TY - BOOK ID - 80824246 TI - The hard slog : Australians in the Bougainville campaign, 1944-45 PY - 2012 SN - 9781139196307 9781107017320 9781316103814 1316103811 1139196308 9781316099995 1316099997 1107017327 131609765X 1316099857 1316101541 131609846X 1316100898 1316102300 PB - Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, DB - UniCat KW - World War, 1939-1945 KW - European War, 1939-1945 KW - Second World War, 1939-1945 KW - World War 2, 1939-1945 KW - World War II, 1939-1945 KW - World War Two, 1939-1945 KW - WW II (World War, 1939-1945) KW - WWII (World War, 1939-1945) KW - History, Modern KW - Campaigns KW - Bougainville Island (Papua New Guinea) KW - Solomon Islands KW - History UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:80824246 AB - The island of Bougainville in the South Pacific was the site of one of the largest and most gruelling campaigns fought by Australian forces during the Second World War. During the offensive against the Japanese from November 1944 to August 1945, more than 500 Australians were killed and two Victoria Crosses awarded. A veteran later described Bougainville as 'one long bloody hard slog'. Despite this, little is known about the campaign, which was dismissed as an unnecessary and costly operation. In the first major study of the Bougainville campaign since 1963, Karl James argues that it was in fact a justifiable use of Australia's military resources. Drawing on original archival research, including wartime reports and soldiers' letters and diaries, James illustrates the experience of Australian soldiers who fought. Generously illustrated with over forty photographs, this important book tells how this often overlooked battle played an important part in Australia's Second World War victory. ER -