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The Boy in the Dress
ON A BALMY TOWNSVILLE NIGHT IN 1944, YOUNG SERVICEMAN WARWICK MEALE IS FOUND BEATEN TO DEATH UNDER A BRIDGE.
The army and police do not, or will not, conduct a proper investigation and history forgets the killer – until now. Nearly eighty years on, Warwick’s descendant Jonathan Butler dusts off the case and chases the leads that were there all along.
The Boy in the Dress delicately exhumes secrets of life on the home front during World War II, where tensions between soldiers boiled over, new expressions of sexuality flourished and the threat of invasion catapulted the status quo into disarray.
The truth of this family legend, and little-known chapter in Australian military history, is more complex and engrossing than anyone could have imagined.
The army and police do not, or will not, conduct a proper investigation and history forgets the killer – until now. Nearly eighty years on, Warwick’s descendant Jonathan Butler dusts off the case and chases the leads that were there all along.
The Boy in the Dress delicately exhumes secrets of life on the home front during World War II, where tensions between soldiers boiled over, new expressions of sexuality flourished and the threat of invasion catapulted the status quo into disarray.
The truth of this family legend, and little-known chapter in Australian military history, is more complex and engrossing than anyone could have imagined.
288 pages, Paperback
First published February 22, 2022
9 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
March 13, 2022
Butler's debut historical non-fiction is a blurr of genres. Part true crime, part WWII history, and part family history "The Boy in the Dress" is a multifaceted and clearly meticulously researched project.
Butler is an engaging writer. I opened this book late last night and finished it this afternoon. He weaves various narratives and perspectives together seemingly with ease. And, like all good historians, he creates ample space for multiple perspectives attempting to balance multiple biases.
The lack of a professional reference list is frustrating, however this is the only major quarrel I have. This piece is an engaging and cohesive story. Overall, a great piece of Queer military history and a must read for young Queer Australians seeking to learn more about their collective histories.
Butler is an engaging writer. I opened this book late last night and finished it this afternoon. He weaves various narratives and perspectives together seemingly with ease. And, like all good historians, he creates ample space for multiple perspectives attempting to balance multiple biases.
The lack of a professional reference list is frustrating, however this is the only major quarrel I have. This piece is an engaging and cohesive story. Overall, a great piece of Queer military history and a must read for young Queer Australians seeking to learn more about their collective histories.
March 20, 2022
An exceptionally well-researched book, interwoven with relevant personal history of the author. Although there is some conjecture towards the end of this non-fiction book, it's likely that the author's suppositions are close to the truth.
I devoured this book, pausing my own writing and threatening a deadline simply because I couldn't put it down.
Highly recommended.
I devoured this book, pausing my own writing and threatening a deadline simply because I couldn't put it down.
Highly recommended.
June 4, 2022
You must tell Warwick's story — 'Mum' Butler (she died while Jonathan while writing this Warwick was her Uncle. If any line made me emotional it was this one, it was her death.)
The first thing you need to know when reading this book is it is an investigation written from an assumption. The author, Jonathan Butler's assumption or familial belief that Warwick Meale was gay. There was no evidence. I could just as easily project my own sexuality onto him. Quite frankly that was extremely frustrating, especially because the author kept pointing out the ways ie saw himself in his great uncle. But yes this death did impact his life too. Warwick's homosexuality prevented Jonathan's mother from easy acceptance of him and his sexuality. His father's family had that generational homophobia I've honestly just come to accept. They'll all be gone soon anyway. His mother's diagnosis was hard that was just a painful disease. Jonathan does in the last chapter acknowledge some of the concerns I have with the book's premise, as does one of the interviewees. I do appreciate that he nearly acknowledged his naivete in the original now he has finished it.
This is not a bad book a does a good job to educate readers on some of the realities of queer culture in WWII but some of it was also nss (no shit sherlock). It does at times feel a little disjointed but that's kinda charming. It feels like what it is... someone's personal research project that they lost control of. There is an interesting writing style used. It is readable, with very short chapters. I think the longest I found was about 20p most would have been under 10. It combines two narrative writing styles in a single chapter. One is written almost from the prospect of being there at the time, though not 1st person. The other is J relaying the facts he discovered as they were relevant. It's quite a captivating way to read the story. Even if I did occasionally lose track of who the players were, there are a lot of them.
