War and Beach

World War II as it happened in a tiny Queensland coastal town. The book is researched carefully using detailed war records and recollections of those who were here.

Much of this has been hidden from the world until now. Events at the breathtakingly beautiful tropical village of Mission Beach and on its nearby islands are quite surprising and somewhat appalling when viewed through a 2020 lens.

Dunk Island was a vital naval training ground for the US and Australian naval fleets and its secret airforce radar station was also a vital cog in the war. The district's beaches, islands, and rainforests were used for testing hideous chemical warfare weapons. This reveals harsh realities that would be familiar to many small towns that were prepared to do what it takes to help the allied forces win and what it was really like being so near to the action in the brutal Pacific War.