An irreverent account of police life in Darwin from 1939-46

Juliet Wills

Heading for the supposed safety of Australia, the ill-fated DC3 flew straight into the path of three Japanese Zeros returning from a raid on Broome. Under heavy fire Smirnoff, the Russian pilot, landed the badly damaged plane on an isolated beach on the far north west coast. Here, for the first time, is the full story of what really happened to Smirnoff's lost diamonds.

222 pages

'... deserves a place with the other standard encyclopaedias Australians keep on their shelves. It will be a valued travelling companion for visitors to the battlefields of Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific.' - Professor Robert O'Neill, Oxford University
'I keep this book within easy reach.' - Dr Peter Stanley, Australian War Memorial
'I have used this book often, finding it to be a valuable, comprehensive and reliable guide to Australian battles over the past two centuries.' - David Horner, Professor of Australian Defence History, Australian National University
The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles contains concise descriptions of all the major battles that have taken place in Australia or in which Australians have been involved over more than 200 years - from frontier clashes between Aborigines and Europeans, participation by colonial forces in Britain's small wars in the 19th century, through to the World Wars and other conflicts of the 20th century, up to and including involvement in East Timor.
Arranged chronologically, over 300 battles are detailed - at sea, on the ground and in the air. A ready reference is provided, listing the date and location of each event, and the main units and commanders involved. Based on studies of historical records and first-hand accounts, and illustrated with explanatory maps, contemporary drawings and photographs of the fighting in progress, a concise and readable account of the course of the battle and its outcome is given.
Compiled by one of Australia's leading historians, The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles is both an invaluable reference for the military specialist and an illuminating guide for general readers unaware of the breadth and history of the Australian experience of combat.

Fire in the Sky: The Australian Flying Corps in the First World War

When the First World War began in August 1914, aeroplanes were a novelty, barely a decade old. Despite this, Australia was one of just a few nations outside Europe to establish a military flying school and corps. From a first class of four student pilots the Australian Flying Corps would grow to number almost 4000 by the armistice. Its young volunteers were pioneers in a completely new dimension of warfare as they struggled for control of the skies over the Western Front and Middle East.
Using private letters, diaries and official records, historian Michael Molkentin reveals, for the first time in over 90 years, the remarkable story of the airmen and mechanics of the Australian Flying Corps. It is a tale of heroism and endurance; of a war fought thousands of feet above the trenches in aircraft of timber and fabric. Fire in the Sky takes readers up into this chaotic tumult and into the midst of a war from which only one in two Australian airmen emerged unscathed.

Michael Veitch's life-long obsession with the aircraft of the Second World War led him to conclude that every single person who flew, or flew in them has at least one extraordinary story to tell. With most of these veterans in their eighties, he knew that it was a matter of urgency to find them now, before their personal stories disappear for ever.

So, over the course of a year, Veitch interviewed over 50 former aircrew across Australia, many of whom had never spoken about their experiences before, even to their families. The result is Flak – a collection of vivid, unforgettable stories from RAAF veterans about their experiences of combat in World War II. It is also an account of the strange, sometimes obsessive journey of the author himself, as he explores a passion held since childhood.

From bomber pilots to fighter aces, from rear gunners to bomb aimers, from stories of death and fear to tales of humour and comradeship, Michael has helped unearth the extraordinary stories of ordinary men living and fighting in extraordinary times.

FLY 

'Fly is an absorbing read thanks to the amazing and previously untold stories Veitch collected from aging pilots, navigators and gunners.' HERALD SUN

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.

A rich record of WWI as found in service newspapers, magazines, and bulletins. David Kent. 216 pp.

This book changed my thinking about World War One and the Gallipoli campaign in particular. It is a letter written by Keith Murdoch to the Prime Minister, Andrew Fisher. At the time Australian Politicians were not informed about where Australian troops were being deployed and under what conditions. This letter bypassed the censors and changed the course of the Gallipoli fiasco. At first glance I thought this book was probably overpriced at $26.95 as it only has 98 pages, and 30 of those are a facsimile of the original letter, but it really is a ‘must have’ for any collector of military history.