I like the conclusion that Jonathan comes to with the three cases he raises. They feel like almost the three options for Warwick's death. Though there uses some wriggle room on all three. Jack Lloyd's conclusion feels particularly stereotypical and disappointing for the family. His senseless death is excused because of gay panic. Even if sexual encounters at the time were slightly more fluid than people would like to think. We are talking about virile young men in their prime for the most part, what do you think was happening?
Have some comments and quotes.
• I think this is book for those with an interest in queer history. But for those with an interest in military, it feels like it could add a whole other dimension, especially those younger readers.
• There is a bibliography available online for those with an interest. I was entirely unsurprised to see serving is silence included and referenced in this.
• Tom and Clyde and written in a way that makes you kinda what to know what happened to them, we do find out. We find out about most of the major players.
• Look no further than Australia's Defence Minister Peter Dutton who, in 2021, scolded defence personnel for celebrating the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia. He ordered his department to stop pursuing a 'woke agenda'. — I really hate Peter Dutton. The thought that he may become our opposition leader now Scott Morrison has stepped aside distresses me greatly.
• But what made the blood of many Australian men boil, more than anything else, was the Americans' relationships with Australian women. The Yanks were paid considerably more than the diggers and had nicer uniformer and a certain way with women - they knew how to dance and how to charm. — I mean can you blame them? The Americans were the peacocks with the finer plumage and women needed to make their nests somehow. Hard to do in the post war period.
• History has a very real impact on people today. It's shaped how I see the world And so much our history would be lost without the nations archives. — My librarian self loves this quote. It is a joy to see someone acknowledge their societal import.
• As a child I found it soothing to gaze at that image of a boy in a dress, It offered me hope that maybe I wasn't so different. The older I got, the more I struggled with an alarming feeling growing inside me, a feeling I couldn't name at the time. It was an urge to wear my sisters' clothes, play with dolls and be free of typical 'boy things': — This is the importance of Warwick to Jonothan. I think s many queer people have someone like this. But few have someone so close to them, so biologically connected.
He knew better than most how easy it is for queer people to be forgotten. He told me that I faced an issue familiar to many queer historians, amateur or otherwise. Some historians argue that unless there is a written, validated document that proves without a doubt that an individual was homosexual, then it means they were not. Throughout history, queer people have gone out of their way to avoid leaving any trace of their sexuality. — Jonathan Butler (the he is Graham Willett)A representative gif:
June 12, 2024
Butler's debut non-fiction book is part history and part family.
"On a balmy Townsville night in 1944, young serviceman Warwick Meale [20 years] is found beaten to death under a bridge."
The armed forces, both Australian and American, and police do not or will not conduct a proper investigation.
Butler, Warwick's descendant, takes a fresh look, some eighty years on at what possibly happened all those years ago.
The title refers to a photo of Warwick as a child playing dress-up and casts no aspersions on his sexuality. Butler, who is gay, also looks at a few gay murders in the Australian Defence Forces, which were covered up. It's a very thought-provoking read!
"On a balmy Townsville night in 1944, young serviceman Warwick Meale [20 years] is found beaten to death under a bridge."
The armed forces, both Australian and American, and police do not or will not conduct a proper investigation.
Butler, Warwick's descendant, takes a fresh look, some eighty years on at what possibly happened all those years ago.
The title refers to a photo of Warwick as a child playing dress-up and casts no aspersions on his sexuality. Butler, who is gay, also looks at a few gay murders in the Australian Defence Forces, which were covered up. It's a very thought-provoking read!
August 14, 2022
In investigating the tragic unsolved murder of his grandmother’s cousin, signalman Warwick Meale, Jono Butler goes on a journey of self-discovery. It’s not just the personal connection to the victim that gives this book its heart; it’s the reflections and echoes in family, carried through the generations, that when recognized allows us to see ourselves more clearly. An engrossing read.
April 8, 2022
Oh my god. Picked this book up on a whim yesterday and finished it in 24 hours. Part Australian true crime, part family history, part queer memoir, part defence force documentary. Jonathon’s style of writing is easy and leaves you hungrily turning the page for more and more. Amazing.
