty and a great betrayal by Great Britain, especially considering the loyalty they showed in the past. Loyalty needs to go both up and down the chain and in this instance Great Britain failed to reciprocate. I don't know enough about what the British force dispositions and what their needs were in that time period to say whether or not their abandonment was justified in a realpolitik sort of way, but I do know that in the end it worked.

How close did the Japanese get to an invasion of Australia?

reply to post by Mkoll



The Japanese were less than a dozen or so kilometres from Australian soil. Australian bushmen untrained, unarmoured, with inferior weapons and outmatched by 30 to 1 managed to defeat the Japanese invading force.

Also today marks the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea which was a major engagement that ended the Battle for Australia.

I don't know the history of this very well but im sure the uk
did not abandon you.
you got to remember it was a world war maybe the british forces
couldent send reinforcements because they were fighting in europe.

im sure we never abandoned you it just a case of we couldent get the reinforcments to you.

and im also sure that if austrailia was under threat now in this day and age we would be there for you
and so would most of the commonwelth.

Originally posted by CrimsonKapital
As you can see by the title, my question is simple why did the UK abandon Australia during WW2.

The Battle for Australia began after the Fall of Singapore, however even after fortress Singapore fell and Australia pleaded for British help, NO reinforcements were sent?

Australians are a very loyal people but were completely betrayed. Whats your say on this?

On the one hand it could be argued that it was a gamble that the Japanese would not invade mainland Australia.

On the other hand, the Americans were reading Japanese codes at a very high level and there was never, to the best of my knowledege, any evidence of the Japanese planning to invade Australia.

Magic Cryptography

It was similar situation in Europe where the British were reading German signals at a very high level using Ultra.

British Ultra Code Breaking

Originally posted by slaine1978
and im also sure that if austrailia was under threat now in this day and age we would be there for you
and so would most of the commonwelth.

I get the impression that many Australians under estimate the sense and strength of loyalty that British people feel to Australia and NZ.

Britain would break its back defending Australia.

reply to post by CrimsonKapital


Great Britain didn't abandon Austrailia. We were unable to do much defending due to our diminished fleet.

When Japan attacked the Americans at Pearl Harbour and Europe at Singapore we found ourselves unable to sustain a war on two fronts. Meanwhile the USA positioned themselves around Austrailia after a retreat from the East Indies.

Once their battle line was drawn the USA became the defenders of Austrailia and New Zealand.

We didn't abandon Austrailia, we were just unable to defend her as we would have liked. This is also why Austrailia enjoys a good relationship with the US. Lasting alliances.

We had a war to fight as well, and Hitler was after World domination plus moving our troops over to Australia would mean time/money/resources which we did not have.

It's not like we did not want to help, it was more of a case that we couldn't.

Originally posted by CrimsonKapital
Australians are a very loyal people but were completely betrayed. Whats your say on this?

I suspect that Republican Australians have been pushing a slant on WWII to suit their agenda.

Originally posted by ollncasino

Originally posted by slaine1978
and im also sure that if austrailia was under threat now in this day and age we would be there for you
and so would most of the commonwelth.

I get the impression that many Australians under estimate the sense and strength of loyalty that British people feel to Australia and NZ.

Britain would break its back defending Australia.

I totally agree with the above statement.

reply to post by ollncasino

On the one hand it could be argued that it was a gamble that the Japanese would not invade mainland Australia.

Think they would take that gamble if it was their necks on the line?

Originally posted by slaine1978
I don't know the history of this very well but im sure the uk
did not abandon you.
you got to remember it was a world war maybe the british forces
couldent send reinforcements because they were fighting in europe.

im sure we never abandoned you it just a case of we couldent get the reinforcments to you.

and im also sure that if austrailia was under threat now in this day and age we would be there for you
and so would most of the commonwelth.

You also have to remember the Battle of Britain ended in october in 1940, the Battle for Australia began in 1941. So Britain was not under threat at this time like Australia was, they could have sent help but they chose no to.
Australias best fighting force the AIF was fighting for Britain in North Africa at this time, when Australia was under attack the British stubbornly refused to allow them to return to defend their homeland.
When Australian PM John Curtin announced they would be returning home, Winston Churchill called US, AUSTRALIANS TRAITORS!!!
Could that be any more ironic??

