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.

CHANCE MEETING LED TO CHANGE OF CAREER

NAME: Joyce Neal

DATE: 1942 - 1945

UNIT: 4AD RAAF

LOCATION: Boulder, WA

A chance meeting on a train journey changed the course of Joyce Neal's career. She had been in the WAAAF for a year and was returning to her base in South Australia after some home leave in Perth when she got chatting to other girls on the train.
 

AN EXTRAORDINARY WAR FOR HMS KANIMBLA

NAME: Frank Newman

DATE: 1939 - 1945

UNIT: RANR

LOCATION: Far East, Middle East, Asia, Pacific

The Australian passenger ship MV Kanimbla had an extraordinary war. She was converted into an armed merchant carrier in September 1939 and seconded to the Royal Navy. Apart from capturing 22 enemy ships she also steamed more than 470,000 miles during the war, a record for any ship flying the White Ensign.
 

POW CAMP JOURNALS KEPT MORALE HIGH

NAME: POW camp newsletters

DATE: 1942 - 1944

UNIT:

LOCATION: Europe

To offset the boredom of life in prisoner of war camps, particularly those in the European conflict, a huge amount of effort went into physical and creative activity – apart from the many escape plans.
 

SINGAPORE

NAME: E.A. Nichols, Through Magazine

DATE: 1941

UNIT: Signals 8th Australian Division

LOCATION: Singapore

Through magazine was the official journal of Signals 8th Australian Division. The first edition was produced in Singapore in December 1941, shortly before Singapore fell.
 

FISHING HELPED SUPPLEMENT CREW'S DIET

NAME: Morris Ochert

DATE: 1939 - 1945

UNIT: Merchant seaman

LOCATION: Pacific

Morris Ochert OAM was a merchant seaman throughout World War II. He served as an engineer on a variety of ships, sailing to all parts of the world.
 

SEAFARER FALLS FOR WOMAN'S CHARMS

NAME: Morris Ochert

DATE: 1942

UNIT: Merchant seaman

LOCATION: Canada

It was in the fourth year of World War II. The oiler on my watch on a merchant navy vessel went missing for the entire time we were in a Canadian port. He showed up on the last morning just before we were due to leave.
 

SECRET DIARY OF LIFE IN CHANGI

NAME: Jack O'Donnell

DATE: 1941 - 1945

UNIT: 10 AGH

LOCATION: Changi POW Camp

When Sgt Jack O'Donnell was taken prisoner at the fall of Singapore, he was, quite naturally, rather depressed about life. But rather than give in to melancholy, he decided to document his experiences as best he could.
 

ENGINEER KEPT HMAS NAPIER GOING AFTER BOMB DISABLED HER

NAME: 'Bug" Oliver

DATE: 1941

UNIT: HMAS Napier

LOCATION: Crete

The Australian destroyer Napier was one of several ships which played a major role in the evacuation of Allied troops from Crete in May 1941, but she almost didn't make it.
 

THE ANZAC CLUB

NAME:  P.C., Through Magazine

DATE: 1941

UNIT: Signals 8th Australian Division

LOCATION: Singapore

Through magazine was the official journal of Signals 8th Australian Division. The first edition was produced in Singapore in December 1941, shortly before Singapore fell.
 

TOBRUK TEST

NAME: H.B. Paterson

DATE: 1941

UNIT: AIF

LOCATION: Middle East

This is the second of two poems written by H.B. Paterson, son of Banjo Paterson, for his friend Victor Wright, during service in Tobruk.