I've been reading a biography of Bruce (VB) Perkins, a POW survivor from World War II, written by his daughter, Mandaley Perkins. Having joined the British Navy in the 1930s, VB found himself stationed in Singapore in 1942 when it was attacked and taken by the Japanese. He subsequently was forced to work on the Thai-Burmese railway in conditions that reduced his frame from 86 kg to 43 kg by war's end. He suffered a number of privations, including near-fatal dyptheria, dysentery and ongoing malaria. His life and times are described in the book, Tropic Tide.
It's a reminder that freedom comes at a price, and if it weren't for the sacrifice of people like VB Perkins, Australia would be a very different place right now.
http://www.mandaleyperkins.com/tropic_tide.html
Image: Sapphire Beach, north of Coffs Harbour 
