Australia's Secret Army: The Story of the Coastwatchers
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- Опубликовано: 29 янв 2023
- Australia's Secret Army: The Story of the Coastwatchers
With Michael Veitch
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Established after World War I by the Royal Australian Navy, the Coast Watchers were a loose organisation of several hundred European settlers, missionaries, patrol officers and planters living in British and Australian Pacific Island territories whose job it was to observe and report on the enemy. They were mostly all unpaid volunteers whose job it was simply to observe and report on foreign shipping and aeroplane movements.
It was never envisaged that the Coast Watchers would do any fighting, nor operate inside enemy-occupied territory. But when World War II came to the Pacific, that is exactly what they ended up doing, becoming, in effect, Australia's secret army. Fully cognisant of their fate should they be caught, they nonetheless battled not just the enemy, but constant exhaustion, tropical disease, and the ever-present spectre of capture, torture and death.
Without the Coast Watchers and the crucial intelligence they provided, key moments in the war could have turned out very differently. This is the story of these unsung heroes who risked their lives - and sometimes lost them - in the service of their country.
From Melbourne, Australian Michael Veitch is well known as an author, actor, TV comedian and radio presenter. In the 1980s he wrote and performed in acclaimed comedy shows such as The D-Generation, Fast Forward and Full Frontal. From 2006 to 2009, Veitch presented ABC Television's flagship arts magazine program, Sunday Arts. He is also a prolific and highly regarded military history and aviation author. His books include the critically acclaimed accounts of Australian airmen in WWII, 44 Days, Heroes of the Skies, Fly, Flak, Barney Greatrex and Turning Point and The Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
Michael's previous WW2TV appearance - The Battle of the Bismarck Sea
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“Ohhhh, Skiiip!” An ode to Michael Veitch - Fast Forward.
Lot of people think these guys just hung out and drank beer. NOT. This was perilous duty that could get your head lopped off if caught. Great stuff.
Yes indeed Jack
This is a "Must watch" video. I knew something of the role of the coast watchers from various books I've read, and documentaries I've watched. What I didn't know was just how much they had contributed overall. When I ponder on the lives that were saved in light of their efforts I am deeply moved. I only hope I would have the same courage as they displayed if ever called upon. Remarkable really. Victory would have been much harder won without them.
Just catching up. Just seen an interesting blog by "The History Chap" about the history of Lance Corporal Jones from "Dads Army". The BBC really did their research on the medals he wore in the show. They don't like it up 'em.
Thank you for this video. My Grand Father was a Commando Coast Watcher with M Special Unit in PNG. He survived the war but died at 73 due to war injuries. I am so proud / grateful and think about him every day. Cecil Frank Evans.
An great presentation on an amazing group of individuals. The Coastwatchers and the natives that helped them deserve to be better known. Thank you WW2TV for hosting this presentation.
Well said!
Just listening to your book now. I grow up in New Guinea in the 60s and 70s and met Keith McCathy and a few other Coast watchers at Kavieng. I was only 10 or 12 at the time and the title Coast Watchers didn’t mean much to me. It was until later I understood what they did.
Thanks Woody. Michael's books are great. Definitely need a Milne Bay show!
You bet
Woody/Michael. Thanks for such an interesting presentation! Great little known subject. Bob
Great presentation Really enjoyed it. Thank you Paul and Michael.
Glad you enjoyed it
One of my favourite subjects, thanks guys
Thank you both for this very interesting and informative Presentation on the very important and useful Australian Coast Watchers.
Our pleasure!
The difficult lives of WW2 historians. Off for a cruise. I am sure it will be taxing for Woody to fly back from his afternoon in Monaco and film this afternoons stream. ;-)
To be fair, he is working on the cruise, but there are worse ways to make a living
@@WW2TV I now have this mental image of you in Monaco rolling the bones. "C'mon baby Daddy needs a new hat"
@@MichaelMcGuyer I'm quite sure that Woody would love to have the time and money for such a foray! 😉
Besmirched the PT boat he did! Great video, the cost watchers did a great service to the Solomon Island campaign. The book Lonely Vigel is a great book on the Coast Watchers. PS: Besmirch away on General McArthur.
Thanks for another great presentation. Another must-read WW II book!
Thank you, Michael and Woody. Fascinating information with an effective and engaging presentation. I hope an expanded version of the coast watchers' story is in our future at WW2TV.
I wish Michael had all day talking about the coast watchers. So interesting and informative. Great show. Try some day to have a show on the PT boats. They did yeoman’s work down there in the South Pacific as well up in the Aleutian Islands off Alaska.
I agree, we will bring him back
I am now reading the book. It is grand. Enjoying it very much. Thank you for turning me on to the book.
Always fantastic to hear Michael 👏👏👏👏
Thanks....enjoyed this topic...and talk
Good one m8!
