Kammala wannan jumla: Sojojin Ostiraliya sun sha wahala jerin shan kashi a farkon watanni na Yaƙin Pacific. Rukunin 8th da RAAF squadrons a Malaya sun kasance wani ɓangare na sojojin Commonwealth na Burtaniya waɗanda ba su iya dakatar da ƙaramin sojojin mamaye Japan da suka sauka a ranar 7 ga Disamba. Sojojin Birtaniya sun janye zuwa Singapore a karshen watan Janairu, amma an tilasta su mika wuya a ranar 15 ga Fabrairu bayan da Jafananci suka kama yawancin tsibirin. Ƙananan sojojin Ostiraliya sun sha wahala kuma sun ci nasara a farkon 1942 a Rabaul, da kuma Ambon,
Timor, da kuma Java. Garin Darwin na Ostiraliya ya yi ruwan bama-bamai da Jafananci a ranar 19 ga Fabrairu, don hana amfani da shi a matsayin tushen Allied. Fiye da 'yan Australia 22,000 aka kama a farkon shekara ta 1942 kuma suka jimre wa yanayi mai wuya a zaman bauta a Japan. Fursunoni suna fama da rashin abinci mai gina jiki, an hana su magani kuma galibi masu tsaron gidan suna dūkan su suna kashe su. A sakamakon haka, fursunoni 'yan Australiya 8,296 suka mutu a fursuna.