READERSVOICE.COM aims to give a few samples from interesting out of print books. If you’re lucky you might find these sorts of books in charity stores, but they would be hard to find even there. This issue features Malayan Climax, Experiences of an Australian girl in Malaya, 1940-42, by Carline Reid. It’s a fascinating wartime memoir, possibly self-published, 116 pages, printed at The Mercury press, Hobart, Tasmania, 1942.

Here the author describes the evacuation of Singapore as the Japanese planes and army approached. She drove to the wharf where she would board the first of five ships that took her home to Tasmania…

There were several men on the wharf, one in some sort of khaki uniform was wonderful. He took charge of my pass and found it worked, carried my luggage, made a space for me on deck and generally played host and gave me quite a welcome –though he was going back to the town himself…When he was leaving I asked him if he would like a motor car, he said “Yes, rather” (I think his own had been blitzed), so I said “Do take mine…” It was a grand feeling, I don’t often scatter motor cars as tips! I showed him the double ignition key, gave a brief history of the car’s eccentricities and he departed cheerfully to go back to his Headquarters. I wonder how long he continued to drive about… I hope the little car was as lucky for him as it was for me.

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-readersvoice.com