August 30, 2022
Brilliantly written and a very insightful account into wartime in Australia and the armed forces, it’s impact on Australian culture and Queer history. A fascinating read.
October 21, 2022
A tender telling of an achingly relevant story. Beautifully worded and depicted with the author's memoir and historical research woven into an all encompassing experience of the emotional spectrum.
July 17, 2022
On a balmy Townsville night in 1944, a young serviceman,Warwick Meale,is found murdered.The army and police do not,or will not,conduct a proper investigation and history forgets the killer-until now.Nearly 80 years on,Warwick's descendant Jonathan Butler dusts off the case and chases the leads that were there all along.
Warwick Sidney Meale(b.November 9th,1923-d.August 17th,1944)was a signalman in the 5 Line Section unit of the Australian Army.His parents were Sidney and Irene Meale,and he had an older brother named Neville(b.1917).The Meale family home was located on Cameron Avenue in Earlwood,Sydney.The author's grandmother,Winifred,was Warwick's cousin.Before WWII,Warwick briefly worked as a sales assistant in Sydney before enlisting in the army in 1942 at 18yo.Warwick was aka 'Jazzer' by his unit because he loved music and dancing.Linemen worked in teams in laying,maintaining,and taking up the wire or cable of a telephone or telegraph communication system.They ran wire along the ground by guiding it from a wire reel of a wire truck.They then fastened wires to poles,stakes,or trees,and carried it across.
Warwick was good-natured,so when he was found brutally bashed and bloodied whilst sleeping,it didn't make any sense.Who did this and why?The case quickly went cold,with all possible leads being used up.Military bureaucracy and civilian police procedures contradicted one another.The killer had the advantages of brownout,and the transitory nature of wartime Queensland.A serviceman in Queensland is a grain of sand;as invisible,and almost as much beyond identification amid the masses.There were also few witnesses.Unfortunately,6 months later,on February 5th,1945,Lance Corporal Jack Edward Lloyd of the 5th Australian Division Signals Company,was also horrifically murdered.His killer got away with murder using the 'gay panic defence'.
Homosexuality was seen as unnatural and a disease.During WWII,there was an explosion of wartime aphrodisia.'Drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.' Gay servicemen had to be very circumspect when they went out on beats or leave,as the consequences were severe.RIP Warwick Meale.Lest We Forget.
Warwick Sidney Meale(b.November 9th,1923-d.August 17th,1944)was a signalman in the 5 Line Section unit of the Australian Army.His parents were Sidney and Irene Meale,and he had an older brother named Neville(b.1917).The Meale family home was located on Cameron Avenue in Earlwood,Sydney.The author's grandmother,Winifred,was Warwick's cousin.Before WWII,Warwick briefly worked as a sales assistant in Sydney before enlisting in the army in 1942 at 18yo.Warwick was aka 'Jazzer' by his unit because he loved music and dancing.Linemen worked in teams in laying,maintaining,and taking up the wire or cable of a telephone or telegraph communication system.They ran wire along the ground by guiding it from a wire reel of a wire truck.They then fastened wires to poles,stakes,or trees,and carried it across.
Warwick was good-natured,so when he was found brutally bashed and bloodied whilst sleeping,it didn't make any sense.Who did this and why?The case quickly went cold,with all possible leads being used up.Military bureaucracy and civilian police procedures contradicted one another.The killer had the advantages of brownout,and the transitory nature of wartime Queensland.A serviceman in Queensland is a grain of sand;as invisible,and almost as much beyond identification amid the masses.There were also few witnesses.Unfortunately,6 months later,on February 5th,1945,Lance Corporal Jack Edward Lloyd of the 5th Australian Division Signals Company,was also horrifically murdered.His killer got away with murder using the 'gay panic defence'.
Homosexuality was seen as unnatural and a disease.During WWII,there was an explosion of wartime aphrodisia.'Drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.' Gay servicemen had to be very circumspect when they went out on beats or leave,as the consequences were severe.RIP Warwick Meale.Lest We Forget.
