Book Review

[CINDERS]

Australia's Secret War; How unionists sabotaged our troops in WWII By Hal G.P. Colebatch

What can I say I have had the book a day read 70 pages of 318 + notes and additions and feel absolutely appalled at what these mongrels no better word for them did.
Allot of the information has been supplied by troops that were involved at the time on the wharves and from soldiers diaries.
So the information is from the source and not come from any other place but from those that witnessed what these people did that severely hampered our troops of much needed supplies.

Just a few things like; Stealing radio valves rendering the sets useless, Dropping brand new Allison aero engines onto the wharf from the cranes, Tearing P-38 lightnings to bits by not un-lashing them from the deck before lifting them with the crane.
Pilfering soldiers kit bags when they came back from overseas service by slashing them open, stealing food supplies mainly meat (Mutton), canned hams etc.
Along with go slows Australia wide strikes (One out , All out rule)

It was said that the stress of the situation hastened Primeminister Curtains death as invasion was imminent and the situation was so dire with these people probably believing the Japanese would welcome them as assisting them in the conquest of our country (My italics).

There were instances the troops ganged up and threw the wharfies into the ocean this happened more than once I may add, but it is heart rending to read knowing what privations and risks our troops faced and these cads got fat from stealing.

They called our troops 5 Bob a Day Murderers whilst they the wharfies got 20 shillings a day.

It is hard to imagine a more dire way of risking a nations freedom as these mongels did they should have been classified as fifth columnists and shot in the back & pushed into the sea for shark food.

I say this as my father went through N.Guinea and other areas during those years so suffered like they all did with lack of resources.

I feel ashamed as an Australian our people here could do that to those risking their life & future for the wharfies personal gain
Even to day the stevadore union can hold Australia to ransom but hopefully laws are in place today so they never again cause so much grief to those sworn to protect their freedom & families.

If your an Aussie get a copy is all I can say and prepare yourself for some shocking facts.

You'll have to excuse my Siamese for photo bombing!

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Paul S.]

I have to admit that I saw a lot of obstructionism from the unions growing up and during the early days of my working life right through the 1970s and into the 1980s. Quite honestly, my mistaken perception until the later years was that it was driven by trade-unionist immigrants. Only later did I realise it was mostly home-grown and orchestrated from on high by the ACTU.

[42rocker]

Why? Your country is at War. Doing this for a few pennies more? OMG Think what would have happened in Germany or Japan. Either the Wall or a quick Chop, end of problem. And I know of at least one problem that happened over a few extra hours work here in the US also. So not just there.

Later 42rocker

[Gil Boyd]

A sad story of truth. Made even sadder by the fact that probably hundreds, if not thousands died because of their stubborn attitude to loading and off loading ships.
Strike is an easy call, when you are safe and tucked away in bed every night, whilst soldiers do your countries bidding.
Had the Japs invaded Australia, they would be singing a different strike call then!!!

[CINDERS]

Not only that Gil its how they treated the soldiers and their gear also how they made complete messes of RAN vessels eating like slobs just up & leaving their food scraps all over the ship even sleeping in the officers bunks with soiled greasy clothes yep they were mongrels.
And if they thought the Japanese would welcome them that would be a lark at the first sign of trouble by any of them they would have been made to kneel and lose their head on the spot in front of all their mates the Japanese did it to the Americans in the Bataan Death march if you could not keep up your bayoneted or shot, one officer questioned a Japanese officer about the harsh treatment of the prisoners, to which the Officer withdrew his sword and cut the officers head off where he stood!

[Ovidio]

We all had our kind of mongrels.
In Russia, during the retreat of November 1942-January 1943, our soldiers were infiltrated by Italian communists who, wearing Italian uniforms, brought them in the wrong direction, where they died of exposure or were made prisoners, or shot them in place and then ran away.
They did even worse in the prison camps.
These "heroes" were all decorated for resistance against the fascist regime after the war.
While I would accept anyone actively and bravely fighting against a dictatorship in his country, harming the soldiers who do their duty and suffer in such a cowardly way makes my blood boil.
We keep hearing from those bast...rds every now and then.
They still show up on the Liberation Day with their red scarfs and covered with medals like Breznew and keep spitting on the Soldiers they helped massacring.
Luckily, time is doing its job.

[CINDERS]

Geez! Ovidio thats pretty harsh to do that stuff even today mind you I reckon after a few glasses of Grappa it would amaze people just how many of those red scarved SOB's keep falling over or have some one swat a fly from their nose with their fist!



Never disrespect the soldiers we the free owe them a debt that we can never repay except to support them every way we can.

[Paul S.]

Then, today, there is this: Cambridge students reject Remembrance Day as | Metro News

[Gil Boyd]

Paul,
Nothing has changed there then. They are surrounded by idealistic Trotsyists and Marxists as they try to find their young feet in the world, and everything that is wrong with it, is someone elses fault.
Sadly these young people with a modecum of a brain, seem to want to turn a blind eye to what leads them to University in the first place, especially Cambridge....................history.

They, like so many others today, want to enter a "University" system that now seems to eminate from every school where they think they can make money and allow practically everybody to join and come out with lots of qualifications to do nothing for the rest of their life.

The good news is, some do come out of that system and want to join the forces, and there are a small minority who do wear their poppies with pride, because they have been brought up properly and respect those who fought for their freedom, to allow them to study in a free country and democracy!

[bigduke6]

Luckily some young students get to know why we wear poppies etc, I always buy my daughter a poppy and one of the enamelled small badge ones, (the normal one lasts 5 minutes) last time she was with me when buying them and I asked her "do yo know why we wear them", "Its for all who died in the War" turned out the school had made a point of educating them about Remembrance Sunday, that day I took her to the Remembrance Cross in the local village that has my Grandmothers Brothers names on (KIA WW1) I explained who it was etc, she soaked a lot of it up which I thought was very good for a 5 year old............although afterwards it was back to my little pony.