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T h e B r o k e n Y e ars
A s t u d y of the d i a r i e s a n d l e t t e r s of A u s t r a l i a n s o l d i e r s i n the G r e a t War, 1 9 1 ^ - 1 8
Bill G a m m a g e
V o l u m e 1
23 F e b r u a r y 1970
T his thesis w a s s u b m i t t e d to the A u s t r a l i a n N a t i o n a l U n i v e r s i t y for
T h i s is m y o w n w o r k
A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s
I have mo r e and g r e a t e r d e b t s th a n I c a n a c k n o w l e d g e .
269
G r e a t W a r v e t e r a n s (of 350 asked) c o r r e s p o n d e d w i t h me d u r i n g1967
-8
; m a n y w r o t e o f t e n and at length, m a n ys e n t w a r t i m e d i a r i e s and letters, or books, a r ticles, and
m a g a z i n e s , and s e v e r a l c h e e r f u l l y t o l e r a t e d m y f r e q u e n t
c o n v e r s a t i o n and i n t e r r o g a t i o n . All c o n s i g n e d a n e v e n t f u l
p a s t to a d o u b t f u l future; I t h a n k them, and I thank
p a r t i c u l a r l y M r W.F. A n d e r s o n ; C o l o n e l E. C a m p b e l l , D.S.O.
the late M r H.W. Cavill; the late M r P. C o n s t a n t i n e ; M r
F.H. Cox; the late M r A.W. E d w ards, M.M.; M r J. Gooder;
the late Mr T. Gordon; the late M r W.A. Graham; M r R.F.
Hall; M r S.V. Hicks; M r H.V. Howe; M r D. Jackson, M.M.;
S e n a t o r E.W. M a t tner, M.C., D.C.M., M.M.; M r J.H. S t u r g i s s
Mr W.E. Williams; an d M r A.G. Wo r d l e y .
I have h e l d a n A u s t r a l i a n N a t i o n a l U n i v e r s i t y
s c h o l a r s h i p fo r the p a s t three years, and d u r i n g that
time w a s h e l p e d b y m a n y pe o p l e . Mrs R o n a Fra s e r , P e t e r
Lowe, Si r F r a n k Meere, B r e n d a n Moore, Phil Moors, and
S c o t t R o b e r t s lent m e G r e a t W a r d i a r i e s or letters; and
J a n Knox, Mrs P a d d y M a u g h a n , M r s A n n Newsome, Pa t R o m a n s
and M r s B e a W i l l c o c k typed a d i f f i c u l t and d i s o r d e r e d
m a n u s c r i p t . M r A r t h u r Bazley, D r E r i c Fry, P r o f e s s o r K e n
Inglis, Dr J o h n Ri t c h i e , and D r B a r r y S m i t h w o r k e d g r e a t
c h a n g e s u p o n a d r a f t w i t h w h i c h t h e y p e r s i s t e d t hr o u g h o u t
its length, and M r A l e c H i l l and M r s B a r b a r a P e n n y a p p l i e d
s p e c i a l k n o w l e d g e to p a r t i c u l a r chapt e r s . I n v a r i o u s w a y s
iv
m y g r a n d f a t h e r Mr W.J. Ga m m a g e , I a i n Gosney, K e n Inglis,
m y g i r l f r i e n d J a n Knox, m e m b e r s of the s t a f f at C e n t r a l
A r m y R e c o r d s O f f i c e i n M e l b o u r n e and of s e v e r a l libraries,
e s p e c i a l l y the M i t c h e l l L i b r a r y i n Sydney, G r a h a m Morey,
J o h n R i t c h i e , P e t e r T e m p l e - S m i t h , and the V i s u a l Ai d s
D e p a r t m e n t at the A.N.U.
