COMBAT STRESS RESOURCES FOR CHAPLAINS AND HISTORY INSTRUCTORS
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From around the world, resources are available for public domain download, to assist in developing Stress Management products. Materials on this page include photos, war art, documents, and films. Refer back to the "CH Hughes products" webpage, and note the "Combat Stress" PDF's and videos, to see how to incorporate these materials into a block of instruction. Photos of soldiers in various types of terrain, battle, recreation, etc., are an excellent way to involve students in discussion.
There are also resources on this page Secondary School teachers can use with their students to enhance the study of World War I, II, and Vietnam. Short videos and podcasts are available from the public domain, as well as primary source materials on this page. Consideration should be given to
using the Kokoda Track, Battle of Singapore, POWs, and Vietnam sections as separate teaching modules. Blocks of instruction could also include terrain*, environment, native inhabitants, geography, and weather that contributed to Combat Stress of soldiers. Instructors can use these
materials in PowerPoint presentations.
*A good example of combat stress involving Terrain is the Australian soldiers landing at Gallipoli where their leaders
had faulty maps and the soldiers were faced with impossible objectives they could not meet. They had been landed at the wrong place, and, as happened with U.S. troops in WW2 landing at Anzio, Italy, were bunched up at the beachhead and stalled, unable to advance due mainly to the terrain.
Once past the beachhead, the terrain with it's sharp drop-off's, worked against any rapid advance. There are some excellent short films that outline these problems by historians who walked over the ground involved.
There is a music section for WW 1 & 2, which covers the main pieces of music that were used to boost the morale of soldiers and those back home, in those two wars. Instructors should consider using these videos to enhance the study of those historical periods for their students.
A brief section appears near the bottom of this page, dealing with Combat Stress in the Civil War. The webpage, "The Old South" has much more that can be incorporated in a complete course on the Civil War.
Also, included on this page, there are brief general articles dealing with Combat Stress, Shell Shock, lack of sleep, and
the role of weather and environment affecting troops.
A separate study of Pearl Harbor is available on the webpage "Jim & Joe in College" in the section that deals with Joe's graduate work at the University of Richmond on Pre-Pearl Harbor Intelligence. The research in that section covers not only American, but British, Australian, and Dutch intelligence.
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Viewer Advice: This webpage contains some language, themes, and images that may disturb some viewers. Certain primary source records may contain language or include depictions that may be considered insensitive, disrespectful, offensive or racist. This material reflects the creator's attitude or that of the period in which the item was written, recorded, collected or catalogued. They are not the current
views of this website and do not reflect current understanding and are not appropriate today. This webpage was developed only for Chaplains and other military instructors.
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WHY STUDY AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS is a good question.
First, much of what you see, read, and hear on this page was unknown years ago when I was in graduate school and teaching history in public and private schools. The whole truth about cannibalization which was perpetrated on Allied soldiers, Australians in particular, by Japanese soldiers, was kept under wraps until well into the the 1990's. It continues to be hidden from the schoolchildren in Japan who have never been taught the full history of their country's major role in WW2. In addition, much of what we now know about the success and failure of intelligence prior to Pearl Harbor has now come to light. We also know that FDR was the first President to wiretap his own White House office; long before Nixon. Much intelligence that came to assist the success at Midway came from Australia, not Hawaii. And while on the subject of U.S. Presidents, it is now a proven fact that Warren Harding had not one but two children out of wedlock.
Much of the fighting in the Far East was done by Australians, (they were fighting there two years before any extensive U.S. involvement) which is often overlooked in popular media, which gives much space to the U.S. Marines, who should not be discounted; but the Australians certainly suffered more and died more horrific deaths at the hands of the Japanese than the Americans. The Japanese were the main opponent of the Australian Army in WW2. Japanese leadership are on record as saying that the U.S. Soldiers (not Marines) were timid and overly cautious when they landed on islands that were under their occupation.
The Japanese killed more than twice as many Australians in battle as other enemies combined in WW2. More than three times as many Australians were captured by the Japanese than by other enemies, and thirty times more Australians died as POWs in the hands of the Japanese, than as prisoners of European opponents. Most of the Australians who ended up as POWs of the Japanese was due to the bumbling British leadership in Malaysia and Singapore, where thousands of Diggers were surrendered to a much smaller Japanese force. It was a disgrace. One Australian general officer even fled from his command back to Australia and ended his life as a pariah in disgrace.
After calculations are done, if Australians who died from wounds as POWs are not taken into account, the figure was more than forty times higher in Japanese captivity. Keep in mind that when in 1945, the Japanese commanders in charge of the POW camps, learned that they were going to lose the war, they ordered all POWs killed by any means before they could be released. This has been verified in written records.
It is also my intention on this page to bring a more balanced view to the implication of some historians who state that most soldiers found killing pleasurable. That may have
some ring of truth, in reference to U.S. Marines who fought in WW2 and were heavily involved in "human trophy-taking," but that is not true concerning Australians, which is borne out by a wider reading of
Australian primary sources. Attitudes of soldiers on inflicting death varied
greatly among the Australians and depended heavily on the identity of
the enemy and the circumstances in which they met. "Taking no prisoners"
only became apparent on the occasions when the Diggers found their wounded mates had been tortured, carved up and, in some cases, eaten by Jap soldiers who
practiced cannibalism.
I would suggest you read two books, "At the Front
Line" and "Fighting the Enemy" by Professor Mark Johnston for a
more in-depth discussion of this point. His use of primary source materials is extensive. More in-depth discussion is
offered about Japanese cruelty toward the Diggers in detail further down on this page. Other books with primary sources are also suggested on this page.
