Showing 1253 items matching world war- 1939-1945
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Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Melbourne University Press, To Kokoda and beyond : the story of the 39th Battalion, 1941-1943, 1988
... World war 1939 – 1945 – Campaigns – New Guinea... Battalion, 1941-1943 Index, ill, maps, p.267. World war 1939 – 1945 ...A regimental history of the 39th battalion from 1941 to its disbandment in 1943 and its participation in the Kokoda campaignIndex, ill, maps, p.267.non-fictionA regimental history of the 39th battalion from 1941 to its disbandment in 1943 and its participation in the Kokoda campaignworld war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – new guinea, world war 1939-1945 - regimental histories - australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Dept. of the Army, Jungle trail : an official publication : a story of the Australian soldier in New Guinea, 1944
... World war 1939 – 1945 – Campaigns – New Guinea... war 1939 – 1945 – Campaigns – New Guinea World war 1939 – 1945 ...Australian army brochure describing the New Guinea campaign in 1942 -1943Ill, p.32.non-fictionAustralian army brochure describing the New Guinea campaign in 1942 -1943world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – new guinea, world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – kokoda -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Department of Information, Battle of the Ridges, 1943
... World war 1939 – 1945 – Campaigns – New Guinea... – 1945 – Campaigns – New Guinea World war 1939-1945 - Australia ...Australian army brochure relating to the attack on Salamaua in 1943Ill, p.32.non-fictionAustralian army brochure relating to the attack on Salamaua in 1943world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – new guinea, world war 1939-1945 - australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Allen and Unwin, A bastard of a place : the Australians in Papua : Kokoda, Milne Bay, Gona, Buna, Sanananda, 2004
... World war 1939 – 1945 – Campaigns – New Guinea..., bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.691. World war 1939 – 1945 ...In 1942 and early 1943 Papua New Guinea was 'a bastard of a place' to fight a war. This book gives us the final, all-encompassing story of the five battles that changed Australia forever. The compelling narrative resonates with the voices of both the well-trained AIF volunteer, and the young Militia conscript who triumphed together. The author interviewed hundreds of these soldiers and himself travelled the treacherous terrain and bloody battlegrounds where so many of their mates perished, and reveals the inside story of how Generals MacArthur and Blamey sacrificed many of the senior Australian field commanders as scapegoats to protect their own positions. A Bastard of a Place restores Milne Bay, Gona, Buna and Sanananda to their rightful place beside Kokoda to what they should collectively be for all Australians - sacred ground.Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.691.non-fictionIn 1942 and early 1943 Papua New Guinea was 'a bastard of a place' to fight a war. This book gives us the final, all-encompassing story of the five battles that changed Australia forever. The compelling narrative resonates with the voices of both the well-trained AIF volunteer, and the young Militia conscript who triumphed together. The author interviewed hundreds of these soldiers and himself travelled the treacherous terrain and bloody battlegrounds where so many of their mates perished, and reveals the inside story of how Generals MacArthur and Blamey sacrificed many of the senior Australian field commanders as scapegoats to protect their own positions. A Bastard of a Place restores Milne Bay, Gona, Buna and Sanananda to their rightful place beside Kokoda to what they should collectively be for all Australians - sacred ground.world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – new guinea, world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – kokoda -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Hamilton, At the going down of the sun Hong Kong and South-East Asia 1841-194, 1981
... World war 1939 – 1945 – Campaigns – Hong Kong..., p.262. World war 1939 – 1945 – Campaigns – Hong Kong World ...The story of POW's captured at Hong Kong is told for the first time in this book. A gripping tale of courage and enduranceIndex, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.262.non-fictionThe story of POW's captured at Hong Kong is told for the first time in this book. A gripping tale of courage and enduranceworld war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – hong kong, world war 1939-1945 - prisoners and prisons - japan -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
CIS, The Pacific War Atlas 1941-1945, 1995
