Thanks for your post#257, Fantome.
Re the Malayan Peninsula Defence, I'd heard a few things said about General Percival and his conduct of that defence - not too many of them complimentary.
Of course, many theories had been advanced as to how that defence could have been better conducted.
Having said that, though, I wonder just how many of those critics were actually there. I, too, hold a Degree in Hindsight.
As had been noted earlier, the big problem was more deeply-rooted than that.
Re the 'attempted defence' of Rabaul, you'll note that I was referring to the aircrew specifically.
CoodaShooda kindly came in with the historically correct sequence of events in his post #229.
Sqn Ldr Lerew had lost twelve of his aircrew on the previous day and had just two operational Wirraway "fighter" aircraft left - which would not have lasted five minutes against the Japanese invading forces.
The 1945 Herald article was correct insofar as the Squadron managed to evacuate at the last minute.
That would not have been the case had John Lerew followed orders.