The Killer Bees: Australian Independent Companies and Commandos at War, 1942-1945
By (Author) Gregory Blake
Big Sky Publishing
Big Sky Publishing
3rd July 2024
Australia
Non Fiction
Modern warfare
Special and elite forces
Battles and campaigns
Military history
Paperback
224
Width 3886mm, Height 5842mm
The Independent Companies and Commandos were a unique form of sub-unit within the Australian army during the Second World War. They were units composed of an exceptional group of individuals with very special attributes and skills who thrived on the unconventional and doing things very much in their own way. The army found it very hard to accept this at first but ultimately allowed the Independent Companies and Commandos to fight in their own style. They did this in the Jungles of Timor, New Guinea and Bougainville using tactics and procedures all of their own. As exponents of jungle warfare they were second to none and contributed significantly to important Australian military campaigns from 1942 until 1945. This history follows the story of some of these remarkable soldiers and units and the manner in which they fought the war against Japan at a time when Australia was engaged in a struggle for its very existence.
Gregory Blake was born in Melbourne in 1955. Since a very early age, he has had a keen interest in military history and has written numerous articles on the subject, for publications in Australian, the UK and the US. Greg is a secondary school teacher and tutor at the Australian Defence Force Academy. Greg served with the Australian Army Reserve during the 1970s and 1980s. He is an accomplished artist and in addition to illustrations in this book, has contributed his talents to magazines and instructional texts both in Australia and overseas.