Les Penhall

Today we remember Les Penhall, an office worker and resident of Darwin, who witnessed the first bombs being dropped on Darwin on the 19th February 1942.

Les Penhall audio file (MP4 23.92 MB)

Les Penhall audio script

75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War

Audio actuality

“Fellow Citizens, the War is over” — (The Hon J B Chifley, Prime Minister of Australia)

August the 15th marks the 75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War. Around 1 million Australians enlisted to serve from a population of just 7 million. On the 75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War, Australia remembers Les Penhall, an office worker and resident of Darwin.

Completely oblivious to what was about to happen, he witnessed the first bombs being dropped on Darwin on the 19th of February, 1942.

Les Penhall

Someone in the office said, “Gee, listen to those aircraft”. I went outside, looked up, and saw this delightful formation of aircraft coming over. I said, “Listen, what are those little silver darts falling out of the bottom of them?”

Shortly afterwards, the wharf went up, I made a comment about “Christ, they’re not ours”, then all hell broke loose. I went out the back of the office on the tennis court at the back of the post-office, a bomb had fallen on either side of the net but the net was still up.

A bomb fell behind me and I was blown over the top of the cliff, and landed half-way down the cliff and stayed there until the all-clear sounded. And I just said, “Well, that was bloody close, wasn’t it?”

Saturday, August 15 marks the 75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War. Let’s pay our respects to that amazing generation of Australians.