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Bastard Behind the Lines

The Extraordinary Story of Jock McLaren's Escape from Sandakan and His Guerrilla War Against the Japanese

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Bastard Behind the Lines

By: Tom Gilling
Narrated by: David Tredinnick
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About this listen

Scottish-born but a Queenslander to the bone, Jock McLaren was a true Australian hero. As a prisoner he escaped twice, first from Changi and later from the infamous Sandakan POW camp in Borneo. After paddling a dugout canoe across open sea, he fought for two years with American-led Filipino guerrillas, his exploits so audacious the Japanese put a price on his head.

At the helm of his 26-foot whaleboat, the Bastard, McLaren sailed brazenly into enemy-held harbours, wreaking havoc with his mortar and machine guns before heading back out to sea. In early 1945 he joined Australia’s secretive Z Special Unit, parachuting into Borneo to carry out reconnaissance and organise anti-Japanese resistance ahead of Allied landings. He cheated death on numerous occasions and saved his own life by removing his appendix without anaesthetic, using ‘two large dessert spoons’ and a razor blade.

Drawing on Allied and Japanese wartime documents, Bastard Behind the Lines brings the story of a courageous digger vividly to life and throws light on a rarely explored aspect of Australia’s Pacific war.

©2021 Tom Gilling (P)2021 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Military Special & Elite Forces World War II War

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Profile Image for Paul Fraser

it may or may not have happened

every single thing that happened may or may not have happened.. every time .. to the point it gets boring .. just make it a story and it happened 80 years ago.. just decide on 1 story not 3 possible stories... just to keep the story moving ..

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