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 Last Letters of Matron Irene Melville Drummond
Matron Drummond was one of the 21 Australian Army nurses to be horrifically executed by the Japanese on Radji Beach during the Banka Island Massacre on 16 February 1942.
2/43rd Australian Infantry Battalion and the Woodside Camp: Daily life in a 1940 South Australian Battalion
The recently digitised diaries of 2/43rd Australian Infantry Battalion provide insights into daily life at Woodside Camp. The site contained a YMCA hut, hot baths and laundries, a camp hairdresser and picture theatre.
Ingenuity at a Prisoner of War Camp: Arthur Purdon and the Changi Artificial Limb Factory
Australian prisoners of war interned at Changi displayed ingenuity and resourcefulness, establishing various facilities, including a prison library, university and an artificial limb factory.
Possums on patrol: 161 Independent Reconnaissance Flight during the Vietnam War
The 161 Independent Reconnaissance Flight (161 IRF), known as "Possums", was a versatile unit in Vietnam. Their work included conducting reconnaissance, casualty transfers, civilian support, electronic surveillance, and collaborating with other units.
Seeking copyright holders
The Memorial is seeking permission from the copyright holders to publish the collections listed below.
The Appointment of Official War Artist Ivor Hele
Ivor Hele is Australia's longest serving official war artist. He was dedicated to depicting the raw experience of the Australian soldier.
Duty to Country, Devotion to Family
Two-year-old Shirley Elizabeth Haines’ world changed after her father enlisted for service in 1942. During his time away from home, Haines wrote letters about his wartime experiences with the intention to fill his daughter’s imagination with excitement and wonder.
Delivering the goods in hard places: the work of 3 Air Maintenance Company during the Second World War
In New Guinea during the Second World War, non-combat support units delivered essential supplies including weapons, rations, and medical supplies to Allied combat forces in remote and demanding terrain.
"In years to come, I can say I was the first man of the 37th Battalion to enter the front line”
Charles Herbert Johns was a prolific diarist. Within 16 months, he had filled four notebooks with his experiences and observations of life and service in the Australian Imperial Force.