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Rabaul Trilogy
Darkest Hour: The True Story of Lark Force at Rabaul - Australia's Worst Military Disaster of World War II
January 23, 1942, New Britain. It was 2:30 a.m., the darkest hour of the day and, for the defenders of this Southwest Pacific island, soon to be the war's darkest hour. Fifteen hundred men and six nurses, Lark Force, had been deployed to New Britain to fortify and defend Rabaul, capital of Australia's mandated territories. Once they'd completed their work on the strategic port and its two airfields, the group-mostly volunteers from Victoria-had settled into the routine of garrison duties, confident of being relieved within a year. But the Japanese had other ideas. Rabaul was the linchpin of their campaign to conquer the Southwest Pacific-and in the early hours of January 23 their invasion force swarmed ashore. What ensued is the story told in The Darkest Hour, a gut-wrenching account of courage and sacrifice, folly and disaster, as seen through the eyes of the few who survived. Bruce Gamble, the critically acclaimed author of Black Sheep One, follows key individuals-soldiers and junior officers, an American citizen and an Army nurse among them-through their experiences in Lark Force. Together their stories comprise a harrowing picture of the Australian forces overrun and driven into the jungle, prey to the unforgiving environment and a cruel enemy that massacred its prisoners-and tormented further by fate, when a Japanese ship transporting prisoners to Hainan Island was torpedoed by an American submarine. The dramatic stories of the Lark Force survivors, told here in full for the first time, are among the most inspiring of the Pacific War.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
48 people are currently reading
526 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Gamble
8 books41 followersA native of central Pennsylvania, Bruce Gamble is an award-winning author and historian specializing in highly readable narratives about World War II in the Pacific.
During his career as a Naval Flight Officer in the closing years of the Cold War, Bruce logged nearly 1,000 hours as a navigator in EA-3B Skywarriors, including deployments aboard aircraft carriers in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Later, while serving as a flight instructor in Pensacola, Florida, he was diagnosed with a malignant spinal cord tumor. After undergoing a complicated surgery, Bruce was medically retired from the Navy in 1989.
Bruce soon began volunteering at the National Naval Aviation Museum and eventually worked part-time as the staff historian for the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. Over the next several years he collected oral history interviews and wrote numerous articles, then made the leap to book-length manuscripts and published his first nonfiction book, The Black Sheep, in 1998.
With a total of six titles now in print and a seventh due for publication in late 2018, Bruce is recognized as one of the top historians on the air war in the Pacific. He does a substantial amount of public speaking and is featured in documentaries produced by the History Channel, Fox News Channel, PBS, and the Pritzker Military Library.
Bruce's literary awards include the Admiral Arthur W. Radford award for excellence in naval aviation history and literature, presented in 2010, and a Florida Book Award in 2013.
Holding life memberships in the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation and Paralyzed Veterans of America, Bruce has been cancer-free more almost 30 years. He lives near Madison, Georgia.
During his career as a Naval Flight Officer in the closing years of the Cold War, Bruce logged nearly 1,000 hours as a navigator in EA-3B Skywarriors, including deployments aboard aircraft carriers in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Later, while serving as a flight instructor in Pensacola, Florida, he was diagnosed with a malignant spinal cord tumor. After undergoing a complicated surgery, Bruce was medically retired from the Navy in 1989.
Bruce soon began volunteering at the National Naval Aviation Museum and eventually worked part-time as the staff historian for the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. Over the next several years he collected oral history interviews and wrote numerous articles, then made the leap to book-length manuscripts and published his first nonfiction book, The Black Sheep, in 1998.
With a total of six titles now in print and a seventh due for publication in late 2018, Bruce is recognized as one of the top historians on the air war in the Pacific. He does a substantial amount of public speaking and is featured in documentaries produced by the History Channel, Fox News Channel, PBS, and the Pritzker Military Library.
Bruce's literary awards include the Admiral Arthur W. Radford award for excellence in naval aviation history and literature, presented in 2010, and a Florida Book Award in 2013.