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Peter Pinney, a Digger who fought in the WW2 Pacific theater, summed up quite succinctly
why I am giving Australia the major focus on this page: "American war histories are notoriously frugal in their mention of Australian fighting men…the few references there, portray them as little more than camp followers. General MacArthur’s communiques habitually refrained from any mention of Australian troops, and their successes were commonly assumed to be American victories. American war histories tend to ignore the Australian offensives in New Guinea, and describe the Bougainville beachhead in November 1943, as the first important fight in the Pacific conflict. They fail to mention that the war with Japan was already two years
old before American forces played any major part in the islands campaign." “American public opinion, which is inclined to write off Australia as a fighting force for the remainder of the Pacific War, now sees the
digger in the humblest of secondary roles..mopping up behind the
real fighting slogging Yank.” (Sydney Morning Herald, quoted in P. Charlton, “The Unnessary War” (Melbourne: Macmillian, 1983).
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This webpage features Australian and New Zealand soldiers at war; with some emphasis on British, Canadian, and U.S. Soldiers.
(Another webpage, "CH Hughes products" deals with stress issues faced by American service personnel. CH Hughes - Part 3" concerns additional information on Australia; but includes Britain and Ireland as well.)
Many photos are courtesy of the Australian War Memorial. Another great resource for instructors is The Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne, Australia, where you will find many audio, visual, and written primary resources. Photos and films are generally placed under specific categories. For example, "Fall of Singapore" has specific Australian photos and films about that event.
The photos in each section on this page will reveal many Diggers appearing in groups with their Mates, generally smiling, and not self-conscious. This says much about their psychological and cultural makeup. Mates did not leave their friends on the battlefield, especially when wounded by the Japanese, as will become apparent in subsequent detail below.
It became especially important once they discovered that the Japanese were eating their wounded and dead Mates by cutting flesh from their dead bodies; in some cases, while he was still alive. Newly discovered diaries and reports by survivors, not previously known, relate this in gruesome detail. This was a personal turning point for them, (on a case by case basis), in not wanting to take prisoners, already being practiced wholesale by many U.S. Marines in the Pacific theater of war.
In doing research for this page, I found a stronger bond of "Mateship" between Australian "Diggers" (as their soldiers
are known) than between American Soldiers. Those from
New Zealand are known as "Kiwis", and they also had strong bond of friendship.
"ANZAC" is a term that refers to both Australian and New Zealand soldiers. (Australian New Zealand Army Corps). This designation was first given during WW1.
I found a sense of comradeship between American Soldiers in the field, but it was not as strong and did not last long after returning home from rotation to a war zone; or after retirement, especially after Vietnam and later wars. Other than the VFW and American Legion, plus a few disabled vet organizations, there are few permanent associations for U.S. combat veterans with ongoing organizations and public participation events.
Yet today, in the 21st Century, the average Digger will refer
to another as "Mate." And the number of "Digger" organizations and associations is numerous. They participate through annual ANZAC Day and Australia Day "marches" (parades) in all the major and minor cities and towns. In addition, the children, wives, grandchildren, and extended family, all turn out for these events and support their husbands, fathers, grandfathers, as well as these
associations, which hold their own individual events. All the Australia media outlets cover these events 'religiously,' unlike the media in the U.S., and indeed, the current president (Biden) who has given major patriotic military holidays only lip-service; as well as making major foreign policy mistakes that have directly affected our service personnel.
The typical Australian sees the importance in supporting
these events and associations. They have a sense of pride
and sincere desire for participation that is evident, even when the public events had to be scaled back due to the 2020 pandemic. One website sums it up succinctly: "Our aim is to perpetuate the camaraderie that was generated amongst us when we served." Well said.
While the U.S. Vietnam-era vets had many websites run by individuals and small groups post-the Vietnam war, they
have been in decline since 2008. Most of these websites are now extinct and no longer exist. Some sites have 'changed hands' or have attached themselves to other larger sites; many have been 'watered down'. This is unfortunate, as they were once a rich resource for research.
I have also included a section about Australian Chaplains in WW 1 & 2, Vietnam, and Afghanistan.
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Before continuing, a word to the instructor concerning the need to do careful research. I have discovered numerous websites that have outright false information, either by design or by careless unintentional error. There is one site that has a high-sounding name that supposedly gives the correct information about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; but that website has a hidden agenda of pushing their own philosophy, which is incorrect.
Most of the websites from Australia are excellent and are well worth your research time. However, I cannot say the same for several large research sites in Britain. Most all of these, though they may eventually be helpful, are pay-for-use sites; their fees are exhorbitant in my estimation for the little information that they provide. Also, their oral history interviews are sparce and incomplete; snippits of interviews that last less than a few minutes. The Canadian official websites are somewhat better, but do not have the wide range of soldier-documentation records available online. The British also don't have soldier-documentation records readily available. Be careful of using pay sites that claim they will get these records for you; they are expensive and I don't use them.
Here is another example of careless handling of information that can be found on many websites. This particular website in question, tried to make a list, with photos, of all underage boy soldiers:
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Several years ago, I did extensive research on the Royal Flying Corps and corresponded with the high school Albert Ball attended. He is remembered as one of the first 'Aces' of WW1. Here are some pictures of him, including one on the cover of a book about WW1 flying:
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The researcher must also be careful about some authors who have a subrosa agenda. They have attempted to disprove the truth of a particular battle, army group, or concept. Here is one online report concerning this problem:
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Another fictional recounting of history was exposed concerning the Kokoda Track:
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Another recent investigation into the battle of Midway, notorious for turning the tide of the war against the Japanese, has come under intense scrutiny. The resultant investigation of primary sources has revealed that one of the 'sources' previously taken for granted for at least 60 years, is completely wrong.
