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  #1  
Old 02-02-12, 14:39
Dianaa Dianaa is offline
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Except outside of the bombing of Darwin in WWII, IIRC Vietnam was the first conflict where Australians fought under the Australian National Flag. Prior to that we fought under the Union Flag of the UK and the UN Flag in Korea.
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Old 02-02-12, 17:39
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Originally Posted by Dianaa View Post
Except outside of the bombing of Darwin in WWII, IIRC Vietnam was the first conflict where Australians fought under the Australian National Flag. Prior to that we fought under the Union Flag of the UK and the UN Flag in Korea.
It matters not what the flag looked like, it was still Australia's flag.
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Old 02-02-12, 18:31
Mike Cecil Mike Cecil is offline
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Dianna,

Perhaps a rethink about the statement 'except outside of the bombing of Darwin in WW2....'. Broome? Sydney? Various other places bombed repeatedly across Northern Australia in WW2? Besides, I seem to remember the National Flag wasn't actually officially proclaimed until the 1950s, although it existed from just after Federation.

Of course, Australians, particularly since the latter part of WW1, have always fought as a National entity, responsible ultimately to the Australian Government, rather than being spread as individual 'reinforcements' within other nation's armies. Even the RAAF personnel in the UK in WW2, although mixed with other British Commonwealth nationalities, were there by agreement, and were still responsible to RAAF command and Australian government control.

Mike C
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Old 02-02-12, 20:28
malcolm erik bogaert malcolm erik bogaert is offline
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well said Bob..how about leaving Australia and comming over to the UK we could with somebody like you as Prime Minister instead of the gutless wonders we have..good on yer mate regards malcolm
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Old 02-02-12, 22:13
Dianaa Dianaa is offline
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Dianna,

Perhaps a rethink about the statement 'except outside of the bombing of Darwin in WW2....'. Broome? Sydney? ...

Mike C
Hi Mike

In Bob's original post is the line "Every Australian died for the Australian Flag". It's the sentiment that our troops fought (and died) for the Flag, its a myth, they fought not to let down their mates and they fought for the country, and they mostly they did it under a flag that was not our own. They would have done the same whatever was the design of the cloth at the top of the staff.

My comment about Darwin, was to reflect that only on Australian shores or in Australian territories was the National Flag atop the flag staffs during fighting. Maybe I should have said it that way. Yes Broome, Darwin, North West Cape and other places were bombed and mostly fought back. But only Fort Scratchley actually fired back (fought) at a Japanese vessel at sea and in Sydney Harbour the Allied vessels would have been flying the White Ensign of the UK and Commonwealth navies or the US national flag.

The Canadians seem to have had no problem changing their national emblem, and the US proudly flies "Old Glory" emblasoned with 50 stars over USS Arizona when the flag of WWII had only 48 stars representing the 48 continental states (which excluded Hawaii and Alaska which had not gained statehood).

Why is it that only in Australia do we get so passionate about retaining a design that includes the Union Flag of the UK subjugating a quarter of our national emblem and using a myth to justify it?

By the way the idea that we are losing our country to political correctness or to appease peoples from other countries, is something that annoys me every day, but we should support our stance with the truth and not by creating myths. (This is one case where I do have an opinion.)

Diana

Last edited by Dianaa; 02-02-12 at 22:42.
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Old 03-02-12, 03:52
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Originally Posted by Dianaa View Post
Hi Mike

...Why is it that only in Australia do we get so passionate about retaining a design that includes the Union Flag of the UK subjugating a quarter of our national emblem and using a myth to justify it?...

Diana
Diana

Sorry to hear that your ties to the UK is a myth. On the serious side, is there an actual movement to change the design of your national flag? Or, is this a personal pique?

We in Canada went through that exercise in the mid 1960s, but the driving force to provide a new flag was to obtain a rallying symbol for all Canadians. The choice of the design is a story in itself, but in the end we got a new flag that disarmed separatist sentiments about our former flag, and gave all Canadians a distinctive symbol for which we remain proud of. There was a hell of a fight to retain the former flag, but our political circumstances demanded a solution, and thus our new flag was born.

Bruce!
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Old 03-02-12, 11:12
Dianaa Dianaa is offline
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Diana

Sorry to hear that your ties to the UK is a myth. On the serious side, is there an actual movement to change the design of your national flag? Or, is this a personal pique?

