This battalion was part of the ill-fated Australian 8 Division that was sent to Malaya to support the British forces there.  When the Japanese invaded, the long retreat began as the British were pushed back and inevitably the Australians faced the enemy.  2/18 Battalion was based on the Malaya east coast and at Nithsdale Plantation they fought a major action. When Singapore Island was invaded, this battalion was in the front line of the attack but the massive enemy numbers and lack of prepared positions, meant that withdrawal was inevitable. With the fall of Singapore, the survivors of the battles went into captivity where more than 200 of them died in captivity.

This revised edition is based on the original book AGAINST ALL ODDS.