I am talking about the memoirs of Commander Fuchida who wrote about the battle of Midway, but did not tell the truth about one important facet of the battle. A historian, Jonathan Parshall, dug into the original Japanese records and produced an astonishing revelation which he noted in his book, "Shattered Sword." He relates what happened in the following excerpt from a recent podcast:
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FAKE PHOTO FROM AMERICAN CIVIL WAR The photo at left , "Confederate Dead on Matthews Hill, Bull Run" is from the Library of Congress.
It is a FAKE: the men are NOT DEAD, but alive; their bodies were staged by the photographer.
See the Photo Study about fake war photos below:
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Glossary of Australian Terms
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Identification of Diggers and Kiwi's in combat photos can be made by looking at dog tags (called 'meat tickets' by the Diggers); hats, short haircuts, shirtless, and wearing shorts.
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Another Digger with the Australian-type of dog tags, which are round and octagonal shaped:
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This American GI has rectangle-shaped dog tags, encased in a black rubber holder to silence them while moving in enemy territory.
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Origin of the Feathers on the Light Horse Soldier's hat:
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Here's a song about the Digger's hat,
from the film "The Digger":
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Photo Study of the British Soldier:
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A Digger in this video describes his authentic WW1 uniform:
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A Digger in another video tells the history of the Australian flag:
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A Digger discusses the Australian coat of arms and national anthem:
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Young man in his video series "The Far Off Station," describes the British Kit used by the Loyal Regiment in 1941 Singapore:
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Soldiers from Scotland also participated in WW1 and had their own uniforms:
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ACTUAL PICTURE OF TWO SOLDIERS FROM SCOTLAND STANDING IN THE SNOW ON THE WESTERN FRONT. PHOTO HAS BEEN 'COLORIZED':
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New Zealand ANZAC soldiers also had a special way of greeting their Mates; no sexual implication is implied;
it is a cultural aspect of their lives:
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Australian Army Customs and Traditions:
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Australians in the Great War
A short film with music of the period:
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Remembering the New Zealand soldiers in World War 1:
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NZ SOLDIERS WERE STATIONED IN SAMOA IN 1914:
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The first Australian awarded the Victoria Cross
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The Aussie way of Discipline
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Discipline within the AIF on the Western Front
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Diggers also show their pride in serving by use of Tattoos. But not just any type; the designs are chosen with specific intent.
Here are some films which describe the rationale behind the tattoos, followed by some examples:
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When the Battle of Kokoda is discussed further on this page, it is referred to as the "Kokoda Track," not 'trail.' Diggers used the term "Track" to refer to a 'trail.'
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Diggers grew up on a continent
surrounded by water and were, therefore, used to swimming. That becomes apparent in the descriptions and photos on this page.
They also came from a land with animals that were unique to Australia. Here are two films which describe them:
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The Virtual War Memorial is an excellent resource site for Instructors. But as of late, I have found much information missing on individual soldiers and some of it is inaccurate. Here is an example of what you can find:
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"SPIRIT OF THE ANZACS" He's a drover drifting over Western
plains
He's a city lad, a clark
down Flinder's
Lane
They're in the trenches at Lone
Pine
And on the Flander's
firing line
A willing band of ordinary men
He's all of them
He's one of us
Born beneath
The Southern Cross
Side by side
We say with pride
He is all of them
He is one of us
He's a pilot on a midnight bombing
raid
He's an Able Seaman on the Armidale
She's a nurse in Vietnam
They're on patrol in Uruzgan
Sons and daughters rising to the
call
She's all of them
She's one of us
Born beneath
The Southern Cross
Side by side
We say with pride
She is all of them
She is one of us
The spirit of the ANZACs
Proud and strong
Spirit of the ANZACs
Will live on and on and on
He's all of them
He's one of us
Born beneath
The Southern Cross
Side by side
We say with pride
He is all of them
She is all of them
They are one of us
They are one of us
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As previously stated above, The number of 'Digger' organizations and associations are numerous, and they participate through annual ANZAC Day and Australia Day marches/parades, in all the major and minor cities and towns. Thousands (yes, thousands) of people come out and support these marches. (See examples below, of the 2022 ANZAC Day marches).
In addition, the children, wives, grandchildren, and extended family all turn out for these events and support these associations, which hold their own individual events. Australia news media outlets cover these events 'religiously,' unlike the media in the U.S. which barely covers our national holidays like July 4th, Memorial Day, etc.
The typical Australian sees the importance in supporting these events and associations. They have a sense of pride and sincere desire for participation that is evident, even when the public events had to be scaled back due to the 2020 pandemic. One website sums it up succinctly: "Our aim is to perpetuate the camaraderie that was generated amongst us when we served."
Here is some of what occurred in Australia and overseas on this year's ANZAC Day, 25 April 2022:
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Dawn Services and Marches are held in all major cities and towns in Australia, as well as in Gallipoli, Turkey. Here are examples of some around the country:
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Special postage stamps were issued in honor of Australian involvement in WW1:
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Here is an overview of the Gallipoli battlefield, which observes ANZAC Day every April 25th:
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What doest it mean to be an ANZAC soldier?
"Life of Young ANZAC Soldier" is a film series that helps answer the question and would be useful to high school teachers. The young man wears the typical New Zealand uniform and hat.
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Trench Life in World War 1
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Highly recommended: "The Spirit of the Digger" as an introduction to understanding what it means to be an Australian 'Digger':
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Donald Tate went to anti-war rally and spoke in favor of going into Vietnam; reminded the crowd that he was a wounded vet from that conflict. But, he was later embroiled in controversy.
