In early 1919 the call went out across the 160,000 strong Australian Imperial Force (AIF) based in Europe - 'the war is over and it's time to get back into rugby'. The word went down the chain of command of five battle hardened divisions - 'We need your best. There's a different kind of battle to be fought before we go home.' Across France, Belgium and the United Kingdom rugby teams played for the honour to represent their units, then their brigades, then their divisions and finally to represent the AIF.This is the story of how the 1919 AIF Rugby Union Squad was formed, and how and where they played in France, the United Kingdom and in Australia. The teams were the first truly representative teams from across the Australian Army of the day.The 1919 AIF Rugby Union Squad played twenty-eight matches across the United Kingdom before returning to Australia and playing an additional eight matches. Across these games the squad members established a reputation for hard but disciplined rugby. They played not only for their country but for the many mates they had lost during the war. Any sense of survivor's guilt was expressed in playing rugby as hard and fast as you possibly could.The Australian Army Rugby Union (AARU) traces its origins to the 1919 AIF Rugby Union Squad. The AARU not only embodies the spirit of the 1919 AIF Teams, it continues to build on their tradition of wartime resilience, tenacity and team work.

Comrades in Arms and Rugby: The remarkable achievements of the 1919 Australian Imperial Force Rugby Union Squad

History

Fielding, Marcus

Military

Echo Books

When Colonel Marcus Fielding returned home from his tour of duty in Baghdad, a taxi driver asked him what it was like being a soldier there. Marcus, an experienced veteran, found himself speechless - how could he properly explain to a civilian the nature of his work and his life during his tour? He mouthed a few platitudes but felt frustrated: he had not done justice to his experience or to his fellow soldiers still in Iraq. This book is the result of that frustration, and it provides fascinating insights into the conditions on the ground in a theatre of war that more than 20,000 Australian men and women have served. Marcus was deployed as an 'embed' in the final days of the Australian presence. By this time, the violence had subsided somewhat from the carnage of the first few years of Operation Iraqi Freedom, but with several crucial elections being held, sectarian terror nonetheless reared its frightening head on many occasions. From his 'office' in Saddam's former al-Faw Palace, Marcus finds himself more involved with nation-building than killing 'bad guys'. His tour is not so much about combat, guts and glory as it is about dealing with the vital issues associated with the elections and the Coalition troop draw-down. But he also paints a vivid picture of everyday life set against a backdrop of violence: the heat and dust, attending meetings in the Red Zone, the camaraderie of the cigar club, visits to orphanages and the morale- raising visits of US 'personalities'. There are few Australian books written about the contentious war in Iraq. Red Zone Baghdad presents a rare glimpse into the reality of an officer's war in our time.

Red Zone Baghdad: My War in Iraq

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

Big Sky Publishing Pty, Limited

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