Bastard Behind the Lines: The extraordinary story of Jock McLaren's escape from Sandakan and his guerrilla war against the Japanese

Tom Gilling

May 2021 · Bolinda · Narrated by David Tredinnick

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8 hr 54 min

Unabridged

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About this audiobook

Scottish-born but a Queenslander to the bone, Jock McLaren was a true Australian hero. As a prisoner he escaped twice, first from Changi and later from the infamous Sandakan POW camp in Borneo. After paddling a dugout canoe across open sea, he fought for two years with American-led Filipino guerrillas, his exploits so audacious the Japanese put a price on his head. At the helm of his 26-foot whaleboat, the Bastard, McLaren sailed brazenly into enemy-held harbours, wreaking havoc with his mortar and machine guns before heading back out to sea. In early 1945 he joined Australia’s secretive Z Special Unit, parachuting into Borneo to carry out reconnaissance and organise anti-Japanese resistance ahead of Allied landings. He cheated death on numerous occasions and saved his own life by removing his appendix without anaesthetic, using ‘two large dessert spoons’ and a razor blade. Drawing on Allied and Japanese wartime documents, Bastard Behind the Lines brings the story of a courageous digger vividly to life and throws light on a rarely explored aspect of Australia’s Pacific war.

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About the author

Tom Gilling is an acclaimed novelist and non-fiction author who was born in England, but has lived in Australia since 1983. His first two novels, The Sooterkin and Miles McGinty, were New York Times notable books of the year. His non-fiction works include Bastard behind the Lines, The Lost Battalions and The Witness. He is also co-author with Clive Small of the bestselling true crime books Smack Express, Blood Money, Evil Life, and Milat. His most recent work of non-fiction is Start Digging, You Bastards!: Australian and New Zealand Forces' Desperate Battle with Rommel and the Axis at El Alamein (2025).

David has been narrating audiobooks for over 25 years, working on a number of award-winning titles. He has also worked extensively in theatre, radio, film and television, most notably appearing in all four seasons of The Secret Life of Us. When not lending his voice to books he is employed as an archivist, audio producer and librarian.

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