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At the Front Line by Mark Johnston is highly recommended. Here is an excerpt from the main points covered:
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"Australians at War" - Vietnam - Film Series
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STORIES FROM 110 SIGNAL SQUADRON
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"AUSTRALIANS AT WAR: THE THIN KHAKAI LINE" (A TEACHING MODULE FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS)
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ADDITIONAL TEACHER RESOURCES:
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Some who knew the intimate details of what went wrong in the planning and execution of the Gallipoli campaign, wrote about it afterward:
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Additional films for use in the classroom:
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ORAL HISTORIES - THE VETERANS WHO WERE THERE
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THE KOKODA TRACK CAMPAIGN:
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"The Last Enemy" A film series
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JAPAN JOINS THE AXIS ALLIANCE ANNOUNCED
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Prior to Pearl Harbor there were two men who predicted a war in the Pacific. One of these was Gen. Homer Lea.
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HOMER LEA wrote two important books which correctly predicted WW2 in the Pacific. He correctly predicted where the Japanese would land in the Philippines; that they would take Singapore and also attack our American fleet in the Pacific.
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Homer Lea had met President Teddy
Roosevelt, the German Kaiser, and other notable leaders of foreign countries.
U.S. military leaders studied his book, "The Valor of Ignorance" at
West Point, and it was also studied by General Douglas MacArthur, and his own
chief of intelligence. It was required
reading in Russia, Germany, and Japan.
The other book "The Day of the Saxon," correctly predicted the
decline of the British empire.
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Prior to Pearl Harbor there was another man who predicted a war in the Pacific: Hector C. Bywater.
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Bywater was a profilic writer of news stories.
Here are some samples:
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"Sacrifice at Pearl Harbor"
is a special BBC film, in public domain, that I highly recommend.
(As mentioned in the introduction, additional resources about Pre-Pearl Harbor intelligence can be found on
the webpage "Jim & Joe in College" which has more audio & visual aids to teach a section on Pearl Harbor. Those resources cover U.S., British, Dutch,
and Australian military information.)
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NBC radio produced a series of programs called "The Pacific Story."
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Several reenactor groups have produced short videos for public domain; some are quite good. Here is one about the attack on Pearl Harbor, called "The Switchboard":
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War is announced by the Prime Minister of Australia with a brief overview of the Diggers involvement in WW2:
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AUSTRALIAN COMBAT RATIONS, ILLUSTRATED:
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Additional audio resources from the Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne, Australia:
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Wodonga Regional Lecture: Spirit of the Digger Shrine of Remembrance Tuesday 20 May 2014 - Mr Patrick Lindsay The Anzac spirit forms the bedrock of the Australian and New Zealand national characters. It was forged from a mateship which grew into something greater than the shared experiences of brothers-in-arms. The Gallipoli Campaign was a kind of crusade and a national rite of passage for three of the countries involved: Turkey, Australia and New Zealand. Each emerged from the devastating losses with an enhanced international reputation and its image clarified in its national consciousness. Patrick Lindsay is one of Australia’s leading non-fiction authors. He spent 25 years as a journalist and TV presenter before he began writing full-time in 2001. Since then he has written 20 books, including the best-sellers, The Spirit of Kokoda, The Spirit of The Digger, The Spirit of Gallipoli, Fromelles, Our Darkest Day, Cosgrove …Portrait of a Leader, The Coast Watchers and True Blue. Much of his work explores the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that makes up what it means to be an Australian. He sees the Anzac Spirit as a key piece of the puzzle.
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Mr. Lindsay also presented another lecture:
"The Spirit of Kokoda":
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Consider Monuments to past leaders as a visual aid in teaching history.
Monument to William Wallace:
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Wallace in
this monument at Glasgow, Scotland is....
the standard-issue freedom fighter of the imagination with:
* The Give ‘em
hell whiskers,
* The Save-me-Jesus eyes, and
* The hamstrings from hell.
Wallace was
not a one-man campaign. We don’t know if he could have been a stuntman for Mel
Gibson in the movie “Braveheart,” but his epic romance refuses to go away.
It is
important for young officers, as Patton once said, to study the biographies of
great and near-great military leaders of history in order to learn and add to
your storehouse-knowledge of tactics, strategy, and leadership.
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Photographs from the field of battle tell us a lot about
a soldier, either as an individual or as a group. Their expressions tell a lot about individual and group cohesion and character. The Berserk soldier is often identified in these.
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It
is thought that wearing a bearskin into battle is the origin of the word
berserker. The word likely means “bear-shirt.” The Middle English word “serk,”
meaning shirt, supports this idea. Another theory is that berserker actually
means “bare-shirt,” suggesting that the berserkers fought completely
naked.
Here is one example of a U.S. Soldier who went naked and berserk:
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There was one American GI who went Berserk while guarding German POWS in the United States:
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One U.S. Soldier, an RTO for his unit, showed his preference for war, in the next photo:
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Soldiers and Marines who went berserk had different ways of showing it. Some American GIs collected ears off of dead Japanese and wore them as badges of achievement. Another GI extracted gold teeth. One GI in WW2 Germany, literally scalped the hair from a dead enemy soldier who had blond hair. Many Marines mailed home Japanese skulls.
I did not find any documentation that Diggers were involved in this extreme misconduct, except isolated cases where the Aussie would come across a Mate who had been cannibalized and partially eaten by Japanese soldiers; but not on the industrial scale of Americans.
US Navy men with their trophy skulls:
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What follows is first, three articles about human skull collecting by Americans and Allies, then a photo study of its practice.
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This next picture shows a South Vietnamese soldier abusing a Viet Cong:
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Some American GI's got so "numbed" by the war, they could sit and eat lunch surrounded by dead VC:
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American mutilation of Japanese war dead:
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Human trophy taking, by Americans during the Pacific War:
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One American tells why he hated the
Japanese and wanted revenge:
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During WW2 and Vietnam, U.S. Soldiers and Marines would pose with the dead enemy or their body parts, in what became known as "Trophy War Pictures."
