How is the Battle of Brisbane taught in Australia?

[Shakaar9267]

Inspired by the threads:
'How is the American War for Independance taught in the UK?'
'How is the Vietnam War taught in the U.S?'

Out of the 3 threads, this will be the 'light-hearted' one.

How is the Battle of Brisbane taught in Australia? In case you are wondering, I've never heard of the 'battle' in the United States. After reading up on it, I'm curious if it's covered in Australian schools and how many Australians on the Escapist knows the phase "They're overpaid, oversexed and over here".

Wikipedia;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Brisbane

Youtube song for no real reason;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ureyxEltZ6A

 

[rabidmidget]

Huh, I had never heard of this before, I'm not sure whether I should be proud or ashamed of my fellow Australians.

 

[Korolev]

I've heard of it - it sounds like a general brawl. We're not taught about it in school, and it is very rarely mentioned, but there aren't any hard feelings over the incident. From the few sources that talk about it, few blame the Americans for the start of the fighting - it is generally agreed that Australians started the brawl because the Americans were, uh, rather.... fond of the women and having more money and a "foreign" accent (foreign in those days) made it easy for them to... well.... entice them? Some Australian men didn't quite like these young, rich, toothy Americans who "stole" "our" women. It was cave-man thinking when you get down to it (ooga-booga, they come steal our women, ooga-booga, club them on head!), but it was the 40's and people were a lot stupider back then.

In any case, it's barely remembered, and we certainly don't harbour any grudge against the US over it. Only a few died, it was more of a general riot than an actual brawl, and everyone was pretty embarrassed about the whole thing.

 

[Yassen]

It's told exactly the way it happened. A heap of American soldiers were stationed in Brisbane, they were paid more, given more rations and special treatment. As a result, our troops were getting resentful especially when they started groping Australian women in public.

Was it childish on our part to be so jealous? Yes. When it comes to whether or not the American soldiers deserved extra everything is something I can't decide on. A part of me says no, especially when they just used their money and food to try and get laid all the time. But if the soldiers weren't here I honestly don't know if we could have been invaded. But least we don't try and sugarcoat history and say the Americans were rapists or something.

We got jealous, simple as that.

 

[kalt_13]

I'm aussie and never heard of it

 

[Scunner]

I haven't heard about that before today, although I am aware of the tensions between the Aussie and US troops during that time.

 

[Shakaar9267]

Snip

Snip

As an American, we don't have any grudge against Australia, I don't want you to think I started this thread looking for a fight.
Just curious.....

 

[cainx10a]

The Kangaroos intervened and stole all the Australians women. In order to get their women back, the Australians along with their US allies had to fight the good fight, and went to face off against Roger Roger Sr., an ex-kangaroo boxer turned womanizer. The US/Aussie forces fought bravely, and saved the day.

On-topic: This is why I love the escapist forum, always learn something new everyday. Never heard of this 'battle' before.

 

[Yassen]

Snip

Snip

As an American, we don't have any grudge against Australia, I don't want you to think I started this thread looking for a fight.
Just curious.....

I know, I don't hold any sort of grudge either, it was over 60 years ago after all. But you asked how the Battle of Brisbane is taught in Australian schools, and considering I grew up in Brisbane I told you what I was taught. We got jealous and the whole thing was extremely embarassing.

But I am proud we are able to admit that, it's childish to deny these sort of things and claim the other side were dicks who got what was coming to them. Hopefully we can learn from what happened.

 

[Shakaar9267]

The Kangaroos intervened and stole all the Australians women. In order to get their women back, the Australians along with their US allies had to fight the good fight, and went to face off against Roger Roger Sr., an ex-kangaroo boxer turned womanizer. The US/Aussie forces fought bravely, and saved the day.

On-topic: This is why I love the escapist forum, always learn something new everyday. Never heard of this 'battle' before.

(lol)
This made me smile. Damm kangaroos.....

 

[Hellz_Barz]

This is the first time I've ever heard of it. Doesn't surprise me though my Grandpa often told me stories of how the Americans had things better then Australians. Little things like pancakes, sweets and other stuff always made him say that they were "tourists on holiday".

Another story he told me where he snuck into an American camp to steal their bedrolls or tents(can't remember fully), then someone knocked over something that made a loud noise and everyone had to drop to the ground and be silent, Cause their opinion of Americans was that they shoot first and ask questions later. They made it out though without getting caught.

 

[Shakaar9267]

Another story he told me where he snuck into an American camp to steal their bedrolls or tents(can't remember fully), then someone knocked over something that made a loud noise and everyone had to drop to the ground and be silent, Cause their opinion of Americans was that they shoot first and ask questions later. They made it out though without getting caught.

You stole our tents?! Wow, guess we really did have better stuff. You should find out more about this story, it sounds really interesting.

It's worth noting that the Aussies only turned on the MPs after intervening on behalf of an American serviceman. Real stand up lot those guys. And that "overpaid, oversexed and over here" thing was in Britain leading up to D-day, not Australia.

Wikipedia says it's Australia, so maybe it was both countries? There was a mass of American troops in both countries in WWII.

 

[GoddyofAus]

I learnt about this from wikipedia, not school. It sounds to me like a simple drunken brawl that got more media attention during wartime then it actually deserved.

There has yet to be a real Battle for Brisbane, because I haven't died in it yet.

 

[Hellz_Barz]

Another story he told me where he snuck into an American camp to steal their bedrolls or tents(can't remember fully), then someone knocked over something that made a loud noise and everyone had to drop to the ground and be silent, Cause their opinion of Americans was that they shoot first and ask questions later. They made it out though without getting caught.

You stole our tents?! Wow, guess we really did have better stuff. You should find out more about this story, it sounds really interesting.

He died earlier last year so I can only go on what I remember being told. From his stories he told me it seemed like wherever he dropped was where he slept also that he spent most of it with out a tent. The only thing I can really add to the story that's coming back to me, Was that what they knocked over was a pole supporting the whole tent.

When it hit the ground it made a loud noise and brought the tent down on top of everyone. So they all just went stiff as a board and then waited for the noise of the Americans who came to check out the noise went away. After the it seemed safe they packed the thing up and ran away. This is only my memory of his story though, So it's probably not too exact.

 

[Shakaar9267]

It's worth noting that the Aussies only turned on the MPs after intervening on behalf of an American serviceman. Real stand up lot those guys. And that "overpaid, oversexed and over here" thing was in Britain leading up to D-day, not Australia.

Wikipedia says it's Australia, so maybe it was both countries? There was a mass of American troops in both countries in WWII.

Perhaps, as they were members of the British Commonwealth. The thing was that the American G.I. were paid something like ten times what the British Tommies got, so they had more to woo the native girls with. When two Englishmen walked past a cloths shop with a new pair of knickers (stockings) on display, one would say to the other disparagingly: "One Yank and they're off!" =D

I didn't know the pay was 10 times higher, if I was a Brit/Aussie I would be pissed too.

"One Yank and they're off!"
I've heard that one before but didn't know the meaning behind it.
Thanks!

 

[Zhukov]

I remember covering this in high school.

Apparently it came down to Australian soldiers being jealous of the Americans getting better pay and a bunch of perks. There was also a "they're taking our women" angle.

The shit hit the fan when a fight occurred between a US military policeman and a bunch of Australian soldiers. It escalated quickly and one fellow got shot. There were over a hundred injures, if memory serves.

 

[Jark212]

That was not a battle it was just a giant drunken brawl...

 

[TheRealCJ]

er... it's not?