AustLit

'In 1852, the handsome emigrant clipper ship Ticonderoga limped into Port Phillip Bay with a nightmare in her holds. On the 90-day voyage from England, a deadly typhus epidemic swept through her decks, taking nearly 200 of her 800 Scots passengers. Forbidden to enter Melbourne, the Ticonderoga’s passengers and crew were set down on a little beach inside the heads while the ship’s surgeon – assisted by a brave young Highland girl – did their best to heal and comfort.

'One of the biggest stories of its day – now all but forgotten, Michael Veitch plays the surgeon in later life recounting the dramatic saga. But Hell Ship is more than just a maritime tale – the surgeon was Michael’s own great-great grandfather, and the young nurse his great-great grandmother.

'Resonating powerfully with today’s world, and accompanied by original music performed by Michael’s son Thomas Veitch, Hell Ship is a story of hope, love and survival.'

Source: fortyfivedownstairs.

'The incredible untold World War II story of Australian hero BARNEY GREATREX - from Bomber Command to French Resistance fighter.

'This engaging book tells the stories of the men and women who worked onboard CSIRO’s research vessel – the Southern Surveyor. For ten years (2003-2013) this magnificent ship sailed over 190 voyages across the seas and oceans around Australia and contributed a wealth of knowledge to marine science.

'From the captain to the support staff, scientists and students, this book tells the stories of adventure and discovery onboard this great ship.' (Publication summary)

''It is somewhere close to midnight on the clock when the men who fought the Second World War will still be with us. I have met just a few of them, sometimes goading them to reveal their experiences, at other times being simply a conduit to the river of their memories, sensing, on occasion, a kind of urgency to get it out there, just so these adventures and tragedies not be lost to future enquiring minds.''

'Michael Veitch has always been a keen historian and aeroplane fanatic. From a young age he was obsessed with airforce pilots and their machines. And with his gift for chat, he has once again captured the memories of these brave, lucky men who survived the unsurvivable.

'The risks of not returning from flying missions in WWII were extremely high so the stories are uniquely heroic, almost unbelievable. But these were ordinary men in extraordinary situations and, in this third collection from Michael Veitch, they record their stories for future generations. ' (Publication summary)

'Three Hummock Island. Standing atop The Nut, I rolled the name around in my mouth. It seemed huge, standing aloof off the coast like a ship waiting to come in, cloaked in that odd, diffused light. Strange, I thought, that I had sought out places like this on the other side of the world, yet this one, just half an hour's flying time from my home, I had never heard of.' (Publication abstract)

'All over the world during World War II, thousands of young men who had never so much as been near an aeroplane left offices, farms and classrooms to learn to fly and fight in the greatest conflict the world has ever seen. They fought over deserts, cities and jungles, in-single-engine fighter aircraft, heavy bombers, transport planes and flying boats. How do they feel about their dramatic days in the air? What is it they remember, and what do they choose to forget?

'In these candid and moving stories, Michael Veitch, writer, broadcaster and aeroplane fanatic, uncovers some of the untold stories of World War II: Australian, British and even German. He captures the events that defined a generation of men before these stories are lost forever.' (Publication summary)

'Michael Veitch's life-long obsession with the aircraft of the Second World War led him to conclude that every single person who flew, or flew in them has at least one extraordinary story to tell. With most of these veterans in their eighties, he knew that it was a matter of urgency to find them now, before their personal stories disappear for ever.So, over the course of a year, Veitch interviewed over 50 former aircrew across Australia, many of whom had never spoken about their experiences before, even to their families. The result is Flak - a collection of vivid, unforgettable stories from RAAF veterans about their experiences of combat in World War II. It is also an account of the strange, sometimes obsessive journey of the author himself, as he explores a passion held since childhood. From bomber pilots to fighter aces, from rear gunners to bomb aimers, from stories of death and fear to tales of humour and comradeship, Michael has helped unearth the extraordinary stories of ordinary men living and fighting in extraordinary times.' (Publication summary)

Review of the 1996 Melbourne Theatre Company production (Fairfax Theatre, Melbourne; 26 April - 1 June).