Red Lead: The legendary Australian ship's cat who survived the sinking of HMAS Perth and the Thai-Burma Railway

by Roland Perry

The legendary Australian ship's cat who survived the sinking of HMAS Perth and the Thai-Burma RailwayJust after midnight on 1 March 1942, Australia's most renowned cruiser, HMAS Perth, was sunk by Japanese naval forces in the Sunda Strait off the coast of Java. Of the 681 men aboard, 328 survived the sinking and made it to shore-and one cat. Her name was Red Lead, and she was the ship's cat, beloved by the crew and by the Perth's legendary captain Hector Waller.But surviving shellfire, torpedoes and the fierce currents of the Sunda Strait was only the beginning of the terrible trials Red Lead and the surviving crew were to face over the next three-and-a-half years. From Java to Changi and then on the Thai-Burma Railway, Red Lead was to act as a companion, mascot and occasional protector for a small group of sailors who made it their mission to keep her alive in some of the most hellish prison camps on earth. Red Lead's extraordinary story, of courage, loyalty and love amidst battle, imprisonment and death, is brought vividly to life by bestselling author Roland Perry.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Cats, World War II, Animals, War

275 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2020

About the author

Professor Roland Perry (born 11 October 1946) is a Melbourne-based author best known for his books on history, especially Australia in the two world wars. His Monash: The Outsider Who Won The War, won the Fellowship of Australian Writers' 'Melbourne University Publishing Award' in 2004. The judges described it as 'a model of the biographer's art. In the Queen's Birthday Honours of June 2011, Perry was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia 'for services to literature as an author.In October 2011, Monash University awarded Perry a Fellowship for 'high achievement as a writer, author, film producer and journalist.His sports books include biographies of Sir Donald Bradman, Steve Waugh, Keith Miller and Shane Warne. Perry has written on espionage, specialising in the British Cambridge Ring of Russian agents. He has also published three works of fiction and produced more than 20 documentary films. Perry has been a member of the National Archives of Australia Advisory Council since 2006.

In late 2012 Perry accepted an adjunct appointment at Monash University as a Professor, with the title ‘Writer-in-Residence’ in the University’s Arts Faculty.

Reviews

[Alan Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red Lead:

This true story is a GREAT read,the story of a famous Ship and its less famous mascot, I will keep this book and will read it again some time later!!!

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're not a fan of maritime or military history that covers one battle per 300 pages, this book is for you!

Red Lead is a delightful story about a Thai cat that ends up being the mascot on HMAS Perth while she was battling the Japanese navy in the Sundra Strait off the coast of Java. Unfortunately not a battle that led in a victory for the Allies that night (Dutch, Australian and US ships), however not one that will ever be forgotton in the history of the Pacific war.

From Java to Changi and then onto the Thai-Burma Railway, this delightful pussy cat manages to survive seemingly unsurmountable obstacles for your average tabby, recounted by Roland heart-warmingly. Easily readable with lots of Australian humour and insight into navy life and the depravity of being a Japanese prisoner of war, this is a book that would be appreciated by high school students and adults with an interest in naval history, as well as a love of animals.

[Belinda Badman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Red Lead, a cat belonging to the Captain of HMAS Perth. When the ship was destroyed in battle and the Captain killed, Red Lead was saved by fellow sailors who then looked after her during POW camps in Changi and the Burma Railway.

Written more like a novel, the story is said to be true, although I have no doubt that parts of the story have grown through the re-telling by the sailors over many years. This is reflected in the reviews here with many people seeming to think the story is fictional.

This book also glosses over the horrors of the POW camps making them seem more like holiday camps than the true horror they were.

It’s a nice introduction to the South East Asian theatre of World War II, without going into too much detail.

[Saturday's Child · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an interesting story.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about POWs in WW2. A much less gruelling read than 'Long Road to the Deep North'.

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

A light read, historical fiction against the backdrop of actual events.

