Backbencher

I read the book ANZAC Memories by Alistair Thompson and I was really intrigued as it detailed many of the things that Dr. Isern noted in class. One of the first things that Alistair Thompson writes is that "The diggers regarded themselves as citizen soldiers and balked at the traditions and regulations of the traditional British Army." This goes hand in hand with what Dr. Isern noted in lecture about how the Aussies and New Zealanders who served under British soldiers were more laid back than their British counterparts. Thompson believes that the ANZAC legend was made in the following ways; "At Gallipoli, and then on the Western Front, the Anzacs proved the character of Australian manhood for all the world to see and, through their victories and sacrifices, established a nation in spirit as well as in name." "The Australian soldier of the legend was enterprising and independent, loyal to his mates and to his country...but cheerfully undisciplined out of the line and contemptuous of military etiquette and the British officer class." This quote was really nice to hear because it drove home the fact that many of the Australian and New Zealanders who fought in the war were not just soldiers who didn't care about class or etiquette, rather they were great fighters who believed that they were fighting for a common cause, and that was Australia and New Zealand.

Another thing that Alistair pointed out was that going to war was seen as "an extraordinary adventure" and a time that could bring excitement. Thompson states that many of the soldiers loved the voyage to new and exotic locales in Europe and the United States. This ties in with the "bushranger" type of attitude that it was fun to jump into an adventure. It makes sense that these men would be excited because along with the new locales, it would bring the opportunity to meet new people and beautiful women.

One of the most interesting things that Thompson talks about is how the Australians viewed their fellow British soldiers. E.L. Cuddeford explained why he thought the British were inferior. "I hated the British Tommy as a soldier. I always said he was a very good soldier, and a very game soldier, if led, which he wasn't. He was led a lot of times at the point of a revolver. They didn't treat him properly at all, didn't know how to handle the man." I found this interesting because although he says that he hates them, he still respects them as a good soldier. This leads me to believe that, even though they may not have said it aloud, the Australian soldiers really respected the British even if they didn't like them.

One of Alistair Thompson's main points is the emphasis of mateship during the war. Dr. Isern mentioned this during his lectures and I understand now how much this meant to the men. Thompson reiterates this when he mentions that "A man's comrades also served as the main forum for the articulation of feelings, attitudes, and identities." In my opinion, this is very important in all wars, and this is one of the many times it is mentioned. another quote from Thompson was that "The diggers were proud of their status as citizen soldiers in an army that...resolutely maintained an informal attitude to military authority."

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I was glad that I read into this area. Since I like military history, I was surprised to hear of all of the sacrifices that Australia and New Zealand dealt with. This will hopefully make me remember to observe ANZAC day in the future. They were fierce fighters, but at the same time, they were happy go lucky soldiers who yearned for the comradeship of friends and fun times in countries abroad.