Just found your channel - a delight. My grandmother actually saw the Japanese reconnaissance flight made early one morning in Feb 1942 over the Derwent estuary by Officer Fujita in his little 'glen' aeroplane. She was a young woman at the time, up early to do the milking on her family farm near Rokeby. She recalled her slow realisation that the plane was not 'one of ours' as it circled over Hobart and the Zinc Works before heading back down the Channel. She rang the Barracks to report it, they logged it but she always felt they didn't take her seriously. Many years later, after her death, the Japanese pilot wrote his memoires, his flight over Hobart making it into the Mercury as a curiosity. Our Grandpa suggested the paper check with the Barracks for the record of his wife's sighting and sure enough, there it was. Confirmed at last.

The final comments; so very true. My landlady in Battery Point, around 2000, was an apple orchardist and the widow of a WWII vet, who had returned from the war, utterly shell-shocked. She related to me one day, over scones and tea, how he would never speak of the horrors and how he coped with the experience by working himself to an early death. That must have been unimaginably heartbreaking for her, and yet I detected no clear sign of anything in her but resilience and a loving dedication to her family. We were generations apart, but she was a good friend.

Thanks Angus for another great video. Visited Tas in 2019 and loved it. Can't wait to get back there. But in the meantime I'll enjoy your videos. Here's a little to help you make the next one.

Hi, the static pretend plane looked like a Link trainer. My Dad was at Fort Direction and met Mum at a Saturday night dance at the Sandford Hall (still there) He Also served at the (now) University site with searchlights. When the Fort at Alexandra Battery was excavated some 25 years ago he helped the research crew with locations and names of newley exposed works, as he was there during the war. There are also old reinforcements at the top of Folder St that are now a house built by the architect Dorney as well as a few on the hill side further east. The best preserved emplacements are of course at Bellerive, with a commanding view down the estuary, but out of sight from the river. I'm enjoying your videos, and adding to my knowledge, history at school was never as interesting. Cheers

Those shown Fort Direction buildings are for target triangulation, spot light and power generation. These were part of the revamped batteries up top in the restricted army base.

Those concrete foundations are remains of magazines used to store ammunition just like the ones at the military base next to the Bowen bridge

love all your vids Angus. Special shout-out to the co-host of the year Harry Dog!

The crafstmanship of this episode is truly inspiring mate, love calling Tassie home.

Thanks again Angus for your fantastic videos! I love learning about the history of Tasmania from you.

Pretty sure that piece at 3:30 is an artists I've met, Sarah, I have a piece of hers framed on my shelf :D

Great video Angus, covers a lot of ground. One of my grandfathers was on shift at the Zinc Works during the war, and my father claimed he'd heard a Japanese aircraft fly over one night. Always thought it was a myth until I read a book publishing research about Japanese submarine operations. The did indeed launch a float plane from a submarine in Oyster Bay that flew a reconnaissance mission over Hobart looking for warship targets, which was what my grandfather had heard. Same sub also did flights over Melbourne and Sydney, only finding suitable targets at the latter that they launched their mini-sub raid against.

Such an important, but neglected, part of Tasmania’s history. Thanks again

It's not a mystery why German sea mines were found at the mouth of the Derwent. These were from the German Raiders, Komet and Orion, both active ships in the Pacific Ocean in 1940 sinking many Australian and NZ cargo ships and taking prisoners as well. The German Raiders shelled the then Australian mandated territory island of Nauru who's Government Appointed Administrator was Tasmania Lt. Col. F.R.Chalmers, CMG DSO a veteran of of the Boer War, WW1 and WW2.

Brilliant content. THANK YOU

Nice video Angus, grew up in south arm great times hanging out in the ruins at fort direction as a kid.

Fantastic movie Angus - I’ll be sharing it 👍👍 I (51yrs) grew up with my grandparents, who taught me all about Hobart’s war time. Grandpa fought in New Guinea & nan stayed in Hobart. I have my Nan’s Red Cross medals & pins that she wore in the war days. She worked with the other girls doing whatever was needed for the war effort. She told me about the Land Army & the ration stamps for food & fuel (if you were lucky enough to have a motorcar). Her dad was the dentist next to Hadleys- quite wealthy until the depression hit in 1929. I have a beautiful old photograph of a parade from May 1927 for the Duke (soon to be king), marching past our family dentist surgery. Nan and great G’pa are up there in the window , watching… but I digress. I really appreciate your movie mate, well done and Thank you for all the marvellous info, esp the photos… quite moving! 🙌😊

Very very well done!

Thanks for all this info mate makes me want to study our history now

Thoroughly enjoyed your documentary on Hobart during WW2.Lots of great pics and information. Whilst your puppy was wining, our little Ruby's ears pricked up to its attention. Thank you for another excellent episode Angus, Loved it. Have a great weekend. ❤️🐨🦘🇦🇺

Excellent Angus. So much I didn’t know. My father and grandfather were in the Tasmanian battalion. Not physically disabled but emotionally buggered. And a small shoutout, not that he can hear, to Harry for being a Good doggie…..

Thank you so much brother! Lest we forget.

