Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia, 1942

Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia, 1942
Author: Bodleian Library
Publisher: Instructions for Servicemen
Total Pages: 72
Release: 2006
Genre: History
ISBN:

Nearly 1 million American soldiers passed through Australia between 1942 and 1945 as part of America's strategy to re-capture the Philippines and defeat Japan.They encountered a country full of reassuring similarities and strange differences. Here was a land of wide-open spaces, roughly the same size as the US, with a can-do, pioneering spirit, a history of swift development; a land of 'funny animals' and peculiar vowel sounds. But who were the Australians and how were Americans to behave in their midst? They were, of course, 'an outdoors sort of people, breezy and very democratic', with a gargantuan appetite for swearing.In the inimitable prose of the soldier's pocket book series, this pithy guide captures the essence of Australia and its people, their humour, vocabulary; their attitude to the Yanks, the British, the War and the world with remarkable economy and clarity. It also manages to squeeze in a précis of Australian history, politics, economics, sports, and musical tradition, as well as colourful lexicon of national slang, which defines for example sheila as 'a babe', cliner as 'another babe', and sninny as 'a third babe'. Like any self-respecting guide to Australian culture, it contains the text of Waltzing Matilda, together with a few bon mots about its cultural significance, particularly in wartime.Unlike cricket, which is a polite game, Australian Rules Football creates a desire on the part of the crowd to tear someone apart, usually the referee.The Australian has few equals in the world at swearing ...the commonest swear words are bastard (pronounced "barstud"), "bugger," and "bloody," and the Australians have a genius for using the latter nearly every other word.

Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia 1942

Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia 1942
Author: Bodleian Library Staff
Publisher: Viking
Total Pages: 54
Release: 2007
Genre: Americans
ISBN: 9780670071319

". . . unlike cricket which is a polite game, Australian Rules Football creates a desire on the part of the crowd to tear someone apart, usually the referee . . . " " . . . The Australian has few equals in the world at swearing . . . the commonest swear words are bastard (pronounced "barstud"), "bugger", and "bloody", and the Australians have a genius for using the latter nearly every other word . . . "

Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain, 1942

Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain, 1942
Author: United States. War Department
Publisher: Instructions for Servicemen
Total Pages: 48
Release: 2004
Genre: Americans
ISBN:

In 1942 the United States War Department distributed a handbook to American Servicemen advising them on the peculiarities of the 'British, their country, and their ways'. The guide was intended to lessen the culture shock for those embarking on their first trip to Great Britain, and for the most part, abroad. The instructions are a wonderful interpretation of the differences between the two allies. By turns hilarious and poignant, many observations remain quaintly relevant today.Every page is full of enchantingly nostalgic advice and observations. Reproduced in a style reminiscent of the era, this is a wonderfully evocative war-time memento.The reader, from whatever country, will revel in the amusing and terrifically truthful American perception of the British character and country.

Diggers and Greeks

Diggers and Greeks
Author: Maria Hill
Publisher: UNSW Press
Total Pages: 498
Release: 2010
Genre: History
ISBN: 1742230148

Little is known about the real reasons that Australia committed troops to Greece. Australian historians have, for too long, neglected the Greek and Crete campaigns and what has been written, until now, has ignored the Greek side of the story.

Instructions for British Servicemen in France 1944

Instructions for British Servicemen in France 1944
Author: Bodleian Library
Publisher: Instructions for Servicemen
Total Pages: 72
Release: 2005
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN:

In 1944 the British War Office distributed a handbook to British soldiers informing them what to expect and how to behave in a newly-liberated France.Containing candid descriptions of this war-ravaged society (widespread malnourishment, rampant tuberculosis) as well as useful phrases and a pronunciation guide (Bonjewer, commont-allay-voo), it was an indispensable guide to everyday life.This small, unassuming publication had a deeper purpose: to bring together two allies who did not enjoy ideal relations in 1944. The book attempts to reconcile differences by stressing a shared history and the common aim -- defeating Hitler. It also tried to dispel misapprehensions: 'There is a fairly widespread belief among people in Britain that the French are a particularly gay, frivolous people with no morals and few convictions.'Often unintentionally hilarious in its expression of these false impressions, the book is also a guide for avoiding social embarrassment: 'If you should happen to imagine that the first pretty French girl who smiles at you intends to dance the can-can or take you to bed, you will risk stirring up a lot of trouble for yourself - and for our relations with the French.'Many of its observations still ring true today. For example, 'The French are more polite than most of us. Remember to call them "Monsieur, Madame, Mademoiselle," not just "Oy!"' Others remind us of how we recently we have adopted French customs: 'Don't drink yourself silly. If you get the chance to drink wine, learn to "'take it".'Anyone with an interest in Britain, France or World War II will find this an irresistible insight into British attitudes towards the French and an interesting, timeless commentary on Anglo-French relations.

