Author(s): Robert Kimber

Aust History

In late March 1941, The Australian 6th Division moved from the heat and sandstorms of the Western Desert to the rain and snow of mountainous Greece. The soldiers were assigned the task of stalling Hitler¿s invasion. However it was a near-hopeless task, as the Allied force had no tanks and few aircraft. The Australians are soon involved in a chaotic fighting retreat that ends on the beaches where thousands of troops wait to be evacuated by the navy. Caught in the thick of this rout is thirty-five year old Major Bernie O¿Loughlin. After organising one of seven evacuation sites at Tolo Beach, he is among 1,500 men who are left behind. Determined not to fall into captivity, O¿Loughlin leads a growing band of soldiers surviving behind enemy lines as they seek a means of escape to Crete. O¿Loughlin¿s leadership is exemplary. As a man well read he sees Greece as more than a battlefield. It is a metaphor for existence, a rich communal life and creative spirit. Walking Under Fire is based on the O¿Loughlin¿s diaries and letters. Author Robert Kimber lived for four months in Greece and traced the course of the 1941 campaign from Macedonia and Mt Olympus through Corinth to Tolo, Spetzai and Crete. He studied the villages, met the people and photographed the land where the 6th Division fought. Walking Under Fire is the result.