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Next 3 photos show US Marines with Japanese trophies:
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British soldiers with trophies:
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Russian soldiers took their share of war trophies:
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The next photo below has an interesting background: On May 22, 1944, Life magazine published a photo of an American girl with a Japanese skull sent to her by her naval officer boyfriend. The image caption stated: "When he said goodbye two years ago to Natalie Nickerson, 20, a war worker of Phoenix, Ariz., a big, handsome Navy lieutenant promised her a Jap. Last week Natalie received a human skull, autographed by her lieutenant and 13 friends, and inscribed: "This is a good Jap – a dead one picked up on the New Guinea beach." Natalie, surprised at the gift, named it Tojo. The letters Life received from its readers in response to this photo were "overwhelmingly condemnatory" and the Army directed its Bureau of Public Relations to inform U.S. publishers that "the publication of such stories would be likely to encourage the enemy to take reprisals against American dead and prisoners of war". The junior officer who had sent the skull was also traced and officially reprimanded. This was, however, done reluctantly, and the punishment was not severe.
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On June 13, 1944, the press reported that President Roosevelt had been presented with a letter-opener made out of a Japanese soldier's arm bone by Francis E. Walter, a Democratic congressman. Supposedly, the president commented, "This is the sort of gift I like to get", and "There'll be plenty more such gifts".
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Consider the following film on "McNamara's Morons" and have students compare and contrast the reasons for American soldiers taking war trophies and pictures of dead in WW2 and Vietnam:
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Trophy photo from a U.S. Vietnam vet website. Note the comment made on the picture:
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US Marines pose for human trophy photos:
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Soldiers pose holding the heads of VC:
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Diggers head home after WW2 with trophies:
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Captured VC by Diggers; some are being given
medical treatment:
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Captured VC taken thru the wire:
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Clearing the battlefield:
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Wounded VC being led away:
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Captured VC by U.S. soldiers:
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In the picture below:A Vietnamese girl, 23 years old, was captured by an Australian patrol 30 feet below ground at the end of a maze of tunnels some 10 miles west of the headquarters of the Australian task force (40 miles southeast of Saigon). The woman was crouched over a World War II radio set. About seven male Viet Cong took off when the Australians appeared—but the woman remained and appeared to be trying to conceal the radio set. She was taken back to the Australian headquarters where she told under sharp interrogation (which included a “waterprobe”; see her wet clothes after the interrogation) that she worked as a Viet Cong nurse in the village of Hoa Long and had been in the tunnel for 10 days. The Australians did not believe her because she seemed to lack any medical knowledge.
They thought that she may have possibly been the leader of the political cell in Long Hoa. She was being led away after interrogation, clothes soaked from the “waterprobe” on October 29, 1966. (AP)
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Diggers with captured Japanese:
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British soldiers with captured Japanese:
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General Westmoreland inspects Australian soldiers (Note that they still go shirtless due to the heat)
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Checking on wounded Japanese:
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The next photo of "Bull" Allen, illustrates "Mateship" from an Australian perspective. One's "mates" or as
an American would say, "comrades" was important
to the Diggers. Bonding between Mates, i.e, friends, would last a lifetime.
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The photo of Bull Allen was chosen for the cover of a book that detailed the horror of war:
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Taking care of one's Mates has a long history in the
Australian Army. Here, a World War 1 soldier carries a wounded soldier off the battlefield:
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Other photos from WW2, WW1, Vietnam:
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BATTLE FOR AUSTRALIA: REMEMBERING 100 YEARS
OF THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE BATTLE FOR AUSTRALIA.
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PRIME MINISTER JOHN CURTIN ANNOUNCES THAT AUSTRALIA IS AT WAR.
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Before Kokoda and New Guinea, Australian involvement in World War 2 began the Middle East, Greece, and
Crete; then in the Far East, with the loss of thousands of troops taken prisoner by the Japanese, after the fall of Singapore. Hong Kong fell to the Japanese resulting in British and Canadian troops' execution, murder, and some sent to POW camps. British leadership was a shambles.
This is history that Japanese students are not taught. Most Japanese veterans continue to
deny the atrocity and outright murder
of prisoners and POWs.
It is but one of many examples of the brutality committed by Japanese soldiers in the Far East. The film "The Valour and the Horror," should be viewed. Made by the Canadian government, it is one of
the best documentary's ever made
about Japanese soldier brutality. (It can be found in youtube format online). (There is an excerpt from it below).
Hong Kong is a battle that is often overlooked by American history teachers and is worthy of inclusion in any discussion about the war in the Far East.
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Prior to WW1, the British occupation of Hong Kong was supported by their troops. In the picture below, is the Field Artillery Battery of the Hong Kong Volunteers, circa 1890:
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THE JAPANESE HELL CREATED IN HONG KONG
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Padre (Chaplain) Laite (pictured below) wrote a war diary of his time in Hong Kong under Japanese control (see below):
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Chaplain Deloughery (pictured below) also kept a diary of events in Japanese occupied Hong Kong.
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"Christmas at the Royal Hotel" tells the story of the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong. It is PG and has no sexual scenes nor nudity.
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In 1941, Hong Kong was the Casablanca of the East, a city full of war refugees, profiteers and spies. With the sudden attack by Japanese troops, a Canadian soldier's Christmas promise is broken during the Battle of Hong Kong. It can also be found online for free and well worth watching.
