Consignment Received 2019, c. 1940-1945

Component identifier:

Class 3

Extent:

0.75 metres and (5 ms boxes)

Content Summary:

This consignment comprises approximately 2000 letters written by Bryan Rofe and his wife Patricia (nee Whitford) during World War II, that describe the events taking place in their daily lives. Bryan Rofe served in the RAAF Meteorological Service and was posted to Timor as a RAAF Flying Officer. In 1942, Rofe was placed in command of a group of 29 Australian servicemen who, for 58 days, evaded the Japanese invasion of Timor before being picked up from a beach at night by the submarine USS Searaven. Rofe's grandson Tom Trumble, wrote the book 'Rescue at 2100 Hours: the untold story of the most daring escape of the Pacific war' based on information found in these letters along with diaries of Rofe and other servicemen and wartime records. The collection also includes a photo of the US submarine USS Searaven signed by the officers and crew of the submarine; a 1943 portrait photograph of Bryan Rofe as a Squadron Leader in the RAAF; telegrams, poems, photographs and drawings.

Subjects:

Science and technology
Society and culture

Contents

Access and use