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Hell's Bells and Mademoiselles
Hell′s Bells and Mademoiselles is the rollicking eyewitness account of the role of 18th Battalion AIF in the First World War by one of its most decorated soldiers, the irrepressible Joe Maxwell.
Maxwell served at Gallipoli before being transferred to the Western Front. In just twelve months during 1917-1918 he was commissioned and awarded the DCM, Military Cross and Bar, and VC.
This colourful memoir is a unique record of life as a World War One digger: Joe was in most of the major battles of the Western Front and graphically describes the action he saw, as well as the notorious larrikinism -and romantic adventures-of the off-duty diggers.
With a new Afterword detailing Maxwell′s life after repatriation back to Australia, this is an edition to be treasured.
Maxwell served at Gallipoli before being transferred to the Western Front. In just twelve months during 1917-1918 he was commissioned and awarded the DCM, Military Cross and Bar, and VC.
This colourful memoir is a unique record of life as a World War One digger: Joe was in most of the major battles of the Western Front and graphically describes the action he saw, as well as the notorious larrikinism -and romantic adventures-of the off-duty diggers.
With a new Afterword detailing Maxwell′s life after repatriation back to Australia, this is an edition to be treasured.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 20, 2018
This book was not to my liking as the author has a very strange writing style and is very opinionated throughout the book. His description of the carnage in the trenches are very good and that is the highlight of this book for me.
December 9, 2020
Hell’s Bells and Mademoiselles
Joseph Maxwell VC, MC and Bar DCM
I picked up an old copy of this well-known memoire at a second-hand bookstore in north Queensland. This edition was printed in 1939, seven years after the original publication. The copy was showing its age and started to fall apart as I started to read it. I mention that because I believe that it helps to provide context for the times that it was written in and the writing style. The story of Maxwell’s First World War experiences flow from the pages as if he was telling the story to a few mates at the bar of his favourite pub, which is probably close to the truth as it was written in collaboration with Hugh Buggy who was a journalist and former footballer. This contrasts with the style of writing of the English poet Edmund Blunden’s memoire Undertones of War or Four Years on the Western Front by A. Rifleman (actually Aubrey Smith). Both of these were English writers and while Maxwell doesn’t try to bring any “Australianness” to Hell’s Bell and Mademoiselles, there is no doubt that the style is simpler.
Joe Maxwell was a young apprentice boilermaker when he joined the AIF. He rose through the ranks to become an officer (lieutenant) which was not uncommon in the AIF. I think that the feeling that I have about this book is its rawness. Maxwell speaks freely and unashamedly about misbehaviour on the part of his comrades including an instance when one of the diggers got a young girl (a mademoiselle) pregnant. In what would today be seen to be inappropriately racist, Maxwell discusses the relations with the Egyptians traders and prostitutes in Cairo and Portuguese soldiers that they came across in Belgium. These short references don’t detract from the narrative and shouldn’t scare anyone away from reading it, but they do illustrate the societal norms of the times. His vivid description of the fierce combat in front of Ypres at Anzac House is so raw it is almost difficult to read. His description of the encounter with the young German prisoner that they captured and kept for a few days as a servant and the reflections on war and the morality of warfare that is gripping. Chapter V is even called Love, Ethics and War. At one point he is put in charge of a platoon of soldiers who habitually deserted and his job was to lead them into battle. Even a character of Maxwell’s stature couldn’t turn some of these characters around. Maxwell doesn’t criticise them but acknowledges their real and overwhelming fears of battle and death. He even discusses one digger who had earnt a bravery award who refused to fight in a later battle. This contrasts with how the War is written about 100 years later when every soldier was a hero, and it amounts to blasphemy to say otherwise.
Maxwell’s mate, Doherty, goes on a rampage behind the lines with a rifle and Maxwell agrees to take him under his wing. Today, Doherty would be locked up for his crimes. Maxwell describes in detail his own fear of dying before an attack at Morlancourt, after which he was going out of the line for six weeks on a training course. And finally, the Mademoiselles Germaine and Marie, both of whom played a large role in his life during the War in different ways, and how the end played out for them both is full of pathos.
Highly recommended.
Joseph Maxwell VC, MC and Bar DCM
I picked up an old copy of this well-known memoire at a second-hand bookstore in north Queensland. This edition was printed in 1939, seven years after the original publication. The copy was showing its age and started to fall apart as I started to read it. I mention that because I believe that it helps to provide context for the times that it was written in and the writing style. The story of Maxwell’s First World War experiences flow from the pages as if he was telling the story to a few mates at the bar of his favourite pub, which is probably close to the truth as it was written in collaboration with Hugh Buggy who was a journalist and former footballer. This contrasts with the style of writing of the English poet Edmund Blunden’s memoire Undertones of War or Four Years on the Western Front by A. Rifleman (actually Aubrey Smith). Both of these were English writers and while Maxwell doesn’t try to bring any “Australianness” to Hell’s Bell and Mademoiselles, there is no doubt that the style is simpler.
Joe Maxwell was a young apprentice boilermaker when he joined the AIF. He rose through the ranks to become an officer (lieutenant) which was not uncommon in the AIF. I think that the feeling that I have about this book is its rawness. Maxwell speaks freely and unashamedly about misbehaviour on the part of his comrades including an instance when one of the diggers got a young girl (a mademoiselle) pregnant. In what would today be seen to be inappropriately racist, Maxwell discusses the relations with the Egyptians traders and prostitutes in Cairo and Portuguese soldiers that they came across in Belgium. These short references don’t detract from the narrative and shouldn’t scare anyone away from reading it, but they do illustrate the societal norms of the times. His vivid description of the fierce combat in front of Ypres at Anzac House is so raw it is almost difficult to read. His description of the encounter with the young German prisoner that they captured and kept for a few days as a servant and the reflections on war and the morality of warfare that is gripping. Chapter V is even called Love, Ethics and War. At one point he is put in charge of a platoon of soldiers who habitually deserted and his job was to lead them into battle. Even a character of Maxwell’s stature couldn’t turn some of these characters around. Maxwell doesn’t criticise them but acknowledges their real and overwhelming fears of battle and death. He even discusses one digger who had earnt a bravery award who refused to fight in a later battle. This contrasts with how the War is written about 100 years later when every soldier was a hero, and it amounts to blasphemy to say otherwise.
Maxwell’s mate, Doherty, goes on a rampage behind the lines with a rifle and Maxwell agrees to take him under his wing. Today, Doherty would be locked up for his crimes. Maxwell describes in detail his own fear of dying before an attack at Morlancourt, after which he was going out of the line for six weeks on a training course. And finally, the Mademoiselles Germaine and Marie, both of whom played a large role in his life during the War in different ways, and how the end played out for them both is full of pathos.
Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews