The Ashes of Hiroshima

This book describes Frank Clune's journey to, and time in Japan in 1948. Allied forces still occupy Japan, and Clune is able to visit as a journalist only with political and military assistance.

Once he reached Darwin, and heads for the Philippines, Clune launches into a short summary, previously untold in this level of detail (we are told) of the Australian forces in Amboina (Indonesia) and Rabaul (Papua New Guinea), treated very poorly and left defenceless in the run up to the Darwin bombing. These men, particularly in Amboina, were left to defend the island without a way to escape, such that the overwhelming force of Japanese (20,000 vs 1,094) were to kill or capture them all. Those captured were imprisoned as pow's and only 604 survived to be freed. In Rabaul, of the 1399 Australian troops, only 362 were alive at the end of the war.

After this chapter, it became obvious that this book would be about looking back over the recent history of the war, rather than looking forward. The Philippines was Clune's first stopover, and here we are provided with the recent military history of the area, while Clune receives VIP treatment by the US Military at Clark Field. A typhoon provides a short extension to his luxury, before heading off again, this time for Japan.

From the beginning there are a few aspects of this book which have not aged well. The use of terminology such as Japs, Nips, Asiatics - and more than once there was mention of dagoes and John Chinaman. They don't sit well now. Then there was Clune's rant in which he was defensive on behalf of Australia, where there was a suggestion that the teeming millions of Asia were land-hungry for Australia's arid spaces. Clune considers them lazy for not cutting down surplus jungle in Malaya, Sumatra, Borneo, Siam, Burma, Bengal and the Philippines to make farms and grow more rice. While these area may be more suitable than the arid deserts of Central Australia, thank god the mass deforestation advocated by Clune wasn't undertaken in the 1940s.

Unfortunately, Clune also shows a real mean streak in this book, which I have not encountered in his other many books I have read. Obviously, Clune, like many of his generation were made aware of how the Japanese treated the allied prisoners of war - very poorly, and this has skewed his perception of all things Japanese. In this book he regularly refers to the Japanese as stupid. Stupid for rebuilding houses damaged by typhoons and earthquakes in the same manner; stupid for growing rice in terraces on hills, when it should be grown on plains - they should change their diet to barley and wheat; stupid to be bound by traditions; stupid to commit war crimes of torture and now pay the price for it. This was unfortunately the theme running through the entire book - which ruined what was otherwise interesting and informative.

In my reading, I am by no means sensitive to racism, criticism and strong viewpoints, and this is the only of Clune's books I have read where this is as prevalent as it is here. In all his other books the mocking is soft, carried off in a comedic fashion, where he is also quick to laugh at himself. This book really seems quite different, and should this be more common going forward (I have loads of his books), then it will alter my long term view of his work. Perhaps, as I noted above, the war is too fresh in his mind, the ‘white Australia' policy too topical and his dislike of the Japanese people too strong.

Hard to rate, there was some really interesting content, where he interviewed many high ranking officials (military and government) as well as discussions with interpreters and assistants and the like. Interestingly he seems to have a great respect for the Chinese, and visits there in this book too. It is almost exactly at the downfall of the Kuomintang and Chiang Kai-shek, as the communists are building in power, supported by the Russians to the north. He notes in a postscript that all has changed in China since his visit - it took around a year to publish and print the book due to shortage in paper.

3 stars, but this may not be reconciled by all readers.