On 22nd April 1995, more than 4,000 Rwandans were massacred and thousands more injured in a place called Kibeho. Terry Pickard, a seasoned soldier and medic, was one of a 32-strong force of Australian UN peacekeepers present on that terrible Saturday. While the United Nations prevented a higher death toll, the massacre continues to haunts him.

Combat Medic: An eyewitness account of the Kibeho Massacre

Biographies & Memoirs

Pickard, Terry

Historical

Big Sky Publishing Pty, Limited

In 1994 an orgy of violence swept across the tiny land- locked nation of Rwanda, the intensity of which had not been seen the horrors of WWII. Around one million people were mercilessly shot, hacked to death or burnt alive. A group of Australian UN peacekeepers made up of soldiers and army medical personnel was sent to Rwanda under a United Nations mandate to attempt to restore order and offer assistance. They would be exposed to a tragedy they were not prepared for and found hard to fathom. On 22nd April 1995 the horror they had witnessed escalated beyond anything they had previously seen. At a displaced persons' camp in Kibeho, in full view of the Australian soldiers, over 4,000 unarmed people died at the hands of the Rwandan Patriotic Army. Constrained by the UN peacekeeping Rules of Engagement, these Australians could only watch helplessly and try to assist the wounded. Pure Massacre is a record of what happened during this peacekeeping mission. Kevin "Irish" O'Halloran, a Platoon Sergeant at the time, stresses the weaknesses of the UN charter and what happens when "good men do nothing". He pulls together the perspectives of those Australian soldiers who served in Rwanda at this time. It takes a special type of bravery, discipline and compassion to do what these soldiers did. Little did they know when the second tour of Rwanda was over that they would be the highest decorated UN peacekeeping contingent since the Korean War. For many their service in Rwanda would come with a personal toll. No Australians died during and immediately after the massacre at Kibeho, but as Pure Massacre testifies, the suffering and tragedy is embedded in their memories.

Pure Massacre: Aussie Soldiers Reflect on the Rwandan Genocide

O'Halloran, Kevin

Leaders & Notable People

The son of a World War I veteran, Charles Granquist was 17 when war was declared with Germany in 1939. He lied about his age, joined the infantry and was sent to Egypt. Like so many other young men at the time, Granquist did not know what to expect. All he really cared about was doing his duty and serving his country. He never even contemplated his chances of becoming a prisoner of war - he was there to fight and take prisoners. Captured by the Germans in Greece, Granquist was determined to continue carrying the war to his captors "any way I could." In his memoir, A Long Way Home, he describes his shame at becoming a POW and how he believed he had failed himself, his mates and as a soldier. He orchestrated a remarkable five escape attempts, all of which ended unsuccessfully. Yet Charles refused to give up, determined to fulfil his duty as an Aussie Digger and make his own small contribution to the war effort. His story takes the reader on the rollercoaster of escape, recapture and 196 days of solitary confinement before his eventual return home with his Russian war bride. Granquist's account of his wartime experiences adds another important chapter to the story of World War II POWs, while showcasing the spirit, humour, persistence and ingenuity expected of an Aussie Digger. A Long Way Home is tribute to one veteran's spirit and the mateship he still holds so dear today.

A Long Way Home: One POW?s story of escape and evasion during World War II

Granquist, Charles

On September 11, 2001, the World changed forever when ruthless Al-Qaeda terrorists launched an aerial attack on the United States of America. Oblivious to the world’s terror, Kay and Kerry Danes sat half a world away, secure in an Embassy after a terrifying 11-month hostage ordeal in communist Laos. As fear gripped the globe, Kerry an Australian Special Forces soldier, comforted his wife Kay, as they struggled to come to terms with their hellish ordeal of torture, mock executions and the helplessness of leaving behind 58 political prisoners of a long forgotten war. The couple’s hopes focused only on seeing their children again. In the years after regaining their freedom and working to re-piece together family life, Kerry returned to active duty with the Special Forces and Kay turned her dark experiences towards creating social justice, over the years becoming a leading international humanitarian. In November 2008, amidst haunting memories of her Laos ordeal, Kay faced her fears and embarked on a humanitarian aid mission to deliver life-changing opportunities and aid to people devastated in war-torn Afghanistan. In an old dusty Toyota mini-van, armed only with hope, Kay and her companions, a florist from Arizona, a nurse from Texas, a public servant from Australia and a US Marine Korean War veteran, drove the ancient Silk Road amidst kidnappings, suicide bombings, carnage and chaos. This powerful story will have you gripping your chair and holding your breath, as you travel with Kay through Taliban strongholds and the remote wastelands of Al Qaeda terrorists. Her story provides a rare glimpse of places we may never visit and the courageous Afghan people determined to persevere against overwhelming odds. Beneath the Pale Blue Burqa is a truly inspiring journey and an important contribution to the selfless efforts of all who have gone before to brave the perils of Afghanistan. Foreword - By Afghan Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Beneath the Pale Blue Burqa: One Woman's Journey through Taliban strongholds