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Some Canadian soldiers of the Royal Rifles regiment aboard transport en route to Hong Kong, Nov 1941:
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Soldiers (and students) should consider how they would deal with the stress of seeing a fellow soldier bayoneted to death in front of them. Students could be assigned to read from a different diary, and give an oral report on what they found.
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Here is a World War 1 Diary that coveys the trauma faced by soldiers in that war:
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The movie, "Escape from Hong Kong" is available free online:https://archive.org/details/escape-from-hong-kong-1942
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Canadian forces defending Hong Kong:
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Prior to the arrival of the two Canadian regiments, the Loyal Battalion of Britain had already been in Hong Kong earlier in 1941, training:
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Hong Kong surrenders to the Japanese (notice the lit candles due to lack of electricity):
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Japs massacred British/Canadian soldiers:
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The British authorities who had requested the Canadian troops be sent to Hong Kong, knew that there was "not the slightest chance" of it being held after the Japanese attacked.
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As the British/Australian troops moved toward Singapore, we now know that an early massacre and murder of Australian and Indian troops occurred. Here is that story:
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Australian soldiers sent to reinforce Singapore,
arrived just days before being captured after the British surrender, which made them POWs of the Japanese:
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A THREE PART SERIES EXPLAINS WHAT HAPPENED IN SINGAPORE:
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Diggers and their trucks of the 2/3 Motor Ambulance Company, the last to escape the advancing Japanese, and cross into Singapore:
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PRIVATE FRANK HOLE, 2/20th Battalion, was among the first Australians sent to defend Singapore. Born in 1925, he enlisted June 1941, was captured by the Japanese in the surrender of Singapore.
He describes the fighting in his own words:
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Frank was in a weapons pit facing a rubber plantation in Malaya when he suddenly noticed a company of Japanese moving through the trees. On being fired at, they formed a line and charged his 2/20th Battalion position. He said that "The Japs were moving very quickly from tree to tree, making the most of the cover provided, and it was very difficult to gert a sight on any target. Although I fired several bursts form the Bren in the general direction of the Japs I doubt very much if I hit anyone...the charge finished at the edge of the rubber plantation on the opposite side of the road and the Japs went to ground along a shallow drainage trench. They were very adept at making the most effective use of any cover available and even though they were no more than 25 feet away I could not see any sign of a Jap."
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Frank appears in this shipboard photo, on the way to defend Singapore:
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Singapore was the location of the famous Raffles Hotel home of the 'Singapore Sling' and host to the rich and famous British 'upper crust':
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Japs march into Raffles Square by the hotel:
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HIGH STREET, SINGAPORE, BEFORE WW2:
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Prior to the Japanese invasion, British soldiers, including the Padre, participated in sports, seen in the next picture:
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Fall of Singapore - 80th Anniversary Film Series:
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Fall of Singapore - Rare Color Film:
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Two British ships had been sent to Singapore to protect it from Japanese attack.
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Two British warships (Repulse and Prince of Wales) were thought to have been sufficient to protect Singapore. Here is an interview with the survivors of HMS Repulse, sunk by the Japanese:
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At the end of the war, when the Japanese were forced to surrender at Singapore, an unusual thing occurred. General Itagaki, commander of Singapore's garrison of 70,000 men, ordered his generals and senior staff that they would have to obey the Allies and keep the peace until they arrived. That was on August 22nd. That night, 300 Japanese officers committed suicide at the end of a 'well-lubricated' Sake farewell party at the Raffles Hotel.
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Japanese troops are marched into captivity after
their surrender in Singapore:
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A British spy had, some years before, correctly predicted where the Japanese would land in order to eventually take Singapore. This is detailed in the film series, "The Fall of Singapore" which is on this
website. Here is a picture of that landing site:
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British soldiers also captured by the Japanese:
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British soldiers placed in prison at Singapore, where they would be starved, mistreated, medically ignored, and some later moved to other camps and used as slave labor:
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Rare captured Japanese war films of their invasion of Malaya and Singapore:
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One general fled Singapore when the Japanese moved in and was forever 'shamed' for that action:
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Jap Spies were everywhere.....................
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"Thanks" to two British aviation experts who gave military secrets to Japan, the fall of Singapore and attack on Pearl Harbor was inevitable.
The following film series, now in public domain, explains what happened starting as early as 1920:
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Japanese atrocities first recorded as
committed against Australian soldiers, began with the fall of Singapore. Jap soldiers attacked the local hospital and
murdered many doctors and patients. Here
is the story:
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Two BBC radio programs in public domain, describe what happened during the fall of Singapore, with eyewitness accounts:
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From "Frontline" a Defense Service Journal:
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"A BITTER FATE" TEACHING MATERIALS FOR HIGH SCHOOL INSTRUCTORS. (Australia in Malaya and Singapore December 1942-February 1942)
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JAPANESE INVADED DUTCH EAST INDIES
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The Japanese were, in 1941-42, also invading The Lesser Sunda Islands (which included Flores, Soemba, and Alor). Many Dutch navy sailors were captured on Lombok Island, 1942:
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Dutch women and children in Jap POW camp, Dutch East Indies:
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A SPECIAL RADIO PRODUCTION, COURTESY OF AUSTRALIA BROADCASTING CORP.
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Changi Prison, which housed all Australians when Singapore fell, before they were 'farmed out' to outlying camps such as Sandakan:
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After Singapore and Hong Kong fell, the British decided to enlist Chinese from Canada to help behind the lines in a special undercover operation. It was called Force 136.
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With the Japanese military invading and occupying much territory in the Far East, the Battle for Australia was on.
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Many do not realize that Germany occupied
New Guinea prior to World War One. After war was declared, Australian troops were dispatched to wrest control away from Germany, as Australia and New Zealand were now officially at war with Germany.
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Germany also occupied Samoa before World War One.
