Australia's Secret War: How unionists sabotaged our troops in World War II

by Hal G.P. Colebatch

Hal Colebatch’s new book, Australia’s Secret War, tells the shocking, true, but until now largely suppressed and hidden story of the war waged from 1939 to 1945 by a number of key Australian trade unions against their own society and against the men and women of their own country’s fighting forces at the time of its gravest peril. His conclusions are based on a broad range of sources, from letters and first-person interviews between the author and ex-servicemen to official and unofficial documents from the archives of World War II.

Between 1939 and 1945 virtually every major Australian warship, including at different times its entire force of cruisers, was targeted by strikes, go-slows and sabo­tage. Australian soldiers operating in New Guinea and the Pacific Islands went without food, radio equipment and munitions, and Aus­tralian warships sailed to and from combat zones without ammunition, because of strikes at home. Planned rescue missions for Australian prisoners-of-war in Borneo were abandoned because wharf strikes left rescuers without heavy weapons. Officers had to restrain Australian and American troops from killing striking trade unionists.

Genres: History

340 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Sharron · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most enlightening books I've ever read. Not a very proud time in Australian history and therefore quite a distressing read. Very insightful look at the awful acts of trade unionists to jeopardise the Australian forces serving overseas in WW11.

[The Hanged Man · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mistake ridden and exposed but that won't stop some peeps having their bias confirmed.

http://honesthistory.net.au/wp/who-ar...

[JOHN SCHLIFF · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amust read,it should never happen again,BLUDGERS,BOOZERS AND COMMOS.

[Catriona Gunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book. It has been criticised as "error ridden" and perhaps it is but it is a topic worthy of further exploration It is also notable that those academics criticising it appear not to have done any in depth study of the topic themselves. Why?

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Co-winner of the 2014 Australian Prime Minister's Literary Award for Australian History.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read highly recommend

[Wombat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well researched and very interesting however it didn’t flow very well.