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Lost Battalions
They were thrown into a hopeless fight against an overwhelming enemy. Later, hundreds died as prisoners of war on the Thai-Burma Railway and in the freezing coal mines of Taiwan and Japan. Through it all, wrote Weary Dunlop, they showed 'fortitude beyond anything I could have believed possible'.
Until now, the story of the 2000 diggers marooned on Java in February 1942 has been a footnote to the fall of Singapore and the bloody campaign in New Guinea. Led by an Adelaide lawyer, Brigadier Arthur Blackburn VC, and fighting with scrounged weapons, two Australian battalions - plus an assortment of cooks, laundrymen and deserters from Singapore - held up the might of the Imperial Japanese Army until ordered by their Dutch allies to surrender.
Drawing on personal diaries, official records and interviews with two of the last living survivors, this book tells the extraordinary story of the 'lads from Java', who laid down their weapons, but refused to give in.
Until now, the story of the 2000 diggers marooned on Java in February 1942 has been a footnote to the fall of Singapore and the bloody campaign in New Guinea. Led by an Adelaide lawyer, Brigadier Arthur Blackburn VC, and fighting with scrounged weapons, two Australian battalions - plus an assortment of cooks, laundrymen and deserters from Singapore - held up the might of the Imperial Japanese Army until ordered by their Dutch allies to surrender.
Drawing on personal diaries, official records and interviews with two of the last living survivors, this book tells the extraordinary story of the 'lads from Java', who laid down their weapons, but refused to give in.
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Published March 5, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 15, 2023
This is a good account of two Australian battalions (2/3rd Machine Gun and 2/2nd Pioneers) and some attached units, who after fighting the Vichy French in Syria, and then taken back to Australia after the start of the war in the Far East against Japan. Unfortunately for these men that embarked on the SS Orcades without most of their equipment, they were redirected to assist the Dutch on Java to oppose the Japanese invasion of that island. The men scrounged some equipment when they disembarked there and gave a good account of themselves in resisting the Japanese alongside some British and American units thrown piecemeal into the campaign for political reasons in support of the Dutch. Unfortunately the Dutch under whose command these units were surrendered, and so began their three year journey through hell as prisoners of war.
Both battalions ended up working on the Thai-Burmese Railway from opposite sides, and both suffered the horrendous conditions faced by the workers on this railway of death where they suffered from tropical ailments and hunger, not even to mention the brutal camp guards on a daily basis. The Aussies' fatality rates were not as high as their British counterparts, yet still too many died before and after the completion of the railway. After this the fittest men were sent to work in coal mines in Japan until the end of hostilities.
This is a story of chance, luck and courage, and the strength of the human spirit and the will to survive. I read this just after Ship Of Ghost about the survivors from the USS Houston who also ended up on the railway, and though both book are good, I would recommend the Houston saga higher.
Both battalions ended up working on the Thai-Burmese Railway from opposite sides, and both suffered the horrendous conditions faced by the workers on this railway of death where they suffered from tropical ailments and hunger, not even to mention the brutal camp guards on a daily basis. The Aussies' fatality rates were not as high as their British counterparts, yet still too many died before and after the completion of the railway. After this the fittest men were sent to work in coal mines in Japan until the end of hostilities.
This is a story of chance, luck and courage, and the strength of the human spirit and the will to survive. I read this just after Ship Of Ghost about the survivors from the USS Houston who also ended up on the railway, and though both book are good, I would recommend the Houston saga higher.
November 22, 2023
I don’t know how anyone can write a book like this. It must be psychically painful and full of nightmares to dig deep into the prisoners’ stories and live with them day after day while researching and writing. But these stories need to be told and I feel inspired to know that men (stronger than I) could and did survive suffering that is quite beyond all human endurance. Amazing.
The questions raised about how some human beings can be so sadistically cruel to other human beings is the subject for other books, but that it happened like this book describes is very, very deeply disturbing.
The questions raised about how some human beings can be so sadistically cruel to other human beings is the subject for other books, but that it happened like this book describes is very, very deeply disturbing.
February 24, 2022
Well written book about 2/3rd Machine Gun and 2/2nd Pioneer Battalions of the 7th Division (2nd AIF) that were - after a short period of fighting in Vichy's Syria - send to Java and made a core of the so called Blackforce under the command of brigadier Arthur Blackburn VC. First cca 1/3 of the book is about deployment in the Middle East and Java, the rest is about life and death in Japanese POW camps in Java, Thailand, Burma, Singapore and Japan...
