Bruce Swain's Chronology of Australian Armed Forces at War - 1939 to 1945 is a top publication that I can't recommend too highly.
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The following are some of the things Swain recorded as happening from about September 17,1939 to the end of 1945.
1939: September 15 - The Prime Minister (Menzies) announced the Government would create a force of one infantry division (about 12,000 men) and auxiliary units - 20,000 men in all - to serve either at home or abroad.
The new formation was to be named the 6th Division, there being four infantry divisions and elements of a fifth in the militia.
1940: September 18 - British PM Winston Churchill sent a cable to the Australian Government requesting that the 7th Division AIF be sent to the Middle East. In the Middle East HMAS Yarra joined the Red Sea Force.
1941: September 13 - At Tobruk a 60-strong force carry out a night attack on an enemy position, known as Dalby Square, almost six kilometres south of the perimeter. The Australians destroyed a 75mm gun and 47mm anti-tank gun and brought back two prisoners. They reported killing about 20 of the enemy at a cost of two killed, five missing and 21 wounded, representing a casualty rate of almost 50 per cent from a single operation.
September 14 - Former prime minister Earl Page is asked to travel to London to seek the reinforcement of Singapore amid growing concerns about possible Japanese aggression.
1942: September 17 - Australians and Japanese are locked in a life-and-death struggle along the Kokoda Track. Meanwhile in Brisbane General MacArthur accuses the Australian troops of a "lack of efficiency". On the same day Beaufighters of 30 Squadron attack and destroy a convoy of Japanese barges at Sananda Point and along Buna Beach.
1943: September 17 - Commandos from the MV Krait land on Panjang Island south of Singapore after a remarkable voyage that had begun from Exmouth Gulf in Western Australia on September 2. The operation, known as Jaywick, culminated in six commandos in three canoes sinking two Japanese ships and badly damaging another five in Singapore Harbour on September 27.
1944: September 12 - Queenfish, an American submarine, sinks the Japanese transport Rakuyo Maru which is carrying 1317 PoWs including survivors of HMAS Perth. American submarines rescue 152 of the prisoners. The rest are lost.
1945: September 13 - HMAS Diamantina arrived at Nauru at 7am. Brigadier Stevenson took the surrender of the Japanese garrison of just under 4000 men (including 500 Koreans) at 2.45pm.
