One of the defining features of the Kokoda Campaign was undoubtedly the native carriers who carried supplies forward and wounded men back. Much is made of their contribution, and rightly so, but without the efforts of Doc Vernon to improve conditions and care of the carrier force it is debatable whe…
Australian Military History
by Warwick O'Neill
Focusing on specific events, people and groups throughout the history of Australia at arms.http://bit.ly/australianmilitaryhistory-surveyamhp.media@gmail.compatreon.com/user?u=46029761 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest Episodes
In this interview Peter Mitchell gives a detailed account of a little known event in Australia's military history - the fighting on Java in the opening weeks of the Pacific War. He also provides an insight into the benefits of creative non-fiction as a means of providing factual details about an eve…
With the fall of Singapore imminent, all nursing staff were given orders to evacuate. Despite the protests of the nurses they boarded the evacuation ships. Those who boarded the Vyner Brook would suffering murder and imprisonment at the hands of the Japanese, but those aboard the other two ships, th…
Commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy on the eve of World War II, HMAS Perth (I) was the only RAN vessel in the Atlantic at the outbreak of war. She returned to Australia for a short period before serving in the Mediterranean, gaining praise for her crew's seamanship and accurate gunnery. Retu…
Colonel Marcus Fielding spent nine months as an embedded Australian officer within the Coalition Forces Headquarters during the final stages of Australia's involvement in the Iraq War. He provides a fascinating insight into the day to day running of a major headquarters and the state of play in Bagh…
This episode we're looking at the work of the unsung heroes of every campaign which Australia has taken part in - the Military Chaplain. We're going to do this by focusing on Walter Dexter, who was as famous during World War 1 as Jacka or John Monash, but has been largely forgotten in the intervenin…
In this bonus episode I interview Aaron Dryden about his book, Between Two Wars, based upon the story of his great grandfather's experiences through WW1 and WW2 and his eventual fate at the Sandakan Prisoner of War camp.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Between-Two-Wars-Aaron-Dryden-ebook/dp/B0G441WXNS/re…
After the fall of Singapore 80 000 British, Indian and Australian troops became prisoners of the Japanese Imperial Army. Many of these men would be subjected to the horrors of the Thai Burma railway, but around 2 500 were to suffer and even worse fate. They would be sent to Borneo to build an airstr…
As promised in my last episode, I hereby present to you all a Christmas present to say thank you for your support throughout the year. Have a good one.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Having advanced beyond the village of Pozieres, the 1st and 3rd Brigades of the 1st Division now attempted to realign themselves with the Old German (OG) Lines. The fighting by now was chaotic with orders being issued for local attacks, often without neighbouring units being aware. Miscommunicated o…
After securing the ground on the southern edge of Pozieres village, along the Bapaume Road, the 1st Australian Division was ordered to use patrols to capture the remainder of the village, which higher command believed to be empty of Germans. The patrols met some success with positions established on…
In 1916, the British launched the now infamous Battle of the Somme. Three weeks after the opening of the battle, the high ground around a small village in French Picardy remained in German hands. In the AIF's first major assault on the Western Front, the task of seizing Pozieres fell on the 1st Aust…
I recently interviewed Roland Perry about his new book Oliphant, the biography of arguably Australia's greatest mind and a man who played an instrumental role in the defeat of both Nazi Germany and Japan.
https://www.patreon.com/c/u46029761?view_as=patron
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToyQ3ufqmB…
With the capture of Magdhaba and with El Arish more or less secured, the Desert Column was poised to leave the Sinai behind and entre Palestine. There was only one potential threat to that advance, the old Egyptian police post of Rafa. This strong defensive position gave the Turks better access to w…
Start Digging You Bastards is the new book from Tom Gilling, following the deeds of the Australian 9th Division during the Battle of El Alamein. This month I interview Tom about El Alamein and the Australian's role in the "Turning Point of the War."
australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com
https://www…
Something different this month as this is a topic I knew absolutely nothing about. Fortunately, someone who does know all about it is Edmund Goldrick, whose dulcet tones you will get to enjoy instead of my usual droning. Enjoy
australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com
https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=4…
At the outbreak of the Korean War, the 77th Squadron were just packing up to leave Japan after five years with the occupation forces. Within a week they were flying their first combat mission of the war and would go on to forge a reputation as an effective fighting force, which the Commanding Office…
The Japanese thrust had managed to drive a wedge between the 24th Brigade and the 20th Brigade of the 9th Division. But the fighting had left the Japanese battered and unable to launch a coordinated follow up attack. Over the following days, the Australians would regroup and reinforce with the inten…
Having been forced out of Finschhafen and Jivevaneng, the Japanese forces on the Huon Peninsula launched a counter-attack, aimed at recapturing the Australian-held Scarlett Beach. This is where stores and reinforcements were being landed by the Australian and American forces. Lose Scarlett Beach and…
With the fall of Finshhafen, the 20th Brigade of the 9th Division was keen to push on to their next major objective in the Huon Peninsula campaign; Sattelberg. It appeared that the Japanese who had retreated were all heading in that direction, so all haste was needed in order to prevent them from se…