Lark Force of the Australian Army were deployed to guard the capital of New England, Rabul, against Japanese invasion. After reinforcing the island, a period of garrison duty was shattered when the Japanese attacked in overwhelming numbers on January 23, 1942. Finally told to evacuate the island, the Australian troops had no alternative but to flee into jungle to survive as best they could in the unforgiving territory. Of fifteen hundred men, only around 400 survived to be captured by Japanese forces, and 141 were summarily executed. Placed in a transport ship - the Montevideo Maru- bound for the Hainan islands, the survivors were bound for even more tragedy when the ship was torpedoed by an American submarine with the loss of a further 1000 Australian lives.
WWII History Magazine, May 2007
"For whatever reason, far too few books about Australia's
participation in World War II make it to these shores. Had it not
been for Bruce Gamble's remarkable history of Aussie courage at
Rabaul, comparable at least with the American and Filipino doomed
defense of Corregidor Island or the brave but futile U.S. stand at
Wake Island, few Americans would know what went on there...Author
Gamble pored over forgotten files and official reports and
conducted interviews with the handful of surviviing veterans to
craft this tragic, heroic story. A terrific tale about a
little-known (to Americans) battle."
World War II, June 2007"The author takes a grunt's-eye view of not
just the battle, but its horrid aftermaths for POWs."
WW2 Database(online), February 2007"Exhaustively researched and
descriptively written, Gamble's narrative of Darkest Hour is rich
in detail but yet still easy to read. Pick up a copy, settle into
your favorite chair, and be careful not to get lost in the wild
growth of the South Pacific jungles."
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