... world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – pacific ocean..., ill, maps, p.141. world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – pacific ...Traces the campaign in the Pacific in detail, from its conception through the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It brings a new clarity to the disposition of military units in all major battles and to the complicated web of strategic problems posed by fighting over such a huge area. Special map projections, perspective views and sophisticated treatment of time phases recreate the action from both Allied and Japanese viewpoints. Includes more than 60 full-color maps combining topographical detail with troop movements.Index, bibliography, ill, maps, p.141.non-fictionTraces the campaign in the Pacific in detail, from its conception through the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It brings a new clarity to the disposition of military units in all major battles and to the complicated web of strategic problems posed by fighting over such a huge area. Special map projections, perspective views and sophisticated treatment of time phases recreate the action from both Allied and Japanese viewpoints. Includes more than 60 full-color maps combining topographical detail with troop movements. world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – pacific ocean, world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – pacific ocean - maps -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, peter Thompson, Pacific fury : how Australia and her allies defeated the Japanese scourge, 2008
... World war 1939 – 1945 – Campaigns – Pacific..., p.548. World war 1939 – 1945 – Campaigns – Pacific World war ...Pearl Harbour. Kokoda. The fall of Singapore. Curtin's fight with Churchill. The bombing of Darwin. The Battle of Midway. POWs. Kamikaze. Hiroshima. These words alone are enough to convey the terror, courage and drama of the Pacific War, when the balance of power stood on a knife-edge and when the future of Australia herself was on the brink - threatened by Japanese aggression on one hand and British apathy on the other. Until now the history of the Pacific War has largely been written from the American perspective. Now, for the first time, Peter Thompson places Australian voices and action at the heart of a struggle that took an unimaginable number of lives and only ended with the unleashing of the most powerful weapon the world had ever seen. Pearl Harbor; The fall of Singapore; Curtin's fights with Churchill; The bombing of Darwin; POW camps; The battle of Midway; Kokoda; Buna; Kamikaze pilots; Hiroshima. These words alone are enough to convey the terror, courage and drama of the Pacific War, when the balance of power stood on a knife-edge and when the future of Australia was on the brink - threatened by Japanese aggression on the one hand and British deception on the other. After a conflict that took an unimaginable number of lives and ended with the unleashing of the most powerful weapon the world had ever seen, the Allies emerged victorious. Australia, however, was criticised by Churchill and his generals for showing cowardice in the face of the enemy and for not caring about the fate of other nations. The endorsement of these claims by several military historians today shows that the smear has not gone away. Until nowIndex, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.548.non-fictionPearl Harbour. Kokoda. The fall of Singapore. Curtin's fight with Churchill. The bombing of Darwin. The Battle of Midway. POWs. Kamikaze. Hiroshima. These words alone are enough to convey the terror, courage and drama of the Pacific War, when the balance of power stood on a knife-edge and when the future of Australia herself was on the brink - threatened by Japanese aggression on one hand and British apathy on the other. Until now the history of the Pacific War has largely been written from the American perspective. Now, for the first time, Peter Thompson places Australian voices and action at the heart of a struggle that took an unimaginable number of lives and only ended with the unleashing of the most powerful weapon the world had ever seen. Pearl Harbor; The fall of Singapore; Curtin's fights with Churchill; The bombing of Darwin; POW camps; The battle of Midway; Kokoda; Buna; Kamikaze pilots; Hiroshima. These words alone are enough to convey the terror, courage and drama of the Pacific War, when the balance of power stood on a knife-edge and when the future of Australia was on the brink - threatened by Japanese aggression on the one hand and British deception on the other. After a conflict that took an unimaginable number of lives and ended with the unleashing of the most powerful weapon the world had ever seen, the Allies emerged victorious. Australia, however, was criticised by Churchill and his generals for showing cowardice in the face of the enemy and for not caring about the fate of other nations. The endorsement of these claims by several military historians today shows that the smear has not gone away. Until nowworld war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – pacific, world war 1939 – 1945 – australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Penguin, Green armour, 1992
