Download or read book Captain A Jacka VC MC and Bar written by and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Description: A half length portrait of Albert Jacka, who is seated and wearing full uniform. His hat rests on his knee.
Download or read book Hard Jacka written by Michael Lawriwsky and published by HarperCollins Australia. This book was released on 2011-08-01 with total page 554 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Michael Lawriwsky's insightful Hard Jacka breathes life into the real man behind the legend of Albert Jacka, VC– 'Jacka' to his superiors, 'Bert' to his mates, 'our Albert' to his proud mother. Hard Jacka is a superb account of the man whose acts of selfless heroism at Gallipoli would win him a VC, whose insubordination antagonised his seniors and whose bravery in the battlefields of France would win him the unswerving loyalty of his mates. Hard Jacka is a rich and fascinating story about Albert Jacka and the Great War, its heroes and anti–heroes, their sacrifice, determination and larrikin humour. It's a compelling tale about the deep bonds that life in the trenches developed between men– the quintessential Aussie mateship.
Download or read book The Western Front Companion written by Mark Adkin and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2017-04-30 with total page 1055 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The definitive guide to the main theater of WWI—“maps of the battles . . . military strategy . . . extraordinary anecdotes . . . it’s a triumph” (Daily Mail). Written by the author of the three previous bestselling Companions on Waterloo, Trafalgar and Gettysburg—now acclaimed as the definitive work of reference on each battle—The Western Front Companion is not a mere chronological account of the fighting. Rather, it is an astonishingly comprehensive and forensic anatomy of how and why the armies fought, of their weapons, equipment and tactics, for over four long and bloody years on a battlefield that stretched from the Belgian coast to the Swiss frontier—a distance of 450 miles. Alongside the British Army, full coverage is given to Britain’s allies—France, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, India and the United States—as well as the Germans. The 350,000 words of text range over everything from the railways on the front to the medical corps and the chaplains. Like previous Companions, this book is equally distinguished by its magnificent visual resources—original and intricate maps and diagrams, over 200 resonant and remarkable archive images from the time (many rarely seen), and modern color photographs showing how historic battlefields look nowadays, and paying tribute to the magnificent and poignant cemeteries, monuments and ossuaries that mark the fallen for today’s battlefield visitor. Every reader, no matter how well informed already on the history of World War I, will learn something new from this extraordinary and exhaustive volume. No one interested in the true story and sheer sweep of the Great War on the Western Front can afford to be without it.
Download or read book William Holmes written by Geoffrey Travers and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-06-01 with total page 518 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The road that first leads people from Kingsford Smith Airport in Sydney is named General Holmes Drive, but nowadays few Australians know anything about General Holmes. William Holmes could be remembered for his lifelong public service in developing Sydney’s water supply and sewerage system — but he should be remembered as one of the foremost Australian citizen soldiers of his time. Holmes commanded Australia’s first independent military expeditionary force in World War I, and in New Guinea accepted the first German surrender for Australia. At Gallipoli, Pozières, Bullecourt and Messines, Holmes earned a reputation for fearlessness in battle, believing that at critical times and even during pauses in engagement, reconnaissance should be conducted by the officers in command making the decisions. He was known to all his soldiers and his leadership inspired their affection and loyalty. Philosophical about the risks he took on the battlefield, it was cruel irony indeed that Holmes was killed on the day he took extra safety precautions. Holmes, a contemporary of John Monash, arguably achieved more in his early career than his peer and would certainly have been a contender for command of the Australian Corps in 1918 had he still been alive. This is his story.
Download or read book Polygon Wood written by Nigel Cave and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2011-02-28 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This wood featured significantly in the First and Third Battles of Ypres and was the scene of numerous deeds of heroism, such as that which won young Lieutenant-Colonel Philip Bent the VC. The courage of individuals and units from Britain and Australia is described in this latest edition to the series covering Ypres.
Download or read book Jacka VC written by Robert Macklin and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2006 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The remarkable life story of Albert Jacka - a true Australian war hero - the first Australian to be awarded a VC at Gallipoli who later became prominent in local government in Victoria.
