1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: We know that this weekend, well February nineteen, nineteen forty two, 2 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: it was the largest single attack ever mounted by a 3 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:12,879 Speaker 1: foreign power on Australia. On that day, Darwin was bombed 4 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: by Japanese warplanes, and we know to this day this 5 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: action remains the largest and most devastating modern attack by 6 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 1: a foreign power on mainland Australia. And bombing of Darwin 7 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,319 Speaker 1: Day is a time for us to recognize and to 8 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: remember the Allied service personnel and civilians who suffered through 9 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: that experience. So this Sunday, thousands of people will gather 10 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: and pay our respects and remember those that we lost. 11 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: And joining me on the line right now is commanding 12 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: Officer of seventy five Squadron, Wing Commander Marty Parker. Good 13 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: morning to you, Marty. 14 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie. Great to be on the program. 15 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your time. Marty. You are 16 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: part of seventy five Squadron, a tactical fighter squadron which 17 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: flies three five a's. I hope I've said that correctly. 18 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: The Lightning two aircraft from THEBAF Tindall in Catherine. Now 19 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 1: the squadron is going to be part of the commemorations 20 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:14,320 Speaker 1: on Sunday, And before I find out more about what 21 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 1: you're going to be doing on Sunday, how important are 22 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 1: Sunday's commemoration events? 23 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 2: Thanks a Katie. Yeah, we fly the S thirty five 24 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 2: Lightning otherwise known as the Joint Strike Fighter. We flight 25 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 2: out of Tyndall here near Catherine in the Northern Territory. 26 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 2: We are nt residents and have been since the nineteen 27 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:40,960 Speaker 2: eighties and we're just so proud to contribute to the commemoration. 28 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 2: The history of seventy five Squadron is intrinsically linked to 29 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 2: the bombing and bombing of Darwin. Nineteenth of February, as 30 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 2: you said, was the bombing of Darwin, and the seventy 31 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 2: five Squadron birthday is March the fourth, so only a 32 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 2: few weeks later, as a result of the bombing of Darwin, 33 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:09,920 Speaker 2: our squadron was formed and thrown into battle in the 34 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 2: Battle of Port Moresby just a few weeks after that. 35 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: Well, I mean, that's like that'll be educative for a 36 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: lot of people listening this morning, Marty. You know it 37 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: must be like it must be a day tinged with 38 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: sadness for you guys, but also a day where you 39 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: sort of see the way that you know that Australia 40 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: and indeed the Northern Territory rose back up. 41 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely, sadness, shocking. There's so many emotions that can 42 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 2: come to mind with respect to the events of early 43 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 2: nineteen forty two. Pride is another one because at very 44 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 2: short notice the squadron was formed and in the famous 45 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,239 Speaker 2: Battle of forty four Days seventy five, Squadron were a 46 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 2: key provided a key function in defending the Japanese advance, 47 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 2: and then the momentum shifted over the months of that 48 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 2: year and then subsequent years as well. So pride is 49 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 2: also one pride and service and honor. But we're very 50 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 2: pleased and we love being involved in the commemoration. 51 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, you must be bloody proud then when you get 52 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 1: out there for those commemorations. 53 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely, we love being involved. We love getting the 54 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 2: jets overhead. We understand that it provides a really good 55 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 2: element to the commemorations. On Sunday, we'll be doing two 56 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 2: fly pass. One overhead will come over the city low 57 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 2: and out over the water, so northeast to southwest, straight 58 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 2: over the Cenotaph and then up to two aircraft we'll 59 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 2: do right turn over the water about a two hundred 60 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 2: and seventy degree turn coming over Cullen Bay, and then 61 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 2: fly down the beach for a second pass along the 62 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 2: water from northwest to southeast. 