Forced to counter the chemical warfare threat from Japan in late 1941, Australia covertly imported 1,000,000 chemical weapons and them around the country. This book reveals details of the agents, Australia's plans with them, the involvement of the USA, the lack of training of the weapons handlers and, finally, the dangerous disposal of the dangerous agents. Most of all, this is the story of the men who lived with the deadly weapons on a daily basis, handling them constantly despite the immense risks and suffering as a consequence.

The Armourers remember : gassed World War I diggers ? Chemical weapons procurement : the initial debate ? Chemical weapons procurement and their retaliatory use : a necessary insurance policy ? Importation ? Chemical warfare agents in Australia ? The Armourers remember : The need for secrecy ? Chemical warfare organisation ? Royal Australian Air Force training ? Army training ? The Chemical Warfare units ? Production and storage ? The Armourers remember : The storage sites ? The Armourers remember : daily routine at the Chemical Warfare sites ? Transportation : the Armourer?s stories ? The Chemical Warfare plan ? The Armourers remember : the experimental stations and the Brook Island trials ? Liaison : the interservice and the international ? The Armourers remember : accidents, incidents and medical treatment ? Stockage policy and disposal ? The Armourers remember : disposal of the Chemical Warfare stocks ? Sea dumping ? the aftermath : the Armourers reflect ? Chemical Weapons Convention and other arrangements ? Conclusion.