Holding life memberships in the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation and Paralyzed Veterans of America, Bruce has been cancer-free more almost 30 years. He lives near Madison, Georgia.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 25, 2024
The 1941 Australian Government knew that Rabaul, the Anchorage on the northern tip of the island of New Britain was important. They had taken the Island off the German Empire in WWI, and were happily exploiting the local copra trade and administering an indigenous population. That's why they sent a force of 1500 infantry, gunners and airmen to defend it. The Imperial Japanese Navy and Army knew it was important too, and that's why they sent a divisional sized invasion force supported by land based bombers and Carrier and Battleship/Cruiser groups to take it shortly after Pearl Harbor. Bruce Gamble, a prolific and experienced writer on Military, Aviation, and Pacific War topics tells the story of the resulting mismatch with a modern sense that the force should have been withdrawn. The Aussie leader, Colonel Scanlan, was not prepared for the situation, refusing counsel to stash food in Jungle hides to fight a Guerilla war, hoping to make a stand- and then mentally collapsing- uttering the phrase "every man for himself"- which got turned into a general order. Some were killed outright by the Japanese, some surrendered immediately, many tried to flee into the Jungle for a hoped evacuation. And then it keeps getting worse...
The Aussie Government had put an inadequate force in harm's way, with no support and no evacuation plan. The force itself had not been prepared properly, nor did it really understand that it was a forlorn hope. The Japanese were merciless , and would abuse any and all captives they got- soldiers, nurses and civilians. But up until Pearl Harbor, that predatory behaviour had been directed only at Asians, Koreans, Siamese and Chinese. The Japanese had treated European prisoners well in the Russo Japanese War of 1905 and WWI (they had fought the Germans in the Pacific and Asia)- so the murderous edge of the new Japanese Fascism was not fully recognised by the West until they felt its bite. Those soldiers that did realise that escape was the best option made some amazing passages to freedom. Those that were caught by the IJN/IJA and not murdered outright had a different harrowing story trying to survive as POWs- with one group tragically drowned in the sinking of a Japanese freighter by a USN Sub. The book is full of tragedies, atrocities, Allied mistakes and excessive Japanese terror and violence - and yet the many noble acts of sacrifice and common sense by individual Australian Soldier, Civilians and Indigenous Islanders shine through. This is Gamble's first work of a trilogy about Rabaul in WWII, and while it is not upbeat fare, it's an important story and it sets up the reader to understand how it would become Fortress Rabaul, the next book...
There are a lot of adult themes , and plenty of graphic descriptions of violence and atrocity, so this is a book best read by the Junior Reader over 13/14 years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast its a mixed bag. As it is- this is a story of military disaster, not achievement, so one would not game this as it happened- but regaming it based on the Guerilla War concept Scanlan rejected might make a challenging scenario- the Aussies not being victimised but rather fighting a long retreat to a planned evacuation- as might have been possible. The modeler is not given too many build or diorama ideas from this text, but will get a good feel for war in the South Pacific. The Military Enthusiast gets a great many ideas for what NOT to do in a military situation from the Allied side, and a strong lesson in how not to behave as captors or conquerors from the Japanese side. Still, for all its horror and terror, this is an important story of WWII for military history consumers and more general readers who might have forgotten how expensive this war was in material , but most importantly in human life, both those taken too soon and those ruined too early. Not all stories have happy endings- some just come to a close.
The Aussie Government had put an inadequate force in harm's way, with no support and no evacuation plan. The force itself had not been prepared properly, nor did it really understand that it was a forlorn hope. The Japanese were merciless , and would abuse any and all captives they got- soldiers, nurses and civilians. But up until Pearl Harbor, that predatory behaviour had been directed only at Asians, Koreans, Siamese and Chinese. The Japanese had treated European prisoners well in the Russo Japanese War of 1905 and WWI (they had fought the Germans in the Pacific and Asia)- so the murderous edge of the new Japanese Fascism was not fully recognised by the West until they felt its bite. Those soldiers that did realise that escape was the best option made some amazing passages to freedom. Those that were caught by the IJN/IJA and not murdered outright had a different harrowing story trying to survive as POWs- with one group tragically drowned in the sinking of a Japanese freighter by a USN Sub. The book is full of tragedies, atrocities, Allied mistakes and excessive Japanese terror and violence - and yet the many noble acts of sacrifice and common sense by individual Australian Soldier, Civilians and Indigenous Islanders shine through. This is Gamble's first work of a trilogy about Rabaul in WWII, and while it is not upbeat fare, it's an important story and it sets up the reader to understand how it would become Fortress Rabaul, the next book...