I owe se v e r a l p a r t i c u l a r debts. The s t a f f at the
A u s t r a l i a n W a r M e m o r i a l and e s p e c i a l l y the L i b r a r y s t a f f
u n d e r M i s s V e r a B l a c k b u r n and M r B r u c e H a r d i n g have for
a l m o s t f o u r y e a r s a c c e p t e d m y p r e s e n c e a m o n g them, and
g i v e n me a n e n t i r e l y f r e e a c c e s s to all the r e c ords, and
h e l p e d m y w o r k w i t h a t h o u s a n d k i n d n e s s e s . A r t h u r B a z l e y
has b e e n a g o o d f r i e n d an d k n o w l e d g e a b l e g uide t h roughout,
and m y s u p e r v i s o r B r u c e K e n t c e a s e l e s s l y u s e d his
c o n s i d e r a b l e p a t i e n c e and a b i l i t y to e n c o u r a g e me a l o n g a
s o m e t i m e s d i f f i c u l t p a t h w h i l e at the same time r e s t r a i n i n g
m y ill c o n s i d e r e d e x c u r s i o n s f r o m it. I owe m u c h to the
f r i e n d s h i p and a s s i s t a n c e of all these p e ople, and I hope
that th e y w i l l not c o n s i d e r t h eir e f f o r t s too p o o r l y
r e w a r d e d by the q u a l i t y of the w o r k t h e y have impro v e d .
M y g r e a t e s t debt, pe r h a p s , is to a m a n I n e v e r met,
to Dr C.E.W. Bean, the able and g e n t l e s c h o l a r wh o
o f f i c i a l l y d e s c r i b e d A u s t r a l i a ’s p a r t in the G r e a t War.
His c h i e f w o r k is a m i l e s t o n e i n m i l i t a r y history, and
a m o n g the m o s t c o n s i d e r a b l e p i e c e s y e t w r i t t e n i n
A u s t r a l i a . He o v e r l o o k e d n o t h i n g m e n t i o n e d here, and
his w a s the m o r e c o m p a s s i o n a t e w r i t i n g , for c l e a r l y it
p a i n e d hi m to w r i t e ill of a n y man. B u t the f a u l t
V
his love or r e s p e c t for h umanity, and he k e p t f a i t h i n its
p r o g r e s s d e s p i t e all the d a r k c i r c u m s t a n c e s w h i c h c o n f r o n t e d
his time. It is to him, and to the t h o u s a n d s of g r e a t
h e a r t e d m e n w h o w e r e his c o m r a d e s d u r i n g the war, that I
C o n t e n t s C o n t e n t s
V o l u m e 1
A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s iii
I l l u s t r a t i o n s vii
A b b r e v i a t i o n s ix
S o u r c e s and C o n v e n t i o n s xiii
P r e f a c e xxii
1. A u s t r a l i a n B r i t o n s 1
2. A u s t r a l i a d u r i n g the W a r 1
6
3- F r o m the Ne w W o r l d . .. 70
4. T r i a l by O r d e a l 1 1 6
5* N a t i o n h o o d , B r o t h e r h o o d , and S a c r i f i c e 1
65
6. T h e L a s t C r u s a d e r s 215
V o l u m e 2
7• T h e F l a m e - r a c k e d Years 266
8. N a t i o n h o o d . .. 359
9* . . . B r o t h e r h o o d and S a c r i f i c e 403
10. ’T h e O u t b r e a k of P e a c e * 455
A p p e n d i c e s 473
B i b l i o g r a p h y 479
v i i
I l l u s t r a t i o n s
V o l u m e 1
S e c o n d D i v i s i o n s o l d i e r s c o m i n g out of Pozie r e s , A u g u s t 1916
A t y pical p a g e i n the A u s t r a l i a n p r e s s i n m i d 1915
I m a g e s of a h e i g h t e n i n g h ys t e r i a . . .
1918
r e c r u i t i n g h a n d b i l lL i n e s of the 9 t h and 1 0 t h B a t t a l i o n s at M e n a Camp, D e c e m b e r 1914
T r o o p s e m b a r k i n g i n A u g u s t 1914 ... and late in
1915
C o l o n e l M o n a s h ' s l e t t e r to his w i f e o n the eve of the L a n d i n g
F r o m travail a n d t e n a c i t y ... a l e g e n d
C o u n t r y east of N o .1 O u t p o s t
'The C h a r g e of the 3rd L i g h t H o r s e B r i g a d e at the Nek'
M e n of the F i r s t B r i g a d e at L o n e Pine, A u g u s t 1915
S h r a p n e l G u l l y c e m e t e r y , N o v e m b e r 1915
C r i c k e t on Shell Green, D e c e m b e r 1915
M e n of the F i r s t L i g h t H o r s e B r i g a d e n e a r Esdud, J a n u a r y 1918
L i g h t h o r s e m e n i n the G h o r a n i y e b r i d g e h e a d , M a y 1918
V o l u m e 2
A p l a t o o n of the 2 9 t h B a t t a l i o n , A u g u s t
1918
P o z i e r e s v i l l a g e
Lt. C r o w l e ’s l e tt e r to his w i f e and son, A u g u s t 1916
F r o n t i s p i e c e
A f t e r p. 39
51 60
69
78 1 08 1151
47
1
50
203 2082 1 2
214
248
(at p .)