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just after midnight on 1 March 1942, Australia's most renowned cruiser, HMAS Perth, was sunk by Japanese naval forces in the Sunda Strait off the coast of Java. Of the 681 men aboard, 328 survived the sinking and made it to shore-and one cat. Her name was Red Lead, and she was the ship's cat, beloved by the crew and by the Perth's legendary captain Hector Waller.But surviving shellfire, torpedoes and the fierce currents of the Sunda Strait was only the beginning of the terrible trials Red Lead and the surviving crew were to face over the next three-and-a-half years. From Java to Changi and then on the Thai-Burma Railway, Red Lead was to act as a companion, mascot and occasional protector for a small group of sailors who made it their mission to keep her alive in some of the most hellish prison camps on earth.Red Lead's extraordinary story, of courage, loyalty and love amidst battle, imprisonment and death. Ship's cats kept the vessel's stores free from rodents and also acted as mascots and companions to the crew.HMAS Perth was one of the 3 modified light cruisers used by the RAN during the early part of WWII.In September, the ship patrolled the Western Atlantic and the Caribbean in search of German shipping and escorting convoys for 6 months before she was ordered home in early 1940.The ship continued the same types of duties in Australian waters before she was as transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet at the end of 1940.She also escorted convoys to Crete and helped evacuate Allied troops in May, where she was badly damaged by Axis aircraft. After repairs were completed in June, Perth provided naval gunfire support to Allied forces ashore during the Syria-Lebanon Campaign and bombarded Vichy French targets.She returned to Australia in mid 1941 until she was transferred to the ABDA command in Feb 1942 to help defend the Dutch East Indies against the Japanese.Perth wasn't damaged during the Battle of the Java Sea,but was torpedoed and sunk by the IJN at the Battle of Sunda Strait immediately afterwards.Over half her crew was killed in the battle and only about 2/3 of the survivors survived Japanese captivity to return home after the war.

[Mark White · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Based on a true story" should instead read "bearing little resemblance to a true story". Usually one star is reserved that for books I cannot finish. I actually got through the end of this one but only just and I felt ripped off doing it.

The real Redlead (one word) was Perth's ship's cat. And that's where the similarities end. Everything else in this book is historical fiction and sloppily written at that.

The real Redlead was a grey and white tabby and a good Sydney moggy. The best sources say she was lost with the ship (navyhistory.org.au for one). Instead we have an imported Thai cat (so we can swing back past her home in the final chapters) that survives the sinking to provide a completely fictional account of her time in Changi etc. I expect it was just a ploy to recycle stuff the author has written in previous books and name drop famous personalities of the time such as Weary Dunlop. And by the way, the cat looks black in the cover photo because it's really Cat, the mascot of HMS Cornwall, and his white bib has been retouched. The rest of the book is just bad historical fiction, increasingly unbelievable as it goes along.

You think this review's harsh? Check out navalinstitute.com.au. If you still want to read this go right ahead but don't fool yourself that it is anything more than a WW2 pot-boiler masquerading as fact.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical but personal story of WWII centered around a unique cat called Red Lead. She is first owned by the captain of the HMAS Perth, a naval destroyer protecting the coast of Australia which was eventually sunk by the Japanese off the coast of Indonesia. She befriended the crew and took care of their rat problems, charming them by sleeping inside the large guns and going swimming. She was thought dead after the ship sank, but manages to find her way to shore and connect with another Aussie survivor, lifeguard Dan Bolt. He protects her and they manage to stay together through various prisoner of war camps during the building of the Thai-Burma railway and even reunite with her original Thai origins towards the end of the book. I found it a light take on the grisly and terrible parts of the war, more focused on characters and isolated incidents than a real plot, but it blends fiction and fact quite nicely.

[Heather Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this book four stars because it was a very matter-of-fact basic summary and while not great literature it is a topic of great historical relevance. I learnt a lot about the infamous railway built by Prisoners of War, Australians, British, Dutch and others of the Allied Forces who were captured by the Japanese. This was a topic and arena of World War ll that I would not choose to read about, knowing full well the horrors it perpetrated. However, with the engaging cat Red Lead, and a quick Wiki search to know she survived, it allowed a “soft” engagement in that horrible history. Also I felt a little emotionally engaged as the end of the War meant a happy ending for Red Lead and her main man Dan Bolt.

