How many Australians died on D-Day?

Answer 1

Not many, relative to other Allied losses, especially American. According to D-Day.org: "Most of the 1,100 officers and men of the Royal Australian Volunteer Naval Reserve taking part in Operation Neptune on D-Day served aboard British ships or as commanders of several landing flotillas and motor torpedo boats. Approximately 11,000 Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) officers and men served with Royal Air Force (RAF) or RAAF squadrons for every phase of D-Day. Australia also provided 15 percent of the 1136 aircraft committed by Bomber Command on D-Day." "Australia, with the great bulk of its forces fighting Japan in the south-west Pacific, took a relatively small part in the operation, but the invasion force included up to about 3,000 Australians. About a dozen Australian soldiers were attached to British army formations, learning the ropes in preparation for amphibious operations in the Pacific later in the war. Some 500 Australian sailors served in dozens of Royal Navy warships, from battleships and corvettes down to motor torpedo boats and landing craft. Several Australians commanded flotillas of tank-landing ships, while others piloted landing craft carrying British and Canadian infantry onto the beaches. Australia's main contribution was in the air. Between 2,000 and 2,500 Australian airmen served in dozens of RAF and ten RAAF squadrons of all kinds. Australian aircrew served in transport and glider-towing squadrons which carried airborne troops, fighter-bombers and fighters operating directly over the beach-head, and many in heavy bomber squadrons which dropped thousands of tons of bombs in support of the landings. Coastal Command squadrons operated far from the beaches of Normandy, protecting the Channel crossings from German naval forces. Fourteen Australians were killed on D-Day (two RAN and 12 RAAF)." http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/remembering1942/dday/index.asp

Answer 2

The official Australian War Memorial states that the figure is 102 744 as of Remembrance day 2010 (11th of November), this only included deaths in battle and of wounds soon after or as the result of proven war wounds.

WW1 resulted in the most deaths of Australians in and due to battle with 61 519 deaths for a population of around 4 million in 1918, the casualty rate was approx around 65% of all Australian troops involved in WW1.

See the below link to the official Australian War Memorial website for further information.

http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/war_casualties/

Answer 3

8000