September 5, 2023
4 ☆
Finished reading ... The Boy in the Dress: Investigating a tragic unsolved murder in wartime Australia that echoes through the ages / Jonathan Butler ... 23 April 2022
ISBN: 9781922626943 ... 273 pp.
This book is not what I expected. You need to read the subtitle to get a hint of the possibilities that are inside the covers. If I've got it right, the victim is the author's great uncle Warwick.
I was expecting the true crime story of an unsolved murder, possibly-probably gay related, which took place in Australia during World War II. But it is so much more. With superb skill, the author interweaves his own story as a gay man, descriptions of war-time Army life which have current relevance, and gay history down to the present day.
It's natural to speculate when you have no answers. Here, the author's thoughts about what happened to Warwick are explained rationally and are quite convincing. I can't help but think that if they were able to use DNA evidence back then, even despite some slack police work and a family reluctant to talk about their loved one, there would be answers to those questions that will now remain unknown forever.
A good read, even for those outside the LGBTIQ+ and military communities.
A reminder too, as ANZAC Day rolls around again, that not all military deaths during war have been on the battlefields.
Borrowed from my local library.
Purchased at my request.
Finished reading ... The Boy in the Dress: Investigating a tragic unsolved murder in wartime Australia that echoes through the ages / Jonathan Butler ... 23 April 2022
ISBN: 9781922626943 ... 273 pp.
This book is not what I expected. You need to read the subtitle to get a hint of the possibilities that are inside the covers. If I've got it right, the victim is the author's great uncle Warwick.
I was expecting the true crime story of an unsolved murder, possibly-probably gay related, which took place in Australia during World War II. But it is so much more. With superb skill, the author interweaves his own story as a gay man, descriptions of war-time Army life which have current relevance, and gay history down to the present day.
It's natural to speculate when you have no answers. Here, the author's thoughts about what happened to Warwick are explained rationally and are quite convincing. I can't help but think that if they were able to use DNA evidence back then, even despite some slack police work and a family reluctant to talk about their loved one, there would be answers to those questions that will now remain unknown forever.
A good read, even for those outside the LGBTIQ+ and military communities.
A reminder too, as ANZAC Day rolls around again, that not all military deaths during war have been on the battlefields.
Borrowed from my local library.
Purchased at my request.
March 28, 2022
Jonathan Butler delves into an important and often ignored part of our history - how we as a nation and its people treat those from the LGBTQIA+ community.
The story focuses on the unsolved murder of Australian soldier Warwick Meale, beaten to death up in Townsville - no witnesses, no explanation, no motive. But did his death hint at another persona that Warwick kept secret? Others who were suspected of being gay in the military were often bashed and vilified but never came forward, if they survived, for fear of being dishonourably discharged due to their sexuality.
At the same time, Butler takes the reader on his own journey of how to live confidently with his own sexuality and his honesty and openness touches you deeply.
The book raises many issues about the military, the competition and rivalry between the Australian and US forces here in WWII, how anyone who did not identify as heterosexual became a target, but how this was not only a military issue, this was (and still is) a societal issue.
An engrossing human story where some mysteries will be solved and others left to ponder.
The story focuses on the unsolved murder of Australian soldier Warwick Meale, beaten to death up in Townsville - no witnesses, no explanation, no motive. But did his death hint at another persona that Warwick kept secret? Others who were suspected of being gay in the military were often bashed and vilified but never came forward, if they survived, for fear of being dishonourably discharged due to their sexuality.
At the same time, Butler takes the reader on his own journey of how to live confidently with his own sexuality and his honesty and openness touches you deeply.
The book raises many issues about the military, the competition and rivalry between the Australian and US forces here in WWII, how anyone who did not identify as heterosexual became a target, but how this was not only a military issue, this was (and still is) a societal issue.
An engrossing human story where some mysteries will be solved and others left to ponder.
May 4, 2022
The Boy in the Dress interlaces three gripping stories seamlessly - the author's investigation of the unsolved murder of his relative (an Australian digger, Warwick Meale), an expose of the dark side of Australia's queer history in the armed forces, and a beautifully vulnerable personal account from the author of his own experience coming out to his family and growing up queer in Tasmania.