Danes, mrs Kay

Community & Culture

In early August with the failure of the August Offensive at Gallipoli the senior commanders still believed that victory was possible. To help prepare for a new offensive sometime in the first half on 1916 the allied forces attempted to straighten out the line connecting Suvla and Anzac at a small hillock called Hill 60.

Gallipoli: The FInal Battles and Evacuation of ANZAC

History

Cameron, Mr David W

Military

The August Offensive or ‘Anzac Breakout’ at Gallipoli saw some of the bloodiest fighting since the landing as Commonwealth and Turkish troops fought desperate battles at Lone Pine, German Officers’ Trench, Turkish Quinn’s, The Chessboard, The Nek, Chunuk Bair, The Farm, Hill Q and Hill 971. The offensive was designed to allow the allied forces to ‘break out’ of the Anzac beachhead below the Sari Bair Range; its end result was an enlarged prison for which they paid a high price in men and materials. The appalling nature of the terrain, the complex plan and the overly ambitious objectives set for the already fatigued troops made the ‘fog of war’ a crucial factor. Indeed, the August Offensive clearly demonstrates what happens when an overriding strategic objective does not take into account the tactical difficulties on the ground. This book is part of the Australian Army History Unit's Campaigns Series: well-researched, comprehensive and easy-to-read books on Australia's military campaigns.

The August Offensive: At ANZAC, 1915 (Australian Army Campaigns)

Cameron, David W.

Americas

I Confess is an intimate portrayal of command in the crucible of war. Major General John Joseph Murray fought in the AIF in both the First and Second World Wars. He won the Military Cross as a company commander during the disastrous Battle of Fromelles, and in the Second World War he commanded the Australian 20th Brigade during the siege of Tobruk, that grinding, tortuous desert defense that saw the German forces label his men 'rats',a badge they have worn since with pride and honor. I Confess is a carefully crafted analysis of leadership under pressure, a very personal reflection on its stresses, its tragedies and its lifelong rewards.

I Confess: A Memoir of the Siege of Tobruk

Murray, Mr John Joseph

<p>Seven Bones is the story of one of the more bizarre murder investigations in Australia's history. Two wives die in suspicious circumstances: co-incidence or, as husband Thomas Keir describes it, 'bad luck'? Three years after Thomas Keir alleged his first wife Jean deserted him and her young son for another man, his second wife Rosalina, Jean's cousin, lay scorched and strangled on her bed. Arriving on the scene, Detective Peter Seymour realised he was dealing with the world's unluckiest husband or a serial wife killer. While Keir was remarkably found 'not guilty' of Rosalina's murder, despite a clear cut case, her death unlocked the mystery of Jean's disappearance. A subsequent police investigation lead to the discovery of seven small fragments of Jean's bones - fingers, knuckles and toes - buried deep under the same house in which Rosalina died. Keir's 'grieving husband' act was suddenly in question. The investigation revealed Thomas Kier was a man so jealous he hated even his own baby son touching his wife, Jean. A man so possessive he threatened he would cut her up and feed her to the dogs if she ever left him. A man who thought he could commit the perfect crime and publically taunted the police through the media. Written through the eyes of Detective Peter Seymour, Seven Bones follows his relentless pursuit of justice and his own family sacrifices, through the drama of the police investigation into Jean's death, and the three trials, convictions, and appeals that would take fifteen years to reach their final conclusion. Peter Seymour, joined the NSW police force in 1980 as a general duties officer before gaining rank of Detective and then moving into the Police Prosecutor's Branch. He has written the book in collaboration with author, journalist and history teacher, Jason Foster.</p>

Seven Bones: Two Wives, Two Violent Mureders, A Fight for Justice.

Foster, Jason K.

Seymore, Peter

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

Fielding, Marcus

Australia Remembers

Allison Paterson

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