Anzac Guerrillas by author Edmund Goldrick uncovers the extraordinary journeys of Australian soldiers who escaped German captivity after the fall of Greece in 1941, going on to join the resistance, act as double agents, and expose genocidal collaborators during World War II.
The book will be officially launched on Thursday 7 August 2025 at 5.30pm, at Armstrong Creek Library in Geelong, with a special in-conversation event featuring the author and historian Jim Claven OAM, one of Australia’s leading experts on the Anzac connection to Greece.
While thousands of Australian soldiers were captured by German forces during the Greek Campaign and endured years as prisoners of war, a brave few managed to escape. Anzac Guerrillas tells the true story of these men, not trained officers or elite commandos, but ordinary soldiers with extraordinary grit.
Goldrick follows the war through the eyes of two such men: Ross Sayers, a mineworker from Castlemaine, and Ronald Jones, a storeman from Richmond. Both escaped from prison trains transporting POWs from Greece through occupied Yugoslavia and joined underground resistance movements.
The book delves into the moral complexity and brutal conditions of life behind enemy lines, betrayal, loyalty, and survival amidst fractured resistance factions and Nazi terror. Sayers and Jones, like many of their comrades, found unlikely allies among Jewish refugees, British agents, and even former suffragettes fighting fascism across Europe.
Despite their remarkable contributions, including work with British Intelligence and saving countless lives, these men rarely spoke of their wartime experiences upon returning to Australia. Lacking formal education and military rank, they struggled for decades to have their efforts officially acknowledged.
Many refused to march on Anzac Day, haunted by the trauma they carried. Anzac Guerrillas brings their stories to the surface for the first time, offering long-overdue recognition and a powerful reminder of resilience and courage under unimaginable circumstances.
When: Thursday 7 August at 5.30pm
Where: Armstrong Creek Library, Geelong
Free entry – bookings essential via events.grlc.vic.gov.au
Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