There are a lot of adult themes , and plenty of graphic descriptions of violence and atrocity, so this is a book best read by the Junior Reader over 13/14 years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast its a mixed bag. As it is- this is a story of military disaster, not achievement, so one would not game this as it happened- but regaming it based on the Guerilla War concept Scanlan rejected might make a challenging scenario- the Aussies not being victimised but rather fighting a long retreat to a planned evacuation- as might have been possible. The modeler is not given too many build or diorama ideas from this text, but will get a good feel for war in the South Pacific. The Military Enthusiast gets a great many ideas for what NOT to do in a military situation from the Allied side, and a strong lesson in how not to behave as captors or conquerors from the Japanese side. Still, for all its horror and terror, this is an important story of WWII for military history consumers and more general readers who might have forgotten how expensive this war was in material , but most importantly in human life, both those taken too soon and those ruined too early. Not all stories have happy endings- some just come to a close.
October 29, 2009
I had no prior knowledge of the battle that was fought for Rabaul. The author does a great job of giving the pre-history between the Australians & Japanese and how the battle came to be. You get to meet the unique individuals that made up the brave fighting men of the Australian army. I wish the book had a few more maps because it would have made following the skirmishes easier. A fan of World War 2 will love reading this book.
November 15, 2020
The torpedoing of the Montevideo Maru by the USS Sturgeon on July 1, 1942, with the tragic loss of 1053 Australian POW’s and civilians, was merely one chapter in the appalling story of Lark Force chronicled in this book. Before embarking on that final, fatal journey, these brave men had to endure many experiences shared by thousands of others unfortunate enough to have become prisoners of the Japanese – torture, outright murder, starvation, disease and humiliation. Those familiar with the Bataan Death March, or what happened to the survivors of the USS Houston, or those taken captive and held on Wake Island, will recognize all the similarities. Their experiences echoed what had already been going on in China for many years, and were perhaps the natural outcome of a philosophy of warfare which dehumanized and held in contempt those who surrendered, promulgated a philosophy of racial superiority, and, in the belief that, because of this superiority, none of the rules applied, refused to sign the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war.
Perhaps the story of Lark Force would have had a happier outcome had the Australian War Cabinet not decided, unbelievably, to make the men of Lark Force “hostages to fortune”…to not render any assistance or try to evacuate them once the Japanese invasion had begun. Australia inherited an entire string of islands in the Bismarck Archipelago after the Great War…islands formerly belonging to Germany. Because the lion’s share of the Australian military had been sent to fight in North Africa, far too few men were committed to the defense of far too vast an area…New Guinea, New Britain and New Ireland, and the Solomon Islands. The rationale was that, should much larger forces be sent there, and subsequently lost, too few men would be left to defend Australia itself should an invasion take place. But it was an almost certain recipe for defeat.
After the events of December 7-8, 1941, when Japanese intentions regarding the entire Southwestern Pacific area became clear, there probably would have been enough time to evacuate the men of Lark Force and pull them back to Port Moresby or northern Australia, leaving in place a volunteer network of Coast Watchers to report on Japanese movements. This would have made far more sense than simply leaving the men to their fate. As it was, about 75 percent of the entire force eventually lost their lives. Those on the Montevideo Maru shared the fate of about 20,000 other Allied prisoners on “hellships” which were torpedoed by American submarines because there was no way to know that POW’s were aboard. Some of the officers were later sent to Japan and were subjected to forced labor for the remainder of the war, finally being liberated after September 1945; those who managed to eventually make it back to Australia (about 400 men) endured weeks or months of unbelievable privation in the jungles of New Britain; the stories they told of the horrible atrocities committed by the Japanese against helpless prisoners merely increased the anxiety of the loved ones of those who were still missing for any sort of knowledge about their fate.
Only sketchy information was available as to the loss of the Montevideo Maru until after the war, when it finally became clear that this had been Australia’s greatest military disaster of the war. The book does not give any information on whether or not any of the perpetrators of the atrocities on New Britain were ever held to account for their crimes, as, for example, Generals Homma and Yamashita were for the Death March and other acts committed in the Philippines. This story serves as yet another example of how thin the veneer of civilization is, and how easily stripped away.
This book (also entitled Invasion: Rabaul) is the first part of a trilogy which also includes Fortress: Rabaul and Target: Rabaul, and which carries the story of the Japanese stronghold to the end of the war. Highlighting the second book is the story of the February 1942 raid on Rabaul in which Butch O'Hare, flying a Grumman F4F Wildcat from the USS Lexington, earned the Medal of Honor by shooting down a number of Mitsubishi "Betty" bombers.
