The letter is just one piece of evidence pointing to a proliferation of Australian native animals taken overseas by servicemen during the war, according to amateur historian Peter Bakker.

A fluffy native mouse is among the Australian animals added to the international red list of threatened species, with conservationists warning of an escalating global extinction crisis.

Cronulla RSL community projects manager Natalie Hawkins said having Manic at the club led them to realise there was limited support for retired military service animals. "The Australian Defense ...