266
294
V l l l
A u s t r a l i a n s i n Z o n n e b e k e v a lley, Fland e r s ,
O c t o b e r 1917 A f t e r p . 338
D e a d and w o u n d e d f r o m the P a s s c h e n d a e l e
f i g h t i n g , O c t o b e r 1917 377
10 A u s t r a l i a n d e s e r t e r s a d d r e s s a
P r o v o s t M a r s h a l 413
" W h y do y o u not s a l u t e ? . . . ” 421
” . . . a r i s k m o s t g l o r i o u s . . . ” 44-1
’X m a s M e m o r i e s ’ 4 6 0
He m i g h t have p l a n t e d crops... 478
a) Units
A . A . M . C .
A . A . N . S.
A . A . 0 . C .
A . A . S . C .
A . F . C .
A.I.F.
A m b .
A . M . D . T .
A. M . T . S .
Anz .
A n z a c
A r t y .
Bde .
Bn.
B t y .
Coy.
Di v .
Eng.
F . A . B .
Fid.
H.A.G.
H.Q.
I . C . C .
L. H.
L . R . Op.
L.T.M.
M.G.
Mtd.
Australian Army Medical Corps
Australian Army Nursing Service
Australian Army Ordnance Corps
Australian Army Service Corps
Australian Flying Corps
Australian Imperial Force
Ambulance
Anzac Mounted Divisional Train
Australian Mechanical Transport Service
Anzac
Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
Artillery Brigade Battalion Battery Company Division Engineers
Field Artillery Brigade
Field
Heavy Artillery Group
Headquar ters
Imperial Camel Corps
Light Horse
Light Railway Operating
Light Trench Mortar
Machine Gun
Mounted
ix
X
M.T.M.
R e g t .
R . F . C .
Sig.
S q u a d .
T r p .
T u n n .
b ) R a n k
B d r .
Brig.
C a p t .
C .0.
C o l .
Cpi .
C .Q.M.S.
C .S.M.
D v r .
Gen.
G n r .
L / C p 1.
L t .
M a j .
N . C .0.
P te .
R .Q.M.S.
2 / L t .
S g r .
S g t .
S . M.
S p r .
M e d i u m T r e n c h M o r t a r
R e g i m e n t
R o y a l F l y i n g C o rps
S i g n a l l i n g
S q u a d r o n
T r o o p
T u n n e l l i n g
B o m b a r d i e r
B r i g a d i e r
C a p t a i n
C o m m a n d i n g O f f i c e r C o l o n e l
C o r p o r a l
C o m p a n y Q u a r t e r m a s t e r S e r g e a n t
C o m p a n y S e r g e a n t M a j o r
D r i v e r
G e n e r a l
G u n n e r
L a n c e C o r p o r a l
Li e u t e n a n t
M a j o r
N o n - c o m m i s s i o n e d O f f i c e r
P r i v a t e
R e g i m e n t a l Q u a r t e r m a s t e r S e r g e a n t
S e c o n d L i e u t e n a n t
S i g n a l l e r
S e r g e a n t
S e r g e a n t M a j o r
xi
S/Sgt. S t a f f S e r g e a n t
Tpr. T r o o p e r
c) C a u s e of t e r m i n a t i o n of service, etc.
W h e n o n l y the y e a r of b i r t h is g i v e n (e.g., b.l885)> the s o l d i e r c o n c e r n e d r e t u r n e d to A u s t r a l i a or w as d i s c h a r g e d i n E n g l a n d a f t e r the A r mi s t i c e .
