Dispatches

Show notes, memorial journeys, and stories from Australia's military history.

11 May 2023

Sister Florence Rebecca Casson: The Bangka Island Massacre

16-FEBRUARY-1942. Serving as a Staff Nurse in the 2/13th Australian General Hospital, Second Australian Imperial Force, Sister Florence Casson was one of the 21 nurses executed as part of the Bangka Island Massacre at the hands of the Imperial Japanese Army.

Shownotes Second World War

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22 March 2023

Major Ralph Honner: The Defence of Crete (The Hero of Kokoda: Part Three)

20-MAY-1941. While serving as a Company Commander within the 2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Honner, participated in the first major engagements of the Australian Imperial Force during the Second World War including the capture of Bardia, Tobruk and the disastrous campaign in Greece before making a name of himself during the Kokoda Campaign. In this episode, we focus on the disastrous defence of Crete and the prelude to the Kokoda Campaign in the Pacific.

Shownotes Second World War

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15 February 2023

Captain Ralph Honner: The Battle of Bardia (The Hero of Kokoda: Part One)

3-JANUARY-1941. While serving as a Company Commander within the 2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Honner, participated in the first major engagements of the Australian Imperial Force during the Second World War including the capture of Bardia, Tobruk and the disastrous campaign in Greece before making a name of himself during the Kokoda Campaign. In this episode, we focus on the first involvement of the Australian Imperial Force during the Second World War, the Capture of Bardia during Operation Compass.

Shownotes Second World War

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28 January 2023

Melissa Ratliff: #SaveSundowner Project and the Legacy of Charles Lightoller

Earlier this month I sat down with Melissa Ratliff from God's Favorites: A History Podcast to discuss her current project, saving the Sundowner a motor yacht formerly owned by Charles Lightoller, who was Second Officer aboard the RMS Titanic for her ill-fated maiden voyage in April, 1912. She participated in the Dunkirk evacuation as one of the Little ships of Dunkirk before falling on hard times more recently. 

Shownotes

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4 June 2022

Private Errol Wayne "Flex" Noack: The First Conscript is Dead

24-MAY-1966. While serving with B Company 5th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, Australian Regular Army, National Serviceman Private Errol Wayne Noack served as a section machine gunner during the Vietnam War. He was killed during his first military operation two weeks after arriving in-country and would go into the history books as the first Australian National Serviceman killed in Vietnam. His death would polarise Australian society about a war that was increasingly becoming unpopular, and his position as the first conscript killed in that war would serve as a rallying cry for those against mandatory military service.

Shownotes Vietnam War

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25 February 2022

Captain Edward Frederick Robert Bage: The Antarctic ANZAC

7-MAY-1915. While serving as an engineer with the 3rd Field Company Engineers, Australian Imperial Force, Captain Edward Bage was instructed to map out new trench locations on Gallipoli, and as a result would be killed 14 days after landing on the Peninsula, but his legacy is not one of the battlefield, but of Antarctic Exploration, when he spent two years mapping Antarctica alongside Sir Douglas Mawson

Shownotes First World War

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13 January 2022

Goulburn Boer War Memorial

Goulburn Boer War Memorial at noon. This was one of the original monuments built to commemorate the Second Anglo-Boer War

Places of Pride Memorial

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25 December 2021

Rocky Hill War Memorial

Rocky Hill War Memorial opened in 1925 as a lasting tribute to the men and women of Goulburn who served during the First World War.

Places of Pride Memorial First World War New South Wales

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12 December 2021

Kokoda Trail Commemorative Walkway

<div><p>The trail head is located in Remembrance Park at the rear of the Australian War Memorial and contains excellent interpretation material on its New Guinea name sake including a 3D bronze relief providing background.&nbsp;</p></div>

Places of Pride Walkway Second World War Australian Capital Territory

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27 August 2021

Private George Giles MM: The Man in the Mud-Stained Uniform

<p>29-JULY-1918. While serving with the 29th Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, Private George Giles, participated in the attack on German positions at Morlancourt. After which, he was instructed to proceed to the headquarters of the 8th Brigade, and surrender his uniform and equipment to the Australian War Records Section. Photographs were taken, and he was issued new equipment. The intent being to ‘show how our men came out of the trenches’ to the public. Who was the man behind the most famous uniform in the collection of the Australian War Memorial? </p>

Shownotes First World War

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