The Fall of Rabaul (1942) | A Major Defeat in the Pacific

In January 1942, the Australian outpost at Rabaul stood directly in the path of Japan’s advance across the Pacific. Poorly defended, under-equipped, and relying on outdated aircraft, the men of the RAAF and Lark Force faced overwhelming odds as Japanese air raids intensified and invasion loomed. Drawing on firsthand accounts from pilots, anti-aircraft gunners, and soldiers who were there, this documentary tells the dramatic story of the fall of Rabaul — from desperate reconnaissance missions and doomed Wirraway interceptions to the final evacuation attempts before the Japanese landing on 23 January 1942. Featuring rare historical detail, eyewitness testimony, and the legendary “Morituri vos salutamus” signal sent by Squadron Leader John Lerew, this is the story of courage, sacrifice, and one of Australia’s darkest early defeats in the Pacific War. Interviewees in this documentary are from The Australians At War Film Archive, and include Peter White, Norman Furness, David Bloomfield, Gordon Abel, and Lewis Harte. This is an Australian Military Aviation History Association production, undertaken with the kind assistance of the Department of Veterans' Affairs' Saluting Their Service Commemorations grant. Some of the interviewees may be difficult to understand and we recommend you turn on closed captions. CONTENTS 00:00 Intro 01:00 Background 02:02 December 1941 24SQN Deployed 07:07 John Lerew 09:04 January 1942 First air raid 13:08 Mission to Truk 16:00 Yeowart's mission to Truk 17:55 January 20 Japanese raid 24:02 Morituri vos Salutamus ✔ Members & Merch ► https://peacemaker.net.au ✔ Website ►https://militaryaviationvideos.com/ ✔ Twitter ► https://x.com/MilAviationHist ✔ Instagram ► https://instagram.com/peacemaker.aviation ✔ Podcast ► https://open.spotify.com/show/0DhHwTSCvQqkNJxjkt4oGg ✔ AMAHA ► https://raafdocumentary.com/ ✔ Substack ► https://militaryaviationvideos.substack.com/ _____________ Disclaimer _____________ Some original footage and recreated scenes (using simulators like DCS and War Thunder) may not be 100% accurate to the events depicted but have been used for illustrative and dramatic purposes where archival footage was unavailable or restricted by copyright. We aim to remain as historically accurate as possible given the available resources. We use synthetic narrator voices for clarity. Copyright Notice: This video may contain copyrighted material used under the "fair dealing" provisions (ss 40/103C, ss 41/103A, ss 42/103B) of the Australian Copyright Act for purposes of research, study, criticism, review, and news reporting. All copyrights remain with their respective owners. Our videos are created for educational and historical documentation purposes. About Us: We are three aviation enthusiasts who create documentaries, interviews, and video essays focused on Australian and international military aviation history. Our channel explores the stories of military aircraft, fighter pilots, air battles, and the evolution of air power from WWI to today. We do our own research but are not experts in any particular area, so corrections and suggestions are welcome.