[Adam Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible story – to the point of reading through the bibliography afterwards to glean which parts were true and which may have just been dramatisation... and being pleasantly surprised!

An amazing tale with details of some unbelievable events in history. War historians and animal lovers alike will find plenty to enjoy in these pages. Oh, and Australians... Plenty of Aussie humour and attitudes still relatable and believable in the modern day.

Definitely made me hug my cat at multiple times (but don't tell her that I doubt she'd make it through quite so many trials).

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the extraordinary true story of the survival and devotion of a cat who lived through the sinking of the Perth, Changi and the Burma Railway. I know it is true because, like Red Lead, my father also survived and eventually returned to Melbourne. It reads like a "boys own adventure"and it is because of this that I am only giving it three stars. Ultimately, I think Perry does not do justice to the extraordinary POW's and all they endured by turning their experience into a love story.

[Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read, historical fiction, about a cat, Red Lead, who was the mascot for HMAS Perth that was sunk in the Sunda Strait off Java. She survives and travels with a gaggle of sailors who are housed on Java and then proceed to the Changi POW camp and the Thai Burma railway.
A recent release by the very prolific, Roland Perry.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read a few Roland Perry books, both fiction and non-fiction and this is the most fictional sounding of his non-fiction books.
It read more like a novel, and it was a well told tale, but it still read like a novel.
An enjoyable read, probably be a good read on a rainy day by the fire with some music playing in the background and a warm cup of tea in your hands!

[Heather S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really interesting. Not as gory or emotive as POW books tend to be, and I liked the way the writing added the current location names in brackets, as well as the nationalities of the officers when relevant. It really helped follow the story without getting confused, and didn't take away from the flow.

[Kristen Stanton]

Enjoyable narrative and very relatable cat characteristics. Uplifting story of humanity in war. But for me just couldn’t work out what it was, or wasn’t quite a page turning thriller, nor did it have enough details to be interesting history. Still one of the best characterisations of a cat I’ve read

[Ashlee Downes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This cat!
I love how one small little animal brought so much hope and joy to prisoners of war who were going through absolute hell. Red lead lifted their spirits and was a menace at times.
A touching story of one cats adventures and how much she meant to those around her.

The story also displays the turmoil Australia faced when at war with Japan.

[Robyn Coyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one I wasn't too sure about, but gave it a go (book not Kindle). I really enjoyed the story about this amazing cat during WWII. Not my usual read, but happy I was given this book as a Christmas present.

[Mark Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a bit sceptical of the premise but in fact the life of this cat is used to tell a story that spans the sinking of the Perth, Prison in Singapore and the Death Railway. Perry's books are always a good read.

[Karen Worthington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red Lead was an amazing cat. I love how she helped keep the ship's crew alive and well.
The story included the emotional and mental trials the sailors overcame, and how the Aussie spirit kept their comradeship together. Some sad incidents, and happy moments made the story authentic.

[Helen Pogson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Red Lead, the ship’s cat on HMAS Perth, which was sunk by the Japanese during WW2. A realistic yet compassionate look at the life of the survivors of that disaster, including Red Lead. A book I will read again and again.

[Envy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel a bit mixed about this one, I was hoping the story was more focused on Red Lead herself, but it turned out to be a story about a group of Australian POW's more so. But it was interesting, albeit short. The ending was pretty bittersweet, too.

[Moshe Hollander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little feel good piece of writing 😊

[V.E. Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful true story of a unique, and very brave cat, and the loyal men who loved her and kept her, and themselves, alive whilst enduring almost unimaginably awful conditions. Five stars.

[Vincent · Rating 3 out of 5]

An apocryphal, but fast paced and entertaining historical novel.

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful heart-warming book for cat-lovers and those with an interest in Australian WW2 history

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book. One I will read again for sure

[Mim Mckay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red Lead was one amazing feline. This was a wonderful book and had me hooked from the first page.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is brilliant. It is the reason the book gets 4 stars. For the story…

[Kaptain Kniccas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched page turner.
Sweet story about a cat and a war.
Many heart felt moments.
Given to me as a gift, I thoroughly enjoyed it.