Chez
@milhistreader.bsky.social
Reading | Walking | Cricket *I am locked out of my DMs due to age verification requirements.
This #photofriday I am reading ‘In the Footsteps of Ghosts: With the 2/9th Battalion in the African desert and the jungles of the Pacific’ by Bill Spencer. This is Bill’s story of the 2/9th Bn and the battles he fought in from Giarabub to Balikpapan. It’s a terrific read. #histbookchat
This #photofriday I am with the 2/9th Battalion in Milne Bay and also reading Peter Brune’s chapter on that battle in ‘A Bastard Of A Place: The Australians in Papua: Kokoda, Milne Bay, Gona, Buna, Sanananda’. I first read this book five years ago and I heartily recommend it. #histbookchat
This week my #photofriday offering is the book I am currently reading which is ‘Never Late: The 2/9th Australian Infantry Battalion 1939-1945’ by Gordon Dickens. As part of the 18th Brigade, the 2/9th Bn fought in North Africa, Syria, Papua, New Guinea and Borneo. #histbookchat
Apologies for not turning up to the last #histbookchat. Unfortunately, I came down crook on the day. Happy to offer up a newy this #photofriday: “The Admirals Fremantle 1788-1920” by Ann Parry. Of the admirals covered, Admiral Sir Charles Howe Fremantle (1800-1869) is the one I am most keen on. /2
My offering this #photofriday is one from the TBR and I reckon it’s a good’un! ‘The Big L: American Logistics In World War II’ edited by Alan Gropman - Mobilisation, Infrastructure, Lend-Lease, and the Pacific and European theatres. Hoping to get this one read by the end of the year! 📚 #histbookchat
For #histbookchat and #photofriday I am reading ‘Purple And Blue’ by Lt-Col. Frank Allchin. The 2/10th, having completed their training in Australia, sailed on the Mauretania to England and that’s where we currently find them. I love the early formation stories and this one made me laugh! /2
Chez@milhistreader.bsky.social · 2mo ago#reading ‘Purple And Blue: The History of the 2/10th Battalion, A.I.F (The Adelaide Rifles) by Lt-Col. Frank Allchin, M.M.
@mtmcgurk.bsky.social I’m now on the lookout for the unit history ‘History of the 43rd Engineers in the South-West Pacific’ by Colonel John Brauns. Great work at Milne Bay and I’d be most interested in reading more of their story!
#reading ‘Purple And Blue: The History of the 2/10th Battalion, A.I.F (The Adelaide Rifles) by Lt-Col. Frank Allchin, M.M.
Still going with ‘Milne Bay 1942’ and absolutely loving it. It’s just extremely well put together and every page offers an interesting description, quote, story, fact or photo. Quite surprising at times, it’s a great tribute to the terrific fellas who fought at Milne Bay. #photofriday #histbookchat
Chez@milhistreader.bsky.social · 2mo agoFor #histbookchat this week I’m reading ‘Milne Bay 1942: The story of ‘Milne-Force’ and Japan’s First Military Defeat on Land’ by Clive Baker & Greg Knight. I’m so excited for this one as it’s got the lot: AIF, Militia, US forces, the RAAF, an airstrip defence and the first Japanese land defeat. /2
This #photofriday I am still reading ‘Milne Bay 1942’ and truly loving every word of it. Another of my Milne Bay books is ‘Onward Boy Soldiers’ by James Henderson, a 16 year old signaller from Western Australia, who was sent to Milne Bay in 1942. This is his story of the battle. #histbookchat /2
Chez@milhistreader.bsky.social · 2mo agoFor #histbookchat this week I’m reading ‘Milne Bay 1942: The story of ‘Milne-Force’ and Japan’s First Military Defeat on Land’ by Clive Baker & Greg Knight. I’m so excited for this one as it’s got the lot: AIF, Militia, US forces, the RAAF, an airstrip defence and the first Japanese land defeat. /2
This #histbookchat I am still reading ‘Milne Bay’ so my offering is from the TBR ‘The Voyage Of Their Life: The Story of the SS Derna and its Passengers’ by Diane Armstrong. This book was a present from my Aunty and we had a great chat after I rang her to say it was my #photofriday book choice. /2
For #histbookchat this week I’m reading ‘Milne Bay 1942: The story of ‘Milne-Force’ and Japan’s First Military Defeat on Land’ by Clive Baker & Greg Knight. I’m so excited for this one as it’s got the lot: AIF, Militia, US forces, the RAAF, an airstrip defence and the first Japanese land defeat. /2
An extra #histbookchat this week is my current read: ‘The Second World War and its Australian Army Battle Honours’ by Major General Gordon L. Maitland. It’s a concise history of the war and also the story of the 100-odd ‘honoured’ battles fought by Australian soldiers. It’s a little beauty! /2
This week I finished ‘Heroes at Sea’ by Don Wall. The mens’ stories of loss, their courage, compassion and determination during the desperate days of survival and the care provided to them upon rescue by US submarines PAMPANITO, SEALION, QUEENFISH and BARB were so incredibly moving. #histbookchat /2