A.W . L . A b s e n t w i t h o u t leave
D. Died
D.O.D. D i e d of D i s e a s e
D .O.I. D i e d of I n j u r y
D.O.W. D i e d of W o u n d s
K . I . A . K i l l e d i n A c t i o n
P.O.W. P r i s o n e r of W a r
R e p . T . A . R e p a t r i a t e d to A u s t r a l i a
re- e n l . r e - e n l i s t e d
S.I.W. S e l f i n f l i c t e d w o u n d
t r a n s . t r a n s f e r r e d
d) D e c o r a t i o n s
C .
C .B .
C . I . E
D . C .M
D. S . 0
G . C .
K.C.
C o m m a n d e r . ..; C o m p a n i o n . ..
C o m p a n i o n of the B a t h
C o m p a n i o n of the I n d i a n E m p i r e
D i s t i n g u i s h e d C o n d u c t M e d a l
D i s t i n g u i s h e d S e r v i c e O r d e r
K n i g h t G r a n d C r o s s . . . ; K n i g h t G r a n d C o m m a n d e r
X l l
M.B.E. Member of the British Empire
M . C . Military Cross
...M.G. . . . of St Michael
&
St GeorgeM. M. Military Medal
...S.I. ... of the Star of India
O.B.E. Order of the British Empire
V.C . Victoria Cross
V .D. Volunteer Decoration
...V.O. ... of the Victorian Order
S o u r c e s and ConverLtions
Despite the s u pporting use of other sources, this
thesis is a study of the records of 999 Australians who
fought w i t h the A.I.F. during the Great War. T hey left
1
062
records, mo s t l y diaries or letters or extractstherefrom, but occasio n a l l y notes or narratives w r i t t e n
some time after the events they describe, and once or
twice collections of m iscellaneous material. In r e s e a r ch
and in writ i n g I have emphasized the contemporary records
of front line men.
T h ey wrote for v ar y i n g purposes. Some were w r i t i n g
home, others d e l iberately r e c o rding the climax of their
1
lives. Some hardly me n tioned the war, others rarely
ignored it. Some m i n i mized their discomforts, a few
e xaggerated them. Many, w he n it came to the point,
d escribed just what they saw and felt, because the tumult
of the hour denied them an alternative, because they
w a nt ed an exact account for themselves if they lived or
for their relatives if they died, or sometimes because
they realized that the thoughts they confessed might be
their last on earth.^
None was obliged to be accurate, and these pages
report statements no doubt genuinely believed w h e n w r i t t e n
1
For example,
6
9. A rgyles (105,4), (d), Preface;2 6 3
* Coe, (76,3), (D), Preface.2
xiv
but not true, and hearsay evidence and ’tall stories'
cloaked as truth by soldiers. I hope I have identified
most such statements, and I have omitted errors
a p parently peculiar to individuals. But this thesis
attempts to show what some A u s t r a li an soldiers thought
and felt during the war, and therefore must include
instances in w hi c h they erred. For the same r eason my
comments often describe what soldiers thought r ather than
w ha t I think: for example, X use words like 'patriot',
'Hun', and 'native' w it h their contemporary colourings,
not w i t h my own. Readers should not assume the literal
a c curacy of statements made or quoted here, nor believe
that these n e c e ssarily represent m y own opinion.
Most of the manuscripts were collected f o l l owing
various appeals to the general public, or after requests
made in the 1920s and 30s by the A us t ra li an War Memorial
to specific veterans or their relatives. Unless some
sections of the community responded to these requests
more w i l l ingly than others (which m a y be), there was no
bias in the c o llection of the sources; but I have
appended statistics about their writers w h i c h attempt to
indicate possible bias' in what they recorded, and the
1
figures show apparent discrepancies. These may have led
me to exaggerate 'positive' factors in the early chapters
for example, the importance of Empire or nationalist
sentiment, rather than the desire to be 'in it' or to act
in concert w i t h mates, as causes for enlistment. But I
doubt that any significant bias exists in the chapters
See pp.
X V
de s c ri bi ng the figh t i n g and its consequences, because in
that situation differences in attitude seem to have cut
across civilian backgrounds, w h i c h retained their
influence in expre s s i o n rather than sentiment. Since
censors were concerned merely w i t h place names and troop
movements, I could find no other significant bias in the
r e c o r d s .
