In Their Footsteps Season 1 Episode 9 Les Semken – Darwin, WWII 2011
When the Japanese bombed Darwin on February 19, 1942, the damage was devastating – and the silence deafening. News of the attack was limited and most Australians were oblivious to the devastation on our own shores. Not that Les Semken needed a newsreel to know what happened; he saw it all unfold first hand. As a civilian contractor working at Darwin aerodrome when the bombs fell, Les was so incensed he enlisted into the Army the very next day. This was a major turnaround for him. Until now, Les had no interest in joining up. The war had suddenly become very personal. Nearly 70 years later, his granddaughter Kathryn is also on a very personal mission - to learn about the war that came to her grandfather and to Australia’s shores. Kathryn knows that at 90, Les won’t be around much longer to tell her the story himself – about that moment in time, which changed his life and shaped the fate of his family. This is a tender tale about a 25-yearold woman, taking time out from her busy life to learn the lessons of an elder; to understand about the historic moments that shaped her grandfather at much the same age. It is a story about the wisdom of elders and the galvanising experiences of our youth.
- Released: 2011-07-03
- Runtime: 60 minutes
- Genre: War & Politics, Documentary
- Stars:
- Director:
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1. Petty Officer Tommy Johnson 2011-05-08
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2. Pilot Officer Tony Boyd 2011-05-15
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4. Major Albert Moore 2011-05-29
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5. Sergeant Bill Brandis 2011-06-05
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6. Private Terrence Hippisley 2011-06-12
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7. Flight Lieutenant Bill Healey 2011-06-19
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8. Private George Hannaford 2011-06-26
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9. Les Semken – Darwin, WWII 2011-07-03
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10. Stanley 'Stunna' Johns 2011-07-10