We in Canada went through that exercise in the mid 1960s, ...

... Bruce!
Hi Bruce

Did we have ties to the UK? I know that we have Queen Betty I, Queen of Australia who seems to be the same monarch that the Brits call Queen Elizabeth II!

Yes there is a real movement to change the flag, but momentum for change waxes and wanes but the motivation is very similar to that in Canada without the Québécois.

Personally I acknowledge our historical ties to Great Britain, and watching the US system, very glad we don't have to elect a President, but feel that Australia should have it's own national symbol, like Canada did in the '60s and what Canadian would wish to return the the former emblem today?

This is my point, the flag, whatever its design only represents the nation, it is not the nation in itself and to the point of this thread most Australians who fought and died didn't actually die for the flag but did it for their mates and for the country we love.

Diana
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Old 03-02-12, 12:00
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Hi all - this was sent to me by a mate and is another example of what pisses me off with our current politicians.

Roll on 2013!!!!!!!!!
THIS IS ONE OF A NUMBER OF TIMES WHEN OUR GOVERMENT [PAST & PRESENT ] MAKE ME WISH WE COULD JUST MAKE ALL OF THEM DISAPPEAR & WE COULD START AGAIN WITH PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT AUSTRALIANS & AUSTRALIA
Gillard/Brown Government ... sent by a Vietnam Vet ...
This is your Australia Today

*************************************

Whoever wrote this was really pissed off ... but it's a point well made.

On the 18th of August 1966 at Long Tan , Vietnam , D Company of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, mainly made up of Australian National Servicemen and at that time located to support the American Army, fought a battle against the Viet Cong.

In this action D Company lost 18 men killed and 24 injured.

The Viet Cong dead numbered in excess of 245.

The Australian lines were never crossed.

The Viet Cong withdrew.

American President Johnson and US Army Staff recognised the achievement

by awarding the Unit Citation of Gallantry on 30th May 1968. The Award was formally accepted by Queen Elizabeth in 13th June 1968.

Prime Minister John Gorton made the formal presentation of this American Citation to the Battalion at Lavarack Barracks, Townsville on 18th August 1968.

On the 31st of March 2010, D Company of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment were belatedly awarded the Australian version of "Unit Citation for Gallantry" (UCG) honouring their extraordinary deeds at Long Tan.

The Government however refused to approve travel payment for the surviving Unit Members or their families, including the families of deceased Unit Members, in order that they be present at the UCG Presentation Ceremony presided over by the Governor General of Australia .

In February 2011 the same Government of Australia footed the Funeral Bill to bury the illegal boat people, who tragically perished on Christmas Island .

This included flying surviving family illegals and survivors to and from Sydney and Xmas Island , accommodating them, etc etc, plus a Coach tour of Sydney thrown in.

The Canberra Politburo had waited 45 years to publicly acknowledge the bravery and sacrifice of these Sons of Australia and then immediately shit on their memory by wetting themselves to appease the feelings of boat illegals forcing entry into our country.

Now we witness what can only be described as attempted political face saving, by this same Government, sponsoring a TV Documentary, to celebrate our Armed Forces accomplishments at Kapyong , Korea in 1951.

This will see our Prime Minister and the entire Priministerial Entourage fly in a RAAF plane to Korea to mark this 60th Anniversary.

What Bloody Hypocrisy!!!

What a Blatant Affront to the feelings of our Nation's serving Armed Forces,

Past and Present.

Shame, Shame, Shame, You Political Parasites.

You do not deserve to represent our country.
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  #9  
Old 03-02-12, 23:44
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Originally Posted by Dianaa View Post
Hi Bruce

...This is my point, the flag, whatever its design only represents the nation, it is not the nation in itself and to the point of this thread most Australians who fought and died didn't actually die for the flag but did it for their mates and for the country we love. Diana
Diana,

Very interesting. I served my country for over 20 years and I can state that my mates and I saw our flag as inseparable from our country. Our flag represents more than a geographical location - it represents our way of life, our families, our friends and our ideals.

I can't see how you can separate the flag from the country. Then again, I am not a liberal so these fancy notions escape me.

Is your point based on something you read, or did you serve or are you serving in the military? On what do you base your hypothesis?
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