Australia 1944 45

Thoroughly researched and generously illustrated, Australia 1944-45 is the compelling final instalment in Peter Dean's Pacific War series.

The first major study since 1963 to examine the historic Australian military campaign of 1944-1945 at Bougainville in the South Pacific.

During the Second World War, in the mountains and jungles of Timor, Bougainville and New Guinea, Australian commando units fought arduous campaigns against the Japanese. The story of these elite independent companies and commando squadrons, whose soldiers wore the distinctive double-diamond insignia, is told here for the first time. Through 130 powerful images from the Australian War Memorial’s unparalleled collection – some never published before – Double Diamonds captures the operational history of these units and the personal stories of the men who served in them, many of whom lost their lives or the friends who trained and fought alongside them.

This volume concludes the Army Series. It describes the Australian Army campaigns in the last months of 1944 and in 1945. It tells the full story of the fighting in Bougainville, New Britain, round Wewak, at Balikpapan and Tarakan and in British Borneo.

Between the wars - Mediterranean campaign - Japanese threat - Malaya - New Guinea - Australia's role in the war - Australian armed services casualties.