AFTER surviving the Allied defeat at the battle of the Java Sea the day before, on February 28, 1942, Captain Hector “Hec” Waller had orders to retreat — to take the HMAS Perth to safety to Tjilatjap ...

While much of World War II is remembered as taking place on land or in the sky, the battles in the water were just as important. Protecting shipping lanes, troops, and supplies was all necessary over ...