Instructions for British Servicemen in Germany 1944

Instructions for British Servicemen in Germany 1944
Author: Bodleian Library
Publisher:
Total Pages: 82
Release: 2007
Genre: History
ISBN:

Nine-and-a-half months after D-Day, 30,000 British troops crossed the Rhine as part of the Allied assault on Germany. Two years earlier, work had already started on a guide to assist them in negotiating everyday life in what then was still enemy territory.This extraordinary document was intended to educate soldiers on a range of topics, including German history, the national character, politics, culture, food and drink, currency, and to explain the current situation, including the effect of war on Germany and the German attitudes to the British. It was also intended to condition them to resist the effect of German propaganda by means of a healthy dose of British propaganda.The result is a remarkable booklet, often unintentionally humorous and sometimes crudely stereotypical, it reads by turns like a travel guide (advising on the excellence of German sausages and beer - 'one of the pleasantest in Europe') and a crash course in psychological warfare. It is very much a document of the period, revealing as much about British wartime attitudes towards Germany as it does about British hopes and fears.'If you have to give orders to German civilians, give them in a firm, military manner. The German civilian is used to it and expects it.''The Germans are not good at controlling their feelings. They have a streak of hysteria. You will find that Germans may often fly into a passion if some little thing goes wrong.''Don't be too ready to listen to stories told by attractive women. They may be acting under orders.'

Cloudland

Cloudland
Author: James G. Lergessner
Publisher: Boolarong Press
Total Pages: 269
Release: 2013
Genre: History
ISBN: 1922109770

The memory of Cloudland at Boyd Street, Bowen Hills, Brisbane, Queensland, dredges up wonderful and scintillating images from our past. Who could ever forget Cloudland's beautiful pink dome nestled high against a twinkling and starry sky?

A Rope from Above

A Rope from Above
Author: Frank Bland
Publisher: LifeRich Publishing
Total Pages: 124
Release: 2022-11-15
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1489744525

The Rope symbolized death, but that changed for a short moment in “A Day that will live in Infamy.” After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered “The Infamy Speech” before a joint session to Congress in War Declaration 125 on December 8th, 1941. The phrase “a date which will live in infamy” appears in the first line of Roosevelt’s address. People often use “Pearl Harbor Speech when referring to the speech.” Congress declared war on Japan an hour after Roosevelt finished his speech, bringing the United States into World War II. Few American political addresses are more well-known than this one, widely regarded as one of the greatest ever delivered. Discover how the unexpected tragedy and impending challenge facing this nation amid the lengthy racial conflicts impacted young African American sailors before and during World War II in the Pacific and at home, against the backdrop of the worst disaster in the United States’ 165-year history. This dreadful day claimed the lives of more than 2,4000 and approximately 1,200 wounded American sailors and service members of many colors and nationalities, plunging the United States into the world’s most significant war. This publication is about a kid who enlisted in the Navy on July 19, 1940, fresh out of a southern segregated high school, and found himself over a year later at the start of World War II for the United States. He had hopes and dreams of seeing the world while protecting his country. He was the oldest of seven children who wanted to be the ‘example’ for all the others and do something great. He also wanted to escape all the babies and crying children in the house! Inspiration for this book was also found in Richard E. Miller’s definitive account of African American messmen in the United States Navy from 1932 to 1943. Miller describes his work as “a revisionist approach that attempts more than anything else to elevate the messmen (the stereotypical victims of Navy racism) to the heights of heroic adoration they deserved as American warriors but never experienced” (p. vii). To some extent, this history honors the contributions of these Black sailors to the Navy. Richard Miller’s history of African Americans in the Navy from 1932 to 1943 is a realistic study of an essential part of American history that is comprehensive, empathetic, and trustworthy, quoted by Temple University’s David Farber.

African Americans and the Pacific War, 1941–1945

African Americans and the Pacific War, 1941–1945
Author: Chris Dixon
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2018-09-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 1107112699

Dixon provides the first comprehensive study of African American military and social experiences during the Pacific War.

Australian Foreign Policy

Australian Foreign Policy
Author: Michael O'Keefe
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 425
Release: 2023-08-10
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1350369381

How does Australia's unique geographical, cultural and historical position influence its approach to foreign policy? What key challenges does Australia face on the world stage, and how can it overcome them? Reflecting the messy reality of foreign policy decision-making, this book helps you to understand the changes and continuities in Australia's approach. For example, does the US withdrawal from Vietnam in 1973 and collapse of South Vietnam continue to cast a shadow over Australian foreign policy, or is it relevant only in understanding the dynamics of the cold war? Using an Australian Strategic Culture framework, O'Keefe sheds light on the characteristics that make Australia behave in a way different to any other country and equips you with analytic skills to understand the main debates, such as: - In what sense could Australia be seen as a 'good' international citizen? - Have national interests trumped global responsibilities? - How does the intersection between civil society and public opinion interact with foreign policy making? This book is essential reading if you are a student of Australian foreign policy, as well as of broader Australian domestic politics and international relations.