... World war 1939 – 1945 – Campaigns – Kokoda...-and-the-dandenong-ranges Book Green armour p.287. World war 1939 – 1945 ...A story of the jungle and the sea, of man against nature and man against man... Green Armour is the courageous story of fighting men in the swamps and jungles of New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. From the earliest days of forlorn hopes to the large-scale, well-organised attacks by land, sea, and air this terrifying first-hand account is distilled from the bloody, despairing experiences of the Australian and American forces in the early days of the Second World War.p.287.non-fictionA story of the jungle and the sea, of man against nature and man against man... Green Armour is the courageous story of fighting men in the swamps and jungles of New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. From the earliest days of forlorn hopes to the large-scale, well-organised attacks by land, sea, and air this terrifying first-hand account is distilled from the bloody, despairing experiences of the Australian and American forces in the early days of the Second World War.world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – kokoda, world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – solomon islands -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Tall Stories, A war at home : a comprehensive guide to the first Japanese attacks on Darwin, 1999
... World war 1939-1945 - Air raids - Darwin..., p.73. World war 1939-1945 - Air raids - Darwin World war ...A comprehensive guide to the first Japanese attacks on Darwin on 19th February 1942, written by Dr Tom Lewis, OAM. An essential reference work on this controversial subject that includes a full list of those killed as well as other detailed appendices. It also includes fascinating information on what wartime sites are still accessible in and around the northern capital. Originally published in 1999, until recently it has mainly been available only in Darwin itself.Index, bibliography, ill, maps, p.73.non-fictionA comprehensive guide to the first Japanese attacks on Darwin on 19th February 1942, written by Dr Tom Lewis, OAM. An essential reference work on this controversial subject that includes a full list of those killed as well as other detailed appendices. It also includes fascinating information on what wartime sites are still accessible in and around the northern capital. Originally published in 1999, until recently it has mainly been available only in Darwin itself.world war 1939-1945 - air raids - darwin, world war 1939-1945 - aerial operations - japan -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Allen and Unwin, Battle Order 204 : A Bomber Pilot's Story, 2007
... World war 1939 – 1945 – Aerial operations - Britain... Bibliography, ill, map, p.305. World war 1939 – 1945 – Aerial ...The riveting true story account of a young WW2 pilot's heroic journey, illustrated throughout with fascinating photographs, maps and excerpts from his log books.Bibliography, ill, map, p.305.non-fictionThe riveting true story account of a young WW2 pilot's heroic journey, illustrated throughout with fascinating photographs, maps and excerpts from his log books.world war 1939 – 1945 – aerial operations - britain, world war 1939 – 1945 – personal narratives – australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Viking, Fly -True Stories of Courage and Adventure from the Airmen of World War II, 2008
... World war 1939 – 1945 – Aerial operations - Australia... – 1945 – Aerial operations - Australia World war 1939 – 1945 ...All over the world during World War II, thousands of young men who had never so much as been near an aeroplane left offices, farms and classrooms to learn to fly and fight in the greatest conflict the world has ever seen. They fought over deserts, cities and jungles, in-single-engine fighter aircraft, heavy bombers, transport planes and flying boats. How do they feel about their dramatic days in the air? What is it they remember, and what do they choose to forget? In these candid and moving stories, Michael Veitch, writer, broadcaster and aeroplane fanatic, uncovers some of the untold stories of World War II: Australian, British and even German. He captures the events that defined a generation of men before these stories are lost forever.Ill, p.303.non-fictionAll over the world during World War II, thousands of young men who had never so much as been near an aeroplane left offices, farms and classrooms to learn to fly and fight in the greatest conflict the world has ever seen. They fought over deserts, cities and jungles, in-single-engine fighter aircraft, heavy bombers, transport planes and flying boats. How do they feel about their dramatic days in the air? What is it they remember, and what do they choose to forget? In these candid and moving stories, Michael Veitch, writer, broadcaster and aeroplane fanatic, uncovers some of the untold stories of World War II: Australian, British and even German. He captures the events that defined a generation of men before these stories are lost forever. world war 1939 – 1945 – aerial operations - australia, world war 1939 – 1945 – personal narratives – australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Collins, Out of the blue : a pilot with the Chindits, 1984
