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BOOK REVIEWS - RAR History
We Were There: In the RAR by Bill Parry
“I could have stayed on the farm, I could have ended
up in jail. However, at the early age of 17 and a half I was
adopted by the RAR. They were hard task masters, they fed
me, they trained me hard, they treated me fairly and they
kicked me in the arse when I needed it.”
This book depicts the exploits and humour of soldiers, from
the Korean War to Timor and Iraq.
Humour is an important factor in the Infantry man’s
life. The tasks he is asked to perform set him apart from
others. To civilians, the word Infantry conjures the idea
of the lowest common soldier who walks with his rifle and
equipment. In fact an Infantryman has to be intelligent, fit,
have a mindset of endurance and the ability to stay alert.
He must know his weapons and his tactics and be able to
participate as a member in a combat fighting team.
There are few ex-RAR members in the civilian wilderness
who are not proud that they served and once belonged to a
family.
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Hassett: Australian Leader by John Essex-Clark,
DSM
A Biography of General Sir Francis Hassett
This is the story of a great Australian who joined the Army
as a boy, trained at Duntroon, and started his fighting with
an infantry battalion in the Libyan Desert in World War 11.
He served in Palestine, Syria, New Guinea and Bougainville.
He later led 3RAR with distinction, at the Battle of Maryang
San in Korea and rose through 40 years of soldiering to command
the defence force of Australia.
He was the most decorated soldier in the Australian Army,
earning five post nominal honours.
The personal traits and capabilities that made Hassett such
a memorable soldier-leader, and the influence of his family
and friends, form part of this biography.
This is a story for all who wish to understand leadership
under great physical and intellectual pressure.
Author and ex-infantryman, Brigadier John Essex-Clark, DSM
(retd) served in the Rhodesian Army before joining the Australian
Army in 1963.
He saw service in Central Africa, Malaysia and Vietnam where
he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for leadership
in action. He currently lives in Canberra.
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Long Tan and Beyond
Alpha Company 6RAR in Vietnam 1966/67
By Lt COL Charles Mollison
I have never met Charles Mollison and was somewhat surprised
and honoured when he invited me to review his quite outstanding
book, Long Tan and Beyond:Alpha Company 6RAR in Vietnam
1966/67.
A COY were not glory-hunters but skilled, professional Infantrymen
who took adversity in their stride, learning to live with
the ubiquitous red mud, the monsoons, the leeches, the swamps
with their mosquito hordes, skin peeling off hands and feet.
We share their gripes, their laconic humour, and their practical
jokes. We share their daylight patrols, their night ambushes,
eyes straining, ever alert. We experience the trepidation
of the "moving bushes", the rustling foliage, and
the fire flies. Many were 20 year old National Servicemen.
They were some of the finest Infantrymen ever. They fought
almost continuously for 12 months, with little respite.
The book concludes on a sad note. The deplorable treatment
meted out by many of their fellow Australians, upon return,
exacerbated severe depression and illness. This unquestionably
led to early deaths and the high suicide rate amongst Vietnam
Veterans.
Long Tan and Beyond highlights the debt of gratitude
we owe these men. They performed magnificently.
Highly recommended reading.
A. E. (Gus) Breen, PL COMD, 1/2 RAR 5 USAFKOREA.
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