Bryan Gandevia Prize awarded at Australian War Memorial

The third Bryan Gandevia Prize for Australian Military–Medical History was today awarded to Lieutenant David Woolley for his honours thesis, “Not yet diagnosed: Australian psychiatric casualties during the Kokoda campaign, 1942.”

Lieutenant Woolley, a current serving member of the Australian Defence Force, completed his honours degree in 2015 as part of the Chief of Army Honours Program. He received the University Medal for his efforts, having scored the highest grade ever awarded to a History Honours thesis at UNSW Canberra.

Following today’s presentation Lieutenant Woolley delivered a public talk.

“‘I’m glad my research shed light on a previously under-investigated aspect of Australian experience in the Second World War. I extend my thanks to the ADF for giving me the time and opportunity to research this highly topical issue,” Lieutenant Woolley said.

“My hope is that further research will develop an even greater understanding of what our soldiers went through during this (and other) conflicts. I am very pleased and honoured to have been able to contribute to the proud legacy of the late Professor Bryan Gandevia in having been awarded this prize.”

The prize has been awarded biennially since 2012 for an outstanding thesis on military, social, or medical aspects of Australian wartime history. A generous bequest by the Gandevia family and friends enabled the establishment of the prize to commemorate his contribution to the development of Australian military and medical history, and to the research and publication activities of the Australian War Memorial.

Director Dr Brendan Nelson said the Memorial was privileged to be able to support such important research.

“As the guardian of the record of the Australian experience of war it is incumbent upon the Memorial to continue working towards a full understanding of all aspects of that experience. Lieutenant Woolley’s thesis speaks to the psychological injuries incurred by our armed forces during arguably one of the most important years in our nation’s history, 1942. It resonates today as our modern serving men and women battle similar unseen scars.”

“This work is ground-breaking. It reveals that behind the legendary feats of Australians through the courage and despair of the Kokoda campaign, were deep psychological traumas carried by these men. So strong is this work it deserves to be published and read by a wide audience, including contemporary veterans” Dr Nelson said.

The aim of the Bryan Gandevia Prize is to assist scholars in the early stages of their careers, and may be used to facilitate publication of their work or further their research interests. Previous winners have focused on Australian aviators in the First World War and the internment of Germans in the Second Wold War.

The third biennial Bryan Gandevia Prize attracted a strong field of PhD, Masters, and Honours theses – all of a high standard. These were judged by a panel of senior historians from the Memorial and distinguished Emeritus Professors of Australian history. The adjudicators all concurred in their judgement, unanimously recommending the award go to Lieutenant Woolley.

Further information about the Gandevia Prize can be found on the Australian War Memorial website.