Richardson, Robert Brutton (28254, Aircraftman, RAAF)

Manuscript entitled "The Way it Was and PTSD The Legacy of War Service : Personal accounts by Robert B. Richardson". Manuscript is in two parts. The first section, entitled "The Way It Was", recounts the experiences of the author during the Second World War. The second section, entitled "PTSD The Legacy of War Service", detail the author's experiences of dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder both during and after the Second World War. "The Way It Was" details the author's experiences from his day on enlistment, through training, active service in Port Moresby, Milne Bay, and other areas in the South-west Pacific Area. The section also recounts the author's trips, post-war, to revisit some of the bases on which he served in Australia, captioned photos are included. An appendix to "The Way It Was" is included, containing copies of records relating to the authors wartime service, photographs taken by and of the author, and illustrations and photos of aircraft referred to in the text. "PTSD The Legacy of War Service" details the authors experiences dealing with PTSD in his post-war life. The section first details some of the experiences that led to his condition, and his emotional and physical symptoms as time progressed. The author also recounts the support he received and mechanisms employed to help him progress.