200 American Soldiers die in Australia during WW2?

I've heard a rumor that in Australia 200 American troops died from badly made moonshine. The incident was censored during the war. However I can't find any information about this incident, does anyone know anything about this?
 
I have not heard of it.

The story might be based on the fact that there were a series of brawls between US servicemen and Australian troops and civilians, The brawls resulted in about 2-3 deaths. Some 18-35 year old US troops were badly behaved. Some of their young Australian counter parts were simply jealous of the better pay of US troops and the success it could give them with local girls.

In addition avoidable , traffic accidents, cargo handling accidents and munitions handling accidents took a steady toll of conscript troops on all sides. These incidents also probability included a few deaths from bad moonshine.
 
Given that I have read that US submariners in Fremantle used to strain torpedo fuel through bread to get out the dye, so they could drink the fuel, I would not be surprised if some did die that way; there was a good reason why the RAN and Army ran wet canteens - even if was only two bottles per man per day perhaps. :cool:
 
I've heard a rumor that in Australia 200 American troops died from badly made moonshine. The incident was censored during the war. However I can't find any information about this incident, does anyone know anything about this?

It may not have been that they actually died. Just wished they had the day after from the hangovers.
 
Two bottles? What is this, Nazi Germany? :O

You might be surprised. My day was considerably later, but the practise was to swap your soft drink - goffer - with non-drinkers for their beer. One usually finished off with more than two.
 
I've heard a rumor that in Australia 200 American troops died from badly made moonshine. The incident was censored during the war. However I can't find any information about this incident, does anyone know anything about this?

well technically a lot of fighting occured on Australian soil so a lot more than just 200 died in Australia. The whole Guadalcanal, New Britain and New Guinea campaigns for example counted over 50,000 dead.

But of course thats got nothing to do with what you are talking about. Just gloating about my extended knowledge.
 
well technically a lot of fighting occured on Australian soil so a lot more than just 200 died in Australia. The whole Guadalcanal, New Britain and New Guinea campaigns for example counted over 50,000 dead.

But of course thats got nothing to do with what you are talking about. Just gloating about my extended knowledge.

Those place aren't part of Australia. Papau New Guinea was administered by Australia for some time, but it wasn't part of Australia.
 
Those place aren't part of Australia. Papau New Guinea was administered by Australia for some time, but it wasn't part of Australia.
And the Solomon Islands (see Guadalcanal) were administered by the poms... not by Australia...

Though to nit pick, Papua (roughly the Southern half of the main island) was actually an external territory of Australia, while the rest (ex-German New Guinea) was a League of Nations mandate under Australian administration.
 
DNBI (disease non-battle injuries) are always present. I'm quite sure more than 200 US troops died from these in Australia - road accidents, accidents unloading ships, accidental discharges, fights, homicides, suicides, and on and on. While "torpedo juice" and other concoctions were consumed, given that alcohol is readily available in Australia and smuggling booze in to camp would be easier than cooking up moonshine, I don't think you would have more than occasional death from bad hooch. Moonshine distilled using lead tubing or tubing with contaminants could do it, as well as drinking methanol which is poison. The alcohol in torpedoes was ethanol, which if very high proff will give you a hello fo a hangover but won't kill you unless you consume a lot.
 
Those place aren't part of Australia. Papau New Guinea was administered by Australia for some time, but it wasn't part of Australia.

The territory was theirs accoring to the league of nations mandate.

New Britain certainly was Australian territory.

Only the Solomons were not officially under administration of the Australians.
 
I've heard a rumor that in Australia 200 American troops died from badly made moonshine. The incident was censored during the war. However I can't find any information about this incident, does anyone know anything about this?

Only 200? That's a slow weekend in the backwoods of Kentucky...
 
A family friend who'd emigrated to Oz sent us a fun leaflet listing some precautions necessary for ex-pat Poms to survive their first years in-country...

Here, we have grass-snakes, which can give you a bad fright, and Adders whose venom is about as dangerous as a couple of wasp stings, panic and allergies aside. There, *everything* snaky must be assumed psychotically aggressive, highly venomous and probably lethal until proven otherwise.

Here, spiders are cat-toys unless they're, big, hairy and have climbed out of a bunch of bananas. There, *everything* spidey must be assumed psychotically aggressive and seriously venomous. Even the small ones, per song, 'There was a red back on the toilet seat when I went there last night...'

Here, frogs and toads are *cute*. There, cane-toads are a seriously toxic pest...

Here, we don't have crocs and/or 'salties'. There, they do. Due care, please ??

Here, barring truly exceptional Summers, we don't have sting-rays, box-jellyfish, cone snails, sea-snakes or man-eater sharks...

D'uh, remember Steve Irwin ??

ps: Road-trains have 'Right of Way'.
 
A family friend who'd emigrated to Oz sent us a fun leaflet listing some precautions necessary for ex-pat Poms to survive their first years in-country...

Here, we have grass-snakes, which can give you a bad fright, and Adders whose venom is about as dangerous as a couple of wasp stings, panic and allergies aside. There, *everything* snaky must be assumed psychotically aggressive, highly venomous and probably lethal until proven otherwise.

Here, spiders are cat-toys unless they're, big, hairy and have climbed out of a bunch of bananas. There, *everything* spidey must be assumed psychotically aggressive and seriously venomous. Even the small ones, per song, 'There was a red back on the toilet seat when I went there last night...'

Here, frogs and toads are *cute*. There, cane-toads are a seriously toxic pest...

Here, we don't have crocs and/or 'salties'. There, they do. Due care, please ??

Here, barring truly exceptional Summers, we don't have sting-rays, box-jellyfish, cone snails, sea-snakes or man-eater sharks...

D'uh, remember Steve Irwin ??

ps: Road-trains have 'Right of Way'.
Also, be sure to make sure your car is in top condition, you don't want to break down out there, especially on one of the less travelled roads. Also, be cautious around dingoes, kangaroos, emus, etc.
 
Yeah Australia is pretty terrible, everything there is out to kill you, even the cute ones like Koalas(very aggressive i've heard) and the platypus(venomous).

Better live in New Zealand, they just have big harmless insects and walking birds.
 
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