"As You Were"; 1947. The Australian Services from 1788 to 1947

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AS YOU WERE

A CAVALCADE OF EVENTS WITH THE AUSTRALIAN SERVICES FROM 1788 TO

1947.

Published by

Australian War Memorial Canberra ACT

1947

Set up, printed and bound in Australia by Halstead Press Pty Limited, 9-19 Nickson Street, Sydney, 1951. Registered in Australia for transmission through the post as a book.

TO THE MEMORY OF FALLEN COMRADES

"They gave their lives. For that public gift they received a praise which never ages and a tomb most glorious-not so much the tomb in which they lie, but that in which their fame survives, to be remembered for ever when occasion comes for word or deed . . ."

ABOUT THIS BOOK

When Whitman said, "This is no book; who touches this touches a man," he might well have been speaking of the series of books produced by the Australian War Memorial during the Second World War, to which this volume, AS YOU WERE 1947, forms the latest addition. For whoever reads AS YOU WERE 1947 touches not an individual man-he touches a nation of men, the vibrant heart of Australia.

AS YOU WERE 1947 has been written and illustrated by the fighting men and women of this land. It is a vital anthology woven from their experiences in the turbulent war years.

It-can-be-told-now stories of counter-espionage in Australia, a poem by an Australian airman . . . a humorous story born in the grimness of a Malayan prison camp . . . mess-deck sketches aboard a naval destroyer . . . the inside "gen" of a R.A.A.F. squadron's raid . . . dramatic incidents of the Army in Australia before even Waterloo was fought . . . the spirit of courage that renewed itself in every theatre of war . . . these are the types of people and subjects that go towards shaping AS YOU WERE 1947 into a unique, human document, made of the very stuff that forges a nation.

For all those who have ever worn the Australian uniform this book will release the tides of memory; while to each and every member of the community it will be the means whereby they share in the rich experiences of our Navy, Army and Air Force-the Services that have given us our hard won Peace.

EDITORIAL NOTE

"AS YOU WERE 1947" adds another volume to the story of the Australian Navy, Army and Air Force which was continued in "AS YOU WERE 1946" from the volumes published during the First and Second World Wars.

The contents of the book, as of its predecessors, are the work of service and ex-service men and women, and the views expressed are those of the writers. Without their wholehearted support and the readiness with which they have co-operated the book could not have been produced. Their collaboration is gratefully acknowledged.

Literary editorship has largely rested with Raymond O'Malley. The illustration and decoration of the stories and articles were undertaken by Walter Beaumont (who was also responsible for layout), Frank Norton, and Reginald W. Rowed. G. Hermon Gill-now writing the official history of the Royal Australian Navy-has advised regarding naval material. Harold F. Ward and Charles A. Monticone have undertaken special duties in connection with production and distribution. The executives and staff of Halstead Press Pty Ltd. have, as in the past, been unsparing in their efforts to produce a book of the finest quality. The services of all of these are also gratefully acknowledged.

Amongst those who read this book will be many who have yarns of their own to tell-their contribution to the documentary mosaic of the war years and service life; their tribute to comrades with whom they served. They are invited to forward contributions to Director, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, for consideration for use in future volumes.

THE EDITOR