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On
Christmas
Day
1941
,
Hong
Kong
fell
;
but
the
Japs
would
never
succeed
in
taking
Singapore
,
everyone
said
,
relieved
.
Then
news
came
of
Japanese
landings
in
Malay
and
in
the
Philippines
;
the
great
naval
base
at
the
toe
of
the
Malayan
peninsula
kept
its
huge
,
flat-trajectoried
guns
trained
on
the
sea
,
its
fleet
at
the
ready
.
But
on
February
8th
,
1942
,
the
Japanese
crossed
the
narrow
Strait
of
Johore
,
landed
on
the
north
side
of
Singapore
Island
and
came
across
to
the
city
behind
its
impotent
guns
.
Singapore
fell
without
even
a
struggle
.
And
then
great
news
!
All
the
Australian
troops
in
North
Africa
were
to
come
home
.
Prime
Minister
Curtin
rode
the
swells
of
Churchillian
wrath
undismayed
,
insisting
that
Australia
had
first
call
on
Australian
men
.
The
Sixth
and
Seventh
Australian
Divisions
embarked
in
Alexandria
quickly
;
the
Ninth
,
still
recovering
in
Cairo
from
its
battering
at
Tobruk
,
was
to
follow
as
soon
as
more
ships
could
be
provided
.
Fee
smiled
,
Meggie
was
delirious
with
joy
.
Jims
and
Patsy
were
coming
home
.
Only
they
did
n't
.
While
the
North
waited
for
its
troopships
the
seesaw
tipped
again
;
the
Eighth
Army
was
in
full
retreat
back
from
Benghazi
.
Prime
Minister
Churchill
struck
a
bargain
with
Prime
Minister
Curtin
.
The
Ninth
Australian
Division
would
remain
in
North
Africa
,
in
exchange
for
the
shipment
of
an
American
division
to
defend
Australia
.
Poor
soldiers
,
shuttled
around
by
decisions
made
in
offices
not
even
belonging
to
their
own
countries
.
Give
a
little
here
,
take
a
little
there
.
But
it
was
a
hard
jolt
for
Australia
,
to
discover
that
the
Mother
Country
was
booting
all
her
Far
Eastern
chicks
out
of
the
nest
,
even
a
poult
as
fat
and
promising
as
Australia
.
*
*
*
On
the
night
of
October
23rd
,
1942
,
it
was
very
quiet
in
the
desert
.
Patsy
shifted
slightly
,
found
his
brother
in
the
darkness
,
and
leaned
like
a
small
child
right
into
the
curve
of
his
shoulder
.
Jims
's
arm
went
around
him
and
they
sat
together
in
companionable
silence
.
Sergeant
Bob
Malloy
nudged
Private
Col
Stuart
,
grinned
.
"
Pair
of
poofs
,
"
he
said
.
"
Fuck
you
,
too
,
"
said
Jims
.
"
Come
on
,
Harpo
,
say
something
,
"
Col
murmured
.
Patsy
gave
him
an
angelic
smile
only
half
seen
in
the
darkness
,
opened
his
mouth
and
hooted
an
excellent
imitation
of
Harpo
Marx
's
horn
.
Everyone
for
several
yards
hissed
at
Patsy
to
shut
up
;
there
was
an
all-quiet
alert
on
.
"
Christ
,
this
waiting
's
killing
me
,
"
Bob
sighed
.
