The fictional book by JNP Goopy, The Battle for Brisbane: The Hidden US/Australian Conflict of WWII, is a new entry in historical crime fiction, based on a little-known yet dramatic real event. Released in late 2023, the novel does more than tell the story of the November 1942 riots between Australian and American servicemen. It turns the historical tension—caused by issues like pay differences, competition for women, and resentment towards US military police—into a gripping conspiracy thriller.
The core premise of the novel centres on the immediate aftermath of the violent, two-night street battle in Brisbane, which left one Australian soldier dead and scores injured. Recognizing that the alliance with the United States is in immediate jeopardy—at a time when the Japanese threat looms large on the Australian frontier—the respective Australian and US commands form a small, diverse investigative team. This group is given a matter of days to address the unrest and prevent the full-blown collapse of the Allied partnership.
JNP Goopy’s story creates suspense and intrigue around historical events, showing that the riots were not just random outbursts but signs of a deeper issue. Investigators must quickly unravel a complex plot of deceit, drugs, and fanaticism threatening the Allied military. Early community reviews highlight the book’s fast pacing and its effective portrayal of an important part of Australian history. The authentic Australian language adds realism to the fictional military investigation. Readers interested in World War II, military thrillers, and Queensland history will be drawn to it.
Goopy includes Opus Dei, a Catholic organization founded in 1928 by St. Josemaría Escrivá. Known for its conservative views and primarily made up of married laypeople, Opus Dei emphasizes that everyday work can connect individuals to God. The organization has been criticized for its secrecy, recruitment methods targeting youth, strict spiritual practices, and physical mortification among its celibate members.
Opus Dei’s involvement in the US Military Police and the plot is completely unfounded. While some individual members of Opus Dei might have been in the US armed forces, there was no official presence of the organization in Australia until 1963.
The riot was censored, and while it was reported, there was no mention of allied forces involved.
Like all good fiction, there are elements of truth in the story. In 1942, illegal alcohol and cocaine were available in Australia, often through underworld figures like Kate Leigh, who ran illegal businesses in cities like Sydney. There is no specific record of a “mix” or “combo,” but both were sold by the same people. Leigh, known as the “Snow Queen,” supplied illegal alcohol and cocaine during the early twentieth century. The papers of the day highlight the “sly grog” problem, but there is no evidence of any involvement of it in the fight.
See:
Bundaberg Daily News 12 March 1942
The Brisbane Courier Mail 5 Sept 1942
The “real” Battle of Brisbane was a two-night riot that occurred in the streets of Brisbane on November 26 and 27, 1942, between United States military personnel and their supposed allies, Australian servicemen and civilians. This event, while not a military battle against an enemy, was a violent clash that exposed deep-seated tensions in the relationship between the two nations during World War II. It remains one of the most serious examples of friction between Allied forces during the conflict.
Many factors contributed to the outbreak of violence. First, there was anger over the difference in living standards and pay; American soldiers earned much more than Australian soldiers and had better access to luxury items like nylon stockings and chocolates, which were hard to find in wartime Australia. The phrase “overpaid, overfed, oversexed, and over here“, attributed to British comedian Tommy Trinder, captured the perceived arrogance of American troops.
Secondly, this economic gap created strong social competition, especially among local women. American soldiers, with greater spending ability and seen as more appealing, attracted more Australian women, causing jealousy among local servicemen. The real cause of the riot, however, stemmed from anger toward the US Military Police (MPs). Australian servicemen viewed the American MPs as too aggressive and unfair in their authority, unlike the more subdued Australian military police. The impact of over 1 million US servicemen in a country with just over 7 million total population cannot be underestimated.
The “Battle of Brisbane” riot started on the night of November 26, 1942, when a scuffle broke out at an American canteen after Australian soldiers intervened in a US Military Police (MP) action against an American private. This quickly escalated into a mass brawl involving thousands of soldiers, centered on the American Post Exchange. The violence turned deadly when US MP Private Norbert Grant fired a riot gun, and a ricocheting bullet killed Australian Gunner Edward S. Webster and wounded several others. Clashes continued on November 27, with Australian soldiers aggressively hunting American GIs, before order was finally restored by Australian provosts taking an aggressive stance and US Military Police keeping a low profile.
A map of the Battle of Brisbane
By the time the violence subsided, one Australian soldier was dead, and hundreds of servicemen from both sides were injured. The true extent of the unrest was immediately suppressed by wartime censorship in Australia and effectively ignored in the United States, as neither government wanted to publicize a fight between Allies. Today, the Battle of Brisbane is a key incident in Australian wartime history. It serves as a potent symbol of the social, economic, and cultural stresses placed on the host nation by the overwhelming American presence, challenging the simplified historical narrative of a perfectly harmonious alliance against the threat of Japan.
I can see a wargame scenario here!
The book is a great “yarn” accurately portraying life in war time Australian. Whilst it will never when a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction it is worth picking up.