... World war 1939 – 1945 – Campaigns – Burma... Map, p.272. World war 1939 – 1945 – Campaigns – Burma World ...An account of Chindit operations in Burma from the perspective of an ex RAF pilot.Map, p.272.non-fictionAn account of Chindit operations in Burma from the perspective of an ex RAF pilot.world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – burma, world war 1939 – 1945 – personal narratives – australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Langate Publishing, Adversity in Success, 1980
... World war 1939 – 1945 – Campaigns – Papua new Guinea... 1939 – 1945 – Campaigns – Papua new Guinea World war 1939 ...This book is based on the personal recollections of Air Vice Marshal JE Hewitt during the Pacific campaigns.Ill, p.330.non-fictionThis book is based on the personal recollections of Air Vice Marshal JE Hewitt during the Pacific campaigns.world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – papua new guinea, world war 1939 – 1945 – personal narratives – australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Chatham et al, The naval war in the Mediterranean 1940-1943, 1998
... World war 1939 – 1945 –Naval operations... – 1945 –Naval operations World war 1939 – 1945 – Campaigns ...A complete account of the war in the Mediterranean both above and below the waves until the Italian surrender in September 1943Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.352.non-fictionA complete account of the war in the Mediterranean both above and below the waves until the Italian surrender in September 1943world war 1939 – 1945 –naval operations, world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – mediterranean -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Tasman Archives, Betrayal in high places, 1996
... World war 1939-1945 - War crime - Japan.... World war 1939-1945 - War crime - Japan World war 1939 – 1945 ...Alleges an extensive cover-up of Japanese war crimes.Index, ill, p.263.non-fictionAlleges an extensive cover-up of Japanese war crimes.world war 1939-1945 - war crime - japan, world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners – japanese -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Penguin, We were there : Australian soldiers of World War II tell their stories, 1988
... World war 1939 – 1945 – Personal narratives – Australia... tell their stories. Index, ill, p.470. World war 1939 – 1945 ...Aborigines and army service - Australian women's Army - Burma-Thailand railway - Prisoners of war (POW's).Index, ill, p.470.non-fictionAborigines and army service - Australian women's Army - Burma-Thailand railway - Prisoners of war (POW's).world war 1939 – 1945 – personal narratives – australia, world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Coronet, Most secret war, 1979
... World war 1939 – 1945 – Secret service – Britain..., p.702. World war 1939 – 1945 – Secret service – Britain ...Reginald Jones was nothing less than a genius. And his appointment to the Intelligence Section of Britain's Air Ministry in 1939 led to some of the most astonishing scientific and technological breakthroughs of the Second World War. In Most Secret War he details how Britain stealthily stole the war from under the Germans' noses by outsmarting their intelligence at every turn. He tells of the 'battle of the beams'; detecting and defeating flying bombs; using chaff to confuse radar; and many other ingenious ideas and devices. Jones was the man with the plan to save Britain and his story makes for riveting reading.Index, notes, ill, maps, plans, p.702.non-fictionReginald Jones was nothing less than a genius. And his appointment to the Intelligence Section of Britain's Air Ministry in 1939 led to some of the most astonishing scientific and technological breakthroughs of the Second World War. In Most Secret War he details how Britain stealthily stole the war from under the Germans' noses by outsmarting their intelligence at every turn. He tells of the 'battle of the beams'; detecting and defeating flying bombs; using chaff to confuse radar; and many other ingenious ideas and devices. Jones was the man with the plan to save Britain and his story makes for riveting reading. world war 1939 – 1945 – secret service – britain, world war 1939 – 1945 – science and technology -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Collins, Australia 1942 : end of innocence, 1985
... World war 1939-1945 - Australia..., Bibliography, ill, p.200. World war 1939-1945 - Australia World war ...A vivid description of the events leading up to 1942 when the war became Australia's war.Index, Bibliography, ill, p.200.non-fictionA vivid description of the events leading up to 1942 when the war became Australia's war.world war 1939-1945 - australia, world war 1939-1945 - social life and customs - australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Time Life Books, The secret war, 1988