I am someone who usually avoids 'true crime' as a genre, yet I struggled to put this book down. It is beautifully written and so clearly well-researched. I was ashamed that I wasn't aware of some of the legislation that existed in Australia (until not all that long ago, I might add) that made getting away with murder so easy when the victim was a gay man.
It is a brilliant, easy and enlightening read. I highly recommend!
I am someone who usually avoids 'true crime' as a genre, yet I struggled to put this book down. It is beautifully written and so clearly well-researched. I was ashamed that I wasn't aware of some of the legislation that existed in Australia (until not all that long ago, I might add) that made getting away with murder so easy when the victim was a gay man.
It is a brilliant, easy and enlightening read. I highly recommend!
March 24, 2022
This is one of those books that I effortlessly powered through, finding myself hungry to reach the climax at the end of each chapter. It’s a meticulously researched and immersive story surrounding the murder of the author’s great uncle who served in the Australian army. It’s also a rocky walk down memory lane of Australian Queer history, paired with the author’s defining moments while growing up and coming to terms with his sexuality. At the three-quarter mark, the core story deviates to another related case before circling back to wrap things up at the conclusion. Part memoir, part whodunnit and wholly heartfelt. If you’re a fan of murder mysteries or just want to be enlightened on the darker corners of Australian queer history, it's a must read!
June 3, 2022
Such a well researched and written account of homophobia that existed in our Defence Force history and the family relationship connected to the author. I will comment on the part of this book that refers to Balcombe Army Camp located in Mt Martha in Victoria where I lived for almost 20 years. The camp was a training school for Signalmen, Surveyors, Musicians and Apprentices. It was an isolated country spot with the nearest town located in Mornington. Young men and boys were virtually confined to barracks as there was no reliable public transport and morale was low. Some apprentices hated the place and I think of their mental trauma with shame. Thankfully the area was sold off in 1983 and re-developed.
August 29, 2022
This was a great introduction to Australian WW2 military culture through a queer lense. I wasn't born or raised in Australia but live here now so knew next to nothing about the subject.
I really enjoyed how multi layered this book was: 1) the mystery of Warwick's death
2) the authors own coming to terms with sexuality
3) looking at the history of queer people in Australia's military and Australia generally
4) a family bonding/griefing/growing over a lost relative and illness
The episodes drying WW2 were vividly described and made the past come to live through very engaging writing. I did this as an audiobook. Which I believe made some stories and dialogue even more visceral .
Beautiful work.
I really enjoyed how multi layered this book was: 1) the mystery of Warwick's death
2) the authors own coming to terms with sexuality
3) looking at the history of queer people in Australia's military and Australia generally
4) a family bonding/griefing/growing over a lost relative and illness
The episodes drying WW2 were vividly described and made the past come to live through very engaging writing. I did this as an audiobook. Which I believe made some stories and dialogue even more visceral .
Beautiful work.
April 25, 2022
To be frank I was a little disappointed, I found the book had another agenda rather than the subject portrayed by the book cover and fly leaf. Well written, well researched it did cover the case of the “Boy in the Dress” I found the author tried to cover his own “coming out” and experience which I found a little boring. It’s all a matter of perspective though, I have been married for 36 years, my Best Man was gay which in 1986 was relatively progressive so I am not homophobic and am aware of the experience of being gay in an unkind world. I agree the way gays have been treated throughout history, as indeed anyone “different, is abhorrent. So maybe I will give it 3.5 stars.
March 4, 2022
The journalistic writing style is engagingly straightforward and vividly descriptive without any ornate language. Also the stories of Warwick's personal and social worlds interwoven with Jonathan's (the author) journey both sexually and socially is seamless and skilfully explored. The author makes a sustained effort to be honest and authentic in his storytelling, embedded with warmth, compassion and a political awareness that gives his and Warwick's lives context, meaning and a shared history. I'm looking forward to reading any future works.
June 24, 2022
This was an interesting book that tells an important story. The book revolves around the brutal murder of Australian Soldier Warwick Meale in Townsville 1944. Along the way the history of of homosexuality on the Australian army and Australian society.
My only issue with this was that it sometimes felt a bit all over the place in that it would jump from true crime, to history, to memoir and this was not always a seamless transition.
