Author(s): Chris Pullin

MILITARY HISTORY | SECONDHAND BOOKS

The book, cast as an autobiography, covers the life of James Meredith Pullin who was born in England, went to Western Australia as a young man and farmed in the wheatbelt before joining the Australian Army at the outbreak of World War 2. In the 2/11 Battalion he was involved in several close combat battles against the Italian Army at Bardia, Derna and Tobruk. After the defeat of the Italians the battalion moved to northern Greece to meet the invading German army. He was involved in rearguard action back down the peninsular harassed by Messerschmitt fighters. He was then evacuated to Crete on a ship which was the subject of Stuka dive bombing attacks. At Crete he was part of the force given the task of defending the Retimo aerodrome. On the 20 May 1941 a large force of German paratroopers were dropped over Retimo and he was involved in close combat with the German force which resulted in many deaths of both Australian and German soldiers. He was eventually captured and transported to the infamous Salonika camp where prisoners were starved, mistreated and suffered dysentery and other diseases. This was followed by an awful journey to Munich in enclosed cattle trucks with little food or water and no toilet facilities.He was then a prisoner of war at Stalag 7A , Stalag 8B and Stalag 357 for 4 years. The book provides a detailed account of his experiences which he was lucky to survive, in an objective ,unemotional but sometimes amusing manner. After the war he returned to Western Australia and settling on a War Service farm near Kellerberrin.