*** review by Chuck Graham ****
Perhaps the story of Lark Force would have had a happier outcome had the Australian War Cabinet not decided, unbelievably, to make the men of Lark Force “hostages to fortune”…to not render any assistance or try to evacuate them once the Japanese invasion had begun. Australia inherited an entire string of islands in the Bismarck Archipelago after the Great War…islands formerly belonging to Germany. Because the lion’s share of the Australian military had been sent to fight in North Africa, far too few men were committed to the defense of far too vast an area…New Guinea, New Britain and New Ireland, and the Solomon Islands. The rationale was that, should much larger forces be sent there, and subsequently lost, too few men would be left to defend Australia itself should an invasion take place. But it was an almost certain recipe for defeat.
After the events of December 7-8, 1941, when Japanese intentions regarding the entire Southwestern Pacific area became clear, there probably would have been enough time to evacuate the men of Lark Force and pull them back to Port Moresby or northern Australia, leaving in place a volunteer network of Coast Watchers to report on Japanese movements. This would have made far more sense than simply leaving the men to their fate. As it was, about 75 percent of the entire force eventually lost their lives. Those on the Montevideo Maru shared the fate of about 20,000 other Allied prisoners on “hellships” which were torpedoed by American submarines because there was no way to know that POW’s were aboard. Some of the officers were later sent to Japan and were subjected to forced labor for the remainder of the war, finally being liberated after September 1945; those who managed to eventually make it back to Australia (about 400 men) endured weeks or months of unbelievable privation in the jungles of New Britain; the stories they told of the horrible atrocities committed by the Japanese against helpless prisoners merely increased the anxiety of the loved ones of those who were still missing for any sort of knowledge about their fate.
Only sketchy information was available as to the loss of the Montevideo Maru until after the war, when it finally became clear that this had been Australia’s greatest military disaster of the war. The book does not give any information on whether or not any of the perpetrators of the atrocities on New Britain were ever held to account for their crimes, as, for example, Generals Homma and Yamashita were for the Death March and other acts committed in the Philippines. This story serves as yet another example of how thin the veneer of civilization is, and how easily stripped away.
This book (also entitled Invasion: Rabaul) is the first part of a trilogy which also includes Fortress: Rabaul and Target: Rabaul, and which carries the story of the Japanese stronghold to the end of the war. Highlighting the second book is the story of the February 1942 raid on Rabaul in which Butch O'Hare, flying a Grumman F4F Wildcat from the USS Lexington, earned the Medal of Honor by shooting down a number of Mitsubishi "Betty" bombers.
*** review by Chuck Graham ****
December 16, 2025
Darkest Hour: The true Story of Lark Force at Rabaul - Australia's Worst Military Disaster of WWII by Bruce Gamble is a tale of the tragic story of the Australian military in WWII. Bruce Gamble doesn't necissarily follow one person in the book, but rather he bounces around different perspectives of soldiers and general overviews of the events that occured at Rabaul. It is a story about how the australian government sent a very small force to New Britain, even though a big japanese invasion was on the horizon. This resulted in almost the entire 1,400 men dying brutally to the japanese forces. Gamble is rather blunt with his storytelling, which may be prefferable because it doesnt necessarily imply a bias, he just tells the story the way it is. I rate the book 4/5 stars, could be a little more "dramatic," but it still has a profound impact.
I chose this book for the genre choice section, and this is a blatant history book, retelling an event that occurred in history. Nothing exemplifies a history book than a straightforward, blunt telling of an event. There isnt a massive plot or character development, just from start to finish: Australian soldiers deployed, then get overrun and killed by japanese forces. Its simple, quick, and hits very hard, especially when the dry storytelling is coupled with a harrowing and gut wrenching story. Which, lets be honest, almost all of history has some sort of gut-wrenching element to it.
I chose this book for the genre choice section, and this is a blatant history book, retelling an event that occurred in history. Nothing exemplifies a history book than a straightforward, blunt telling of an event. There isnt a massive plot or character development, just from start to finish: Australian soldiers deployed, then get overrun and killed by japanese forces. Its simple, quick, and hits very hard, especially when the dry storytelling is coupled with a harrowing and gut wrenching story. Which, lets be honest, almost all of history has some sort of gut-wrenching element to it.
