Men Who Came Out of the Ground, The: A gripping account of Australia”s first commando campaign Timor 1942

xvii, 382 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 20 cm  #241221

It was early 1942, Australia was in dire straits. The seemingly all-conquering Japanese military forces had rolled over south-east Asia. Singapore had Fallen. Only a few hundred men remained in Timor. These soldiers, the 2/2 Australian Independent Company – Sparrow Force – were all that stood between Japanese forces and Papua New Guinea.
A Special Forces unit set up to fight a different kind of war, many were bushmen and crack shots, and all were trained to fight behind enemy lines. Mobilising the support of the locals, they adapted their bush skills to become the masters of this new kind of commando warfare.
Always greatly outnumbered but relentless in their harassing campaign of skirmishes and ambushes, Sparrow Force tied down thousands of Japanese in a fierce guerrilla war – not just matching them but beating them. The Timor campaign became a defining moment Australia’s military history.

‘This account . . . is breathtaking in its scope and riveting in its research’ – Sydney Morning Herald

These Australians were the men of the 2/2nd Australian Independent Company – a special commando unit. Initially stranded without radio contact to Australia, the Japanese declared these bearded warriors `outlaws? and warned they would be executed immediately if captured. The Australians drawn mainly from the bush, were chosen for their ability to operate independently and survive in hostile territory. As film-maker Damien Parer said after visiting in Timor in late 1942, `these men are writing an epic of guerrilla warfare?.

Expertly researched by Paul Cleary, who is fluent in Tetum, the main language of the indigenous group of East Timor, it also contains insightful black and white photos.

‘A cracker of a read’ – The Age

‘Paul Cleary has brought to life one of the great success stories of World War II’ – Daily Telegraph

First published by Hachette Australia in 2010.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 359-371) and index.

Australia. Army. Independent Company, 2/2nd.  |  Australia. Army. Commando Squadron, 2/2nd.  |  World War, 1939-1945 — Campaigns — Timor-Leste.  |  World War, 1939-1945 — Participation, Australian.  |  World War, 1939-1945 — Participation, Dutch.  |  World War, 1939-1945 — Underground movements — Timor-Leste.  |  Indonesia — History — Japanese occupation, 1942-1945.  |  Australian