The Crash of Little Eva, The Ultimate World War II Survivor Story [Paperback]

Barry Ralph (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2006

The exciting account of the fateful circumstances of the Little Eva's last mission from a remote US air base in Far North Queensland, Australia, is told in authentic detail. It follows the dedicated searchers and skilled trackers who risked their lives trying to save the lost crewmen.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A riveting read--the stuff of nightmares, perhaps, but testimony to the resilience of the human spirit, and I couldn’t put it down." --Red Harrison, Weekend Australian "Tales of human endurance and survival don’t come much better than the one Barry Ralph tells." --Michael Jacobson, Gold Coast Bulletin

From the Publisher

World War II story of the B-24 Liberator "Little Eva" in the Australian outback and the search for survivors.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing (September 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589804473
• ISBN-13: 978-1589804470
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #266,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #61 in Books > History > Australia & Oceania > New Zealand
  • #85 in Books > History > Australia & Oceania > Australia

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping Tale of a B-24 Lost in the Pacific!, January 21, 2010

By 

Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Crash of Little Eva, The Ultimate World War II Survivor Story (Paperback)

On 3 December 1942, 90th Bomb Group Liberators attacked Japanese shipping north of Buna. One B-24 - 'Little Eva' - carrying Lieutenant Norman Crosson and his crew, on their first mission, became lost. The crew bailed out and therein began a saga of survival that is the subject of this 2006 release by Pelican Publishing.

Four crewmen died in the crash, leaving two separate group of survivors. Crosson and one other crewman walked out of the jungle 13 days after the crash. Since the B-24 had crashed in very inhospitable territory, an Australian official shortsightedly called off further rescue attempts. Tragically, four crewmen were still alive. The four struggled to reach safety but one after the another died. Over 140(!) days after the crash, one lone survivor - Sgt. Grady Gaston - reached safety. Yet, as documented in THE CRASH OF LITTLE EVA, Gaston "survived the ordeal but he did not survive the experience." His nightmarish struggle to survive left him tormented for the rest of his life. He finally found peace on 8 January 1998.

Since the Little Eva crash and Gaston's experiences were well documented at the time, Barry Ralph's book recaptures the whole experience in a vivid, stirring yet ultimately saddening narrative.

THE CRASH OF LITTLE EVA is not your standard war story. Reading Ralph's book leaves one with a sense of loss at those young lives needlessly wasted. Recommended.