The Silent Soldiers of Naours

The Silent Soldiers of Naours
Author: Gilles Prilaux
Publisher:
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2017
Genre: Caves
ISBN: 9781742579719

Recently rediscovered in hidden chambers in the north of France is an incredible secret of the Battle of the Somme and World War I. The signatures and graffiti of French, English and Australian soldiers tell a story of lives long lost but now found. The Silent Soldiers of Naours is the story of how French and Australian researchers rediscovered the incredible stories of what happened to these men. A large group of French archaeologists have been exploring more than 250 World War I sites since 2001. Having been involved in the Lost Diggers of Vignacourt project, an Australian group of researchers became involved with Gilles Prilaux and his team working in a small village near Vignacourt that was once behind the lines during WW1. Beneath a small village named Naours, over 3000 signatures are recorded on the walls of a network of ancient underground caves. Most of the signatures were left by 'Aussie' soldiers while on leave or training for combat in Vignacourt and surrounding areas. Michael and Donna Fiechtner have been involved in the investigation of these signatures and a French archaeological team headed by Gilles Prilaux has been matching the signatures with the names and biographies of past soldiers. After leaving their names etched in history many went off to WWI battlefields, never to return. Here is a military book with a heart ... images of signatures and graffiti (drawings) matched to the names of Australian soldiers with full biographies and accompanying pictures and documentation. It is a unique story that offers something new to readers interested in the history of World War I.

Whispering Walls

Whispering Walls
Author: David Crossland
Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited
Total Pages: 181
Release: 2023-05-15
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1398111899

This book explores the little-known legacy left behind by soldiers on the Western Front of the First World War - wall markings that offer a revealing insight into the thoughts and feelings of young men far from home.

A Medico's Luck in the War

A Medico's Luck in the War
Author: Colonel David Rorie
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2012-02-10
Genre: History
ISBN: 1781513899

This memoir is subtitled 'Reminiscences of RAMC Work With The Highland Division.' The author was OC 1/2nd Highland Field Ambulance and later ADMS (Assistant Director of Medical Services) 51st Highland Division. The holder of that appointment was the senior medical officer in a division and adviser to the GOC. This book provides a valuable insight into the workings of the medical units in a division and it begins with an explanation of what a Field Ambulance is (there were three in a division and it is not a vehicle) and how casualties were evacuated from the front line back along a chain to the UK (if necessary). It explains what the various stages in the chain were and what their role was in the scheme of things. The photos are particularly interesting since some of the dressing stations are today military cemeteries. The collecting post at Auchonvillers is still recognisable. Rorie does not dwell on the blood and gore of which he would have seen plenty but he does paint a most interesting, informative and often amusing picture of life at the front for a medical officer. Well worth reading.

Duty Nobly Done

Duty Nobly Done
Author: Adam Holloway
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 573
Release: 2018-10-05
Genre: History
ISBN: 192567584X

This is the extraordinary true story of 11 young Australian men from one extended family and their experiences in the great adventure that would change their lives — the Great War. Author Adam Holloway, a direct descendant, takes the reader into the lives of each of these men as they embark on a journey from which they are unlikely to return. These were young, confident men who revelled in the brash optimism of a young nation. They were desperate to prove themselves, eager to assert the justice of their cause and keen for a taste of the excitement and comradeship of battle. They were not expecting to be plunged into a lingering nightmare characterised by the stench of death and putrefaction, overwhelming fear and despair, and the gnawing uncertainty of survival. Holloway uses personal letters, diaries and family memories to deftly recreate the nail-biting tension as each man experiences his own baptism of fire amid the utter horror of the sights and sounds of battle. From the craggy cliffs of Gallipoli to the insatiable maw of the Western Front, these brothers and cousins step forward to take their turn in a procession of courage, each determined to do his duty and to look after his battalion brothers. This is a story that portrays the Great War on a personal level, describing in remarkable detail how it felt to fight in the worst conflict the world had known, a conflict that would change these young men and Australian society forever.

The Lost Diggers

The Lost Diggers
Author: Ross Coulthart
Publisher:
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2016-12-01
Genre: Photography
ISBN: 9781460752081

'It's a treasure trove. It's previously unknown, candid images of our troops just out of the line. Men with the fear and experiences of battle written on their faces.' General Sir Peter Cosgrove Investigative journalist Ross Coulthart, joint winner of the Prime Minister's Prize for History 2015, brings together stunning images of Western Front diggers and the amazing stories behind them. This fully revised and expanded edition offers a wealth of fresh information including more soldiers newly identified with the aid of their families. A trove of portraits taken in the tiny French town of Vignacourt just behind the front lines was found a century later in an ancient metal chest in a French farmhouse. The collection of glass plates has been hailed as one of the most important First World War discoveries ever made. Haunting images show diggers enjoying a brief respite from the horror of the trenches: having their portraits taken for a lark, for a keepsake or to send to loved ones. For all too many, this would be their only memorial, and to gaze into the eyes of these men is to meet a lost generation. 'These stunning black and white photographs stand as mute, yet eloquent, witness to the courage of soldiers and the horror of war ... Remarkably informative, beautifully illustrated and thoroughly researched ...' - Ross Fitzgerald, Sydney Morning Herald

The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds

The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds
Author: Peter Slater
Publisher: New Holland Publishing Australia Pty Limited
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2009
Genre: Birds
ISBN: 9781877069635

Beginners and experienced birdwatchers turn to this guide to identify the birds they see in their backyards and on bushwalking or birdwatching expeditions. Designed to slip easily into a pocket, backpack or glove box. This is a new and updated version of the very popular Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds and includes 64 new or extensively revised colour plates, incorporating all the new birds observed in Australia, including Tasmania and islands and territories since 1986. Also included is a re-organisation of the guide into broad habitats - seabirds, shore birds, inland water birds and bush birds; updated common and scientific names, revised maps, and a new visual index to aid beginners in finding the most appropriate pages in the guide. A must for serious naturalists in Australia, be they beginners or experts.

Return to Gallipoli

Return to Gallipoli
Author: Bruce Scates
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 312
Release: 2006-03-28
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780521681513

This book, first published in 2006, explores the memory of the Great War through the historical experience of pilgrimage.

The Evo Owen Story

The Evo Owen Story
Author: Clive Morton
Publisher:
Total Pages: 111
Release: 2003
Genre: Owen submachine gun
ISBN: 9780975171530

Silent Soldiers

Silent Soldiers
Author: Catherine Chambers
Publisher: Hungry Tomato ®
Total Pages: 36
Release: 2016-01-01
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1512407097

Skilled assassins and saboteurs have undermined the most powerful armies with secret tactics and weapons. Slip in among them to see stealthy warriors from different times and places on their dangerous missions and surprise their enemies.