Derek Law's Bibliography

Entries

ID Description Categories
662 BRADFORD, John. In the Highest Traditions…RAN Heroism Darwin 19 February 1942. xviii, 224p., bibliog., illus., index. Henley Beach, SA: Seaview Press, 2000. ISBN: 1740080750.

A local historian assembles quantities of evidence on the attack and the subsequent loss of Armidale. Not afraid to give his opinions on what should have happened.

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663 BURCHETT, Wilfred. Pacific Treasure Island, New Caledonia: Voyage Through its Land and Wealth, the Story of its People and Past. 230p., illus. Melbourne: Cheshire, 1941.

First published shortly before Japan’s entry into World War II, this second edition was issued eight months into the war. The author was a rising star of Australian journalism, and here writes of his travels through New Caledonia, describing the island’s history and people. Gives an eyewitness account of the Free French coup of August 1940 and the role played by Adelaide.

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664 CAREW, Tim. The Fall of Hong Kong. 228p., bibliog., illus. London: Blond, 1960.

A full if popular account of the gallant defence of the colony. Some note is taken of naval participation.

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665 CARRUTHERS, Steven L. Australia under Siege: Japanese Submarine Raiders, 1942. 192p., bibliog., illus., index. Waverton: Solus Books, 1982. ISBN: 0959361405.

Focuses on the May 1942 attacks on Sydney Harbour, but does cover the various raids made by Japanese midget submarines, although marred by factual errors. A revised edition was published by Casper in 2006 as Japanese Submarine Raiders, 1942: A Maritime Mystery (ISBN: 0977506304).

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666

CHAPMAN, John, ed. The Price of Admiralty: The War Diary of the German Naval Attaché in Japan 1939-43. 4 vols in 3, illus., index. Falmer: Saltire Press, 1982-90. ISBN: 0946938024 (Vol. 1); 0946938032 (Vol. 2-3); 0946938040 (Vol. 4).

A fascinating view of the British presence - mainly naval - in the Far East, from the diary of Joachim Lietzmann. In 2021 the remaining volumes plus a revised version of volume 1 were released on disk by the author ( http://price-of-admiralty.com/2021/08/).  Vol. 1 has been updated to include the reports of Wenneker and Lietz-mann for the years 1933-39 and includes a diary of events during the Czech Crisis, when the early preparations for war were tried out. Vol.5 of Wenneker's War Diary covering February to May 1942, Vol.6 only provides coverage from November 1942 to March 1943, as Parts 41-44 never arrived, but enclosed are central documents on naval policy and strategy for the missing period; Vol.7 covers what is available between 1943 and 1945, including Allied intercepts of Wenneker's reports to Berlin.

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667 COULTHARD-CLARK, Chris. Action Stations Coral Sea: The Australian Commander's Story. 157p., illus. Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1991. ISBN: 0044422512.

Describes the Battle of the Coral Sea from the viewpoint of Jack Crace, who led the Allied support group in the battle.

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668

DUPUY, Trevor Nevitt. The Naval War in the Pacific: The Rising Sun of Nippon (The Illustrated History of World War 2, vol. 11). [6], 90p., illus. New York: Watts, 1963; London: Ward, 1966. ISBN:   0531012433.

Another of the short basic volumes in this series.

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669 FABRICIUS, Johan. East Indies Episode: An Account of the Demolitions Carried out and of some Experiences of the Staff in the East Indies Oil Areas of the Royal Dutch-Shell Group during 1941 and 1942 (Shell War Achievements, 3). ix, 142p., illus. London: Shell Petroleum Company, 1949.

Stories of great courage and escapes by land, sea, and air.

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670

FERGUSON, Ted. Desperate Siege: The Battle of Hong Kong. x, 252p., illus., index. New York: Doubleday; Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 1980. ISBN: 0385146949.

Based largely on interviews with Canadian survivors, a Canadian playwright and journalist describes the “shameful tragedy” and its aftermath. Has a little naval information.

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671 FORSYTH-CLINTON, Helen, & FORSYTH-CLINTON, "Scotty." Our Naked Shores. 171p., illus. [Strathmore, Vic.]: authors, 1992. ISBN: 0646097792.

Australia was exposed to a variety of assaults.

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672

GOODWIN, R. B. Hongkong Escape. 223p. London: Barker, 1953.

The author was a Lieutenant Commander in the New Zealand Division of the RNVR and in September 1941 went to the 2nd MTB Flotilla in Hong Kong. He was captured there when the city fell, but escaped in 1944. It is with this escape and his long journey home that the book is mainly concerned. Later published as Passport to Eternity. It was republished by Frontline in 2015 as Escape from the Japanese (ISBN: 9781848329294).   

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673 GREAT BRITAIN. Ministry of Defence (Navy). War with Japan. 6 vols. in 4, plus 3 folders of maps. London: HMSO, 1995. ISBN: 0117728179.

The British Naval Staff History made public for the first time. A basic and extensive source.

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674 GRIFFITHS, Owen E. Darwin Drama. 220p., illus. Sydney: Bloxham & Chambers, 1947.

The author’s service in Darwin on the depot ship Platypus in 1941-42 is recounted. On 19 February 1942 the Japanese made their first surprise raid on the port, with great success. This and further raids led to real fears of invasion.

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675 GROSE, Peter. An Awkward Truth: The Bombing of Darwin, February 1942. xiii, 258p., bibliog., illus., index. Crow's Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin, 2009. ISBN: 9781741756432.

Argues that the full story of what occurred in Darwin on 19 February 1942 and its aftermath has not yet been told. There was a mixture of courage and cowardice amid a failure of civil leadership.

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676 GROSE, Peter: A Very Rude Awakening: The Night the Japanese Midget Subs came to Sydney Harbour. viii, 320p., bibliog.., illus., index. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin, 2007. ISBN: 9781741752199.

This account focuses on the defenders and their response rather than on the attackers. A good account.

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677

HALL, Timothy. Darwin 1942: Australia's Darkest Hour. 224p., bibliog., illus., index.  Sydney:  Methuen Australia, 1980. ISBN: 9780454002522.

An excoriating account of how the Japanese air raids on the port of Darwin destroyed shipping and caused panic and chaos.    

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678 HORDERN, Marsden C. Naval Operations Timor Sea 1942-3 (Monograph 103). 12p., illus. Garden Island: Naval Historical Society of Australia, 1990.

Describes the difficult and costly naval operations to sustain Australian commandos in Timor.

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679 JENKINS, David. Hitting Home: The Japanese Attack on Sydney 1942. vi, 88p., illus. Milson's Point, N.S.W.: Random House Australia, 1992. ISBN: 0091826683.

Published to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the midget submarine attack and a commemorative exhibition in the Sydney Maritime Museum, this is a lucid, straightforward and well illustrated account.

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680 KENNEDY, Alexander. Hong Kong Full Circle 1939-1945. 155p. Glasgow, author, 1969.

He was a young RNVR Sub-Lieutenant in charge of an MTB when Hong Kong fell. He escaped overland to Rangoon and held training appointments in the UK, but returned to Hong Kong as a staff officer in 1945. Published in a limited edition of 500 copies.

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681 KENNEDY, Paul. Pacific Onslaught: 7th December 1941-7th February 1943 (Pan/Ballantine Illustrated History of World War II). 160p., bibliog., illus. London: Pan/Ballantine; New York: Ballantine, 1972. ISBN: 0345097564.

Another of the small histories in this series. It is a very general account and mainly concerned with the Japanese-American conflict.

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