But, as though to mock the attachments of gentler
times, there are three parti c u l a r omissions: religion,
politics, and sex. Of these the most important is
religion, and these pages instance m e n who enlisted to
d e fend their God, who remained devout Christians through
e ve r y travail, and who, if they became fatalists, became
so by trusting God entirely. Yet apparently the average 2
A u s tr al ia n was not religious. He was not a k ee n
churchman: he avoided church parades, or if he could not
avoid them he tended to show sudden enthusiasm for w h ic h e v e r
d e n om in a t i o n w o rshipped w i t h i n easiest m a r c h i n g distance.
He distrusted chaplains, and sometimes detested them,
because he was an Australian, and because they were
1
But it was not m y experience that one group write more ob s e rvantly or effectively about the war than another, nor was lack of education a handicap in this respect. Fo r example, see p p .
3 0 6
-7
» 439-40.2
At least 2 chaplains have attested to this. See
Henderson, K.T.: Khaki and C a s s o c k , p p . 2, 7 3 ~ 5j 143“ 4, 151» in Rule, E.J.: J a c k a 1s Mob, p . 144. See also Mann, L.:
xvi
o f f i c e r s , e n j o y i n g the p r i v i l e g e s of l e a d e r s but n o t the 1
c o n c o m i t a n t r i sks an d r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s o f b a ttle.
T h e r e w e r e e x c e p t i o n a l c h a p l a i n s , m e n w h o i g n o r e d
m i n o r b l a s p h e m i e s to c o n f r o n t m a j o r evils, w h o s h o w e d
t h e m s e l v e s b r a v e u n d e r fire, and w h o r a n k e d the n e e d s and
w e l f a r e of s o ld i e r s a b ove the p a t r i o t r e l i g i o n of the
w a r t i m e p ulpit. T h e s e m e n t a u g h t b y p r a c t i c e and example,
a n d w e r e a m o n g the m o s t r e s p e c t e d i n the A.I.F. But,
t h o u g h it was not t h e i r intent, t h e y t e n d e d to d e m o n s t r a t e
th a t the r e w a r d s of v i r t u e w e r e o n e a r t h r a t h e r t h a n i n
H e a v e n , and to be a d m i r e d as m e n r a t h e r t h a n c h a p l a i n s .
P r o b a b l y they a d v a n c e d the p i e t y of t h e i r f l o c k o n l y 2
i n c i d e n t a l l y .
M o s t A u s t r a l i a n s f o u n d l i t t l e in w a r to p r o m p t
c o n s i d e r a t i o n of a h i g h e r d i v i n i t y . S o m e t u r n e d to G o d i n
m o m e n t s of stress, b u t the m a j o r i t y k e p t t h e i r m i n d s
s q u a r e l y u p o n the w o r l d a r o u n d them, d i s p l a y i n g a
p r a c t i c a l c o n c e r n fo r the e x i g e n c i e s of battle, and a
1
Fo r this and the two pre c e d i n g sentences, for example, 356. Cpl. W.I. Everard, 2 M.G. Bn., Farmer, of Marshfield, S.A. K.I.A. 4/7/18, aged 27* (L), 17/9/17
980. Rev. W.F. Shannon, O.B.E., A.I.F. H.Q., Minister, of W a y l a n d s , W.A. b.1872. (d), 19 / l 1/ l 5
21. A i t k e n , (101,2), (L),
2
/7
/1 6
; 4 1 . Allen, (77,2), (L), IO /8
/1 6
; 262. Cleary, (220,2), (d ), 29/lO/l6;477-J a c k s o n , (154,2), (L), 17/9/17; 991. Hicks, (255,3). (D), 5/12/15
Harney, W. : 'Harney's War', O v e r l a n d , N o .13, Oct. 1958, p .
8
. 2For this p ar ag ra ph thus far,
1 4 . Adcock, (100,4), (L), 4/12/17;
6 0 7
. M i t c hell, (79,2), (D), 14 /l /l 6X V 1 1
p r e o c c up at io n with questions of food and rest, dead m a t e s
3
leave, and the next fight. Not often d u ring that blind
struggle did they consider the A lm ig ht y B ei n g who directed
their existence.