Another good presentation from Mike that filled in several gaps in the story. Missed it live, but school can so often get in the way of education. Hope to hear Mike again Woody @WW2TV
Brilliant presentation by Michael as usual about a wonderful group of people. Can't wait to read the book. Many thanks and I look forward to seeing Michael on WW2TV again
@WW2TV, fascinating show. Wish it was longer.
I will invite Michael back
Very well done. So much left to expand and expound. Facts I've read and facts I never knew. Too short but thanks for doing what you could with this in the time available.
Glad you enjoyed it. Yep Michael is a very busy bloke, I will invite him back
Its been said if MacArthur's Grave Stone was On Australian Soil the Vets would have lined up to piss on it. I dont know of any tribute Cairn even exists for him
um Halsey at the end of the war there's a lovely story about those two fellows
35:36 Reed and Mason at the end of the war um uh coming back
35:43 and they would have their plane was diverted to I think it was numea where a big American base was and they were
35:50 asked to actually come into the office and they were waiting in halsey's sort of anti-room Halsey comes in they stand
35:58 and Halsey comes up to Paul Mason and says Mr Mason when when I'm in front of you I do the
36:05 standing you don't have to stand and shook his hand
Wow For Bull Halsey to say that... that's an incredible tribute from one of the biggest names in the U.S. Navy during WWII. He's someone who actually realized the importance of naval aviation before a lot o other officers who were professionally wedded to battleships, even after Pearl Harbor. What a TREMENDOUS tribute to Paul Mason from one of the giants of U.S. Naval Aviation.
Pt boats were actually plywood. There were 45 squadrons formed, six squadrons were sent to Britain, Russia or the Mediterranean, one squadron, MBT Squadron 2(1) was sent to the Pacific and then transferred to Britain and ended up with the Office of Strategic Services and 38 squadrons served in the Pacific. MBT Squadron 3(1) was serving in the Philippines on Dec 7, 1941, and served until after the evacuation of General MacArthur. Great show, Woody and Michael. Michael needs to come back and do a more detailed look at the coastwatchers!
Would love to be able to on a ship with Michael tapping his historical knowledge.
The garrison at Rabaul prior to Japanese invasion was 2/22 AIF not militia. Their commanding officer was absolutely hopeless and his actions and decisions gave them no chance to survive and it’s amazing any of them managed to escape
the saratoga has the rare distinction of surviving being torpedoed twice only to be destroyed by an atom bomb at bikini atoll.the second torpedoing very nearly sank her-the saratoga(her nickname was single strip sara because a stripe on the conning tower to distinguish her from the lexington) and the lexington were tough ships-the lexington was sunk by an avgas fuel explosion days after being bombed and torpedoed by the japanese in the battle of the coral sea.
I like to watch coasts!!
Especially though, when the seas are free of enemy warships
@@WW2TV just relaxing in the sun/sleet/other, the sand/pebbles/caltrops/other under your feet!!
Please get Michael back to talk about the battle of Milne Bay.
I will do at some point
36.27 Douglas MacArthur didn't have a great opinion of ANYONE, except himself.
Wonderful show. Paul mentioned that mincemeat effectiveness not documented/proven. What exactly does he mean?
It means exactly what I said: that there is little evidence to suggest that more than a handful of German troops were moved as a result of the Mincemeat deception
@WW2TV I have read that 1 panzer division went to either corsica or Sardinia, can't remember which. Greece had 1 division and ended up getting 7 more. Sicily had a few ground troops removed as well as a couple dozen fighters. Also Hitler allegedly believed the deception was an intelligence coup. Do you mean that these troop movements may have just been coincidence and there's no documentation that mincemeat instigated them? Are the accounts of Hitler's belief in the intelligence "coup" made up or not reliable? I'm not trying to be argumentative it's just that I've always read different things about mincemeat. Love your channel and I greatly enjoy the way you pose questions to your guests to get as much information and insight from them.
@@waynegordon2628 Yes that's it exactly. There's very little evidence that the units were moved because of Mincemeat. O'Brien's article is a good summary thecritic.co.uk/the-myth-of-the-plucky-brit/
OK, read the Obrien article. Coincidence vs causality not clear. Thanks for your reply.
btw the harbour at rabaul is called simpson harbour it was damaged by an eruption 10 years ago
Deserved better than 39 minutes!
That's all the time Michael had
New Zealanders were also involved
Easy on our PT Boats were pretty proud of them one of our presidents served on one as a matter of fact it was number PT 109
He did indeed, but there's a lot more to that story than the legend says, quite a lot of which shows JFK as not quite as much of a hero as some would believe
I've have a copy of Lt. Read's report from 1941-1943
how dare he call the design of out pt boats crap
It's an opinion
@@WW2TV of course I hope I didn't come off too serious
No worries