I was aged 15 when the Pacific War ended.
I recall many Communist graff

All those signs that I can recall advocated that the UK and USA start a second front.

The communists did not consider that the Battle of Britain and the Libya and Crete/Greece fronts were insignificant

"But did the Communists actually hinder or did they work with the Government to help the war effort?"

The level of assistance the communists gave depends on the period you are talking about.

If you are talking about the period from 23/8/39 through to 22/6/41 ie from the outbreak of the European war through to the German invasion of Russia then it can hardly be disputed that the communists were utterly opposed to the war and that the unions they controlled actively sought to hinder the war effort.

/cont

Reasons? Well in this period Russia was an ally of Germany and took part in the war on the German side. The communists in Australia were completely controlled by the Russian Comintern and therefore, on instruction from Moscow, sought to hinder the war against Hitler. There is plenty of communist literature from the time that demonstrates this.

But on 23/6/41 things changed. Suddenly Russia was in danger and was the ally of Britain. Immediately the communist, under orders from Moscow, changed and demanded greater not lesser efforts to help in the fight against Hitler.

Its rather an interesting feat but it was done all over the world. Communists suddenly decided that their previous opposition to the war was wrong and changed, overnight. Its the basis for the scene in '1984' where the crowd suddenly changes it stance as to who the real enemy is, virtually mid-sentence. And as in '1984' the memory of the communists opposing the war was erased, at least from leftists literature.

(another sad example was the singer Pete Seeger of 'Peter, Paul and Mary fame', who released an album in 1940 demanding that the US stay out of the war, stop supporting Britain and calling Roosevelt a war-monger for helping the enemy ie Britain. Following the invasion of Russia, that album was quickly withdrawn and replaced by an album of patriotic songs exhorting greater efforts to defeat the real enemy, Hitler, and praising Roosevelt's leadership . Seeger remained an unreconstructed communist until the end of his days.)

/cont

The communists and their unions were committed to the war for about two years. But once it was clear that the USSR was safe, and Japan's advances halted, around mid 43, they reverted to kind. Strikes and disruption of the war effort began to rise. The communists of that time were convinced that the coming victory of the Soviets would bring victory for International Communism, and so they began to consolidate their power and numbers.

The strikes and from mid 43 weren't really about disrupting the war effort but about using the war to gain benefits for members and therefore increase membership. The CPA's membership boomed in these days.

In the end the communists only whole-heartedly supported the war while Mother Russia was endangered. Once that passed they reverted to their instinctive views that the real war was against capitalism and they used the war to further that effort.

Their loyalty was to their class, their paymasters (Russia) and their thirst for power. There was no loyalty to Australia

mhaze, as the saying goes, 'I could kiss you'. I cannot believe the amount of effort we have to waste to make a point which is embedded in history and a well known fact, to some.

I am continually frustrated by some on these sites who WILL NOT accept something because they simply don't want to hear it, demanding proof.

Well one thing I have learned is, there is the truth, then there is the facts. Most of the time they differ. When there is first hand proof of something it should be taken seriously and any attempts to refute it should be met with scorn and derision.

We all know that everything has a political or religious lean. Any comments which are not favourable to a particular group (the left) will instantly and automatically be attacked. All manner of reasons will be produced to challenge the comments.

I choose to dismiss anything the left says or condemns. Of course they would do that, they don't want their disgusting anti democratic acts to be broadcast showing them for what they are. CRIMINALS!

Especially when it's true.

ALTRAV,

Is it true, as Colebatch states, that ex POWs were kept waiting for 36 hours to come ashore from HMS "SPEAKER"?

Or is it a plain old fashioned lie?

Ah AL where is the "One, Two, Three, YERRRRRRROUT! And the bell sounds as the crowd jump to their feet cheering and screaming out my name. ALTRAV, ALTRAV,.." now!

As usual you have been made to look rather foolish, you took the bait hook, line and sinker. Jumped in without checking, like your hearsay evidence from the father-in-law. It might be true, every word of it, but it pays to check the facts first before taking it on board and claiming I won, I won! As I sad AL The only bell you are hearing is that ding-a-ling brain of yours going off like a firecracker.

ttbn and others of the far right, do you agree with this ALTRAV statement;

"And it has been said, it's a shame that Japan and Germany did not win the war."

Well if you do maybe you can answer my question, ALTRAV would not.

Please explain what benefits we would be enjoying with a Hitler flunky running Australia?