A Merciful Journey: Recollections of a World War II Patrol Boat Man

The story of a boy whose mother forbade him to join the air force, this volume presents a vivid and compelling account of Australian naval history from the firsthand perspective of Marsden Hordern. Through personal letters and journals, his triumphs and disasters as a naval officer and his rise from a young and callow sublieutenant to a lieutenant in command of his own ship are recounted. He recalls his hopes and fears, and, in the face of the horrors of war, reveals an appealing enthusiasm for new experiences and a growing love of the sea. From the Australian coast to Timor to Japan, these memories comprise both a coming-of-age tale and a history of an often overlooked maritime force.