Chez@milhistreader.bsky.social · 3mo agoThis week I am reading ‘Heroes of F Force’ by Don Wall. My #histbookchat offering this week is another Don Wall book ‘Heroes at Sea’ which looks at the sinking of a number of Japanese ships and the 1800 Australian prisoners and internees who were lost at sea. /2
Spent last week in Sydney and had a great time: 2 x 4-hr train trips, 2 x 20km walks and a 6-hr read in the Anzac Memorial library of my favourite book of all time. In fact, reading the 1975 edition of The Grim Glory - history of the 2/19th Bn - was the main objective of my trip. #histbookchat /2
This week I am reading ‘Heroes of F Force’ by Don Wall. My #histbookchat offering this week is another Don Wall book ‘Heroes at Sea’ which looks at the sinking of a number of Japanese ships and the 1800 Australian prisoners and internees who were lost at sea. /2
This week I am still with Don Wall and his 2/20th Bn in Singapore where the Japanese are starting to send out their various POW slave labour work forces. My next read will be ‘Heroes of F Force’ by Don Wall which describes the suffering of this force on the Thai-Burma Railway. #histbookchat /2
This week’s #histbookchat is my current read ‘Singapore and Beyond’ by Don Wall. This is the history of the 2/20th Battalion AIF and like the 2/18th, 2/19th, 2/29th and 2/30th battalions covers the battalion’s formation, training, fighting in Malaya and Singapore followed by Japanese captivity. /
My offering this week is my next read ‘Against All Odds: The History of the 2/18 Battalion A.I.F’ by James Burfitt. The cover shows the wooden cross erected at the site of heavy fighting in the Nithsdale Estate between the advancing Japanese and the 2/18th, Johore Bahru, Malaya. #histbookchat
Bit late to #histbookchat this week due to browser problems. Switched to a desktop pc for now and can finally see videos! Last week I finished the Grim Glory history of the 2/19th Bn and it was the best book I have ever read. I'm still thinking about it but now reading the 2/29th history. /2
This #photofriday finds me still with the Grim Glory of the 2/19th Bn so I am hoping my offering of ‘The Price of Admiralty’ by P & M McGuire might be of interest. It is the story of HMAS Parramatta and also represents the story of her sister ships shown in the list on the right. #histbookchat /2
Went out for the day kickin’ rocks in the Snowy-Monaro area of NSW. Ended up with this nice haul of red jasper. It will polish up a real treat! Or it will just sit in the garage with all the other rocks. 🤓 Not far from my mind, the 2/19th Bn was raised from the Snow-Monaro and Riverina areas.
”From 8th to 15th February 1942 the 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion fought to save Singapore. From 15th February 1942 to 15th August 1945 they would fight a very different battle.” Just adding an extra photo thread to my #photofriday #histbookchat offering this week. It’s such a beautiful book. /2
Chez@milhistreader.bsky.social · 4mo agoLast year one of my favourite books was the 2/4th MG history ‘Ghosts In Khaki‘ by Les Cody. This book follows that and features the men of the battalion and it is truly a thing of beauty. Over the weekend I’ll try to post some more pictures because I feel that they’re definitely worth sharing. 💕
This week I am about halfway through ’The Grim Glory’ and the 2/19th Bn is up against it as the Japanese landings begin on Singapore Island. Also facing the Japanese is the newly arrived 2/4th Australian Machine Gun Bn and the exquisite ‘Colour Patch’ is my #photofriday #histbookchat offering. /2
This #photofriday I am reading ’The Grim Glory: The Official History of 2/19 Battalion A.I.F’. This is the story of my favourite battalion and it is also the most treasured book in my collection. I am most grateful to own a copy although the 1975 edition remains the Holy Grail! #histbookchat /2
This #photofriday my offering is ‘Where Fate Calls: The HMAS Voyager Tragedy’ by Tom Frame. On the night of 10 Feb 1964, during exercises off Jervis Bay, the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne collided with the destroyer HMAS Voyager resulting in the loss of 82 of Voyager’s 314 crew. #histbookchat /2
I am having the same problem loading photos this #photofriday. Will try again at random times over the weekend. #histbookchat
Chez@milhistreader.bsky.social · 5mo agoBluesky wouldn’t accept my #photofriday #histbookchat last week. At first I thought it was because of the shirtless 2/29th Bn soldiers on the cover but I think Bluesky is just a bit glitchy with my posts at times. I’ll try again this weekend but if I can’t post photos it won’t be a #photofriday!
