Kathryn Spurling – författare

This is the story of HMAS Canberra from from the time the ship was commissioned in 1928 to the last terrifying moments when HMAS Canberrarsquo;s fate was sealed.Some may know the fate of HMAS Canberra on 9 August 1942 in a war-ravaged Pacific Ocean. World War II was in full force and it was about to overwhelm those onboard the Australian Navy cruiser. But the events that lead to Canberrarsquo;s demise on that dark night are not so well known ndash; until now. A tribute to the 84 men whose lives were lost, this book tells their stories and those of the men who survived ndash; all share their motivations for joining the Navy and tell what it was like onboard.If there were questions about the readiness of Australian warships for modern warfare, or about the power of the British Admiralty over Australian Royal Navy Officers, this book has the answers.What was the role of the American fleet? Was there an international cover-up concerning friendly fire on that night?Be informed about a significant event in our naval history. Be inspired by the stories of the men who served. But most of all, be prepared to be shocked.

The story of the men who served in HMAS PERTH in the early years of the second World WarCruel Conflict is the story of the men who served in HMAS Perth between 1939 and 1942. The courage and humour of those who were taken as prisoners of war, who endured the hardships of the camps and laboured on the Burma-Thailand railway is a story of triumph and tragedy. Kathryn Spurling has interviewed the survivors and their families as well as mining thousands of documents to weave together a moving tale. It is ultimately a story of chance, endurance and the power of the human spirit.

Rabaul, New Guinea, is a tropical paradise, but between January and July 1942 it was a tragic and terrifying place. Hundreds of Australian defence force volunteers and civilians were massacred by the invading Japanese. Forced into the holds of the hellship Montevideo Maru, a further 1053 perished in Australia’s worst maritime disaster. On 22 June 1942, 845 military POWs and over 200 civilian internees left Rabaul on the Montevideo Maru, a freighter requisitioned by the Japanese navy, for Hainan, off the southern coast of China. On 1 July this vessel was torpedoed and sunk by the submarine USS Sturgeon close to Luzon, resulting in the deaths of all prisoners and internees on board. Most were barely adults, still too young to vote. All were forsaken and sacrificed by Australia’s government and military leaders. Decades of official denial and subterfuge have ensued, as families continue to fight for the truth and to understand why the Australian Government was so slow in admitting this ever happened? Having made contact with many families of civilian and military personnel who perished on the Maru, Dr Spurling’s book uncovers the forgotten story … how young and inexperienced the soldiers were who were sent to Rabaul in 1941; and the ensuing Government denial and cover-up (Australian Prime Minister Menzies noted that the matter should not be pursued because it might endanger post-war trade with Japan!) 22 June 2017 is the 75 th Anniversary of the sinking of the Montevideo Maru … a dark, relativeley unknown chapter in Australian military history. Through working directly with the families and friends of the victims, Dr Kathryn Spurling has documented their history in time to have the book out for this anniversary. Whilst there have been several books written, particularly on the military personnel, the Montevideo Association has asked Dr Spurling to write a book more focussed on the families and loved ones whose lives were greatly impacted by this event.

A Grave Too Far Away illuminates the story of the men of (RAF)Royal Air Force Bomber Command Europe 1939-1945 who answered the call of their nation to defend the Mother Country in World War II.A Grave Too Far Away describes the highs and lows of their training and military service through letters, interviews and remembered stories. The demands of the bombing campaign on men and aircraft were enormous and the horrors of war deeply felt by the youthful Australians ordered to carry out operations. After WWII these young men would face derision and would fight their own demons but their service and sacrifice would continue to reverberate for generations around the globe. Their loss and legacy will endure for generations.