"THEY PASSED THIS WAY"
The United States of America, the States of Australia and World War II
By Barry Ralph

ISBN    0 86417 951 0

In December 1941 the first of some one million American servicemen to serve in Australia arrived on our shores. In Australia's darkest hour these troops were our brightest hope.

In "They Passed This Way", Barry Ralph tells the story of this allied invasion from a number of perspectives that combine to throw new light on this dramatic period in Australian history. The Japanese raid on Darwin in 1942 is told from the perspective of the American fighter pilots who valiantly tried to fend off the attack. Another chapter pays overdue homage to the American submariners.

Elsewhere, Barry Ralph discusses the popular reception of the Americans and the adoption of cultural values they brought with them. While some of these were widely accepted, at other times, camaraderie gave way to rivalry and resentment, culminating in the notorious Battle of Brisbane.

While the commanders, the politicians and the campaigns are discussed, "They Passed This Way" is above all a story of ordinary servicemen and civilians living in a time that changed Australia - and the lives of many Americans - forever.

This excellent book is available in most bookshops.

It has also been published in America in February 2001.

The ISBN for the United States edition is:-     ISBN 074321286X

The book contains 310 pages of factual information about the Allied invasion of Australia during WW2.
It is illustrated with 66 photographs and like any good book has a complete list of Sources and a comprehensive Index.

Another excellent book written by Barry Ralph is as follows:-

"Savage Wilderness"
The epic outback search for the crew of Little Eva
by Barry Ralph

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 2 December 2000

This page last updated 23 January 2020