War Diaries
Fred
Lasslett was posted to HMAS Perth in 1940. After several convoy duties from Fremantle to
After a number of battles
in the Mediterranean, HMAS Perth was transferred to the Indonesian islands in
1942 to take up the fight against the Japanese invasion in
Fred’s diaries vividly
describe:
Encounters with
the Japanese near Surabaya, Java
The Battle of
Sunda Strait and sinking of HMAS Perth & USS Houston
Capture by the
Japanese and imprisonment in Java
Escape and the
days on the run
Re-capture and
facing a firing squad
Life and
entertainment in the “Bicycle Camp”
Transfer to
Changi and Japan
The highs and
lows of day to day life in a Japanese POW camp
Fred
wrote this diary while a prisoner of war. In the form of weekly letters to ‘the
elusive Nola’, his writings paint a first hand picture of three years as a
prisoner of the Japanese. They tell a story of making the best of the adverse
conditions, and the suffering, hope and compassion, lifted by Fred’s sense of
humour. Photos, drawings, records of Japanese instructions to the Australian POWs,
Australian Navy records, first hand accounts, explanatory maps and a foreword
and epilogue from Fred supplement the diary.
The diaries were written by Fred
Lasslett, in pencil, beginning in a small exercise book, and then continuing
onto sheets of cigarette paper, which were concealed from the Japanese whilst
imprisoned.
“War Diaries” has been published by
Brolga Publishing. To obtain a copy, contact sales@procex.com.au .
The cost is AU$24.95 (plus postage).