February 22, 2024
Invasion Rabaul is a good reference that is limited by its subject matter. Gamble has well researched the deployment of Lark Force to Rabaul in the months leading up to the commencement of the war in the Pacific, and the subsequent and rapid rout of Lark Force by Imperial Japanese forces in the early days of the war itself. Unfortunately, there is not much of a story to tell, as Lark Force was hastily trained, inadequately equipped, quickly abandoned by Australia, and even more quickly routed on the day of Japan's invasion of New Britain.
While there are moments of heroism touched on in the book, there is very little character development (for reasons that will become clear to the reader and which I will not spoil for anyone who does not know the history). That being said, as the title of the book reflects, it is a recounting of a disaster and it is an important history, even if it is one that lacks feel good moments. We are not supposed to feel good about war and the horrors that war brings -- Invasion Rabaul drives that home. Quite a sobering read.
While there are moments of heroism touched on in the book, there is very little character development (for reasons that will become clear to the reader and which I will not spoil for anyone who does not know the history). That being said, as the title of the book reflects, it is a recounting of a disaster and it is an important history, even if it is one that lacks feel good moments. We are not supposed to feel good about war and the horrors that war brings -- Invasion Rabaul drives that home. Quite a sobering read.
August 3, 2021
Shocked, saddened and also impressed by the Australian Military and civilians
Absolutely couldn’t stop reading this incredible war history told so well by the author. Read many articles,about the Military attacks on Rabaul never had a clue that the colonials and natives did so much there. The had to fight the Japanese by themselves without help from Canberra. The Australia Government is blackened by there abandonment of the Island people. Their total abandonment of there citizens to the savage treatment by the Japanese is inexcusable. In the mid 50’s I spent a great year in Canberra, Sydney and finally several months in Tamworth, god I loved that place and the people living there. Thanks, Bruce Gamble for documenting this important part of WWII. And telling it so damn well. Look forward to reading the next two columns
Absolutely couldn’t stop reading this incredible war history told so well by the author. Read many articles,about the Military attacks on Rabaul never had a clue that the colonials and natives did so much there. The had to fight the Japanese by themselves without help from Canberra. The Australia Government is blackened by there abandonment of the Island people. Their total abandonment of there citizens to the savage treatment by the Japanese is inexcusable. In the mid 50’s I spent a great year in Canberra, Sydney and finally several months in Tamworth, god I loved that place and the people living there. Thanks, Bruce Gamble for documenting this important part of WWII. And telling it so damn well. Look forward to reading the next two columns
July 29, 2018
Well researched and well written. Describes a chapter in WWII history many would prefer to forget. Should be required reading for those responsible for sending brave men and women in harm's way. Getting them there, and keeping them we supplied is only half of the plan. Getting them out if the situation becomes untenable must also be considered.
Well researched and well written. The book should be required reading for all in the position to send brave men and women in harm's way.
Well researched and well written. The book should be required reading for all in the position to send brave men and women in harm's way.
April 15, 2019
This book was extremely good. I liked how it focused not only on the entire war regement, but it also focused on individual people as well. It focuses on the Lark force at Rabaul. They were a group of Australians who were sent to Rabaul, which is located on New Britain. They were left with very little defenses. There was no way that they could defend the spot. Then, Rabaul was invaded by Japan. This is there story of how they survived.
November 22, 2023
For military history buffs, this book is a great read. It highlights just how unprepared the Western World was for World War II. It was not just the good ole USA that was caught flat footed.
Bruce Gamble gives great details and does not spare anything. It is all laid out in painful reading. The poor command, lack of support and questionable planning all laid the groundwork for a mission that never really had a chance to be successful.
Bruce Gamble gives great details and does not spare anything. It is all laid out in painful reading. The poor command, lack of support and questionable planning all laid the groundwork for a mission that never really had a chance to be successful.
November 29, 2024
Hard Truths
A very well researched and written book. The book presents hard truths about how two countries can treat POW’s so differently. I knew that the Japanese were brutal when it came to captured individuals in war, but it never makes it easy to accept. The other shocking truth was how a government totally surrendered these people to a horrible fate, a stark contrast to Dunkirk. Off to Book 2 of the series.
A very well researched and written book. The book presents hard truths about how two countries can treat POW’s so differently. I knew that the Japanese were brutal when it came to captured individuals in war, but it never makes it easy to accept. The other shocking truth was how a government totally surrendered these people to a horrible fate, a stark contrast to Dunkirk. Off to Book 2 of the series.
