I have been reading a lot recently, so sorry to bore you all with yet another review, and I still have about half a dozen more to catch up on! This epic story follows a young digger during WWII, kicking off from when he signs up as a clueless country kid, to facing the brutal realities of war, and his bold getaway through enemy territory.

After joining up alongside his mates from country Victoria, at 22 Ern Brough fought and was wounded at Tobruk and at El Alamein, where he witnessed both acts of courage and the pangs of loss, moments that would haunt him for years. But neither he nor his humanity died despite the overwhelming odds. At Tobruk, in North Africa, Ernest was wounded in the buttock during a raid on a German outpost position. He described his injury and the death of a young soldier killed during the action. In 1942, Ernest participated in the Battle of El Alamein. He had been promoted to sergeant but refused a lieutenancy, citing his fear of having to lead and become a target for the enemy as a reason.

Three hours later, with the sound of tanks rumbling in the distance, Brough found himself captured during fierce fighting around the position known as the ‘saucer’, but not before he had carried a wounded German to safety while under heavy fire – he piggybacked a badly wounded enemy soldier to German lines under heavy fire, a choice made from a deep sense of compassion that set him apart from many around him. As a prisoner of war (POW), Ernest was transported to Italy. He described the harsh conditions endured there.

In March, 1944, Brough and some friends, driven by hope and survival, escaped from an Austrian POW camp and embarked on an adventure through Slovenia and Croatia to Bosnia. They moved at night with a stolen map and a homemade compass, facing numerous challenges and close calls. At one point, they even disguised themselves as Germans to evade capture. On 20 April 1944, they met partisan soldiers and they were eventually evacuated to Italy on an American aircraft.

This is the tale of that epic journey, the many hurdles they jumped over, the amazing feats that got Brough the Military Medal for bravery. A story that I was not familiar with at all until picking this book up in a local thrift shop. well worth the read. So much so that I am surprised it hasn’t been made into a movie.