In the Fight

Forgotten men and women from Australia in a forgotten war – Burma 1942-1945.

If you didn’t know that Australians were involved in the longest campaign of WWII, in Burma, in what was called ‘a forgotten war’, this book illuminates the lost stories of their service.

In the Fight tells the compelling stories behind the involvement of Australians in what became one of the great sagas of the war against the Japanese in South East Asia, encompassing India, Ceylon, Burma, China, Thailand, Indo-China, Malaya, Singapore and Sumatra. While Australian airmen attached to the Royal Air Force were heavily engaged, many other Australians both uniformed and civilian were part of the monumental struggle to turn ‘defeat into victory’ in Burma.

Australian war correspondents, Red Cross nurses, Royal Australian Navy sailors, war artists, commandos and saboteurs, soldiers serving with the British Indian Army, the Women’s Auxiliary Service (Burma), well known sportsmen, government officials dealing with the terrible Bengal famine, Qantas crews and POWs in the Rangoon Jail are all covered in these detailed accounts.

Written by leading authorities and expertly edited by Andrew Kilsby and Daryl Moran, In the Fight reveals the long hidden stories of the Australians and the war in Burma.

About the Authors

Andrew Kilsby is an independent historian with a particular interest in military, business and biographical history. He lived and worked in Asia for nearly two decades. Andrew has a PhD in history from the University of NSW and is a graduate of RMC Duntroon, and author of a number of history publications. Editing, and writing for, In the Fight has brought together his interest in highlighting the unsung wartime contributions of Australians, both service and civilians, as well as bringing together new perspectives on what, for Australians in the Burma campaign at least, has become known as a 'forgotten war'.

Daryl Moran is an independent military historian who has had a long career as a professional educator and administrator in various schools including a two year posting to an international in India. He holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne.
Daryl has published Empire's Noble Son (2019) and is currently working as co-author on Resolute: Australian aircrew in the Burma Theatre 1942-1945, with Andrew Kilsby. His special interest in the Burma campaign was aroused during his time as an educator in India when he came across the graves of RAAF members killed in the conflict. In the Fight has given him the chance to further uncover many untold stories of other Australians in the theatre.