NT: Survivors shed tears for bombing of Darwin =2

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NT: Survivors shed tears for bombing of Darwin =2

Unlike the blue skies that the Japanese encountered over Darwin, today remained grey.

But the monsoonal rains held off until almost an hour after the ceremonies.

Many of Darwin's defenders, most now in their 80s, accept today will be the last timethey endure the long journey and stifling Top End February humidity to reunite at thescene of the worst enemy attack on Australian soil.

"I would think this would be the last," ack-ack gunner and author Jack Mulholland,80, of Sydney, said.

"I'm going to try to last another 10 years but I doubt it."

Darwin City Council executive officer Alan McGill, who estimated 3,500 attended today,conceded it will be difficult to maintain that level of participation in the future.

The commemoration, held every year in Darwin since in 1948, had been a relatively low-keyfixture until last year, when Prime Minister John Howard and the then governor-generalSir William Deane proclaimed it a Centenary of Federation event.

At Sir Williams' suggestion, survivors and families laid wreaths at the cenotaph thisyear before the dignitaries.

Lionel Butler, who was evacuated from Darwin before the attack as a five-year-old,laid the first wreath to his uncle, Catalina Spain, who was one of the wharfies killed.

More bombs were dropped on Darwin in two raids that day than were dropped by the sameaircraft on the US naval base at Pearl Harbour two months earlier.

While official figures put the death toll at less than 300, some veterans estimateas many as 1,500 died.

Some veterans stayed at the Darwin casino on Mindil Beach where unidentified victimsare said to remain buried in mass graves.

Darwin Defenders Association national secretary Rex Ruwoldt resists a proposal to searchfor the graves using ground-probing radar.

"They've been there for 60 years; the consensus is let them rest in peace," he said.

AAP rmg/was/br

KEYWORD: BOMBING N/L 2 DARWIN