The conflagration which destroyed the 'Empire Patrol' after World War II took with it more than just the lives of many Greek refugees. For most of the survivors, their prospects of returning to normal peacetime homes went down along with the ship and their worldly belongings, and any physical evidence which would have revealed who was to blame. Fifty years on, 'Embers on the Sea' provides the first clear analysis of what went wrong before and during the journey, in the lax rescue operation, and at the British Naval Inquiry which followed.
Paul Boyatzis, a Perth doctor who survived the voyage, and Sydney lawyer and historian, Nicholas Pappas, have teamed to piece the whole story together in text, pictures and interviews.
Tracing the historical background since the turn of the century, they explain how it is that a single shipwreck spelt the end of a Mediterranean town and set off a wave of migration to Australia.
Contents:
Prologue
Map
List of Key Persons
1. Introduction
2. The Evacuation of Castellorizo
3. Life on the Camps
4. The Voyage Begins
5. A Fire
6. Rescue
7. A Naval Inquiry: The First Day
8. Day 2: A Reluctant Search Party
9. A Nest of Discrepancies
10. The Finding
Epilogue
Refugees Whose Lives Were Lost
Notes on Documentary Sources
Acknowledgements
Photo Credits
Index