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Royal Australian Air Force over New Guinea
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Remembering Victoria Cross winner Lt. Thomas Currie "Diver" Derrick, VC, DCM
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Diggers unload fuel drums onto a beach at New Guinea, 1942:
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Peter Pinney (1922-1992) always craved adventure. He had some
early schooling in Port Moresby, New Guinea, but he grew up in Sydney. As a teenager he had been known for dangerous escapades, including hanging upside down on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. He
liked hiking in the Blue Mountains. He hitched rides in trains and trucks, to Grafton and Albury and north to Cairns. He enlisted in the Australian army in July, 1941, for WW2. He served
in the Middle East for a few months. Then he was a signaller in New Guinea. He took part in the Wau-Salamaua Campaign in 1943. In Australia, in September 1944, he was court-martialled for striking an officer. From November, 1944, he served on Bougainville as a commando.
He had always kept diaries, and did so during the war, in secret.
These were used for his three-volume series of books featuring his autobiographical character, Signaller Johnston: The Barbarians (1988), The Glass Cannon (1990), and The Devils’ Garden (1992). -Simon Sandall
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Peter Patrick Pinney was invited to speak at a writer's conference in Australia. Here is his address:
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Japanese captured in New Guinea campaign:
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Digger carries out an injured Mate:
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How the Diggers used a rope to cross a river:
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PTE Allan of 2/14 Australian pauses for a drink:
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RABAUL - FALLS INTO JAPANESE HANDS
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Japanese pilots and natives with float plane at Rabaul, from a captured photo:
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News from home - Soldiers of the 1st Btn, Royal Australian Regiment listen to a shortwave radio set at Bien Hoa Airbase, Vietnam June 1965:
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Sorting Mail for the Diggers
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Christmas celebrated by Reconnaissance unit, Binh Ba, 1966:
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New Zealand sent soldiers to support the effort in Vietnam. Some photos and films of 161 Battery RNZA and 4 Troop NZSAS:
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Russell Gathercole-Smith, New Zealand:
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Padre conducts field service:
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Wounded NVA enemy soldier:
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U.S. soldiers removing their dead. In what way was this different in how the Diggers removed their dead?
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The book, "Vietnam Vanguard" is now online for free
at the National Australian Press website: https://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/n6124/html/cover.xhtml?referer=&page=0#
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A Coy, 2 RAR Films of Diggers in Vietnam, 1967-68
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2 Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR/NZ) ANZAC
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3RAR - 1971 TOUR SECTION:
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As previously mentioned in the introduction
to this page, there are very few U.S. unit associations still active and online with their own websites. But with the Diggers, it's different. Here is information from one website which gives you an idea of what life was like in Vietnam, the 3RAR. Pictures from their 1971 tour:
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Another form of PT: Diggers in the Royal Australian Air Force lifting bombs:
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American soldiers, who would take time for a swim while on patrol.....
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....did not usually take off their uniforms for a swim, as did the Diggers:
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Films from the 3RAR, 1971 tour:
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END OF 3RAR 1971 TOUR SECTION
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5 RAR TOUR IN VIETNAM - FILMS
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Information on 5 RAR Padre from their association website:
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Australian Soldiers in Jungle Warfare
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In Australia, Diggers loved to swim and play in the surf. From national surf "carnivals" and cultural events to family holidays by the sea, Australians love
spending time at the beach. With its unique history, rituals, language and customs, Australia's beach culture has been well documented across film, literature, sound, and art since the late nineteenth century.
Because of this, those who served in WW1, 2, and Vietnam did not hesitate to take advantage of any available beach, bomb crater, or swimming pool. Even during WW2, they found time for"Swimming Carnivals"
in war zones that had been cleared of enemy Japanese. "Swimming Carnivals" is their term for what we call a "Swim Meet".
We found the Diggers less self-conscious with no inhibition or hesitation in stripping off and diving into the water. Professor Mark Johnston said in his book "At the Front Line," that those Diggers who were not self-conscious and adapted to outdoor army life easily, made the best soldiers and had few incidents of shell shock/PTSD. In the following photos and Photo Studies, every effort has been made to obscure any frontal nudity. As already noted, the Diggers we are studying, were not self-conscious, and did not mind stripping off naked and swimming as a group or in pairs. They also worked naked in the tropical heat of the Far East during WW2 and Vietnam.
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Prior to WW1, boys who served on ships as sailors were taught to swim:
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Bondi Beach, Surf Carnival, 1938:
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50 Yards Backstroke Race:
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And the winner is: Pte Hanson
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AFTER WW2, DIGGERS ORGANIZED SWIM COMPETITION IN DUTCH EAST TIMOR AND JAPAN:
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Diggers would take every opportunity, no matter the circumstances, to swim. In the next photo we see them at Brooketon, Borneo, June 13, 1945. MEMBERS OF HQ 20 INFANTRY BRIGADE
SWIMMING AT YELLOW BEACH. THEY ARE DIVING FROM A JAPANESE PILE DRIVER
BUILT ON THREE RAFTS.
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Next 2 photos: Diggers at Torakina Beach, Bougainville:
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Next 6 photos: Diggers at Milne Bay:
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IN THE NEXT PHOTO, BELOW:BROOKETON, BRUNEI. 1945-08-21. WHEN THE FORMER HOBART PLEASURE CRAFT
ARCADIA TIED UP AT BROOKETON ON BORNEO'S WEST COAST, CARRYING A PARTY OF
RAAF MEN ON A PICNIC AFTER HOSTILITIES CEASED, THEY TOOK THE
OPPORTUNITY OF HAVING A SWIM FROM THE WHARF. THE DIVERS ARE: 138355
LEADING AIRCRAFTMAN (LAC) DOUG PERRY, AUBURN, NSW; 88287 LAC LES ALLEN,
ELECTRONA, TAS; 146421 LAC ATHOL TAIG (?TAIT), BENDIGO, VIC.
