Memorial Articles
The Memorial boasts a staff of subject specialists in all aspects of military history and museum practice.
Our articles and our Encyclopedia allow subject specialists to share their knowledge on Australian military history.
They also provide a way for us to take a closer look at the people and the stories behind the history and our museum collection.
The Remarkable Story of the SS Automedon
On 11 November 1940 the German raider Atlantis captured her 13th victim since leaving Germany eight months earlier: SS Automedon, a British merchantman.
'He loved it ... and he put his blood, sweat, and heart into it'
In the midst of the Second World War, architect John Crust climbed Mount Ainslie to paint a watercolour of the newly-built Australian War Memorial. It was not long before the official handover of the building that he had dedicated years of his life to; a building which would become one of the most iconic buildings in the country.
'We were just on tenterhooks'
Dr Jerry Nockles was a signalman on board HMAS Brisbane during the start of Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Gulf War.
Remembering the fall of Singapore
Today marks the anniversary of the Fall of Singapore, one of the worst military disasters to befall Australia, and one of the greatest defeats in British history.
Decisive Action: Pilot Officer Rawdon Middleton
Rawdon Middleton enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during the Second World War and, after training, was posted to a Royal Air Force (RAF) squadron in England. On 28 November 1942 he set out on a bombing raid over Italy.
'I can still remember it very clearly'
Flight Sergeant Frank Burton Elliott was a 22-year-old fighter pilot when his P51 Mustang exploded in the air and crashed while escorting Lancaster bombers over Belgium during the Second World War.
Remembering Lieutenant Stanley Colless
Lieutenant Colless joined the AIF in 1915 and fought through some of the war’s most difficult battles.
‘He is always in my heart’
Merle Hare was in a daze. It was early March 1945, and her twin brother, Sergeant Donald Kelway Storrie, was missing, presumed dead. His plane had disappeared while laying mines in the South China Sea and she would never hear from him again.
So You’ve Donated to the Private Records Collection…What Happens Now?
The Australian War Memorial is fortunate to receive hundreds of offers for donations each year. The offers vary from medals to uniforms, artwork and photographs, medical kits and ration packs, to even the occasional aircraft.