Port of refugees: Archaeology and oral history of WWII flying boat wrecks in Broome, Western Australia

In June and August 2001, the Maritime Archaeology Department at the Western Australian Maritime Museum through the use of side-scan sonar, located and identified some twenty previously unknown, part or complete WW II flying boat sites in Roebuck Bay, Broome, Western Australia. Concentrating on those in the deeper water, investigative excavations were undertaken to identify individual sites and to get an idea of the type of material preserved. The return of six ex-servicemen survivors of the air raid to Broome during this excavation period provided us with the opportunity to record detailed oral histories as well as engage their assistance in the identification of the sites and associated material.