Background
From 1942 until 1945 during the Pacific War, up to one million U.S. military personnel were stationed at various locations throughout eastern Australia. These forces included personnel awaiting deployment to combat operations elsewhere in the Pacific, troops resting, convalescing, and/or refitting from previous combat operations, or military personnel manning Allied military bases and installations in Australia. Many U.S. personnel were stationed in and around Brisbane, which was the headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Allied Commander, South West Pacific Area. Many buildings and facilities around Brisbane were given over to the usage of the U.S. military. Brisbane found it difficult to cope as their population of 300,000 increased to 600,000 almost overnight. The city was fortified, schools were closed, brownouts enforced, crime increased, and many families sold up and moved inland.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Brisbane
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