Category: Australian Armed Forces

When war began he applied to join the RAAF. He trained as a Wireless Air Gunner and was soon on his way, via the Panama Canal and America, to join the air war over Britain. After a prolonged operational tour in 10 Squadron Sunderland Flying Boats - much of it spent tracking and attacking German U-boats off the Biscay coast of France, he eventually looked to home and the Pacific War.

HALL, Timothy. The Fall of Singapore. 223p., bibliog., illus., index. North Ryde, NSW: Methuen Australia, 1983. ISBN: 9780454004335.

The disastrous campaign culminating in the fall of Singapore is recounted from an Australian perspective by a prolific author and freelance journalist.Reprinted by Routledge in the UK in 2015, ISBN: 9781138912427.

REID, Richard. Greece and Crete (Australians in World War II). 220p., bibliog., illus. Canberra: Department of Veterans’ Affairs, 2011. ISBN: 9781877007651.

A mixture of personal reminiscences and many photographs describe Australian involvement. Some limited naval material.

GEEVES, Jock. The Arga Saga: The Story of Australian Water Transport Ship AK96. (8), 94p., illus. Hobart:[author], 1997. ISBN: 0646343807.

Built in 1943 at St Helens, Tasmania for the Ansons Bay Timber Company, she was requisitioned by the Army. She sailed for Papua New Guinea waters in December 1943. She served at Thursday Island, Daru, Port Moresby, Milne Bay, Madang and Lae before returning to civilian service in 1945.

CAULFIELD, Michael. Voices of War: Stories from the Australians at War Film Archive. Xvii, 537p., illus, index. ISBN: 0733620507.

Extracts from some twenty-one interviews held in the archive. There is some marginal material of naval relevance.

SINGLETON, Gordon. Singleton’s War. 64p., illus. Pembroke Dock: Paterchurch, 1998. ISBN: 1870745078.

An Australian pilot’s autobiography. After extensive training he joined the new 461 squadron, RAAF, at Plymouth before it moved to Pembroke Dock where he flew Sunderlands - and even landed one on an airfield in 1943.

HORTON, D. C. Ring of Fire: Australian Guerrilla Operations against the Japanese in World War II. xii, 164p., illus., index. Sydney: Macmillan; London: Cooper, 1983. ISBN: 0333356152.

The story of special operations behind Japanese lines. The author took part in some of these.

A heavily illustrated reference guide to the aircraft, with some operational information.

Identifies 1,800 Australian prisoners of war and internees lost at sea while being transported to Japan. The story of the various tragedies is largely told in the words of the survivors.

A good reference work.

The Royal Australian Engineers provided logistical support through water transport operating companies using landing craft.

Aimed at younger readers it covers the war of No. 10 Squadron flying Sunderlands and has an interesting account of the battle between U 461 and Sunderland U/461.

The author was a Flight Engineer based at Port Moresby with the Catalinas of 11 and 20 Squadrons. They fought and flew throughout the South West Pacific Theatre until most of the crews were withdrawn in March 1943. A second revised edition was published in the same year.

The logistics of the Papua New Guinea Campaign.

Has little to say on the Allied contribution to the war at sea, but has good accounts of the antisubmarine defence of Australia.

A personal history of the RAAF Catalina flying boats based in Cairns, Karumba, Darwin and Melville Bay during World War II, and the men who flew and looked after them.

A fully illustrated company history describing the docks and their wartime work with merchant and naval building and repairs.

A very personal mix of poetry, cartoons and anecdotes describing his service in the Australian Water Transport Unit.

Australian crewmen were a significant presence in Coastal.

A diary of his war service. He enlisted in the RAAF in 1941 and after training in Australia flew Catalinas in the South West Pacific area from Java to New Caledonia.

Extracts from the Air Vice-Marshal's diary and letters. He commanded No. 9 Operational Group in the South West Pacific area.

A Merchant Navy autobiography.

455 was the only RAAF strike squadron to fly with Coastal Command. In the last 18 months of the war it flew Beaufighter strikes against coastal shipping.

Mainly concerned with the stemming of the Japanese tide. Good background on the loss of Empire with full accounts of the sinking of Force Z and the raids on Darwin.

A collection of anecdotes and recollections of the RAAF Catalina squadrons.

Memories of this far-flung Australian Base. A second edition appeared in 1986.

Published in a limited edition of 750 copies it describes the training of RAN personnel.

A merchant autobiography. He joined the Australian merchant marine in 1941 and worked mainly in the Pacific. In March 1945 he served on Corinda in the British Pacific Fleet Train.

The Squadron formed in Britain in 1942 on Anzac Day (April 25) and flew Sunderlands in the Battle of the Atlantic. Written by an officer specialising in maritime reconnaissance and strongly based on original records and correspondence with squadron members.

A useful guide. There are several line diagrams of the various watercraft. Many of these ships were operated by the Royal Australian Engineers (RAE).

This book covers some of the activities of maritime units in World War I, World War II, Japan, Korea, post-war A.R.A., post-war C.M.F., Vietnam, The Antarctic, the present day army and a brief look at the Gulf War of 199.1

An unofficial history of the Maritime Unit of the Australian Army.