July 10, 2020
A book focusing on several Australian battalions who commenced in Syria, went to Indonesia, got captured and worked on the Burma railroad. This was particularly relevant to me as my father Jack Leaman was a 2/3 machine gunner and the book filled in several gaps in his stories about the war.
August 13, 2020
Detailed account of the horrors of a particular episode of World War 2 which reveals the mistakes made by, and the arrogance of, the decision makers which led to many Australian soldiers becoming POWs under the Japanese. I find it so hard to understand how human beings can be so brutal to others. Although confronting, it is important to recognise the bravery of the Aussies in such dire circumstances.
A little known story of two Australian battalions abandoned in Java during World War II and the heroes who kept them alive in the worst of Japan's prisoner of war camps.
They were thrown into a hopeless fight against an overwhelming enemy. Later, hundreds died as prisoners of war on the Thai-Burma Railway and in the freezing coal mines of Taiwan and Japan. Through it all, wrote Weary Dunlop, they showed 'fortitude beyond anything I could have believed possible'.
Until now, the story of the 2000 diggers marooned on Java in February 1942 has been a footnote to the fall of Singapore and the bloody campaign in New Guinea. Led by an Adelaide lawyer, Brigadier Arthur Blackburn VC, and fighting with scrounged weapons, two Australian battalions - plus an assortment of cooks, laundrymen and deserters from Singapore - held up the might of the Imperial Japanese Army until ordered by their Dutch allies to surrender.
Drawing on personal diaries, official records and interviews with two of the last living survivors, this book tells the extraordinary story of the 'lads from Java', who laid down their weapons, but refused to give in.
A little known story of two Australian battalions abandoned in Java during World War II and the heroes who kept them alive in the worst of Japan's prisoner of war camps.
They were thrown into a hopeless fight against an overwhelming enemy. Later, hundreds died as prisoners of war on the Thai-Burma Railway and in the freezing coal mines of Taiwan and Japan. Through it all, wrote Weary Dunlop, they showed 'fortitude beyond anything I could have believed possible'.
Until now, the story of the 2000 diggers marooned on Java in February 1942 has been a footnote to the fall of Singapore and the bloody campaign in New Guinea. Led by an Adelaide lawyer, Brigadier Arthur Blackburn VC, and fighting with scrounged weapons, two Australian battalions - plus an assortment of cooks, laundrymen and deserters from Singapore - held up the might of the Imperial Japanese Army until ordered by their Dutch allies to surrender.
Drawing on personal diaries, official records and interviews with two of the last living survivors, this book tells the extraordinary story of the 'lads from Java', who laid down their weapons, but refused to give in.
August 15, 2019
This book tells the story of the Australian Pioneer Battalion during the Second World War. It details their journey fighting the Germans in East Africa before coming back to Australia to defend against the Japanese.
The two battalions ended up in Java, Indonesia, fighting and delaying the advance of the Japanese army.
Due to shortage of supplies and reinforcements, they surrended to the Japanese. The book then details their journey as prisoners of war, from the POW camps in Indonesia to Malaya, Siam (Thailand), Burma and finally Japan.
It highlighted how the Australians worked together to survive the conditions at those camps and the horrendous treatment they faced as prisoners.
This book is a great read for those who want to know more about the fight in South East Asia. The book at times feel very much pro-Australian but it could very well be justified. I would recommend this book for those who are interested to read about the Japanese campaign in South East Asia.
The two battalions ended up in Java, Indonesia, fighting and delaying the advance of the Japanese army.
Due to shortage of supplies and reinforcements, they surrended to the Japanese. The book then details their journey as prisoners of war, from the POW camps in Indonesia to Malaya, Siam (Thailand), Burma and finally Japan.
It highlighted how the Australians worked together to survive the conditions at those camps and the horrendous treatment they faced as prisoners.
This book is a great read for those who want to know more about the fight in South East Asia. The book at times feel very much pro-Australian but it could very well be justified. I would recommend this book for those who are interested to read about the Japanese campaign in South East Asia.
April 7, 2021
Gruesome. Brilliant. Gilling tells the story of several battalions really, some of whom were sent to defend Singapore against the Japanese invasion and some of whom fought in Syria on their way to defend Java, along with the various prisoners of war thereof who ended up working together in Burma and Thailand to build what would become known as the Burma Railway or Thai-Burma Railway.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews