MacArthur, General Douglas

General Douglas MacArthur, one of the most well recognised figures of World War Two, was based in the Philippines when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on 7 December 1941 bringing the United States into the war. Before long it became apparent that the Philippines could not be saved from the advancing Japanese and MacArthur was ordered to leave for Australia.

Around 20 March 1942, MacArthur spoke to journalists about his role in relation to the Philippines in the war, including the statement 'I came through; I shall return'. There has been some debate about where MacArthur uttered these famous words - in his memoirs MacArthur claims that he issued a statement to journalists at Batchelor Field south of Darwin when he first arrived in Australia, while other authors put MacArthur at Alice Springs when he said it. This contemporary article from the Adelaide daily newspaper The Advertiser places him at Terowie in the South Australia's mid-north when he made the famous pronouncement.