Our very own stealth fighter for 1941. An RAAF Brewster is excitedly unpacked at Singapore
Dear readers we’ve been here before.
Marching to the sound of drums
Standing to attention, slouch hats and battle jackets
Thousands of Lee Enfield rifle butts hit the hard surface of the parade ground
God Save the King
Flypast of Wirraway’s
Defend the Empire! Defend Australia!
The Mighty Brewster Buffalo is assembled. Admire the powerful Cyclone radial engine.
Ready for Action!!
When Singapore was our bastion to the near north we were encouraged to purchase the very latest in air defence technology. Indeed the Brewster F2B was the very latest thing in 1937. On test flights it won high praise for its manouverability and finesse, able to outmatch the most agile fighter. It was the first ever, all metal monoplane to equip the U.S carrier fleet. There was one tiny drawback, the flight of the Brewster F2B, (prize for reader who can decode what F2B meant) was beautiful when it was not equipped with its, two wing mounted 50 mm brownings, its two nose mounted .303 brownings, and its heavy radio gear. Once equipped it flew like a bomb. Coincidentally, like the F35 stealth fighter, (prize for the reader who can decode this one) it was unsuited to tropical heat, (sound familiar). Though in Finnish hands, unhindered by clapped out over-worn second hand Cyclone engines it became, as the old cliche goes; “a war winning weapon”. Arriving in Singapore to the hapless RAF, RAAF, and RNZAF pilots it was nicknamed ‘the flying beer barrel’. A beer barrel with no beer. Told by our allies “it was the very best thing in air defence”. By late 1941 it was hopelessly outdated, outclassed and cleared from the skies by the nimble A6M. Famous to us as the “ZERO”. We still purchased all one hundred and seventy of them.
Natives admire the Brewster’s sleek lines
They say that Australian defence policy still hasn’t recovered from Singapore and it’s aftermath. But I, who have quite a handle on air defence and Pan Grand Strategy beg to differ. In 1963 we purchased the next best thing in supersonic long range tactical bombing the general dynamics F 111. The F 111 didn’t get the opportunity to be wiped from the skies. It just sort of passed, though it did so very loudly telling all our neighbours to “LOOK OUT’! In the late 80’s we purchased a fleet of destroyers from our staunch allies the U.S, and they were rust buckets. All have been scrapped. But once again a clear message to would be malcontents, “ Look OOT” And then we purchased a squadron of helicopters. That never flew. The message, simple and epithetic, “BEWARE” Since then we’ve purchased a submarine fleet, built em here, and they never ever reached full strength, they were not the full bottle. But to our enemies, and those who seek to thwart our principles of freedom, liberty and access to all, THINK AGAIN! Now we’re bound to develop twelve new submarines, eight frigates and a dozen patrol boats, drones and other stuff. On land we’ve tanks that are so heavy, they’re practically useless , and a collection of assorted hand me downs from our loyal ally the U.S. Once again the Clear message; “ Don’t Mess With US”!!
A Brewster in the process of underperforming
The military industrial complex is worried, and so are the one per cent. It’s a worry for arms manufacturer shareholders. Who will pay for this monumental expansion of useless materiel? Will the public stomach another bout of Dreadnought Fever? But conservative think tank the IPA insists it’s safe. No one remembers Dreadnought fever. No one remembers Singapore. Most people when interviewed think we won in Gallipoli, Greece, Crete, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Alleppo (with Allenby in 1917). But we did win in the first big battle for control of this country.
Nice New Uniform as favoured by the Minster for Innovation, The Rt. Hon Christopher Pyne M.P.
Very nice Bersaglerii Uniform, with Bigger feathers than standard issue light horse ostrich plumes. Uniform favoured by P.M for Border Force.
As a leaked fragment of the defence White Paper suggests; ‘It’s dangerous to stand alone and develop our own strategic initiatives, thinking, communication and diplomacy. Though the U.S aint scored all that highly in pan grand strategy since 1945, the twelve new submarines, are a boon for Adelaide. And a sign of real growth since we cleverly killed off the entire manufacturing sector through our strident brand of ideological fundamentalism’. But we want to know one thing, all this investment in military hardware, has any attention been paid to the uniforms? So where are the new uniforms? The defence strategy of Australia and the public at large. Much happier since you armed railway stations, and protected our borders, with people in quite nice uniforms, But Mr PYNE, they are not WAR WINNING UNIFORMS!!
Marching to the sound of drums
Standing to attention, slouch hats and Multicam Uniform
Thousands of F88S-A1 Austeyr rifle butts noiselessly make contact with the flexipave surface of the parade ground
God save the Queen
Flypast of stealth fighters.
Show us your brand new Uniforms!!!