| Main Title: |
The men who came out of the ground : a gripping account of Australia's first commando campaign: Timor 1942 / Paul Cleary. |
|
| Author: |
Cleary, Paul, 1964-
|
| Imprint: |
Hachette, 2010. |
| Collation: |
xviii, 382 p., [16] p. of plates : ill., maps, portraits, bib., index, pbk ; 24 cm. |
| Summary: |
By February 1942, the Japanese had invaded the Dutch East Indies as part of their push south. All that stood in the way of their moving significant resources to take part in the main fighting in Papua New Guinea was a force of 700 Australian commandos and a few hundred Dutch soldiers.
The gripping story of a small force of Australian Special Forces commandos that launched relentless hit and run raids on far superior Japanese forces in East Timor for most of 1942.These Australians were the men of the 2/2nd Australian Independent Company - a special commando unit. Initially stranded without radio contact to Australia, the Japanese declared these bearded warriors outlaws and warned they would be executed immediately if captured. the Australians drawn mainly from the bush, were chosen for their ability to operate independently and survive in hostile territory. As film-maker Damien Parer said after visiting in Timor in late 1942, these men are writing an epic of guerrilla warfare .Expertly researched by Paul Cleary, who is fluent in Tetum, the main language of the indigenous group of East Timor, it contains black and white photos. |
| Subject: |
Australian Independent Company, 2/2nd
Sparrow Force
Australian Army
Guerilla warfare
World War, 1939-1945
Military history
East Timor
Indonesia
Dutch East Indies
|
| ISBN: |
9780733623189 (pbk.) |
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