... World war 1939-1945 - Secret service.... World war 1939-1945 - Secret service World war 1939-1945 ...Text and photographic essays tell of espionage in World War II: the spies, spy networks, codes, electronic eavesdropping, weapons and hoaxes used by both sides.Index, bibliography, ill, p.208.non-fictionText and photographic essays tell of espionage in World War II: the spies, spy networks, codes, electronic eavesdropping, weapons and hoaxes used by both sides. world war 1939-1945 - secret service, world war 1939-1945 - cryptography -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Australian Department of Defence, Recollections of the Roving Staff Officer, 1993
... World war 1939-1945 - Personal narratives... Index, bibliography, ill, p.341. World war 1939-1945 - Personal ...The personal experiences of John Buckley as the roving staff officer in a variety of theaters during World War Two.Index, bibliography, ill, p.341.non-fictionThe personal experiences of John Buckley as the roving staff officer in a variety of theaters during World War Two.world war 1939-1945 - personal narratives, world war 1939-1945 - political aspects -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Time Life Books, The shadow war, 1989
... World war 1939-1945 - Espionage.... World war 1939-1945 - Espionage World war 1939-1945 - Diplomatic ...This volume is one of a series that chronicles the rise and fall of Nazi Germany. It examines German espionageIndex, bibliography, ill, p.185.non-fictionThis volume is one of a series that chronicles the rise and fall of Nazi Germany. It examines German espionageworld war 1939-1945 - espionage, world war 1939-1945 - diplomatic history -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Panther, Empire of the sun, 1985
... world war 1939-1945 - fiction...-and-the-dandenong-ranges Book Empire of the sun p.351. world war 1939-1945 ...The heartrending story of British boy Jim's four year ordeal in a Japanese prison camp during the second world war. Based on J. G. Ballard's own childhood, this is the extraordinary account of a boy's life in Japanese-occupied wartime Shanghai--a mesmerising, hypnotically compelling novel of war, of starvation and survival, of internment camps and death marches. It blends searing honesty with an almost hallucinatory vision of a world thrown utterly out of joint. Rooted as it is in the author's own disturbing experience of war in our time, it is one of a handful of novels by which the twentieth century will be not only remembered but judged.p.351.fictionThe heartrending story of British boy Jim's four year ordeal in a Japanese prison camp during the second world war. Based on J. G. Ballard's own childhood, this is the extraordinary account of a boy's life in Japanese-occupied wartime Shanghai--a mesmerising, hypnotically compelling novel of war, of starvation and survival, of internment camps and death marches. It blends searing honesty with an almost hallucinatory vision of a world thrown utterly out of joint. Rooted as it is in the author's own disturbing experience of war in our time, it is one of a handful of novels by which the twentieth century will be not only remembered but judged. world war 1939-1945 - fiction, world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners - japanese -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Kangaroo Press, Diggers at Colditz, 1997
... World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners – Germany.... World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners – Germany World ...On June 23 1943 Lieutenant Jack Champ of the 2nd/6th Australian Infantry Battalion was marched into one of the most famous prisoner-of-war camps in Germany. Known then as Oflag IVC, it is now better know as Colditz. By the end of the war there were nineteen Australians in Colditz, and this is the first book to look at life there specifically from their point of view. It was a very special camp. It was designed to retain under escape-proof conditions, a select group of Allied prisoners who had already escaped from other camps and who had been recaptured whilst still in occupied territory. Having seen action in the Western Desert and in Greece, Jack Champ had been captured by the Germans in 1941. He was, however, a reluctant prisoner and took part in two escapes from different POW camps, one of which was a mass break-out of sixty officers through a tunnel that had taken weeks to make. Although the guards frequently outnumbered prisoners, there were more escapes from Colditz than from any other prison of comparable size during both World Wars. In this vivid book Jack Champ and Colin Burgess explain what it was like to be a prisoner in Nazi Germany. It is a curious blend of brutality and humanity, of routines and dreams, and occasional and dramatic excitement as men tried to turn those dreams into the reality of freedom.Index, ill, maps, p.224.non-fictionOn June 23 1943 Lieutenant Jack Champ of the 2nd/6th Australian Infantry Battalion was marched into one of the most famous prisoner-of-war camps in Germany. Known then as Oflag IVC, it is now better know as Colditz. By the