A 0100 on 1 March 1942, after several heroic battles, the HMAS 'Perth' sank
off the coast of Java. Less than half of the ship's company survived. 'Perth'
lost 357 sailors and a further 320 became prisoners of war, 106 of whom were to
later die in captivity. Only 214 men were repatriated to Australian at the end
of the war.
'Cruel Conflict' is the story of the men who served in HMAS 'Perth' between
1939 and 1942. The courage and humour of those who were taken as prisoners of
war, who endured the hardships of the camps and laboured on the Burma-Thailand
railway is a story of triumph and tragedy.
Kathryn Spurling has interviewed the survivors and their families as well as
mining thousands of documents to weave together a moving table. It is ultimately
a story of chance, endurance and the power of the human spirit.
Contents:
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Timeline
Map of the Burma-Thailand Railway
1. For those in peril on the sea
2. One is amazed at, and somewhat ashamed of, the lack of foresight any of us
had
3. We soon came to realise that we were now in a real war
4. Who can sleep, our nerves are just about going ... I cannot stand much more
of it without a rest
5. I am only nineteen years old! What us expected of me? How much more can I
give?
6. In battleship grey with swirling black camouflage stripes down her sides she
was a thrilling sight
7. War can be one of man's most exhilarating experiences, just as it can be
terrifying and repugnant
8. 'Perth' in anger was one of the finest sights
9. We fought like hell, but it was never going to be enough
10. They fought for King and Country and sleep in sailor's graves
11. Hell on Earth
12. They were rotten with ulcers, malaria, and every other disease and the
stench from their hut made one vomit
13. A shining example of a good fellow, only a kid but remarkable in spirit and
everything else
14. Some incidents I cane never forget, as thry are indelibly imprinted in my
mind
Endnotes
Bibliography
Index
