Soldiers and Aliens - Men in the Australian Army's Employment Companies during World War II

Factor, June
Soldiers and Aliens - Men in the Australian Army's Employment Companies during World War II

Soldiers and Aliens - Men in the Australian Army's Employment Companies during World War II

Factor, June

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A forgotten history of the remarkable contribution of non-British subjects to Australia in World War II

Four thousand Australian soldiers in World War II who signed up for service were never to fire a weapon. Their work was essential for the war effort, but they were 'aliens'-non-British subjects-all born in other countries. Scholars and peasants, musicians and factory workers, communists and royalists, Jews and Catholics, animists and atheists, they all laboured under standard strict Army regulations, living in tents and huts, loading and unloading trains, working the wharves, cutting timber and transporting goods. They raised money for good causes, gave public concerts and staged theatre performances. And every day they feared for loved ones caught up in the horror of occupied Europe and Asia. They were a multicultural force in the Army long before the term 'multicultural' was coined. Largely forgotten, their contribution to Australia during World War II makes for an engrossing story and provides new insights into a critical period of Australian history.

Author:   Factor, June
Publisher:   Melbourne University Press
ISBN:  

9780522878585


Pages:   352
Publication Date:   31 May 2022
Bind Format:   Paperback
Availability:  
This item is in stock and will be dispatched immediately.

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A forgotten history of the remarkable contribution of non-British subjects to Australia in World War II

Four thousand Australian soldiers in World War II who signed up for service were never to fire a weapon. Their work was essential for the war effort, but they were 'aliens'-non-British subjects-all born in other countries. Scholars and peasants, musicians and factory workers, communists and royalists, Jews and Catholics, animists and atheists, they all laboured under standard strict Army regulations, living in tents and huts, loading and unloading trains, working the wharves, cutting timber and transporting goods. They raised money for good causes, gave public concerts and staged theatre performances. And every day they feared for loved ones caught up in the horror of occupied Europe and Asia. They were a multicultural force in the Army long before the term 'multicultural' was coined. Largely forgotten, their contribution to Australia during World War II makes for an engrossing story and provides new insights into a critical period of Australian history.

Product Details
Author:   Factor, June
Publisher:   Melbourne University Press
ISBN:  

9780522878585


Pages:   352
Publication Date:   31 May 2022
Bind Format:   Paperback
Availability:  
This item is in stock and will be dispatched immediately.
Reviews

Reviews

Recent Reviews

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