end of the war there were nineteen Australians in Colditz, and this is the first book to look at life there specifically from their point of view. It was a very special camp. It was designed to retain under escape-proof conditions, a select group of Allied prisoners who had already escaped from other camps and who had been recaptured whilst still in occupied territory. Having seen action in the Western Desert and in Greece, Jack Champ had been captured by the Germans in 1941. He was, however, a reluctant prisoner and took part in two escapes from different POW camps, one of which was a mass break-out of sixty officers through a tunnel that had taken weeks to make. Although the guards frequently outnumbered prisoners, there were more escapes from Colditz than from any other prison of comparable size during both World Wars. In this vivid book Jack Champ and Colin Burgess explain what it was like to be a prisoner in Nazi Germany. It is a curious blend of brutality and humanity, of routines and dreams, and occasional and dramatic excitement as men tried to turn those dreams into the reality of freedom.world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners – germany, world war 1939-1945 - personal narratives - australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Hugh V. Clarke and Colin Burgess, Barbed wire and bamboo : Australian POWs in Europe, North Africa, Singapore, Thailand and Japan, 1993
... World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners - Japanese....159 World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners - Japanese ...A collection of stories of capture, imprisonment and escape in World War I and II. Covering experiences in Europe and in South East Asia, the book presents contrasting PoW experiences - of daring escapes from Colditz Castle, and of endurance and slow suffering in Japanese camps.Ill, maps, p.159A collection of stories of capture, imprisonment and escape in World War I and II. Covering experiences in Europe and in South East Asia, the book presents contrasting PoW experiences - of daring escapes from Colditz Castle, and of endurance and slow suffering in Japanese camps.world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners - japanese, world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners – germany -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, George Allen & Unwin, Twilight liberation : Australian prisoners of war between Hiroshima and home, 1985
... World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners – Japanese... – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners – Japanese World War 1939-1945 ...Australian prisoners of war in Japan in the aftermath of The Japanese surrenderIll, p.165non-fictionAustralian prisoners of war in Japan in the aftermath of The Japanese surrenderworld war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners – japanese, world war 1939-1945 - personal narratives - australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, P.O.W. : prisoners of war, 1985
... World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners – Japanese..., maps, p.224. World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners ...Within three months of the Japanese entering World War II on December 8, 1941 over 22 000 Australians had become prisoners-of-war. They went into camps in Timor, Ambon, New Britain, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Singapore and Malaya, and a few were scattered to other points in what was briefly part of the Japanese empire. Later most of the prisoners were to be shifted further north into South-east Asia, Formosa, Korea, Manchuria and Japan itself. They were captives within lands and cultures and to experiences alien to those known to all other Australians. At the end of the war in August 1945, 14315 servicemen and thirty service women were alive to put on new, loose-fitting uniforms and go home. One in three of the prisoners had died. That is, nearly half of the deaths suffered by Australians in the war in the Pacific were among men and women who had surrendered. Another 8174 Australians had been captured in the fighting in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa: but of these men only 265 died as a result of wounds, disease or execution.By any quantitative measure the imprisonment of so many Australians is a major event in Australian history. For many soldiers it was living --and dying --in captivity which made World War II different from that of World War I. But the prisoners have received no permanent place in Australian history. Their story is not immediately recalled on celebratory occasions. In a general history of the nation in which a chapter is given to the war the prisoners might be mentioned in a sentence, or part of a sentence. Where the horror, stoicism and gallantry of Gallipoli have become part of a common tradition shared by all Australians, the ex-prisoners are granted just the horror. The public may be sympathetic; but the horror is for the prisoners alone. To make another comparison: in five months of fighting on the