Makeshift and obsolete ships of the Royal Australian Navy, and the amateur sailors who manned them, were part of the screen between the victorious Japanese and the Australian mainland in the dark days of 1942. Desperately short of ships, the navy was forced to press into service anything that would float. This is the story of the amateur crew that manned them. pp. x, 230 Illusts. First Edition #0216R/0417R/0918/0119/0620/0221/0521/200622 (Small label to fpd., some edge wear to jacket) First Edition x, 230 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm. Leggoe, John, 1909- | Australia. Royal Australian Navy — History. | World War, 1939-1945 — Naval operations, Australian — Personal narratives. | World War, 1939-1945 — Personal narratives, Australian.