Recorded Wednesday 4 October 2017.

Entranced by the myths surrounding the army’s Kokoda campaign in Papua, few Australians appreciate or even know of the role played by the Royal Australian Navy between December 1941 and August 1945. Ian Pfennigwerth demonstrates that our ships and men were in the forefront of the fighting, not in backwaters, and their professionalism and skills in many warfare areas were respected, applied and recognised with awards by US Commanders.

This talk was part of a series of programs in support of the Shrine’s special exhibition Nerves and Steel: The Royal Australian Navy in the Pacific 1941–45. Nerve and Steel is on display until July 2018 and can be viewed daily (excluding Christmas Day and Good Friday) from 10am until close (last entry at 4.30pm). For more information visit shrine.org.au/nervesandsteel