However, 'The Boy on the Dress' remains a book that is well worth reading for fans of history of Australian sexuality and true crime.
My only issue with this was that it sometimes felt a bit all over the place in that it would jump from true crime, to history, to memoir and this was not always a seamless transition.
However, 'The Boy on the Dress' remains a book that is well worth reading for fans of history of Australian sexuality and true crime.
May 5, 2022
This was such a good read. I absolutely loved the narrative shifts from Warwick's case to WW2 gay history, to Jonathan's own personal story. The book provides such a beautiful insight into Jonathan's life and what's shaped him and it's wonderful that that the story was written so honestly by the author. The history about gay people in war times was something that prior to this I had never thought of so it was such an eye opener and I found the story telling fascinating. Loved the book!
May 2, 2022
with a 1/2...
Impressive debut historical fiction covering a number of areas from WW2~crime.
One wonders how many' gay murders' went unsolved...it is interesting that recently the NSW Government has announced a formal inquiry into the numerous gay murders that took place in Sydney from 1970-2010. I suspect 'poofter bashing' still remains a prevalent crime.
Impressive debut historical fiction covering a number of areas from WW2~crime.
One wonders how many' gay murders' went unsolved...it is interesting that recently the NSW Government has announced a formal inquiry into the numerous gay murders that took place in Sydney from 1970-2010. I suspect 'poofter bashing' still remains a prevalent crime.
May 28, 2022
Given the historical nature of these cases, it is no wonder that a lot of assumptions are made in this book. However, that aside, it was an intriguing read and one that pays homage to the characters referenced in it. Full points to Jonathan Butler for his tribute to Warwick, the story had to be told X
May 7, 2022
Engaging and interesting- the murder narrative strings together a history of gay persecution and military nonsense. Surrounding the story this way pads it out sure, but it’s still affecting even if the facts are thin on the ground. That’s the nature of reality in this case. A good read.
March 11, 2022
Such a sad story told so well. Thank you Jono for sharing!
April 20, 2022
Beautifully written, and so moving and fierce.
May 1, 2022
So easy to read
Boys will be boys. I will not be able to just take this at face value ever again
Boys will be boys. I will not be able to just take this at face value ever again
May 22, 2022
A very interesting insight into the intersection between the Aus military and the LGBTQI+ community
April 18, 2023
‘On the evening of 15 August 1944, beside a creek in northern Queensland, a figure strode up to a young sleeping soldier and swung a blacksmith’s hammer three times into his skull.’
The young soldier was twenty-year-old Warwick Meale, and he died as a result of his injuries a few days later. His murder has never been solved. Many years later, Jonathan Butler investigated the murder of a young man he never knew: his grandmother’s cousin. In this book, Mr Butler draws together three separate narratives: the mystery surrounding Warwick Meale��s murder and its impact on his family; Mr Butler coming to terms with his own sexuality; and a glimpse into the treatment of homosexuality by the military.
‘This is a story that scratches away the varnish of military valour that we hold so dear as a nation to reveal the difficult, uncomfortable reality beneath.’
Given the time that has elapsed, and the constraints imposed on the investigation by the war, it was never likely that Ms Butler would find the answers he was looking for. As he writes at the end of the book:
‘It’s easy to plug the hole caused by a meaningless death with a story that fits, and my mother and I made Warwick’s murder a gay-rights issue. I tried to validate the theory that Warwick was gay and, for the most part, have returned empty-handed. My perceived connection through homosexuality was always stronger than any bloodline. If my mother and I were wrong then Warwick was just another straight man. We were never kindred spirits .’
As Mr Butler writes, the case was too cold when he started investigating. A tragic story well told.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
The young soldier was twenty-year-old Warwick Meale, and he died as a result of his injuries a few days later. His murder has never been solved. Many years later, Jonathan Butler investigated the murder of a young man he never knew: his grandmother’s cousin. In this book, Mr Butler draws together three separate narratives: the mystery surrounding Warwick Meale��s murder and its impact on his family; Mr Butler coming to terms with his own sexuality; and a glimpse into the treatment of homosexuality by the military.
‘This is a story that scratches away the varnish of military valour that we hold so dear as a nation to reveal the difficult, uncomfortable reality beneath.’