Politics interested them even less. T h e y debated
conscription, and a few reviled strikers in Australia, but
these were issues of war, not politics. " D i s cussion on
Politics Is Not In the F as h i o n H e r e " , a soldier in France
told his brother, a Sydney M.L.A., "we Have a lot more
Serious Subjects to Juggle w i t h Its mo s t l y old Fritz &
so on." Faction and preference, socialism and capitalism,
were civilian luxuries, far too remote to move m e n
embroiled in the d eadly business of war.
A l th ou gh one or two soldiers discussed their love
affairs, most never wrote about sex, so that in this thesis
co n s i deration of the subject is not possible. To judge
fr o m venereal disease statistics, some applied taboos
about sex to words but not actions, and I am told that m a n y
m e n took advantage of w hatever 'horizontal refreshment'
chanced to offer. Yet apparently sex did not loom large
a mo n g them. To m en on Gallipoli, in Sinai, or in the line
in France, relations w i t h w om en were not possible; to m e n
k e ye d by battle, p e r p e tu al ly half exhausted, and conscious
that they fought in part to defend the rights and chastity
of women, sexual relations were not, at least in
imagination, attractive. In talk they discussed and joked
about sex, but less frequently than about the incidents
_
975* Molesworth, (281,2), (l), 7 / 3 / 1
8
)-x v i i i
of w a r , ' and i n p r a c t i c e , p r o b a b l y , m o s t h o n o u r e d the
h o n o u r a b l e , and a v a i l e d t h e m s e l v e s o f the a v a i l a b l e .
As w e l l as these o m i s s i o n s , there w e r e A u s t r a l i a n s
w h o w r o t e little a b o u t the war. T h e s e m e n m a y have p a s s e d
t h r o u g h g r e a t e v e n t s w i t h o u t comment, and p e r h a p s some of
t h e m w e r e not m u c h a f f e c ted by the struggle. The n a r r a t i v e s of
m o r e e x p r e s s i v e w r i t e r s m a k e that s e e m s c a r c e l y credible,
b u t if there w e r e s u c h soldiers, it is n o t e w o r t h y ,
b e c a u s e they w o u l d q u a l i f y this record, w h e r e a s of
n e c e s s i t y they have o n l y p a s s i n g l y i n f l u e n c e d it.
M a n y m e n c i t e d i n the c h a p t e r s w h i c h b r i n g the
n a r r a t i v e to the A . I . F . ?s e m b a r k a t i o n f r o m A u s t r a l i a w e r e
f r o m the B r i t i s h Isles, b e c a u s e , b e i n g s e p a r a t e d f r o m
t h e i r rela t i v e s , these m e n w e r e o b l i g e d to w r i t e w h a t
o t h e r s spoke. P e r h a p s their p r e d o m i n a n c e has s l i g h t l y
e x a g g e r a t e d the s p i r i t of Empire, and u n d e r r a t e d the
a d v e n t u r o u s e a g e r n e s s of u n t r a v e l l e d A u s t r a l i a n s ; b u t
B r i t i s h b o r n m e n w e r e a m o n g the m o s t a r d e n t A u s t r a l i a n
n a t i o n a l i s t s , and E n g l i s h m e n r e t u r n i n g home a m o n g the
k e e n e s t travellers.
R e l a t i v e l y fe w l i g h t h o r s e m e n w r o t e o n the c a m p a i g n
i n S i n a i and P a l e s t i n e , w i t h r e s u l t s e v i d e n t i n that p a r t
of the thesis; p o s s i b l e cau s e s f o r this are s u g g e s t e d o n
p a g e 235, i n f o o t n o t e 1 .