Kokoda Trail in 1942 the Australians lost 625 dead, less than the number who died on Ambon. Yet the events on Ambon are unknown to most Australians. There were no reporters or cameramen on Ambon and, for the 309 who defended Ambon's Laha airfield, no survivors. How many of them died in battle or died as prisoners will never be known. But there are more than just practical reasons why the record of the prisoners of war is so slight and uneven in the general knowledge of Australians. They have not tried to find out. No historian has written a book to cover the range of camps and experiences, and only in specialist medical publications has anyone investigated the impact of prison life on subsequent physical and mental health. The complexity of the experience and its impact on particular lives have not been expressed in a way to give them significance for other Australians.Index, bib, ill, maps, p.224.Within three months of the Japanese entering World War II on December 8, 1941 over 22 000 Australians had become prisoners-of-war. They went into camps in Timor, Ambon, New Britain, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Singapore and Malaya, and a few were scattered to other points in what was briefly part of the Japanese empire. Later most of the prisoners were to be shifted further north into South-east Asia, Formosa, Korea, Manchuria and Japan itself. They were captives within lands and cultures and to experiences alien to those known to all other Australians. At the end of the war in August 1945, 14315 servicemen and thirty service women were alive to put on new, loose-fitting uniforms and go home. One in three of the prisoners had died. That is, nearly half of the deaths suffered by Australians in the war in the Pacific were among men and women who had surrendered. Another 8174 Australians had been captured in the fighting in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa: but of these men only 265 died as a result of wounds, disease or execution.By any quantitative measure the imprisonment of so many Australians is a major event in Australian history. For many soldiers it was living --and dying --in captivity which made World War II different from that of World War I. But the prisoners have received no permanent place in Australian history. Their story is not immediately recalled on celebratory occasions. In a general history of the nation in which a chapter is given to the war the prisoners might be mentioned in a sentence, or part of a sentence. Where the horror, stoicism and gallantry of Gallipoli have become part of a common tradition shared by all Australians, the ex-prisoners are granted just the horror. The public may be sympathetic; but the horror is for the prisoners alone. To make another comparison: in five months of fighting on the Kokoda Trail in 1942 the Australians lost 625 dead, less than the number who died on Ambon. Yet the events on Ambon are unknown to most Australians. There were no reporters or cameramen on Ambon and, for the 309 who defended Ambon's Laha airfield, no survivors. How many of them died in battle or died as prisoners will never be known. But there are more than just practical reasons why the record of the prisoners of war is so slight and uneven in the general knowledge of Australians. They have not tried to find out. No historian has written a book to cover the range of camps and experiences, and only in specialist medical publications has anyone investigated the impact of prison life on subsequent physical and mental health. The complexity of the experience and its impact on particular lives have not been expressed in a way to give them significance for other Australians.world war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners – japanese, world war 1939-1945 - personal narrativies - australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Hesperian Press, Borneo surgeon : a reluctant hero : the life and times of Dr. James Patrick Taylor, OBE, MB, CH.M, 1995
... World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners - Japanese... World war 1939 – 1945 - Prisons and prisoners - Japanese World ...Peter Firkins has produced a heroic figure comparable in courage and selflessness to that of the legendary 'Weary' Dunlop, and whose story should be known by all Australians in the same way. What a wonderful epitaph to a man born into a humble Yass family at the end of the nineteenth century who, by his own determination and intellect, won a scholarship for his secondary education at St Patrick's College, Goulburn and an Exhibition to study medicine at Sydney University. Almost by pure chance he pursued his medical career in an outpost of the British Empire then known as British North Borneo to become Principal Medical Officer at the time of the Japanese occupation during World War II. The Japanese allowed the civilian medical staff to remain at their posts with the status of 'simple confinement' while at the same time the bewildered local people looked to someone for leadership in their new and unaccustomed circumstances.Aided by his wonderful wife