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Diggers jump in for "Dog Paddle" swimming event:
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BRUNEI, NORTH WEST BORNEO 1945-11-24. TWO MEN OF THE 2/15TH BATTALION
SUNNING THEMSELVES BESIDE A DEEP POOL WHICH WAS A POPULAR SWIMMING SPOT
FOR AUSTRALIAN TROOPS IN THE AREA. (PHOTOGRAPHER SGT F. A. C. BURKE) Seen in the next photo:
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BUT, NEW GUINEA. 1945-04-02. TROOPS JUST OUT OF ACTION BATHE IN THE SEA
NEAR THE AIRSTRIP.
THESE PLEASANT SURROUNDINGS CONTRAST
SHARPLY WITH THE
RAZOR BACKED TORRICELLI MOUNTAINS IN THE BACKGROUND WHERE NERVE RACKING
"HIDE AND SEEK" FIGHTING IS TAKING PLACE. Seen in the next photo:
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CAIRNS, QLD. 1943-08-27. TROOPS OF THE 16TH AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BRIGADE
COOLING OFF AT TRINITY BEACH AFTER THEIR AMPHIBIOUS TRAINING EXERCISES, IN THE NEXT THREE PHOTOS:
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British sailors, WW1, Corfu, next 3 photos:
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IN THE NEXT PHOTO, BELOW:Baqubah (Baquba), Mesopotamia. 1918. Drivers of No. 2 Station, 1st
Wireless Signal Squadron, Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force, swimming in
the Diala (Diyala) River. The wagon acted as a general communications
control station for the Force during 1918 and January 1919 connected to
Squadron Headquarters (SHQ) by an old Turkish landline.
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British soldiers swim in the Roman Baths, Gafsa, 1943(from group of 15 photos that appeared in Life Magazine, now in public domain):
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IN THE NEXT PHOTO, BELOW: BEIRUT, SYRIA. 1942-06. AUSTRALIAN LINESMEN OF THE SURF LIFE SAVING TEAM
FROM THE "HAPPY VALLEY" A.I.F. LEAVE CAMP AT BEIRUT, DURING THE RESCUE
OF A SWIMMER.
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British soldiers also took advantage of swimming while deployed in WW1:
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Even a younger Prince Charles came to Australia's internationally known Bondi Beach:
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Prince Charles with two lifeguards on either side:
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Surfing is also good on the western coast of Australia:
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When the Diggers had to work in a Jungle environment which was hot, dirty, disease-ridden, and dangerous, they went shirtless, and were not self-conscious about being naked like many of their contemporary American counterparts. Many, if not most, could swim, having grown up on a continent that was surrounded by water. Many brought their speedos with them on deployment. They would frequently cool off and take a bath in a nearby stream or river. (We have taken precautions of obscuring any frontal nudity in the accompanying photos).
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Padre (Chaplain) Dexter taking a bath in Egypt, 1920:
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Tropical heat in the Pacific jungle was so intense, that even senior leaders went shirtless:
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Hot environment in Nui Dat, Vietnam, 1969, finds 547 Sig Troop at work. All are shirtless and notice the electric fans in operation:
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Diggers bathe in Malaya, New Guinea, by crocodile infested waters, albeit not in the water, but just out of it! (Australian War Memorial):
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Shirtless Australian soldiers? Wearing floppy hats and shorts? Naked in a stream or lake, to swim or take a bath? It's really no big deal for Australian Diggers. But it seems so for some in the U.S. Army; and that's what I found doing research for this webpage, and is reported on the "CH Hughes products" page, which is exclusively about U.S. Soldiers. From first-hand research, there were always some AIT (Advanced Individual Training) U.S. Soldiers sent to the Chaplain about this and related issues, such as 'open-bay barracks.' Most recruits adapted and didn't whine about wanting a private room. But many, however, wouldn't make it in Australian RAR units,much less the SAS units:
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One former U.S. Sergeant put this advice online to Basic trainees concerned about taking a shower:
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Consider the psychological testing involved in a recruit being accepted into the Australian army pre-Vietnam. Notice the questions that deal with his ability to 'come on board' with
the other Diggers as a team player:
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A Marine takes a Bubble Bath
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The next photo shows a Pontoon supporting of foot bridge near Da Nang Republic of Vietnam on April 29, 1966, serves as a bathtub for Sgt. Richard Mccloud (Aiea, Hawall of the 2nd BN., 9 Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. While other Marines are washing with soap, Richard has a Bubble bath. The Bubble bath was sent by a girl friend. The Bridge links the company’s positions.
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U.S. soldiers had creative ways to shower (next 2 photos):
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British "Tommy" takes his first bath after a 10-day patrol:
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British soldier jumps into a man-made bathtub in Afghanistan:
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Diggers can be seen swimming in the river below the bridge in the next photos:
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Bomb craters made good swimming holes, but not all bomb craters were sanitary:
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New book, "Charlie Don't Surf, But Aussies Do" tells the story of the Peter Badcoe Club, 1ALSG, Vung Tau, especially the surfing beach lifesaving recreation side of things, and even strays off-target as far as the bars of Vungers and the Victoria Cross awarded to Major Badcoe. It brings together veterans' stories and records from the Australian War Memorial archives,
most never before opened. It is packed with photos, most in colour.
Available online from: https://www.radschool.org.au/Books/books.htm
(Here is a low resolution scan pdf of the book; higher resolution is on the above mentioned website):
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Diggers also had their own swimming pool to relax in:
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