The almighty Briton has a habbit of desserting people... just look as africa and the rest of the colonies present and past...

Originally posted by ollncasino

Originally posted by slaine1978
and im also sure that if austrailia was under threat now in this day and age we would be there for you
and so would most of the commonwelth.

I get the impression that many Australians under estimate the sense and strength of loyalty that British people feel to Australia and NZ.

Britain would break its back defending Australia.

"Britain would break its back defending Australia"

Then where were YOU when we needed you??

We Australians sent thousands upon thousands of our young men to fight and die for the glory of Britain, but when we needed your help you spat in our faces.

Originally posted by CrimsonKapital
When Australian PM John Curtin announced they would be returning home, Winston Churchill called US, AUSTRALIANS TRAITORS!!!
Could that be any more ironic??

Could you provide an original source for that that?

By original, I mean a reputable source rather than someone alleging Churchill stated that?

I have had a number of good Aussie mates and I have noticed that many of the allegations they have made against the British doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

Originally posted by hudsonhawk69
The almighty Briton has a habbit of desserting people... just look as africa and the rest of the colonies present and past...

And leaving democracies behind.

Originally posted by CrimsonKapital
Then where were YOU when we needed you??

Fighting the bloody Germans.

Originally posted by Grifter81
reply to post by CrimsonKapital

 

Great Britain didn't abandon Austrailia. We were unable to do much defending due to our diminished fleet.

When Japan attacked the Americans at Pearl Harbour and Europe at Singapore we found ourselves unable to sustain a war on two fronts. Meanwhile the USA positioned themselves around Austrailia after a retreat from the East Indies.

Once their battle line was drawn the USA became the defenders of Austrailia and New Zealand.

We didn't abandon Austrailia, we were just unable to defend her as we would have liked. This is also why Austrailia enjoys a good relationship with the US. Lasting alliances.

Wrong, America did NOT begin sending a substantial amount of men and equipment until late 1942. Meaning for almost 2 years Australia was under siege with little help from America and NO help whatsoever from Great Britain.

Australians became the defenders of Australia, we were the last hope in the Pacific fighting the Japanese almost on our own.

Also why was the UK sending the Soviet Union HUGE amounts of military equipment, when Australia needed them more than anything, shouldn't those weapons or at least some have been sent to help the Australians?

Originally posted by definity
We had a war to fight as well, and Hitler was after World domination plus moving our troops over to Australia would mean time/money/resources which we did not have.

It's not like we did not want to help, it was more of a case that we couldn't.

edit on 4-5-2012 by definity because: (no reason given)

Yes you did, but Britain was not under threat of invasion like Australia was. Australia had very little money and resources as well but we still sent you our men and supplies.

Originally posted by CrimsonKapital

Originally posted by slaine1978
I don't know the history of this very well but im sure the uk
did not abandon you.
you got to remember it was a world war maybe the british forces
couldent send reinforcements because they were fighting in europe.

im sure we never abandoned you it just a case of we couldent get the reinforcments to you.

and im also sure that if austrailia was under threat now in this day and age we would be there for you
and so would most of the commonwelth.

You also have to remember the Battle of Britain ended in october in 1940, the Battle for Australia began in 1941. So Britain was not under threat at this time like Australia was, they could have sent help but they chose no to.
Australias best fighting force the AIF was fighting for Britain in North Africa at this time, when Australia was under attack the British stubbornly refused to allow them to return to defend their homeland.
When Australian PM John Curtin announced they would be returning home, Winston Churchill called US, AUSTRALIANS TRAITORS!!!
Could that be any more ironic??

I think your underestimating the toll the Battle of Britain took on the UK. You should read some war history. It will answer all of your questions.

Had Britain not pulled back at the time they did the whole war might have been lost. The descision was made to stay in the North Atlantic and concentrate on Germany and Northern Europe. A war on two fronts was unsustainable. This, ultimately, was Hitlers downfall. An overstretched force cannot win.

You were not abandoned. Britain was (probably still is) legally bound to defend Austrailia under the Imperial Defence Act. The descision to pull back would NOT have been taken lightly.