May 29, 2022
This is an excellent history of a group I knew little about. Gamble weaves compelling stories of individuals with the overall history. While about Lark Force, it is definitely the first part in the tale of Rabaul. The incompetence and lack of planning by leadership was sad to read. Hard to read about such brave men abandoned.
August 30, 2018
An excellently researched book on one of the darkest episodes of the British war effort of World War II. Gamble’s narrative flows nicely, and the book is well laid out. Highly recommend this book to everyone interested either in Australia’s effort in the war or the war in the Southern Pacific...
February 8, 2020
Very, very good. Very sad story of the horrors the inhabitants of New Britain and the Aussie soldiers endured in 1942 at the hands of the Japs. Well told story. Looking forward to reading the next two installments of Bruce Gamble's trilogy.
December 11, 2018
Have read before, good read, highly recommend.
August 9, 2021
An interesting read on a forgotten corner of the war.
November 19, 2021
The story of 2/22nd Infantry in January 1942 at Rabaul. Also tracks some other units and civilians in New Britain and New Ireland - interesting reading...
August 16, 2019
As any avid reader of WWII history knows that the Japanese military base at Rabaul is the most prominent and well known especially during the early fighting in the Solomon Islands. Bruce Gamble has written a well research book about the little known story about how Japan acquired Rabaul. It is also tragic story of what happened to Australia's soldiers and civilians that were overwhelmed by the Japanese invasion force. I look forward to reading the other two books in his trilogy.
January 15, 2017
As Japan rattled her sabres prior to declaring war on the Allies, Australia – already mobilised for the war in Europe – sought to strengthen its defences to its North, creating a shield across the islands of Papua New Guinea. One of those islands was New Britain, part of the Bismarck chain. To its small capital town of Rabaul the Australian government sent Lark Force, comprising of 1,500 soldiers, plus a handful of outdated planes and nurses. Most of the soldiers were volunteers with only a few weeks training and its commanders were reservists with some World War I experience. After the attack on Pearl Harbour some of the locals were evacuated, but Lark Force was not strengthened. On January 23, 1942, the Japanese attacked Rabaul in strength, the town chosen for the headquarters of Japanese forces in the South-West Pacific. The attackers quickly captured the town, its deep water port, and two airstrips.
The Australian defence was weak and poorly coordinated, and those troops that did not surrender fled into the jungle. They had few supplies and little knowledge of how to survive in such an environment. They headed west and south, hoping that the Australian government would send ships or seaplanes to rescue them. There was to be no Dunkirk-style rescue, however, and many were tracked down by the Japanese and taken prisoner or killed. Over the next few months a couple of hundred managed to escape the island. Those captured toiled as forced labourers before being sent by ship to Japan. The officers and women were separated from the enlisted soldiers and civilian men, who were packed into an old cruise-liner. En route to Japan it was torpedoed by a US submarine with the loss of all prisoners, over a thousand souls perishing.
In Invasion Rabaul, Gamble tells the story of Lark Force, the fall of Rabaul, the disorderly retreat and escape attempts, and the fate of prisoners, drawing on accounts and interviews of survivors and archival material. He nicely mixes a general overview of the history of the events with more personal stories about members of Lark Force and their fates. What is largely missing is a discussion of the Australian government and military decisions and actions, and reactions of the Australian public. Nonetheless, a very readable account of one of Australian tragedies of the Second World War.
The Australian defence was weak and poorly coordinated, and those troops that did not surrender fled into the jungle. They had few supplies and little knowledge of how to survive in such an environment. They headed west and south, hoping that the Australian government would send ships or seaplanes to rescue them. There was to be no Dunkirk-style rescue, however, and many were tracked down by the Japanese and taken prisoner or killed. Over the next few months a couple of hundred managed to escape the island. Those captured toiled as forced labourers before being sent by ship to Japan. The officers and women were separated from the enlisted soldiers and civilian men, who were packed into an old cruise-liner. En route to Japan it was torpedoed by a US submarine with the loss of all prisoners, over a thousand souls perishing.
In Invasion Rabaul, Gamble tells the story of Lark Force, the fall of Rabaul, the disorderly retreat and escape attempts, and the fate of prisoners, drawing on accounts and interviews of survivors and archival material. He nicely mixes a general overview of the history of the events with more personal stories about members of Lark Force and their fates. What is largely missing is a discussion of the Australian government and military decisions and actions, and reactions of the Australian public. Nonetheless, a very readable account of one of Australian tragedies of the Second World War.
