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STORY FERG HANDLEY ART MORAHIN HE EAST INDIES ISLAND OF NEW BRITAIN, LYING CLOSE TO THE SHORES OF NEW GUINEA, HAD ENTERED THE TWENTIETH CENTURY UNDER GERMAN CONTROL. HOWEVER, FOLLOWING A SUCCESSFUL INVASION AT THE START OF WORLD WAR ONE, IT BECAME AN AUSTRALIAN TERRITORY. IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED, THE ISLAND’S PLANTATIONS CONTINUED TO FLOURISH, PRODUCING A STEADY FLOW OF COTTON, RUBBER AND COFFEE FOR EXPORT.

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COVER IAN KENNEDY

4 IN DECEMBER 1941 — FOLLOWING THE SURPRISE ATTACK ON THE AMERICAN FLEET AT PEARL HARBOUR — IMPERIAL JAPAN EMBARKED ON A SERIES OF LIGHTNING CONQUESTS IN THE PACIFIC AND SOUTH-EAST ASIA. CHARGE! DEATH TO THE ENEMIES OF NIPPON!

ALLIED FORCES WERE SOON IN DISARRAY, AND THERE WERE FEARS THAT THE EAST INDIES WOULD SOON FALL, EXPOSING AUSTRALIA ITSELF TO THE THREAT OF INVASION. THE TOWN OF RABAUL, NEW BRITAIN’S CAPITAL, WAS SITED IN THE FAR NORTH OF THE ISLAND. ON A HUMID AFTERNOON IN LATE JANUARY, A GERMAN NAMED KARL BRAUN SAT ALONE IN HIS APARTMENT, REFLECTING ON HIS SITUATION.

I’VE BEEN COOPED UP IN HERE FOR A MONTH NOW. I’D GIVE ANYTHING FOR A STROLL, OR MAYBE A SWIM IN THE SEA.

5 KARL, WHOSE FATHER HAD BEEN AN AIR FORCE MECHANIC DURING THE LAST WAR, WAS A FORMER CIVILIAN PILOT. BUT WHEN GERMANY REARMED AND ESTABLISHED ITS AIR FORCE, HE SOON CAME UNDER PRESSURE TO SIGN UP. THE LUFTWAFFE HAS NEED OF EXPERIENCED AIRMEN. YOU MUST OBEY THE CALL.

JA, ONLY A TRAITOR WOULD REFUSE SUCH AN HONOUR. SO MAKE SURE YOU MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION, HERR BRAUN.

THE MESSAGE WAS CLEAR AND, DESPITE HIS DISLIKE OF THE NAZIS, KARL DID AS HE WAS BIDDEN. AN EXCELLENT PILOT, HE BECAME A LUFTWAFFE LIEUTENANT AND SAW ACTIVE SERVICE DURING THE INVASION OF POLAND. HIS AIRCRAFT WAS A Bf109 FIGHTER. CLOUD AHEAD. DROP DOWN TO TEN THOUSAND FEET, OVER.

UNDERSTOOD, OVER AND OUT.

TO HIS RELIEF HIS DUTIES WERE RESTRICTED TO ESCORT RUNS, MEANING HE DIDN’T SEE ANY ACTUAL COMBAT.

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POLAND WAS SWIFTLY CONQUERED AND, WHEN STORIES BEGAN TO CIRCULATE ABOUT NAZI ATROCITIES, KARL WAS APPALLED. THE FOLLOWING JANUARY HE RETURNED TO HIS HOME CITY OF FRANKFURT ON LEAVE, WELL AWARE THAT THE PHONEY WAR WITH BRITAIN AND FRANCE WOULD SOON ERUPT INTO OPEN CONFLICT.

THIS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH. I HATE HITLER AND HIS GANG SO WHY SHOULD I FIGHT FOR THEM?

THE DISILLUSIONED GERMAN MADE HIS MIND UP TO DESERT BEFORE IT WAS TOO LATE. HE MADE IT OVER THE BORDER INTO HOLLAND, WHERE — AWARE THAT SOON NOWHERE IN EUROPE WOULD BE SAFE — HE SNEAKED HIS WAY ABOARD A DUTCH MERCHANT SHIP BOUND FOR THE FAR EAST.

ACH, I FEEL LIKE A CRIMINAL DOING THIS. BUT IT’S FOR THE BEST. THERE’S NO GOING BACK NOW.

