The Letter Batteries: The History of the Letter Batteries in World War II. by Kidd, Reg; Neal, Ray - 1998

Sydney, Castlecrag: Self-Published: Reg Kidd and Ray Neal, 1998. Hardback large octavo, dustjacket, very good condition (in very good dustjackt), black & white text-photos (mostly full-page), maps, diagrams, minor edgewear jacket (sticker mark front cover). Heavy (1.1 Kg), and extra postage may be requested to destinations outside Australia. 415 pp. This is the story of the raising of 19 mobile batteries of coast artillery in the Australian Army, using 155mm guns and 150cm searchlights, etc., supplied by the USA. Artillerymen were recruited from coast artillery units in all states of Australia, and later from other branches of artillery. The coastal batteries were named after letters of the alphabet. They protected Australian ports and the recently arrived American forces preparing to fight the Japanese in southeast Asia. The story is one of little blood, much sweat and tears, and little glory, but a job which had to be done and was done well.