"This is sheer fiction. The Americans did not fly the Vultee Vengeance in combat, so they made no raid on Rabaul. Significantly, Colebatch doesn’t give a date, but there is no American record, official or unofficial, of 16 of these aircraft and their 32 crew members lost in this way at any time, as there surely would be had it happened. He also gets the number of the Green Island radar unit wrong. Again, he relies on rumour and hearsay for this nonsense. No official documents, nothing, just two individual reminiscences by old soldiers decades ago."

from Foxy's link.

Now, there's a surprise. Rabid Lefty Carlton tells the truth, and Right wing Colebatch is a liar.

ttbn,

It would seem so, or at the least Colebatch didn't check his facts and when making accusations it's an imperative to check.

The Americans did not fly the Vultee Vengeance in combat they only used it as a target towing plane, any web history of it will say as much.
In Trove there is no newspaper record of the alleged POW incident and this from:
http://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/ESCORT/SPEAKER.htm#.Wl9Hr66Waj4

"Hong Kong to Sydney via Manila: September 28th - October 15th
On leaving Okinawa on September 25th SPEAKER steamed for Hong Kong where she was to replenish her severely depleted stores and refuel in preparation for a trooping voyage to Sydney via Mania. She arrived in Hong Kong on the 28th and was ready to sail again on the 30th. Arriving at Manila on October 2nd 556 Australian ex-POWs embarked for repatriation; these men had been recuperating onboard Hospital Ships such as the HMHS Tjitjalengka, sand were a much fitter lot. After some delays in embarking the passengers SPEAKER set sail on October 4th and made best speed for the Australian coast.
... SPEAKER entered Sydney Harbour on October 15th.and berth at No. 14 Pyrmont at 8.45 a.m. Once unloaded the ship moved to a mooring in mid-stream off .Bradley's Head to begin a planned three week period of defect rectification during which time seven days' leave as granted to each watch."

One would think that if there had been a 36 hour hold-up then it might have been given a mention.

I decided to do a bit of research, just to see if I still had the knack.
I found a short piece in TROVE ref. a POW Cpl L.R. (Tod) Lees who disembarked from HMS"SPEAKER" on the 15th October 1945 and was in Gerringong the same night.
This was in the "Kiama Reporter and Illawarra Journal" of the 17th October 1945.
There is no possibility of a 36 hour delay, so if I could find proof, in 5 minutes, that the incident never happened then Colebatch is either careless of the truth or very incompetent.

Hi Issy,

Looking at that period of history, a fair question would be; What would Stalinist's in Australia have to gain by supporting Imperialist Japan? Indeed, how could such support be of assistance to the Soviet Union. In fact the defeat of Japan would only enhance future Communists expansion in China, Korea and South East Asia.
Granted there is historical account of localized incidences of industrial action, which by nature were detrimental to the war effort. I don't question that. What significant effect those strikes had on the overall effort is debatable. They should have never happened, but the way things were done industrially in those days, they were probably unavoidable. What cannot be questioned is the fact the Labor Party under Curtain was totally in support of the war, even the Labor left was on board. no question. So there was no political motive to sabotage the war effort, but there certainly was an industrial motive.

Just on merchant seamen, the worse maritime position in 1942 was unquestionably that of a sailor on a British merchant vessel in the Atlantic. The German U-boats were sinking British convoys by the score, not the navy ships, but the unarmed cargo ships, in many cases with all hands lost.

Issy, the account you give as to the number of deaths of Australian Merchant seamen could be true. I believe many Australian sailors served in the British Merchant Navy. It took the RSL a long time to recognize as full members, those that served on Merchant ships, they were perceived as civilian personnel only and given no special status at the clubs.

One of the RSL's I am a member of, has a plaque which was replaced some years back to read commemorating the service of Australia's Army, Navy, Air Force and Merchant Navy during WWII the words Merchant Navy being added (Yes you better believe it, I am a member of 3 RSL's and at one stage I was a member of 6, Unfortunately 3 have closed down over the years, even going as far as being a board member of one for a couple of terms, trying to save the club. If you are ever in Sydney and want a really good nosh up, the Penrith RSL's Star Buffet is excellent value for both lunch and dinner. At one club I'm a member, on Sunday nights we have the $10 350g rump stake/desert plus a $4 drink voucher, a middy, but if you add 50 cents you can have a schooner, the club also gives the Bistro operator $2 for each drinks voucher cashed at the bar. The club has done a lot with the Bistro, eg $8/3 course lunch, $10 dinner roast, a daily $9 special such as lamb shanks normally $13, special $9 on Wednesday my favorite. We had the "enemy within" namely the bistro operator, he wasn't too keen on all these specials, it took some work to get him on side, he's now turning a small profit so that's made him happy).