tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post9201864383021368131..comments2024-02-06T18:46:04.220+10:00Comments on Real World Libertarian: No pardon for “The Breaker.”Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-35116012627739218222010-11-18T23:55:55.676+10:002010-11-18T23:55:55.676+10:00Before the Boer War, state contingents fought in t...Before the Boer War, state contingents fought in the Boxer Rebellion and the Maori Wars. The original force in South Africa were state contingents until Federation when they became Australian troops.<br /><br />Apart from Gallipoli, a hell of a lot of Australians fought on the Western Front and Palestine. The charge of the Light Horse at Beersheba is legendary. <br /><br />You have WW2 down pretty good, but there was Syria, where intelligence said the French would welcome them with open arms, but somebody forgot to tell the Foreign Legion and Vichy forces. After the Siege of Tobruk, most of our troops were sent home to meet the Japanese, but the 9th Division stayed on to do the Battle of El Alamein first.<br /><br />Kokoda was mostly done by Militia units until the 6th Division relieved them, one Battalion that had been relieved heard the action start behind them on the way out and went back into the line to help.<br /><br />It is generally considered that MacArthur panicked during the Battle of Milne Bay, repeatedly sending messages that it had to be held at all costs. After the Japs were beaten the Commander, General Clowes was sacked for not being aggressive enough, although that was more Blamey than MacArthur although thy agreed on it. Blamey disliked Clowes because of his friendship with Rowel who he detested and who was also sacked.<br /><br />Subsequent to this there was Lae, Finchaven, and Borneo.<br /><br />After Korea there were a number of engagements in Malaya and those areas against Communist insurgents and Indonesian attempts to crush Malasia, before helping you guys out in Vietnam.<br /><br />The press tended to lionise both MacArthur and Kitchener to the point where they were seen as heroic figures by the civilian population. Soldiers tended to have a different opinion. Still Australians were bloody pleased when you guys turned up, we were very much on our own down here until then.Jim Fryarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-14141513862027571242010-11-18T00:54:00.816+10:002010-11-18T00:54:00.816+10:00I did see the movie awhile back. So, the court mar...I did see the movie awhile back. So, the court martial transcripts "went missing". How convenient. Don't get me started on the military "losing" peoples' records.<br /><br />So, this was the Boer War. Then there was Gallipoli, Malaya and Singapore, Greece and Crete, Port Moresby and Kokodo (I believe our very own Dugout Doug MacArthur stuck his finger in on that one). <br /><br />Maybe they had to throw the Canadians ashore at Dieppe because they ran out of ANZACs?<br /><br />I'm very glad I just read a history of the Korean War written by an Aussie. VERY enlightening compared to the sterile, glossed-over official American Army accounts that barely even mention the Commonwealth and other forces involved there.Bawbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10194337224433517477noreply@blogger.com