Given the time that has elapsed, and the constraints imposed on the investigation by the war, it was never likely that Ms Butler would find the answers he was looking for. As he writes at the end of the book:
‘It’s easy to plug the hole caused by a meaningless death with a story that fits, and my mother and I made Warwick’s murder a gay-rights issue. I tried to validate the theory that Warwick was gay and, for the most part, have returned empty-handed. My perceived connection through homosexuality was always stronger than any bloodline. If my mother and I were wrong then Warwick was just another straight man. We were never kindred spirits .’
As Mr Butler writes, the case was too cold when he started investigating. A tragic story well told.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
November 19, 2023
Investigating a real-life unsolved murder that took place during the second world war, the premise of this book is that an Australian serviceman, Warwick Meale, was probably killed in Townsville, Queensland, in 1944 because he was gay.
However, the author, Jonathan Butler – who is related to Warwick through his maternal side – admits that the evidence for Warwick being homosexual is fairly flimsy.
Despite thoroughly reconstructing all the evidence from police, court and other records, by the end we are no nearer to understanding who the murderer was, or why the killing took place.
To be fair, the blurb never claims that Butler has found the clue that will unlock the mystery. But that doesn't diminish the disappointment of discovering that he got no nearer to establishing the full facts than the original investigators.
Instead Butler spends quite a lot of time providing background information about the experiences of homosexual men in the military, as well as some insights into his own thoughts on growing up gay in a different Australian era.
While it's all written quite stylishly and accessibly, in the end it doesn't really amount to much – and especially so if it happened to be that Warwick wasn't gay at all.
However, the author, Jonathan Butler – who is related to Warwick through his maternal side – admits that the evidence for Warwick being homosexual is fairly flimsy.
Despite thoroughly reconstructing all the evidence from police, court and other records, by the end we are no nearer to understanding who the murderer was, or why the killing took place.
To be fair, the blurb never claims that Butler has found the clue that will unlock the mystery. But that doesn't diminish the disappointment of discovering that he got no nearer to establishing the full facts than the original investigators.
Instead Butler spends quite a lot of time providing background information about the experiences of homosexual men in the military, as well as some insights into his own thoughts on growing up gay in a different Australian era.
While it's all written quite stylishly and accessibly, in the end it doesn't really amount to much – and especially so if it happened to be that Warwick wasn't gay at all.
September 25, 2023
Not exactly a 'whodunmit' but fascinating
A well researched book that is easy to read giving a good account of the death of a young man in Townsville during WWll. Also the possibly related and very similar deaths around the same time as the Townsville incident.
The author explains clearly the attitude to gay men and women to that prevailed in both society and in the armes forces of two countries drawn together by the conflict.
I'm the final few chapters he goes on to tell how persecution of gay people persisted until very recently and in fact continues today.
He makes us aware of the shocking defence of 'gay panic' where one man could kill another and get away with it simply because the killer believed his victim was making a romantic advance. What is even more shocking is the fact that this 'defence' was only recently done away with.
A well researched book that is easy to read giving a good account of the death of a young man in Townsville during WWll. Also the possibly related and very similar deaths around the same time as the Townsville incident.
The author explains clearly the attitude to gay men and women to that prevailed in both society and in the armes forces of two countries drawn together by the conflict.
I'm the final few chapters he goes on to tell how persecution of gay people persisted until very recently and in fact continues today.
He makes us aware of the shocking defence of 'gay panic' where one man could kill another and get away with it simply because the killer believed his victim was making a romantic advance. What is even more shocking is the fact that this 'defence' was only recently done away with.
June 25, 2023
Part biography, part queer military history, The Boy in the Dress is Jonathan Butler's investigation into the unsolved 1944 murder of his ancestor, Warwick Meale. Butler covers a lot of queer Australian history in a very accessible way, and blends in his own life story to create a narrative that struck very close to home for me (and I'm sure for other LGBTQ readers). I did find it a bit slow at times - I'm not sure if it was the chapter length, that I was reading it as an eBook (which I don't normally do), or that I'm just not super interested in more logistical war things. Overall, an incredibly well researched and deeply insightful study of queer identity and what it means to be queer in Australia through history.
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