Australian Airmen in the Pacific War. Whispering Death tells the story of the more than 130,000 Australian airmen who took to the skies during the Pacific War, from its first hours in 1941 to its last in 1945. Merely flying over that regions boundless oceans and wild weather was dangerous enough for Australias fliers, but their formidable enemies made it much more perilous. In their Zero fighters and Betty bombers the Japanese were initially too numerous, experienced and well-armed for the few Australians who opposed. But after the tragic bombing of Darwin in 1942, the pilots of the RAAF began to take back the skies in their captivating