Subcategories

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  Battalion or Unit Histories Army

  <p>World War Two Battalion or Unit Histories - Australian Battalion History Books WW2</p>
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  RAAF World War 2

  <p>Australian Military Books relating to RAAF Royal Australian Air Force Operations during World War Two. 15000 RAAF servicemen took part in the air war in Europe during WW2. RAAF's greatest casualties were with the Bomber Command raids. Only 3% of Australians who served to WW2 went as part of a bomber aircrew yet 39% of all Australia's WW2 casualties were from this bomber command group, 1000 of which were from a single RAAF Squadron, 460 Sqn flying out of Binbrook UK. The commander of 460 Sqn, Kieth Parsons general rule of thumb was that out of 3 new crews one would be lost within 3 weeks. As the war continued the RAAF became heavily engaged against the advance of the Japanese towards Australia.</p>
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  RAN World War 2

  <p>Australian Military Books relating to RAN Australian Navy World War Two. The Australian Navy played a major roll in defending Australia from the Japanese advance during WW2. In November 1941, all 645 men on board HMAS Sydney were lost when she was sunk by the German raider Kormoran. Disaster continued into 1942 which is considered the ‘blackest’ period for the RAN. In 1942, the Australian Navy suffered the loss of 3 larger ships, HMAS Canberra, Yarra and Perth along with Vampire, Kuttabul, Voyager and Armidale.</p>
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  Australian Battle Histories WW2

  Australian Military books relating to the History of the Battle - Battlefield Archaeology - Then and Now. Australian War Books about the Battles of Bardia, Siege of Tobruk, El Alamein, Kokoda, Buna, Gona, Sanananda Battle of the Bismarck Sea. Battle of Britain Books please refer to the RAAF WW2 military book category.
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  Australians in the War of 1939-45 Official History Books

  <p>Official Australian World War Two Histories - Published by Australian War Memorial The writing and recording of Australia's war history has been the responsibly of the AWM. The Australian War Memorial's gathering of information for the Official Australian World War Two Histories began in January 1943 with the appointment of Gavin Long as General Editor. It turned into a massive task with 22 volumes being printed over a 25 year period between 1952 and 1977. A total of 14 authors worked on the project. The Volumes are divided in 5 Series which are aligned to the various services and civil considerations of the war. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army Volume I – To Benghazi (1st edition, 1952) Volume II – Greece, Crete and Syria (1st edition, 1953) Volume III – Tobruk and El Alamein (1st edition, 1966) Volume IV – The Japanese Thrust (1st edition, 1957) Volume V – South–West Pacific Area – First Year: Kokoda to Wau (1st edition, 1959) Volume VI – The New Guinea Offensives (1st edition, 1961) Volume VII – The Final Campaigns (1st edition, 1963) Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 2 – Navy Volume I – Royal Australian Navy, 1939–1942 (1st edition, 1957) Volume II – Royal Australian Navy, 1942–1945 (1st edition, 1968) Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 3 – Air Volume I – Royal Australian Air Force, 1939–1942 (1st edition, 1962) Volume II – Air War Against Japan, 1943–1945 (1st edition, 1957) Volume III – Air War Against Germany and Italy, 1939–1943 (1st edition, 1954) Volume IV – Air Power Over Europe, 1944–1945 (1st edition, 1963) Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 4 – Civil Volume I – The Government and the People, 1939–1941 Volume II – The Government and the People, 1942–1945 (1st edition, 1970) Volume III – War Economy, 1939–1942 (1st edition, 1955) Volume IV – War Economy, 1942–1945 (1st edition, 1977) Volume V – The Role of Science and Industry (1st edition, 1958) Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 5 – Medical Volume I - Clinical Problems of War Volume II – Middle East and Far East Volume III – The Island Campaigns Volume IV – Medical Services of the RAN and RAAF</p>
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  Other Battle Histories

  <p>Other World War Two Battles in which Australia did not play a substantial role.</p>
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  POW Histories

  <p>Australian POW Books The advance of the Japanese during WW2 was fast and brutal. Singapore and the Pacific Islands were defended by thousands of Australians. In the first three months of 1942, the major locations that were surrendered included Malaya, Singapore, Java, Ambon, Timor and Rabaul. As these places were surrendered to the Japanese more than 22,000 Australians became prisoners of war. In the early part of WW2, the soldiers did not realise that the Japanese would treat POWs so harshly. The Japanese seen the POWs as sub human and exploited the soldiers as forced slave labour. The treatment become more severe as the war continued. It was just not the forced labour which made POW life difficult but the cruel torture, including food and medical deprivation. In many POW camps like Sandakan the Japanese wanted to cover up earlier war crimes by killing all POW witnesses. They then devised the horrendous Death Marches. Over 8000 Australian POWs died in captivity. These POW books examine how Australians went into captivity, how they endured, how so many lost their lives and the war crime trials after WW2 .</p>
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  Digger Stories

  <p>During WW2, many Australian Servicemen recorded their daily events into their diary. After the war, right up to present times,some veterans and other authors have published war books using these dairies as a basis. These books normally take the form of a biography with greater emphasis on the digger's war history. Researchers find their accounts beneficial for added detail of the battle or just what was happening during their daily life. Family historians seek books which have been written by a veteran from the same Battalion as their family member. This can provide extra details of what may have been happening to their relative at that time.</p>
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  Hitler Nazi Germany

  <p>Books about Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler. Without doubt the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany was one of the defining periods of the 20th Century. Directly after his service in World War I he joined the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP). Hitler devised the party's banner using a swastika. Hitler began speaking at Munich Beer Halls in the early 1920s. Using crowd psychology, patriotic populist themes, he had a hypnotic effect over large audiences. He became an experienced speaker. Support grew throughout Germany for his party which ultimately led to the Third Reich and the calamity of World War II. He committed suicide in the Bunker at the end of World War II.</p>
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  Weapons of WW2

  <p>Weapons of WW2 - World War II seen the staggering advancement of many weapons. From personal guns to advanced missiles, WW2 saw an escalation in the technology, design and power. Aircraft development, battlefield tanks, personal machine guns, explosive ammunitions all advanced considerably during this war.</p>