Download or read book Return Of The Gallipoli Legend written by Michael Lawriwsky and published by HarperCollins Australia. This book was released on 2011-08-01 with total page 491 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A hero returns home to a country that is riding high on victory and bolstered with pride. But anyone who has experienced war knows it can never be left behind. Return of the Gallipoli Legend continues the story, told in Hard Jacka, of Albert Jacka, VC– soldier, legend and friend. In this meticulously researched account of a hero and his comrades–in–arms, Michael Lawriwsky explores the human cost of war. Coming home is bittersweet and the memories and experiences of war are never forgotten– irrevocably changing the world view of the soldiers who returned to a nation on the brink of The Great Depression. It is through the eyes of Albert Jacka, VC that we catch a glimpse of how survival away from the trenches becomes an emotional battle on the homefront. Michael Lawriwsky vividly describes the baptism of fire Australia's young soldiers faced when they were called upon to sacrifice all for King and Country on the battlegrounds of Gallipoli, the Somme, Bullecourt and Polygon Wood. The price paid by the soldiers and their families is one that will echo through generations. Albert Jacka, VC was a hero whose legacy lives on.
Download or read book Jacka s Mob written by Edgar John Rule and published by . This book was released on 1933 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Bullecourt 1917 written by Paul Kendall and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2010-09-15 with total page 745 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the spring of 1917 the Arras offensive was begun to break the stalemate of the Western Front by piercing the formidable German defences of the Hindenburg Line. The village of Bullecourt lay at the southern end of the battle front, and the fighting there over a period of six weeks from 11 April until late May 1917, epitomised the awful trench warfare of World War I. In Bullecourt 1917, Paul Kendall tells the stories of the fierce battles fought by three British and three Australian divisions in an attempt to aid Allenby’s Third Army break out from Arras. Approximately 10,000 Australian and 7,000 British soldiers died, many of whom were listed as missing and have no known grave. The battle caused much consternation due to the failure of British tanks in supporting Australian infantry on 11 April, but despite the lack of tank and artillery support the Australian infantry valiantly fought their way into the German trenches. It took a further six weeks for British and Australian infantry to capture the village. This book tells the story of this bitter battle and pays tribute to the men who took part. Crucially, Paul Kendall has contacted as many of the surviving relatives of the combatants as he could, to gain new insight into those terrible events on the Hindenburg Line.
Download or read book The Value of Their Deaths written by Michael C. Madden and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2011 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Stealth Raiders written by Lucas Jordan and published by Random House Australia. This book was released on 2017-08-28 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1918 a few daring low-ranking Australian infantrymen, alone among all the armies on the Western Front, initiated stealth raids without orders. These stealth raiders killed Germans, captured prisoners and advanced the line, sometimes by thousands of yards. They were held in high regard by other men of the lower ranks and were feared by the Germans facing them. Who were these stealth raiders and why did they do it? What made Australian soldiers take on this independent and personal type of warfare? Using their firsthand accounts, as well as official archives and private records, Lucas Jordan pieces their stories together. A gripping account of the crucial summer on the Western Front, Stealth Raiders: A Few Daring Men in 1918 considers the stealth raiders’ war experience and training, the unprecedented conditions at the front and the morale of the German Army in 1918. Lucas Jordan argues that bush skills, and the bush ethos central to Australian civil society – with its emphasis on resourcefulness and initiative – made stealth raids a distinctively Australian phenomenon. ‘Depressingly often we see books promoted as “the forgotten story” or “the untold story”. Yet Stealth Raiders tells such a story, of a few daring Australian infantry who . . . so demoralised their opponents that they feared to enter the line against them’ – Bill Gammage
Download or read book Victoria at War written by Michael McKernan and published by UNSW Press. This book was released on 2014-08-01 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the First World War, in Melbourne and communities throughout Victoria, schoolchildren knitted socks for the troops serving in Gallipoli, the Middle East and on the Western Front. Their families set up Red Cross branches to support the 91,000 Victorian servicemen and women overseas. Victoria at War records the achievements of the state’s soldiers, nurses and their families – including the Whitelaws from Gippsland with six sons enlisting, ‘Bert’ Jacka, the first Australian to be awarded the Victoria Cross in the First World War, and commander Sir John Monash. Bestselling military historian Michael McKernan commemorates the generosity, devotion, sacrifice and spirit of a community pushed towards breaking point through stories from the home front and battlefront.
Download or read book The Battles of Bullecourt 1917 written by David Coombes and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-02-05 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In April-May 1917 the sleepy hamlet of Bullecourt in northern France became the focus of two battles involving Australian and British troops. Given the unique place in this nation’s military history that both battles occupy, surprisingly little has been written on the AIF’s achievements at Bullecourt. The First Battle of Bullecourt marked the Australians’ introduction to the latest battlefield weapon — the tank. This much-lauded weapon failed dismally amid enormous casualties. Despite this, two infantry brigades from the 4th Australian Division captured parts of the formidable Hindenburg Line with minimal artillery and tank support, repulsing German counter-attacks until forced to withdraw. In the second battle, launched with a preliminary artillery barrage, more Australian divisions were forced into the Bullecourt ‘meat-grinder’ and casualties soared to over 7000. Again Australian soldiers fought hard to capture parts of the enemy line and hold them against savage counter-attacks. Bullecourt became a charnel-house for the AIF. Many who had endured the nightmare of Pozières considered Bullecourt far worse. And for what? While Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig considered its capture ‘among the great achievements of the war’, the village that cost so many lives held no strategic value whatsoever.
