Blog
Recent acquisitions: To points unknown…
20 August 2008 by Mel Hunt.
2 Comments
Collection,From the collection,New acquisitions, Books
‘To points unknown: the First Al Muthanna Task Group’ is a striking example of the type of modern unit history which is being produced by Australian soldiers. It is a largely pictorial record of the tour to Iraq by the 1st Al Muthanna Task Group from April to November 2005. Lt. Col. Roger Noble, Commanding Officer of Al Muthanna Task group One, notes in the introduction that the aim was to ‘record our tour as it was, with an emphasis on the human, lighter, everyday side of the tour’.
The Memorial’s Research Centre holds an extensive collection of published ‘unit histories’ across the range of conflicts in which Australians have served from the South African War to current peacekeeping operations.
New acquisition: Surf in Australia
18 July 2008 by Mel Hunt.
No comments
Collection,New acquisitions, Books
Australian armed forces have had a long and proud association with surf lifesaving in Australia as reflected in this copy of ‘Surf in Australia’ magazine. It contains news and extracts of ‘letters from the services’ overseas, honour rolls of members killed in action, a report on the first R.A.A.F. surf lifesaving club at Evans Head run by the No.1 bombing and Gunnery School in New South Wales along with reports of fund-raising activities and news updates from Surf Life-Saving Association of Australia clubs all around Tasmania and across News South Wales.
By the time this issue of the magazine was published in 1941, over 50% of lifesaving members had enlisted for service in Australia or overseas. Club membership and funding was struggling due to the large number of members enlisting and from the considerable efforts of the clubs to provide comforts for those of their members who were in the fighting forces.
A story within an inscription
13 March 2008 by Pen Roberts.
No comments
Collection,From the collection, Books
Found at a Canberra book fair, was a beautiful yet worn, leather bound, gold-embossed volume. The inside inscription reads, ‘From Civilian Library Changi Camp 1942-1945.’
While the words “Changi Camp” are familiar to many Australians, “Civilian Library” might bring some surprise. Further inscriptions, two date stamps and pencilled date ranges, confirm the book’s use as a library book. “P188″ is probably a collection number.