63 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: And Marty, what's the significance of doing that. 64 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 2: It's to contribute to the to the day. I had 65 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:27,160 Speaker 2: the fortune of attending last year on the ground, which 66 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 2: was my first event, and I'll be on the ground 67 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:40,239 Speaker 2: again on Sunday. And I was really impressed by the display, 68 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 2: the recreation, if you like, not a pure recreation, but 69 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:49,720 Speaker 2: just to give a sense of the noise and the atmosphere, 70 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:56,840 Speaker 2: the eight twelfth Regiment providing their firing from the howitzers, 71 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 2: the Navy patrol boats, the noise of the jets just 72 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 2: gives a little bit of a little bit more atmosphere 73 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 2: for the event, which I think most people really enjoy. 74 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 1: And what time is like? We know that obviously the 75 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: commemorations on Sunday, they are kicking off at about nine 76 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 1: point thirty in the morning as I understand it down 77 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: there at the Cenotaph, But what time is that flyover happening? 78 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: The fly pass we. 79 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 2: Will be overhead the Cenotaph at ten am, not a 80 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:30,720 Speaker 2: second earlier, not a second later for the first past. 81 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: Mate, I understand that those those aircraft fly incredibly quickly. 82 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 1: How quickly can you get there from Tyndall? 83 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 2: I did an interview last year and I said fifteen 84 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 2: to twenty minutes as a guest from Catherine, And after 85 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 2: the interview I had to think about it and so 86 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 2: I ended up flying it. Long story short, I flew 87 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 2: it from Darwin back to Tindle and it took me 88 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 2: twenty two minutes. So I didn't quite make the fifteen 89 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 2: to twenty bracket. But maybe next time I'll sneak it in. 90 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: Oh does it depend whether like how the winds are 91 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 1: and that kind of thing. 92 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 2: We don't typically get really strong winds in northern Australia, 93 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 2: so that's not too much of a factor. We don't 94 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,480 Speaker 2: fly supersonic in the civil air space, so that slows 95 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 2: us up a little bit. But once we get into 96 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:32,799 Speaker 2: the military restricted areas, then we light the engine into 97 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 2: full cooker as we call it, and then we can 98 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:37,719 Speaker 2: go super sonic and that helps out. 99 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:41,479 Speaker 1: Oh, I betch well. Marty Parker, the commanding officer of 100 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: seventy five Squadron, the wing commander is your whole crew 101 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 1: going to be there on Sunday. 102 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,280 Speaker 2: Unfortunately not it will just be me on the grounds 103 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 2: from seventy five Squadron. We will be joined by the 104 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 2: Chief of Air Force, which is exciting, and Marshall Rob Chipman. 105 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 2: And when I was a baby magpie up here in 106 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:06,919 Speaker 2: the territory fifteen years ago, he was my commanding officer, 107 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 2: so he's a magpie as well, and it'd be great 108 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 2: to enjoy the event with him. 109 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: I love that a baby magpie. You almost need to 110 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: be plovers though, if you're based out of the Northern Territory, 111 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:18,240 Speaker 1: don't you. 112 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, that we have plovers. The flovers remind me 113 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 2: that they're here when I ride around the streets with 114 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 2: the kids. But we've got the little magpies up here 115 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 2: as well, so we're. 116 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 1: Going to mit oh legends. Well, mate, I hope that 117 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 1: it is a you know, I know it's going to 118 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 1: be a great weekend. I know it's a tough weekend 119 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: in a lot of ways. I think everybody that lives 120 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 1: in d and the Northern Territory understands that. But it 121 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: is such an important thing to commemorate and that fly 122 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:54,240 Speaker 1: past that he's going to be happening is such an 123 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 1: important part of that. 124 00:07:56,680 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks Katie. We're excited to be involvedcasionally and some 125 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 2: of your listeners may have been hoping to see us 126 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 2: on Australia Day. Occasionally a Darwin thunderstorm can infringe on 127 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 2: our movement. Obviously, our priority is to do it safely. 128 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 2: But as long as we can get in there safely 129 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 2: on Sunday, then we'll be overhead and we're excited for it. 130 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 1: Well, Marty Parker, Commanding Officer of seventy five Squadron, we 131 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 1: really appreciate your time this morning. Thank you so very 132 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: much for having a chat with us. 133 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 2: Thank you, Katie. As a privilege to be on the program, 134 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 2: Thank you.