Almost a million Australians, both men and women, served in the Second World War. Many of those who came home chose not to talk about their experiences.

The Great Search uncovered a previously unknown story about Australian airmen who, when they ran out of bombs, decided to drop bottles on the enemy. To the distracted foe, the bottles sounded just like shells.

Another story begins with a photo of an Aussie Beaufort Bomber, minutes after being shot down over the Pacific and turns into one of the most remarkable stories of survival behind enemy lines you are ever likely to read.

THE BATTLE OF THE SUPPLY SHIPS

NAME: John Reid

DATE: 1942 - 1945

UNIT: 113 Squadron RAAF, POW

LOCATION: Burma

On 9 September 1942, Sgt John Reid flew his Blenheim bomber in an attack on enemy shipping anchored at Akya Island off the Burmese coast.
 

WOUNDED TROOPS FOUGHT THEIR WAY TO SAFETY THROUGH THE JUNGLE

NAME: Pat Reynolds

DATE: 1942

UNIT: 2/19th Battalion AIF

LOCATION: Malaya

Lt Pat Reynolds was a Platoon Commander with the 2/19th Battalion AIF, fighting in Malaya in 1942.
 

COASTWATCHERS PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN PACIFIC WAR

NAME: Frederick Ashton 'Snow'  Rhoades

DATE: 1942 - 1945

UNIT: Coastwatchers, RAN

LOCATION: Solomon Islands

Coastwatchers in the Pacific played an important role in the Allied victory in World War II. They defied the odds and constant danger of being caught by the Japanese, to feed vital information to the Allies.
 

GREECE LIKE A PICNIC COMPARED WITH CRETE

NAME: Vincent Rigney

DATE: 1941

UNIT: 6th Division AIF

LOCATION: Crete

Much has been written about the heroism of Australian troops as they fought a desperate rearguard action against overwhelming odds after the German invasion of Crete.
 

A 'RAT' WITH A NICE TURN OF PHRASE

NAME: George Vincent Sarto Rudge

DATE: 1939 - 1945

UNIT: 2/4 Field Coy RAE

LOCATION: Tobruk

Sapper George Vincent Sarto Rudge was one of the Rats of Tobruk. He was also a poet with an eye for detail who spent much of his spare time recording in his diaries the events in which he was involved.
 

REX LEARNED TO FLATTEN HIMSELF OUT TO THE THICKNESS OF CARDBOARD

NAME: Rex  Ruwoldt

DATE: 1942

UNIT: 19th Light Horse Machine Gun Regiment

LOCATION: Darwin

Rex Ruwoldt was just 17 when he enlisted in 1940. Officially he was too young but a little adjustment to his date of birth fixed that problem.
 

AWAS OPERATED SECRET WIRELESS STATION AT LESMURDIE

NAME: Ethel  Samuels

DATE: 1942 - 1945

UNIT: AWAS

LOCATION: Lesmurdie, WA

Following the Japanese bombings of Northern Australia in 1942, an extensive communication network was urgently needed in Western Australia.
 

WIRELESS OPERATORS KEPT AN EYE ON NORTHERN AUSTRALIA

NAME: Bruce Samuels

DATE: 1942 - 1945

UNIT: 15 Line of Communications

LOCATION: Western Australia

Communications in the vast open areas of northern Australia have always been a challenge but a hardy band of wireless operators spent much of World War II doing their best to cover the area, often living in primitive conditions as they scanned the skies for enemy aircraft.
 

ABC CORRESPONDENT BROADCASTS STORIES OF BRAVERY

NAME: Ken Sanderson

DATE: 1942 - 1943

UNIT: Men of Australian Cavalry Regiment

LOCATION: New Guinea

There were many tales of valour from the fighting in New Guinea during World War II. Typical was the story of 22-year-old Ken Sanderson.
 

ARTICLES OUTLINED LIFE IN OCCUPIED JAPAN

NAME: Eric Saxon

DATE: 1946 - 1947

UNIT: British Commonwealth Occupation Forces

LOCATION: Japan

Eric Saxon was a happy and relieved man when he sailed into Kure Harbour in Japan on 9 April 1946 with the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces (BCOF).