I am indebted to many people for their help in producing this book. I thank, in particular, the veterans in Australia and Japan who spent hours drawing on distant and difficult memories to assist my understanding of the campaign. Their names are listed in the bibliography. Several were exceptionally helpful: in Australia, Stan Bissett, Basil Catterns, Paul Cullen, and the late Laurie Howson and Phil Rhoden (both of whom died during the writing of this book); in Japan, Imanishi Sadaharu, Shimada Yuki and Yamasaki Yukiharu.
I thank also the soldiers’ families for their time and permission to view private papers, diaries and photographs. I’m especially grateful to Gloria Bissett; Angela and Nina Catterns; Eve Cullen; Philippa, Brian and Richard Honner; Rob McLean; and Geoff Steward.
I’m indebted to the Australian Veterans’ Associations whose units fought in New Guinea; the Returned & Services League for helping to arrange meetings in Australia; as well as the 144th Regiment Veterans’ Association in Japan, who invited me to their annual reunion in Kochi, in 2003.
A few individuals played an essential role in making this book possible. They are: my great literary agent, Deborah Callaghan, who swatted problems I scarcely knew existed; Hajime Marutani, indefatigable translator, interpreter, cultural guide and excellent dinner companion during my journey through Japan; Kitagawa Fumiyuki, the Japanese defencé attache in Canberra, who was vital in helping to arrange meetings in Japan; Dee Johnstone, for her wonderful hospitality during my stay in Canberra; researchers Angela Priestley and Nikki Woloszuk, for whom no task was too difficult; Frank Taylor, of Kokoda Treks & Tours, for a safe and well-informed passage across the Owen Stanleys; and, of course, the people at HarperCollins, notably publisher Alison Urquhart and editors Catherine Day and Neil Thomas.
Many others offered help, advice, criticism or simply the time of day, and I thank them: Georgia Arnott; Drew Blomfield; Dr Steven Bullard; Deborah Burdett; Cameron Cooper; Dr Chris Coulthard-Clark; Jacqui Crouch; Hugh Fraser; George Friend; Mark Friezer; Emma Harcourt; Dr Carol Hayes; Sarah Heather; Professor David Horner; Emma Jones; Bill James; Michelle L’Huillier; Tom Keneally; Charlie Lynn; Lex McAulay; Kate Manka; Hilary McDowell; Andrew McGeehan; Justin Mclean; Dr Hank Nelson; Rusty Priest; David Rich; Tony Rees; John Rennie; Keith Richmond; Mick Ryan; Pat Sheil; Dr Peter Stanley; Nobby Sugimoto; Keiko Tamura; Tanaka Hiromi; Robyn Van Dyk; Kerry-Anne Walsh; and Geoffrey Wright.
I’m very grateful to the staff of several libraries who dealt imperturbably with the most obscure requests: the Australian War Memorial, Canberra; the Kochi Municipal Library, Kochi City, Japan; the Mitchell and State Libraries, Sydney; the National Archives, Canberra; the National Institute of Defence Studies, Tokyo; the National Library, Canberra; and the Waverley Municipal Library, Sydney. Of all my sources, the monumental research of Peter Brune, David Day and David Horner was especially useful, and I acknowledge my debt to them.
Finally, thanks to my family for their constant interest and encouragement, and to my nine-year old son, Ollie, for an endless stream of unwitting inspiration. Near the completion of this book he produced from the chaotic depths of his school bag a toy soldier. He smiled happily, and proceeded to shoot it. A child’s blissful ignorance of the reality of war is at once heartening and immensely saddening, given the thought of what was to happen to similar boys when they became young men, in July 1942.