March 12, 2016
The first of the trilogy. Like other opening of the Pacific war books, the war is over before it had a chance.
This is the first of three books about the battle for Rabaul. This book was originally titled "Darkest Hour : The true story of Lark Force at Rabual". It is an interesting book in that it presents a contradiction in what the Australian government wants to do, what it should have done and what it ultimately did do. Which not unlike some of the Dutch and even the American forces in the Pacific at the opening of the war, they were needlessly sacrificed in the hope of being that one speed bump against the Japanese. My biggest complaint about the book is that there is one chapter on the actual invasion of New Britain and the area of Rabual by the Japanese. After that it is a chase story that you already know is going to end a certain way because the prologue gave away the chase. As well there is an impressive number of people covered and due to my copy being electronic, it was very hard to keep up with who is who and what their role was. The last half of the book when the Southwest Pacific Campaign is going on seems interesting, but the author appears to gloss over items either because the folks interviewed don't remember or more likely they are covered in more detail for the other two books of the trilogy. Oh one last complaint is that there are a number of civilians talked about and then dismissed in the discussion about Rabaul and the administration of the area by Australia, but there is no discussion as to if they were original to the area or recently arriving (when Australia gained control after WW1 and the Germans gave up the region). Some of this would have filled in the story as well.
Overall, an interesting and amazing book about a particular portion of the world that I thought I knew. Well worth reading if your are interested in the Pacific war and the campaign for the Solomon Islands region.
This is the first of three books about the battle for Rabaul. This book was originally titled "Darkest Hour : The true story of Lark Force at Rabual". It is an interesting book in that it presents a contradiction in what the Australian government wants to do, what it should have done and what it ultimately did do. Which not unlike some of the Dutch and even the American forces in the Pacific at the opening of the war, they were needlessly sacrificed in the hope of being that one speed bump against the Japanese. My biggest complaint about the book is that there is one chapter on the actual invasion of New Britain and the area of Rabual by the Japanese. After that it is a chase story that you already know is going to end a certain way because the prologue gave away the chase. As well there is an impressive number of people covered and due to my copy being electronic, it was very hard to keep up with who is who and what their role was. The last half of the book when the Southwest Pacific Campaign is going on seems interesting, but the author appears to gloss over items either because the folks interviewed don't remember or more likely they are covered in more detail for the other two books of the trilogy. Oh one last complaint is that there are a number of civilians talked about and then dismissed in the discussion about Rabaul and the administration of the area by Australia, but there is no discussion as to if they were original to the area or recently arriving (when Australia gained control after WW1 and the Germans gave up the region). Some of this would have filled in the story as well.
Overall, an interesting and amazing book about a particular portion of the world that I thought I knew. Well worth reading if your are interested in the Pacific war and the campaign for the Solomon Islands region.
April 27, 2014
I thought this was an excellent book about WWII and the fighting in Rabaul. I was shocked at the barbaric ways of the Japanese and their treating of prisoners--whether natives, military, or missionary. Also, the cover-ups to keep people from knowing what really happened to the ship Montevideo Maru, carrying POWs, seemed so unnecessary.
Also, I was surprised that the troops that were sent to Rabaul from Australia were just forgotten--no means to really rescue them. The efforts these men made to get off the island was beyond my imagination.
I have decided to read the other two books in the trilogy. Gamble has done a lot of good research in compiling this history of a time in the South Seas during WWII.
My only suggestions would be more maps and photos. I liked to see where the men were going, and many towns/bays/plantations/areas were not on the included maps. I would also have liked pictures of the terrain they were covering--mountains, jungle, coral--as they tried to escape the Japanese/
I have read other books like this where there is a list of the people in the back stating if they survived and what they did after the war or, in the case of the Japanese, if they were ever punished for the slaughter of so many of those on New Britain. That would have been nice.
I received this book free from Goodreads. It is not one I had heard about, so I am very grateful to have had a chance to read it.
Also, I was surprised that the troops that were sent to Rabaul from Australia were just forgotten--no means to really rescue them. The efforts these men made to get off the island was beyond my imagination.
I have decided to read the other two books in the trilogy. Gamble has done a lot of good research in compiling this history of a time in the South Seas during WWII.
