The Cocos Island Mutiny

While the battle of the Coral Sea raged, gunners of the Ceylon Garrison Artillery on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands off Australia's north-west coast attempted to arrest their British commanding officer and compel him to surrender to the Japanese. One soldier was killed and another wounded, but the mutiny failed and seven men were condemned to death. Ultimately three soliders were hung, becoming the only Commonwealth troops to be executed for mutiny in World War Two.Through extensive research over many years, Noel Crusz has uncovered an extraordinary story, one which the military had sought to keep secret. Certainly it is a story of the gravest of military crimes, but it is also a story of poor leadership, racism, and a seriously flawed court martial, against a background of changing attitudes to colonialism and the growing desire for self-government and independence throughout Asia.The Cocos Islands Mutiny contributes a fascinating and unique chapter in the history of Pacific campaign in World War Two.