Download or read book The Blood Tub written by Jonathan Walker and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2015-03-31 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This controversial and stirring account of one of the bloodiest battles of the Great War recounts a heroic but disastrous engagement which left a lasting rift between the British and Australians. Drawing from a wealth of unpublished sources and eyewitness accounts, Jonathan Walker's study of the Battle of Bullecourt is vital to an understanding of the difficulties that faced Great War commanders. Central to The Blood Tub is a reassessment of Sir Hubert Gough, one of the Great War's most colourful generals.In the late spring of 1917, the Allies attacked at Arras, and a combined British and Australian force under General 'Thruster' Gough assaulted the fortress village of Bullecourt. Despite using the new wonder weapon, the tank, Gough's first attack ended in disaster and bitter recriminations. He then launched a second massive attack. For the next two weeks, the Battle of Bullecourt dominated British offensive action on the Western Front. It was the excessive brutality and ferocity of the hand-to-hand fighting that earned Bullecourt the name 'Blood Tub.'
Download or read book Mutiny On The Western Front written by Greg Raffin and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-09-05 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On 21 September 1918, with retreating German forces on their last legs, the 1st Battalion of the AIF was ordered to return to the front just as they were being relieved and preparing for a well-earnt rest. It wasn’t just the Germans who were on their last legs; the Australians were depleted and exhausted. In what was the largest such instance of mass ‘combat refusal’ in the AIF’s history, the men of one company in the 1st Battalion defied the order. The ‘mutiny’ spread to other companies, and when the battalion did eventually comply with the order, over 100 men were absent. The circumstances surrounding this mutiny have long been a matter of embarrassment for the AIF, and of fascination for military historians. While historians have approached the issue in purely military terms – the men as soldiers, over-extended service, rates of wounding, promotions, and so on – this book approaches these 100 plus men as human beings. Mutiny on the Western Front traces how these events played out in the context of the exhausting demands placed upon a unit that had seen practically continuous front-line action for weeks, if not months, in the war’s final, decisive stages. Author Greg Raffin considers what happens to men’s hearts and minds in the course of a prolonged conflict like the Great War. This story, which will surprise readers – is not just about a group of exhausted and war weary Australian soldiers in 1918, it is a story about humanity in war: about what men do in war, and what war does to men.
Download or read book Lethality in Combat written by Doctor Tom Lewis and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-02-01 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lethality in Combat shines a blazing light on the three most controversial aspects of military combat: the necessity of killing; the taking, or not, of prisoners; and the targeting of civilians. This book argues that when a nation-state sends its soldiers to fight, the state must accept the full implications of this, uncomfortable as they may be. Drawing on seven conflicts - the Boer War, World Wars I and II, and the wars in Korea, Vietnam, the Falklands and Iraq - the author considers these ethical issues.
Download or read book We Who Proudly Served written by Peter Francis Kenny and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2015-05-27 with total page 1230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although Australia is only a young country in comparison to other nations, it can hold its head up high and proudly proclaim that it is one of the giants in this world of toil and trouble in which we live. When the odds are stacked against Australians, they dont turn and run; instead, they stand and fight and overcome the obstacles that face them. The contents of this volume are a tribute to all the men and women of this proud and great country, who have come from all walks of life to give of their time, and unfortunately, some have even given their lives, to defend this great land and keep it free. There have been politicians, doctors, nurses, police officers, average everyday citizens, musicians, actors, artists, farmers, graziers, authors, sportsmen and women, journalists, and a host of others who have taken up the cause for their country and the monarchy, serving from the Crimean to the war in Vietnam and beyond. Their heroic deeds and their many sacrifices have ensured that todays generation can rest easier, proud in the knowledge that these servicemen and women have paved the way for our freedom. Now they come together once again as one big family to shed an insight on their achievements so that you can fully understand and appreciate what they have and had experienced. I dedicate this work to the memory of all those who have made the supreme sacrifice in order that we may live in peace and prosperity and also to the families of those who did not return. The book is not a glorification of war but a glorification of the individual and his or her actions and deeds.
