geoffjy
27-10-2008, 11:36 AM
Just going through some of the books in my collection and came across one that might be of interest to you.
Its called "I didnt know that, Cairns and Districts, Tully to Cape York, 1939 - 1946, Service Personnel and Civilians", published in 1995 and is 432 pages. The author of the book is Vera Bradley.
Here is a bit of the blurb on it-
Previously there has been a great void in the history of Cairns and North Queensland between the war years 1939 - 1945.
During this time North Queensland was under the threat of invasion and attack as the war in the Pacific came closer to Australia's shore.
North Queensland quickly became Australia's frontline with military bases and defence establishments spread throughout the region. Civilians were encouraged to move south. Those wishing to travel north of Tully were required to obtain a travel pass from the military authorities. Censorship and all forms of restrictions and control were strictly applied on military and civilian personnel movements, unit dispersions, communications and photography. Very few people knew what was happening elsewhere apart from what their own jobs demanded. Now Vera Bradley has set about filling this void. She is to be commended for her dedication and hard work in producing such a valuable historical record of far North Queensland during those desperate years of the Second World War. Vera has workes tirelessly in contacting people, units and groups to get the first hand accounts of their activities. It is timely that she has chosen too record this history now before memories fade or are completely lost. What makes her history so interesting and informative 50 years on is that she has interwoven the peronal viewpoints with the official accounts, therby giving us a vibrant picture of the effects of the war on the lives of ordinary people.
Anyone reading this book will be surprised at the intricate involvment of local people and units, and especially of the women's services in the overall pattern of civilian and military events. It will help those local men and women who were involved in small and isolated ways to see their place in the broad picture as North Queensland changed from a casual tropical town into a hive of military and civil activity, as service personnel and units from the southern States and overseas all converged onits shores.
"I didnt know that" with its wealth of detail concerning people,places and units, will supply the answers to many of the questions people have been asking for the past 50 years.
Its called "I didnt know that, Cairns and Districts, Tully to Cape York, 1939 - 1946, Service Personnel and Civilians", published in 1995 and is 432 pages. The author of the book is Vera Bradley.
Here is a bit of the blurb on it-
Previously there has been a great void in the history of Cairns and North Queensland between the war years 1939 - 1945.
During this time North Queensland was under the threat of invasion and attack as the war in the Pacific came closer to Australia's shore.
North Queensland quickly became Australia's frontline with military bases and defence establishments spread throughout the region. Civilians were encouraged to move south. Those wishing to travel north of Tully were required to obtain a travel pass from the military authorities. Censorship and all forms of restrictions and control were strictly applied on military and civilian personnel movements, unit dispersions, communications and photography. Very few people knew what was happening elsewhere apart from what their own jobs demanded. Now Vera Bradley has set about filling this void. She is to be commended for her dedication and hard work in producing such a valuable historical record of far North Queensland during those desperate years of the Second World War. Vera has workes tirelessly in contacting people, units and groups to get the first hand accounts of their activities. It is timely that she has chosen too record this history now before memories fade or are completely lost. What makes her history so interesting and informative 50 years on is that she has interwoven the peronal viewpoints with the official accounts, therby giving us a vibrant picture of the effects of the war on the lives of ordinary people.
Anyone reading this book will be surprised at the intricate involvment of local people and units, and especially of the women's services in the overall pattern of civilian and military events. It will help those local men and women who were involved in small and isolated ways to see their place in the broad picture as North Queensland changed from a casual tropical town into a hive of military and civil activity, as service personnel and units from the southern States and overseas all converged onits shores.
"I didnt know that" with its wealth of detail concerning people,places and units, will supply the answers to many of the questions people have been asking for the past 50 years.