B e c a u s e this is a n a c c o u n t of h o w s o l d i e r s f e l t
r a t h e r th a n of w h a t they did, and c l a i m s to r e p r e s e n t o n l y
t h ose d i a r i e s and l e t t e r s a c t u a l l y read, this is no t a
m i l i t a r y h i s t o r y of the A.I.F. S o m e t i m e s fo r w a n t of
Bean, op. cit., VI, p.l8n.
x i x
space, sometimes because too few diaries or letters
de s cribed them, there is no reference to A.X.F, actions
in Mesopotamia or against the Senussi, nor to one o r two
battles, most notably the defensive action A u st ra li an
i n f a n t r y fought at Lagnicourt, France, on 15 April 1917*
Yet I make no claims about the uniqueness of the m e n I
describe,or ofany A u s t r al ia n soldier: m uc h of what is
w r i t t e n here might apply to Canadians or New Zealanders,
and no doubt some of it would be true of soldiers in every
a r m y .
There are several simplifying conventions, chiefly
employed in footnotes:
The fullest information about any soldier is
contained in the footnote w h i c h •firs t cites him, and this
footnote is referred to in subsequent relevant footnotes
b y its page number followed by its note number, in brackets
after the writer's surname. As example of a first
footnote is,
607. Capt. G.D. Mitchell, M.C., D.C.M., 48 Bn., Clerk, of
Thebarton, S.A. b.1894. (d), 24/4/15
and of a subsequent footnote for the same man,
6 0 7
. Mitchell, (79,2), (D), 1/6
/ l 5 where Mitchell is firstm e nt io ne d on p .
7 9
» n .2
.Abbreviations are listed on pp.ix-xii; and ranks,
decorations, and units are those w h i c h a w riter terminated
his A.I.F. service from any cause: w h e n only the y e a r of
b i r t h is given, the writer returned safely to A u s t r al ia
X X
S u r n a m e s are p r e f i x e d i n f o o t n o t e s b y a number:
this a s s i s t s r e f e r e n c e b a c k to a f i r s t f o o t n o t e and
to the b i b l i o g r a p h y , w h i c h l i sts the r e c o r d w r i t e r s
c hr o no 1 o gi c a 11 y .
U n l e s s it is o t h e r w i s e i n d i c a t e d or apparent, see
also i n f o o t n o t e s p r e c e d e s e v i d e n c e s u p p o r t i n g the g e n e r a l
p o i n t or s u b j e c t u n d e r d i s c u s s i o n , n o t m e r e l y the s u b j e c t
m a t t e r of the f o o t n o t e to w h i c h it is attached; however,
this w i l l v a r y b e t w e e n sources, b e c a u s e no s o l d i e r w a s
o b l i g e d to a r r a n g e his th o u g h t s logi c a l l y , or to c o n f i n e
them to a single subject. The a l t e r n a t i v e w a s a
p r o l i f e r a t i o n of f o o t n o t e s d i f f i c u l t fo r the w r i t e r and
d i s t r a c t i n g f o r the reader, an d i n a v o i d i n g this I hope
I have r e t a i n e d a c c u r a c y and clarity.
P r i m a r y or s e c o n d a r y s o u r c e s of s l i g h t r e l e v a n c e
b u t r e f e r r e d to i n the text are a n n o t a t e d i n full i n the
a p p r o p r i a t e foot n o t e , the r e m a i n i n g s o u r c e s r e f e r r e d to
are f u l l y a n n o t a t e d i n the b i b l i o g r a p h y .
The text is l i b e r a l l y i n t e r s p e r s e d w i t h i m p r e c i s e
i n d i c a t i o n s of n u m b e r - 'most', 'many', ’some', 'a f e w ’,
etc. T h o u g h it is u n l i k e l y that I h a v e always s u c ceeded,
I have a t t e m p t e d to give these i n d i c a t i o n s some v a l i d i t y ,
a nd i n d o i n g so h a v e b e e n g u i d e d b y the w e i g h t of i n t e r n a l
evidence, b y Dr B e a n ' s work, b y d i s c u s s i o n w i t h r e t u r n e d
men, and b y w h a t s e e m e d to me p r o b a b l e . B e c a u s e all
these p r o d u c e u n c e r t a i n results, and p a r t i c u l a r l y b e c a u s e
e a c h a s s u m e s that w h a t s o l d i e r s sa i d is w h a t t h e y thought,
r e a d e r s s h o u l d take these w o r d s to i n d i c a t e o n l y r o u g h
xx i
Finally, to avoid frequent interruptions in the
narrative, I have not normally used sic to indicate
p un c t u a t i o n or spelling errors in quotations, and I
xxii
P r e f a c e
T h e r e has n e v e r b e e n a g r e a t e r t r a g e d y t h a n W o r l d
W a r One. O t h e r events, b y l e a d i n g v a l o r o u s m e n to
c o n t e s t trivial c a u s e s and b y e n c o u r a g i n g the
p e r p e t r a t i o n of b a s e an d n o b l e acts, have b e e n as
t r e a c h e r o u s to h umanity; no e v e n t has i n v o l v e d so many,
n o r so b l i g h t e d the h o p e s of men. T h e G r e a t W a r e n g u l f e d
a n age, and c o n d i t i o n e d the times that foll o w e d . It
w r e a k e d h a v o c and d i s i l l u s i o n a m o n g e v e r y t h i n g its
c o n t e m p o r a r i e s v a l u e d a nd t h o ug h t secure, it c o n t a m i n a t e d
e v e r y g o o d ideal f o r w h i c h it w a s waged, it t h r e w up w a s t e
a n d h o r r o r w o r s e t h a n all the e v i l s it s o u g h t to avert,
a n d it left l e g a c i e s of s t a u n c h n e s s an d s a v a g e r y e q u a l to
a n y w h i c h have b e w i l d e r e d m e n a b o u t their p u r p o s e o n earth.
A m o n g those w h o f o u g h t i n the w a r w e r e 3 3 0 , 0 0 0
A u s t r a l i a n s . T h e y w e r e c i v i l i a n s w h o v o l u n t e e r e d f o r and
w e r e a c c e p t e d into the A u s t r a l i a n I m p e r i a l Force, s o l d i e r s
w h o e n l i s t e d and s a i l e d to d e f e n d K i n g and Country, or fo r
the n o v e l t y of it. O v e r s e a s a m a e l s t r o m c a u g h t them, and
i n f o u r y e a r s s w e p t m o s t of t h e i r a s s u m p t i o n s away.
A l t h o u g h their s p i r i t s r a r e l y w e r e b r oken, they a m e n d e d
t h e i r o u t l o o k s to a b s o r b the u n e x p e c t e d c h a l l e n g e s t h e y
e n c o u n t e r e d , and r e t u r n e d to A u s t r a l i a the f l o t s a m of
o l d ways, b u t the h a r b i n g e r s of a n e w w o r l d ? a n d a n e w
c e n t u r y .
One t h o u s a n d of these s o l d i e r s left the d o c u m e n t s
w h i c h i n s p i r e d w h a t follows, a n d the thesis c o n s i d e r s
t he m s e l v e s , and no t m e r e l y a b o u t the A.I . F . at large, or
a b o u t k i n d r e d s o l d i e r s f r o m C a n a d a or N e w Z e a l a n d or
S c o t l a n d , or a b o u t m e n at war. It m a y not be p o s s i b l e to
d i s c e r n the n a t u r e of man, b e c a u s e e a c h g u e s s e s at that
f r o m his o w n s t a n d p o i n t , and i n d e s c r i b i n g o t h e r s m a k e s a
p u p p e t of himself, and d a n c e s to his o w n i n v e n t i o n . Yet
if these m e n do no t a n s w e r g r e a t q u e s t i o n s , they m i g h t be
s e e n to r aise them, fo r they too h ad to a s k w h e t h e r their
a c t i o n s p r o s p e r e d m a n k i n d or c o r r u p t e d it, w h e t h e r m a n k i n d
i t s e l f is g r e a t or d e praved, and w h e t h e r m e n s erve e v e n t s
or m a s t e r them.
T h e r e f o r e I c o m m e n d the c h r o n i c l e s they w r o t e to the
re a d e r . T h e y are i m p r e s s e d w i t h a t r a g i c n o b i l i t y b e y o n d
the a b i l i t y of the f o l l o w i n g e x t r a c t s to convey, and the
s p i r i t of a n age m o v e s t h r o u g h t h e i r p a g e s fa r m o r e
Adieu, the y e a r s are a b r o k e n song,
A n d the r i g h t g r o w s w e a k i n the str i k e w i t h wrong,
The lilies of love have a c r i m s o n stain,
A n d the old days n e v e r w i l l come again.