My only suggestions would be more maps and photos. I liked to see where the men were going, and many towns/bays/plantations/areas were not on the included maps. I would also have liked pictures of the terrain they were covering--mountains, jungle, coral--as they tried to escape the Japanese/
I have read other books like this where there is a list of the people in the back stating if they survived and what they did after the war or, in the case of the Japanese, if they were ever punished for the slaughter of so many of those on New Britain. That would have been nice.
I received this book free from Goodreads. It is not one I had heard about, so I am very grateful to have had a chance to read it.
February 12, 2014
Very enjoyable read, full book on a subject that in very general history of the pacific theater gets a sentence or two at the most. I always like when an author is able to write a book where the personal naratives are used to tell a story, instead of some authors who are simply trying to tell personal stories. I hope the other two books in the Rabaul Trilogy are this great.
My only real complaint with this book, I felt the author was a little harsh at the Australian government/military command. There were comments regarding the australians sending more men, more planes, or ships to strengthen Rabaul. Wouldn't that be sending more men to a horrible fate? What would have been needed to stop the initial Japanese attack? How much more to stop a follow up assault? Wake island surived one assault, they didn't last too long against a second. But I do agree that there should have been a rescue plan for the individuals who survived the assault on Rabaul. But shouldn't the commanders on the ground who made no plans and stored no supplies in the jungle share alot of that blame also?
My only real complaint with this book, I felt the author was a little harsh at the Australian government/military command. There were comments regarding the australians sending more men, more planes, or ships to strengthen Rabaul. Wouldn't that be sending more men to a horrible fate? What would have been needed to stop the initial Japanese attack? How much more to stop a follow up assault? Wake island surived one assault, they didn't last too long against a second. But I do agree that there should have been a rescue plan for the individuals who survived the assault on Rabaul. But shouldn't the commanders on the ground who made no plans and stored no supplies in the jungle share alot of that blame also?
December 27, 2020
I lived in Rabaul less than 20 years after the end of WW2 (1961-1963) and from local experience, conversations with people who had lived through the Japanese occupation, two years in the PNGVR and subsequent reading, had some knowledge of the invasion and the disaster that became of the 2/22 battalion. In particular, the Toll massacre, the tragic sinking of the Montevideo Maru and subsequent war crime trials and executions were still fresh in the memories of many residents in the early 1960s. So I found this book went over some events that I was already aware of. However, what this book does that others don't is to weave in the personal stories of many of the participants and covers in considerably more detail the events that followed the invasion. A good example is the stories of the military nurses who were captured in Rabaul and subsequently transported to Japan, fortunately not on the Montevideo Maru. This gives this book a considerable edge over other histories of the Rabaul invasion. I look forward to reading the following two books in Bruce Gamble's Rabaul series.
February 15, 2016
In the early portion of Japan's WWII southern expansion, Australia lost the town of Rabaul, the administrative center for the island of New Britain (New Ireland's main city of Kavieng also fell). While Rabaul would become a big Japanese base and major threat, this book tells of the fall and the harrowing events that befell the 1400-1500 defenders and many associated civilians after they were essentially left on their own. Part 1 of a 3 part series about this volcanic, inhospitable island "paradise".
August 11, 2014
As a history buff I found it very enlightening. The Aussie War Cabinet nearly sentenced these men to death by their foolish decisions. Page 192 has another tale of stupidity. After 5 months of jungle struggles to escape, the RAAF said it was not their job to air rescue them. Just walk another 130 miles thru dangerous jungle. Another example of men at their best(and some at their worst).
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June 19, 2016A painful read in parts. ... Australia's Lark force overrun by the Japanese at Rabaul. .. the partial evacuation.... capture... mistreatment. .. then the sinking of a POW ship carrying most of them to Japan! Very well researched and written... bringing to remembrance brave soldiers in a tough situation.
April 1, 2014
Great introduction to the Rabaul trilogy, which documents the longest continuous battle of World War II. Gamble, a retired Navy pilot and Navy historian, does a masterful job of placing you in the South Pacific in the beginning of the Pacific War. It is very well written.
March 21, 2016
Great book about the early Pacific War. Many of these early battles are buried in history and not examined as closely as 'big' Allied wins. Thanks to the author for bringing this forward and his attention to detail and still making it very readable. On to book two of the trilogy...
April 5, 2016
Tragic book about one of the many horrible things that happened in WWII. It wasn't a history lesson though. The book was written about the people who went through this experience and how they got through it (or didn't in some cases).
The enemy just kept coming.
The enemy just kept coming.
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