Author(s): Mat McLachlan

History

During World War II, in the town of Cowra in central New South Wales, Japanese prisoners of war were held in an internment camp. By August 1944 over a thousand were interned and on the icy night of August 5th they staged the largest prison breakout in history, launching the only battle of World War II to be fought on Australian soil. More than 230 Japanese POWs and 4 Australian soldiers would die during what became known as The Cowra Breakout. In this vividly drawn book, historian Mat McLachlan, author of Walking with the Anzacs, traces the full story of the breakout. It is a tale of proud warriors and misfit Australian soldiers. Of negligence, complacency and cover-ups, and of authorities too slow to recognise danger before it occurred, and too quick to cover it up when it was too late. But mostly it is a story about raw human emotions, and the extremes that people will go to when they feel all hope is lost. The Cowra Breakout is a compelling and fascinating chapter of Australian history and a riveting read by one of Australia's leading battlefield historians.