Ripping ripping video mate....Top class!

Thank you, well done once again

I have never, ever , ever given ANY $ to anyone on the internet but you are the shining exception mate! $50 is bloody mean, it costs at least a hundred to fill up a tank these days.This will make it $100 which is a decent donation.

Thanks!

Another brilliant video. Great drone footage. I had a little tear in my eye at the end…to think that there are probably no soldiers, or their wives left to tell their story.

Thanks Angus, I'll put a comment out via the normal means- for some reason it is not letting me write anything long and donate. But just quickly, I really appreciate your videos- they are well scripted, thoughtful, informative, comprehensively researched-keep them coming! There is obviously a lot of work involved out of proportion to the average length I am sure. hope this donation will help things along, although with the cost of fuel I am not so sure!

Another great video Angus. Will share.

Thanks Angus, another great piece of Hobart history :-)

Love the new dog!

Very interesting mate. Sadly little is known or remembered about these times by younger generations. Thanks for sharing ✌🏼

Really interesting video and a great historical eye opener. Knowing Germanys mines were found there, the world doesn’t seem such a big place all of a sudden. Keep up the great work Angus and Dog.

Another great video Angus. 👍

Really enjoyed this film Cobber. Also others you have done. I grew up in a Military family and the Tasmanian WW2 thing was pretty comprehensive. The photo of HMAS Kuttabul blown up in Sydney blew me away. Good work.

This shit is so relaxing man

Love your vids Angus. Really enjoyed your old Hobart videos specifically. Sorry about your old dog she was the star of the show.

The Taroona High School site had a pill-box until about 1986 when it was removed to make way for the oval.

We love Tassie. Going back for the 5th time and with new eyes open, thanks for the info. 👍

Great WW2 video on Hobart Angus, I learned so much about it. Have never been to Cape Direction despite spending alot of time at O'Possum Bay, but when you look at it on a map you can see how strategically located it is. Lots of time and research was spent on that video, great work, well done.

Munitions areas typically have good road access and tend to be uniformly spaced, and that may be a clue for the area near Cambridge. The area near Dowsing Point shows a typical layout

Great story really well told. Thank you.

Fantastic as always.

Great work Angus. Keep them coming.

Congratulations on another excellent production Angus ... your photographic research is unprecedented ... the new pooch is growing up fast.

Thank you for this great and respectful history lesson about the fears endured and sacrifices made by the people of Hobart/Tasmania/Australia. Given the proximity to Japan and occupied areas and the very real threats of invasion/other during a significant part of the war, can't imagine what it was like. Thanks to them and to you.

Always so interesting, the research you do is fabulous.

brilliant video mate! love seeing history of Hobart!! Best city on earth!

nice to see the link trainer, i enjoyed a lot of time in one, but i enjoyed flying in a tiger moth far more

One man and his dog: I love it!

I miss Hobart so much, hopefully I make it there again someday. Thanks for your effort Angus!

What a amazing video. Very interesting. Love it.

I love the old Aussie history. Subscribed 👍👍

As always, brilliant production Angus. Something that surprised me was your visit to Point Direction. I didn't even know you could enter the area, and always thought it was a restricted Army area.

Absolutely brilliant, thank you for the history lesson. I live in Hobart and was unaware of a lot of the details in this video.

Just found your channel and I’m currently binging on the rest of your films now 😂😂 I moved to Tassie in 2007 and have been to most of the places you featured yet knew none of the history, very interesting subject matter and delivered well, keep it up, cheers 👍🏼👍🏼

Another great video!! Thanks Angus

I don't think anyone has researched and compiled these stories about our local history and presented it like this. Should be an ABC documentary as educational material. Tassie is changing fast and we need to preserve our past if not in this format.

Great work mate, didn’t know much about what we did in the war. Great to learn about it. I’ve been to point direction multiple times. Very interesting. You’re content is top tier

Great video. Some unsealed documents are available about Stringybark Gully / Redgate which confirm the layout and detail the purpose.

Excellent. And a very cute dog.

You do a great service to Tasmania, sir.

Brilliant work once again 👍

Thanks for the post

Keep up the great work, 🤙

Allegedly Cambridge/Meehan Range was used for munition storage. Relatively safe in the gully from being bombed.

Thoroughly enjoyed your video! My uncles were both in the Army, my father was too young! But they told my father lots of interesting information after the war! One thing I remember after watching you in Cambridge that artillery was hidden in a tunnel on Mt Rumney...that tunnel is now on private property!

Good work Angus!!! thoroughly enjoying your videos, so much history that needs an opertunity to be explained and documented. Well done you do an outstanding job🤘

Hi Angus, the comment I wanted to make was this: Good on you for calling out the 2/40 battalion AIF! I served in Timor three times with the Army in the early 2000's and I thought about the 2/40 guys a lot when I was there. Of course a lot of the 2/40 soldiers melted into the Timorese bush ( =a formidably rugged place) together with what Dutch soldiers did not surrender. They are immortalised in Damien Parer's film, 'Men of Timor' which was made in 1942. The AIF sent troops to Ambon ( ? Gull Force), New Britain ( ? Lark Force) and Timor (Sparrow Force). Thrown like lambs to the slaughter against a ruthless, determined, experienced enemy with superior numbers and airpower., none of them had a decent chance. The 2/40 lives on today as the 12/40 Royal Tasmanian Regiment, an Army Reserve unit with depots around Hobart, as well as other parts of Tasmania ( I think).

