{"product_id":"heavy-cargo-9798988804307","title":"Heavy Cargo","description":"\u003cp\u003eLate autumn \u003cstrong\u003e1941\u003c\/strong\u003e. The \u003cstrong\u003eImperial Japanese Army Air Force\u003c\/strong\u003e is terror-bombing Chinese cities, sweeping refugees by the untold thousands before their onslaught. The \u003cstrong\u003eImperial Japanese Army\u003c\/strong\u003e has invaded French Indochina, and it is suspected they may soon attack Thailand or Burma, perhaps even \u003cstrong\u003eSingapore \u003c\/strong\u003eitself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCaptain Roy Mallinson, elderly \u003cstrong\u003eRoyal Navy veteran\u003c\/strong\u003e of the Great War, has been pulled from retirement to aid \u003cstrong\u003eBritain \u003c\/strong\u003ein this new war. His old \u003cstrong\u003emerchant navy ship\u003c\/strong\u003e, the SS Dominion Empress - its only defence an obsolescent single-barrel \u003cstrong\u003eBofors \u003c\/strong\u003eanti-aircraft cannon - is in Singapore loading obsolete US Brewster Buffalo \u003cstrong\u003eaeroplanes \u003c\/strong\u003edesperately needed in Finland, and carrying Hindustan \u003cstrong\u003elead \u003c\/strong\u003eand Malaysian \u003cstrong\u003erubber \u003c\/strong\u003efor Britain. But Roy has come to a realization; war is for younger men than he. At the end of the present voyage it will be a quiet \u003cstrong\u003eretirement \u003c\/strong\u003ewith his wife in Stowmarket town.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever, the High Commissioner of British Malaya and his friend the Dutch banker have \"other plans\". Roy is forced into altering his route, taking on a \u003cstrong\u003ecargo \u003c\/strong\u003edestined for \u003cstrong\u003eAustralia\u003c\/strong\u003e--a \u003cstrong\u003edisguised cargo\u003c\/strong\u003e so valuable he dare not reveal it, even to his own crew.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs the old ship island-hops its way south, they must put in to \u003cstrong\u003eJava \u003c\/strong\u003efor urgently needed repairs. Here in \u003cstrong\u003eBatavia\u003c\/strong\u003e, free-spirited Rebecca McKenzie unexpectedly thrusts herself into the captain's life. She's an Australian desperately seeking passage home for herself and ten other \u003cstrong\u003eCommonwealth\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003enurses\u003c\/strong\u003e stranded here whilst fleeing war-torn China. How can he say no? But \u003cstrong\u003eGerman \u003c\/strong\u003eauxiliary \u003cstrong\u003emerchant raiders\u003c\/strong\u003e are rumoured to be operating in the area. Although Britain isn't at war with \u003cstrong\u003eJapan \u003c\/strong\u003eyet--\u003cstrong\u003ePerth \u003c\/strong\u003eis still a further 1,800 nautical miles away and anything may happen!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Ryan Plut\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/12\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798988804307\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 280\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.79lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.63d","brand":"Ryan G. Plut","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43228424994997,"sku":"9798988804307","price":14.44,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_5e7be413-e837-4405-894f-803f406ba48c.jpg?v=1698726672","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/heavy-cargo-9798988804307","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}