The 39th…an Australian war story, an Australian love story.

Writing a script for a movie based on real events.

Synopsis:

The 39th begins in the thick of World War II, where Sergeant Frank leads a platoon in the New Guinea jungle. In a pivotal moment, Frank witnesses a harrowing act of self-preservation as one brother betrays another to save himself during a sudden attack by a Japanese Zero. The traumatic events culminate in the death of Andy, the platoon’s youngest soldier, on his 21st birthday. Frank’s role as a silent witness to these moments sets the stage for a story that examines moral ambiguity, survival, and the psychological cost of war.

The narrative expands beyond the battlefield as Frank’s journey transitions to his life in inner-city Melbourne. Returning home on compassionate leave to say goodbye to his dying wife, Margaret, Frank races from the chaos of the jungle to her deathbed, where he confronts the emotional devastation of loss. Now a single father, Frank must navigate the complexities of raising his young son while grappling with his grief and the lingering trauma of the war.

Frank finds work managing the Rising Sun Hotel, a bustling establishment in the heart of Melbourne. The hotel, steeped in post-war Australian culture, becomes a meeting ground for vibrant and often dangerous characters, including figures from Melbourne’s underworld. Frank’s role as a manager places him at the crossroads of these colourful and shadowy lives, offering him moments of levity, danger, and reflection.

As Frank balances the challenges of parenthood with the gritty reality of managing the hotel, the story explores the contrast between his former life in the war and the battles he faces on the home front. 

Prologue

The war changed everything for Frank. It was a brief, harrowing chapter of his life, one that forged bonds, stole friends, and left scars that never fully healed. But it was only a part of his story.

Frank’s journey began as one of the young men hurriedly conscripted into the 39th Battalion, Melbourne’s militia, hastily formed to meet the pressing threat of invasion. These men were no more soldiers than shopkeepers, clerks, or farmhands. And yet, they were sent into the unforgiving jungles of New Guinea to hold the line against an advancing Japanese force. It was there, on the Kokoda Track, that Frank faced horrors he rarely spoke of.

But Frank’s life was not defined by war. His greatest battles and profound victories came after—raising a family, building a life with Margaret, and navigating a world still finding its footing after the chaos of conflict. Together, they found ways to move forward, even as the shadows of the past lingered.

This is not a war story, though war is where it begins. It is a story about resilience, love, and the ties that bind us, even in the darkest times.

Stay tuned.