Secure a Professional Speaker, a Naval/Military Historian and former Sailor - who delivers presentations across South Australia
Background
While there are so many significant historical developments across the entire history spectrum dating back 4 millennia to the First Egyptian Empire which Ron is very knowledgeable, it is Geo-political history and conflicts post 1930 where he has directed his focus of study since 2017.
A passionate student of History for over six decades, with the past six years being his full-time occupation – further reveals that while we should have learned from the past – it’s apparent we have learned little! This applies particularly to geo-political history which is aptly demonstrated by the vast number of human conflicts that have occurred throughout our recorded history – and continue to this day.
The Second World War
Indeed, it was a culmination of territorial expansions by those seeking access and control of natural resources, including the coup d’etat of many Western and Eastern European countries in the mid-1930’s, which ultimately ignited the Second World War. Following Imperial Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour the entire world would be at war resulting in over 75-milion people being killed, wounded, taken prisoner or displaced.
During the First World War, Australia – being a dominion nation – joined Britain in defending its territories. This also applied for the first two years of the Second World War, but following the attack on Pearl Harbor (7 Dec 1941), the Dutch East Indies and the Malay peninsula and Singapore just to our north, and the bombing of Darwin on February 19, 1942, saw us now having to defend our nation from imminent invasion and occupation by Imperial Japanese Forces.
War in the Pacific
When Malaya and Singapore fell to the Japanese in early February 1942, with the loss of more than a quarter of our entire Army; the attention of our Government and our Military from necessity, became focussed almost exclusively on defending Australia and our nearer neighbours in the Pacific.
This resulted in many engagements fought so very close to our shores, and interestingly, many Australians remain unaware of this.
Throughout the SW Pacific our Navy, Army and Air-Force along with the United States participated in many long and often brutal campaigns in an all-out effort to repel the Japanese from the SW Pacific, indeed to repel them from the entire Pacific region.
Serving at sea as a young Sailor in the RAN during the Borneo confrontation and the Vietnam war, as well as both his parents serving during the Second Word War, Ron’s presentations focus on this era of history with a bias to the Royal Australian Navy and its involvement throughout the Second World War right up to and including the Japan’s surrender in September,1945.
He has also delivered both the ANZAC DAY and REMEMBRANCE DAY Addresses to various organisations
See video below
Summary
In terms of military history and the engagements which SAVED Australia during the War in the Pacific, Ron says:
“If we don’t continue to preserve our history, we’ll actually end up in a poorer place in terms of educating and inspiring the next and ensuing generations.
This is why we should all understand that 80 years ago when our freedoms were seriously threatened, thousands of young Australians again volunteered, and too many of them paid the ultimate price to preserve it.
Clearly, we have an obligation to always remember them.”
Why engage Ron to speak:
Ron is a professional speaker who demonstrates a thorough knowledge of each subject, who presents with confidence, fluidity and passion. He is a speaker with an energetic stage presence, taking each audience along with his particular subject matter.
Speaking topics include but not limited to:
Post 1930 Military History
- The “triggers” which brought the Second World War to Asia and the Pacific
- The attack on Pearl Harbor
- Why Darwin was attacked on February 19, 1942
- The fall of British Malaya and Singapore
- The battle for Sunda Strait and the fall of the Dutch East Indies including the loss of HMS PERTH
- The surrender of the Dutch controlled Netherland East Indies
- The phenomenal allied value of our Coast Watchers brought to the Second World War in the Pacific
- Australia’s remarkable shipbuilding program during the Second World War
- The CORVETTES – Australian designed, built and manned small ships and their remarkable accomplishments during the Second World War
- The loss of HMAS ARMIDALE in the Timor Sea on December 8, 1942
- The Battle for Savo Island and the loss of HMAS Canberra
- The Battle for Guadalcanal
- The re-taking of the Philippines
- The RAN during the Korean War
- The RAN during the Vietnam War
No Speaking Fee applies to NFP’s, including RSL Sub-branches, however beyond Adelaide a travel allowance and accommodation may apply.