Celia he was imperceptibly drawn into the key role of organising the underground movement among loyal native and giving support to the Australian Prisoners of War transferred to Borneo from Singapore. In 1943 he was exposed to the Japanese, arrested and terribly tortured. Donated by Major General M.P.J. O'Brien, July 2018. Signed by authorIll, p.151non-fictionPeter Firkins has produced a heroic figure comparable in courage and selflessness to that of the legendary 'Weary' Dunlop, and whose story should be known by all Australians in the same way. What a wonderful epitaph to a man born into a humble Yass family at the end of the nineteenth century who, by his own determination and intellect, won a scholarship for his secondary education at St Patrick's College, Goulburn and an Exhibition to study medicine at Sydney University. Almost by pure chance he pursued his medical career in an outpost of the British Empire then known as British North Borneo to become Principal Medical Officer at the time of the Japanese occupation during World War II. The Japanese allowed the civilian medical staff to remain at their posts with the status of 'simple confinement' while at the same time the bewildered local people looked to someone for leadership in their new and unaccustomed circumstances.Aided by his wonderful wife Celia he was imperceptibly drawn into the key role of organising the underground movement among loyal native and giving support to the Australian Prisoners of War transferred to Borneo from Singapore. In 1943 he was exposed to the Japanese, arrested and terribly tortured. Donated by Major General M.P.J. O'Brien, July 2018. Signed by authorworld war 1939 – 1945 - prisons and prisoners - japanese, world war 1939 – 1945 – personal narratives – australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Allen & Unwin, The guns of Muschu, 2006
... World war 1939 – 1945 – Campaigns – Papua new Guinea... – 1945 – Campaigns – Papua new Guinea World war 1939 – 1945 ...During the night of 11 April 1945, eight Australian Z Special commandos landed on Japanese-held Muschu Island, off the coast of New Guinea. Their mission was to reconnoitre the island's defences and confirm the location of two concealed naval guns that commanded the approaches to Wewak Harbour. But the secret mission went horribly wrong. Unknown to them, their presence had been discovered within hours of their landing. With no means of escape, the island became a killing ground. Nine days later, on the New Guinea mainland, the only survivor staggered back through the Japanese lines to safety... This is the remarkable true story of that survivor.Maps, p.255.non-fictionDuring the night of 11 April 1945, eight Australian Z Special commandos landed on Japanese-held Muschu Island, off the coast of New Guinea. Their mission was to reconnoitre the island's defences and confirm the location of two concealed naval guns that commanded the approaches to Wewak Harbour. But the secret mission went horribly wrong. Unknown to them, their presence had been discovered within hours of their landing. With no means of escape, the island became a killing ground. Nine days later, on the New Guinea mainland, the only survivor staggered back through the Japanese lines to safety... This is the remarkable true story of that survivor. world war 1939 – 1945 – campaigns – papua new guinea, world war 1939 – 1945 – personal narratives – australia -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Australian War Memorial, To Benghazi, 1952
... World War 1939-1945 - Campaigns - North Africa... 1939-1945 - Campaigns - North Africa World War 1939-1945 ...Between the wars A second A.I.F. The volunteers To the Middle East After the fall of France Victory at Sidi Barrani Before Bardia The battle of Bardia The capture of Tobruk The engagement at Derna Beda Fomm and Benghazi The capture of Giarabub Appendixes : 1. The A.I.F. in the United Kingdom ; 2. The 6th Division's operation order for the capture of Bardia ; 3. Abbreviations ; 4. A.I.F. colour patches, 1941.Index, ill, maps, p.336.non-fictionBetween the wars A second A.I.F. The volunteers To the Middle East After the fall of France Victory at Sidi Barrani Before Bardia The battle of Bardia The capture of Tobruk The engagement at Derna Beda Fomm and Benghazi The capture of Giarabub Appendixes : 1. The A.I.F. in the United Kingdom ; 2. The 6th Division's operation order for the capture of Bardia ; 3. Abbreviations ; 4. A.I.F. colour patches, 1941. world war 1939-1945 - campaigns - north africa, world war 1939-1945 - australian involvement -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Australian War Memorial, Tobruk and El Alamein, 1966
... World War 1939-1945 - Campaigns - North Africa.... World War 1939-1945 - Campaigns - North Africa World War 1939 ...The North African campaigns at the siege of Tobruk and the victory at El AlameinIndex, ill, maps, p.829.non-fictionThe North African campaigns at the siege of Tobruk and the victory at El Alameinworld war 1939-1945 - campaigns - north africa, world war 1939-1945 - australian involvement