7 KARL MADE IT TO THE SHIP’S HOLD, WHERE HE FOUND HIMSELF A SUITABLE HIDING PLACE. THE SHIP SET SAIL THE FOLLOWING DAY AND, AS IT MADE ITS WAY EAST, HE SURVIVED ON FOOD ITEMS FROM THE CARGO, UNTIL ONE MORNING, HE WAS FINALLY DISCOVERED. COME ON, GET TO YOUR FEET!

WE’RE TAKING YOU STRAIGHT TO THE SKIPPER AND HE HATES STOWAWAYS.

BY THEN THE SHIP WAS DUE TO DOCK AT RABAUL IN NEW BRITAIN TO COLLECT A PART-CARGO OF RUBBER. ON DOCKING, KARL WAS HANDED STRAIGHT OVER TO THE AUSTRALIAN AUTHORITIES. CHEERS, MATE. WE LL TAKE HIM FROM HERE.

THANK YOU, SERGEANT. THE CAPTAIN ALMOST HIT THE ROOF WHEN HE LEARNED WE HAD A GERMAN ON BOARD.

8 WAR WAS NOW RAGING IN EUROPE, WITH AUSTRALIA FIGHTING FOR THE ALLIED CAUSE. KARL WAS INTERNED IN JAIL FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS — AFTER WHICH HE WAS GRANTED LIMITED FREEDOM BY THE CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATION.

KARL WAS GIVEN A JOB AT A WAREHOUSE AND FOUND HIMSELF A SMALL APARTMENT. DURING THIS TIME HE WAS TREATED WELL AND CAME TO LIKE THE AUSTRALIANS — MOST OF WHOM BELIEVED HIS STORY.

YEAH, YOU DID THE RIGHT THING

BY DESERTING. THOSE NAZIS ARE A WICKED LOT.

THIS MEANS YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO WORK NOW. BUT IT WILL BE UNDER SUPERVISION AND YOU WILL REPORT TWICE A WEEK TO THE MAIN POLICE STATION.

JA, THEY ARE. AND IT’S A SHAME, BECAUSE SO MANY GERMANS DESPISE THEM.

UNDERSTOOD. AND DANKE, HERR POWELL.

THIS LASTED FOR OVER A YEAR, AND KARL WAS ABLE TO IMPROVE ON THE ENGLISH HE’D LEARNED AT SCHOOL. HOWEVER, AFTER WAR BROKE OUT WITH JAPAN HIS FREEDOM WAS REVOKED AND HE WAS PLACED UNDER HOUSE ARREST.

SORRY ABOUT THIS. BUT YOU’RE GERMAN, AND THEY RE ALLIED TO THE JAPS NOW.

JA, I UNDERSTAND.

9 OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS THE JAPANESE MADE RAPID CONQUESTS IN THE REGION. ONCE AGAIN KARL HEARD STORIES OF BRUTALITY AGAINST SOLDIERS AND CIVILIANS, AND THE MOOD ON THE ISLAND GREW TENSE.

THE LOCALS WERE RIGHT TO BE WORRIED, FOR THE JAPANESE DID HAVE DESIGNS ON THE STRATEGICALLY-PLACED ISLAND. AT THE END OF JANUARY A LARGE INVASION FLEET WAS DETECTED, WHICH SENT THE AUSTRALIANS RUSHING TO DEPLOY THEIR MEAGRE FORCES. RIGHT, DIG IN. I WANT THIS ENTIRE BEACH COVERED.

EVERYONE’S WORRIED ABOUT AN INVASION. IF THAT HAPPENS WHAT WILL BECOME OF ME?

YES, SARGE. WE’RE STRETCHED PRETTY THIN BUT WE LL DO OUR BEST.

10 THE AUSTRALIANS DIDN’T HAVE TO WAIT FOR LONG. RABAUL SOON CAME UNDER ATTACK BY MASSES OF CARRIER-BASED ENEMY AIRCRAFT, OPPOSED

BY JUST A HANDFUL OF ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE WIRRAWAYS.

TERRY, LOOK OUT! BREAK LEFT!

I’M TRYING...

AAAARGH!

THE PILOTS DIDN’T STAND A CHANCE. THE FOLLOWING DAY JAPANESE TROOPS BEGAN LANDING ON THE ISLANDS. THE AUSTRALIAN TROOPS — KNOWN AS LARK FORCE — WERE AGAIN HEAVILY OUTNUMBERED AND COULD DO LITTLE TO STEM THE ENEMY TIDE. HOLD YOUR GROUND, COBBERS!

UUNGH!