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 DAY THEIR LUCK RAN OUT

NAME: Ray Goode

DATE: 1943

UNIT: Sunderland N for Nuts 461 Squadron

LOCATION: South Wales

The flying boat, in which Warrant Officer Ray Goode was a tail gunner and radio operator, disappeared without trace with its entire crew after being attacked by six Junkers JU88 fighter aircraft somewhere off the coast of South Wales.
 

RAY SURVIVED EIGHT DAYS ON THE RUN FROM JAPANESE

NAME: Ray Graetz

DATE: 1944

UNIT: 100 Squadron RAAF

LOCATION: New Guinea

Flying Officer Ray Graetz was a wireless operator/air gunner on a bombing and strafing mission with eight other Beauforts over Wewak in May 1944 when his plane was shot down by enemy gunfire.
 

AFTER ALL THAT - THE BEER WAS WARM

NAME: John  Grigsby

DATE: 1945

UNIT: 1st Tactical Air Force Coms Unit

LOCATION: Australia, Morotai

Most servicemen like a drink and airmen are no exception so when a group of young RAAF personnel were waiting at the Sandgate Embarkation Depot in 1944 to board the USS Sea Ray due to sail for Morotai the next morning, they were keen to let their hair down.
 

SURF RACE HELD DESPITE THE WAR

NAME: Bill Grose

DATE: 1940

UNIT: 6th Division AIF

LOCATION: Gaza, Middle East

The Mediterranean is not renowned for its surf carnivals at the best of times much less in the middle of a major war. Which makes the holding of an open surf race in 1940 all the more remarkable.
 

SISTER HAMILTON SERVED MUCH OF THE WAR ON NIGHT DUTY

NAME: Vera Hamilton

DATE: 1940 - 1945

UNIT: 2nd AIF

LOCATION: Middle East, New Guinea, Australia

Sister Vera Hamilton was nursing at Scott Memorial Hospital at Scone, New South Wales, when war was declared and immediately enlisted but it was to be 12 months before she got the call. Once it came it was but a few days before she was on a boat heading for the Middle East.
 

A BEER BOTTLE BARRAGE AND STEALING INTO TIMOR

NAME: Bernard Harte

DATE: 1941 - 1944

UNIT: 11 and 20 Squadrons RAAF

LOCATION: Australia, Pacific

During World War Two I spent much of my flying career in the Royal Australian Air Force as a wireless operator-gunner in Catalina flying boats, from mid-1941 to 1943, mostly covering the South Pacific theatre.
 

TELEGRAM BRINGS GOOD NEWS FOR A CHANGE

NAME: Peter Haythorpe

DATE: 1945

UNIT: Royal Australian Artillery

LOCATION: New Guinea

Telegrams were all too often the bringer of bad news during World War II. So when Mr and Mrs Haythorpe, received an urgent telegram on 21 May 1945, they feared the worst.
 

CONNIE ENTERTAINED THE TROOPS DURING WORLD WAR II

NAME: Connie Hobbs

DATE: 1939 - 1945

UNIT: Civilian

LOCATION: Europe, Middle East

Connie Hobbs was a young Australian actress working in London when World War II broke out. As a member of J.C. Williamson's theatre productions, she had gone to England to further her stage career.
 

YOU WAITED WITH A SICK FEELING, NOT ABLE TO SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR FAMILY

NAME: Rick Hunter

DATE: 1939

UNIT: 2/1 Field Ambulance, 6th Div

LOCATION: Middle East

Rick Hunter was a bit of a rebel so when he came into contact with the German authorities whilst a prisoner of war, he determined to give as good as he got.
 

SEVEN AUSSIE DIGGERS ESCAPE SINGAPORE ON A SIXTEEN-FOOT SKIFF

NAME: James Iliffe

DATE: 1941-1942

UNIT: Ordnance Unit attached to 8th Division Headquarters

LOCATION: Malaya & Singapore

When British officers advanced towards the Japanese lines on Singapore on 15 February 1942, waving a white flag, seven Australian soldiers decided to make a break for it.