Episode 3.2 The Battle of Bita Paka
Although a minuscule battle by WW1 standards, about 37 men were killed in the Battle of Pita Paka, the fight to take the German colony of New Guinea in September 1914. Bill Lane was amongst the fighti...
23 Sep 201838min
Episode 3.1 Our first man to die
Who were the first Australians to die in World War 1? They were British soldiers, "Old Contemptibles" actually, but what next? Gallipoli? No! Australia fought its first land battle at New Guinea...."I...
31 Aug 201852min
Episode 2.50 The Smythes
In the final 50th episode of Percy Smythe's diary we interview his niece, WW2 WAAAF veteran, Margaret Clarke and great niece and creator of the Smythe Family History website, Jacqui Kennedy. We also h...
28 Juli 201859min
Episode 2.49 Too-ra-li oo-ra-li addity
At a concert on board the ship home a scene had a "map of Australia depicted by boxes placed together with lights in them. Behind was a tableau, a "digger" just arriving home, met by his mother and hi...
12 Juli 20181h 4min
Episode 2.48 Everybody loves a parade
Percy contemplates the great peace celebrations at London in 1919, "It marked the end of the years of cruel warfare and dreary hardships. It meant a lot to me. Those gaudy cloths and things expressed ...
26 Juni 201852min
Episode 2.47 War Bride
An English wedding... On again , off again. Finally after some deceitful behaviour from Dorrie's parents, the young couple have to go to Scotland to be married. A returned Chaplain from a Scottish Inf...
9 Juni 20181h 1min
Episode 2.46 Occupation
The aftermath of war..... "I saw something in the window of a house which caught my attention. It appeared to be a cut-out poster or picture of a hideous face like the cartoons one sees of mad Bolshev...
26 Maj 20181h 18min
Episode 2.45 Peace
This one is wide and varied. Percy writes something that I have read over an over again in these diaries. To him, Armistice Day was a relief rather than a cause for merriment, and that is not just bec...
11 Maj 20181h 16min
