We Were There: Australian Soldiers Of World War Ii

by John Barrett

Book by Barrett, John

First published January 1, 1987

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Reviews

[Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book collates the responses of thousands of WWII Australian soldiers to an extensive questionnaire about their lives and army service. The results are grouped under various aspects such as life before the army : including education , religion , employment , etc. ; and life in and after the army. These are not dry statistics – most of the value lies in the written responses which provide poignant and often moving anecdotes and vignettes . The editor and commentator is very frank about the limitations of such a survey generically and also notes that the AIF ( regular army ) is over represented while the militia is the opposite ; not to mention that no sesponses were sought from women who served. However the value of the survey and summary is convincingly defended. This is an indispensable resource for understanding the background and attitudes of men who fought in this massive conflict , especially as the mores and attitudes of those times are fading fast.