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The RSL Book of World War I
True stories of Aussie courage and mateship from the annals of the RSL.
Published to mark the centenary of the First World War and of the RSL in 2016, this is a collection of 100 true stories of Aussie courage from those who were in the action. These are intimate, eyewitness accounts across the breadth of Australia's war from Gallipoli to the Western Front, related with humour, pathos and vivid detail. For
The Gallipoli landing as related in a Diggers's letter home.
An engineer who was one of the first ashore at Gallipoli and who cut steps up the cliffs for those who followed.
General Monash on a mysterious meeting on an Anzac beach.
Major General Pompey Elliott's story of a crackshot sniper.
The curious case of the stolen cheese.
Firsthand accounts of HMAS Sydney's victory over the Emden and a battle between HMAS Sydney and a Zeppelin.
Charles Kingsford-Smith on meeting a German pilot after the war.
A Light Horse patrol daringly slipping through advancing Turkish troops to warn their mates of danger.
A sapper's account of the battle of Fromelles.
How the Melbourne Cup was run on the Western Front.
And there's so much daring rescues in 'no man's land' and desperate action in the trenches; stories from POWs, medicos, stretcher bearers and nurses; an account of the torpedoing of a ship repatriating wounded soldiers and one about the game of two-up and how it maintained morale among frontline soldiers - you'll even find out why Diggers wore women's underwear on the Western Front.
Published to mark the centenary of the First World War and of the RSL in 2016, this is a collection of 100 true stories of Aussie courage from those who were in the action. These are intimate, eyewitness accounts across the breadth of Australia's war from Gallipoli to the Western Front, related with humour, pathos and vivid detail. For
The Gallipoli landing as related in a Diggers's letter home.
An engineer who was one of the first ashore at Gallipoli and who cut steps up the cliffs for those who followed.
General Monash on a mysterious meeting on an Anzac beach.
Major General Pompey Elliott's story of a crackshot sniper.
The curious case of the stolen cheese.
Firsthand accounts of HMAS Sydney's victory over the Emden and a battle between HMAS Sydney and a Zeppelin.
Charles Kingsford-Smith on meeting a German pilot after the war.
A Light Horse patrol daringly slipping through advancing Turkish troops to warn their mates of danger.
A sapper's account of the battle of Fromelles.
How the Melbourne Cup was run on the Western Front.
And there's so much daring rescues in 'no man's land' and desperate action in the trenches; stories from POWs, medicos, stretcher bearers and nurses; an account of the torpedoing of a ship repatriating wounded soldiers and one about the game of two-up and how it maintained morale among frontline soldiers - you'll even find out why Diggers wore women's underwear on the Western Front.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
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January 18, 2018
This is a wide-ranging collection of stories published by the RSL since the late 1920s in its various magazines and newsletters from around Australia. Gatfield has chosen stories that illustrate the broad experiences of WWI service men and women. Obviously those who were incapable of writing or had no desire to tell their story won't get a mention in these pages and so the collection cannot claim to be a comprehensive and representative snapshot of the views of those who served. Nonetheless the stories are often poignant, powerful and illuminating. This is an excellent collection and well worth reading by those who have an interest in the Australian experience in WWI.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review