Wonderful video . Things I had no idea about brought to light. Keep up the the good work 👏

Angus, that was so informative. I loved how you ended it, cars standing still then moving. Very cleverly done. Added a great ending to your film.keep up the good work. Your puppy is also learning to be the actor she should be, just like your other girl was.

Great video!

Thank you for your effort 👌 Awesome!

These videos are great!

These vidz really are well put together. I'm familiar with a WW2 fortified emplacement on the slopes of Goats Bluff. I presume built for an anti-aircraft gun.

Great video

Another great video. 👍

Your best yet

Wish I’d have seen this video prior to my last hopeful comment for a video alike this one… Feel like a billy goat now 😅

I believe there is one at Roches Beach also.

Air Force Gully was the location for Number 8 Replenishment unit - storage of bombs, fuel and equipment to support RAAF aircraft at Cambridge Airport. It was located in the gully so it would be a difficult target to bomb.

What a great video

One of the slabs at Cambridge had a house on it

So interesting, I’ve seen a lot of these bunkers, the graffiti at Tinderbox has improved. Thanks for the content, I’ll share it. Is that a Westie puppy you’re carrying?

At 10:10 there is Benny Hill and the ladybirds.

Great Video, but Fort Direction in general should be mentioned for it’s purpose in 1939 onwards

Interesting

Great work Angus. Have you been to Natone Hill in Lindisfarne. Anti aircraft bunkers at the summit?

Hi, good video ... However, i think that the structure at 17:58 was built to house a searchlight, the size of the opening and the cantilevered roof are indicative of that type of structure. A 60" (150 cm) searchlight was probably originally housed in the structure, this would have allowed crews to illuminate any invasion craft trying to access the Derwent at night, allowing artillery to target & interdict. Searchlight structures will generally be a distance away from the gun emplacements as the searchlights are a hi-value target for the enemy at night (so you don't want the heat that they attract landing close to where your gun emplacements are. Coastal gun batteries usually have a pretty distinctive circular concrete mount that allowed the gun to revolve and rotate in place, and were usually part of a larger emplacement as they required an underground magazine, sometimes a generator room and depending on what size the gun is a number of secondary structures (fop's) etc. cheers.

Masterpiece

Hey Angus, out of curiosity, what's your opinion on the Dark Mofo festival and it's impact on Hobart?

Sparrow force was part of the “triad” of forces that were sacrificed by the Australian government: placed in locations that they could not hold, given inferior weapons with vastly insufficient ammunition- these were lark, sparrow and gull forces - they were sacrificed by the Australian government, simply to create an illusion of defence- they had no hope against the Japanese, but the government had this romantic notion of making the Japanese fight for those territories which they were going to take anyway- Those Australian forces were simply swatted away like flies!

It's crazy the brighton army Barracks is still there. Though I hope it doesn't since it became a historic site, but I assumed the gov would have turned it into a housing resident.

awesome video mate thank you is that a flak 88 @9:36?

Hi I would suggest the AIF that you referred to Australian Imperial Force was actually Australian INFANTRY Force

G'day mate, like your videos. Do you have a degree of any kind just to ask? Interested in how you find these bits of information cause I'd like to help out or find my own info. I'm also really interested in history, particular military and infrastructure projects. I study at UTAS in Launnie. Kind regards, Brody

Normalising war by marching through town like an amusement peice like the Christmas parade

Good on ya

Walk past that thing heaps of times didn't take notice of what it actually was

nice video I did both the bunkers back last year and made a clip on them....you didn't go to the underground ones but do you not know of them ? it's on my channel dude....great history video loved it....our history is awesome no matter what rabbit hole you go down 😎🍻👍

The 2/9 Field Company Royal Australian Engineers was made up entirely of Tasmanian volunteers, the 2/9 saw action in Syria and then Kokoda. On the 26 February 1942 a Japanese submarine I-25 anchored in Oyster Bay on East Coast Tas, Warrant Flying Officer Nobuo Fujita launched his "Glen Float plane and headed south and turned NW heading up the Derwent to conduct a saw 5 cargo ships at anchor but no warships. The I-25 then headed to the US, Nobuo conducted the Lookout Air Raids in Brookings ( southern Oregon) later that year on September 9, 1942, dropping incendiary bombs making him the only Axis pilot during World War II to aerial bomb the mainland of United States. After the war Fujita was invited to Oregon in 1962, after the Japanese government was assured he would not be tried as a war criminal. He gave the City of Brookings his family's 400-year-old katana in friendship. Ashamed of his actions during the war, Fujita had intended to use the sword to commit seppuku if he were given a hostile reception. However, the town treated him with respect and affection, although his visit still raised some controversy. How different would Tassie's WW2 story had been had Hobart been fire bombed by Nobuo and his modest seaplane?