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Under the Same Moon by Peter Mitchell

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Under The Same Moon is a distinctive narrative that weaves together the lives of a family, their sons, and the men of the battalion they join, all set against the backdrop of a now-vanished Australia of World War II. This compelling historical account breathes life into the people and places of the era, creating a sense of immediacy and intimacy that captivates you. Drawing extensively from unpublished and previously unseen written accounts, oral histories, letters, and archival materials, Under The Same Moon provides a deeply personal exploration of the lesser-known Australian campaign in the Middle East. It captures the dramatic separation of a group of men from their Australia-bound convoy and their arrival in Java, teetering on the brink of collapse, while illuminating the fears and anxieties of families left in the dark. An unforgettable story of love, comradeship, bravery and courage, laced with humour, suffering and beauty. Through its rich narrative, Under The Same Moon invi...
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Drummoyne's Great War by Brendan Bateman

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Drummoyne’s Great War by Brendan Bateman tells the stories of the 95 men listed on the Drummoyne War Memorial who served and died in the First World War. The stories of these soldiers, told in the order in which they died, follow the narrative arch of Australia's involvement in the Great War providing a unique contextual depth. Referencing personal correspondence, service records, unit war diaries, Red Cross reports, official histories and newspaper articles, and featuring over 350 archival images and 2,000 meticulously researched footnotes, Brendan brings the stories of these men to life with a deep respect. Their stories provide an insight into the broader experience of Australia in the war – the volunteers who came from all districts and backgrounds, sometimes with only a fleeting connection to Drummoyne, and who served in all theatres from 1914 to the end of the war. Drummoyne's Great War tells 95 stories missing from Drummoyne and Australia's history. Brendan commenc...
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From the Editor - Autumn 2025 Issue of Reconnaissance

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                                This is the "From the Editor" column from the Autumn 2025 Issue of Reconnaissance , the quarterly magazine of The Military History Society of New South Wales. Welcome to the Autumn 2025 Issue of Reconnaissance. When Pretoria, capital of the Boer Republic of Transvaal, surrendered to British supreme commander Field Marshal Lord Roberts in June 1900, a wave of relief rolled over the British Empire, along with a general expectation that the brutal and sometimes humiliating Anglo-Boer War was all but over. Few understood that the back of Boer resistance was far from broken, however, and that, deploying their cunning commando tactics, they would fight on for another two years, in some cases to the bitter end. But as Dr Barry Bridges points out in this issue’s cover feature, the task of managing the deep sense of disappointment and frustration flowing from the continuation of host...
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"From the Editor" - Reconnaissance Summer Issue 2024

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This is the "From the Editor" column of the Summer 2024 Issue of Reconnaissance , the quarterly magazine of The Military History Society of New South Wales. From the Editor                                        Welcome to the Summer 2024 Issue of Reconnaissance. In this issue we have two articles on how Australian and other colonies responded to Imperial demands for troops to fight overseas in later decades of the 19th century. Retired Professor of History Barry Bridges explains that over this time Britain was increasingly apprehensive about the prospects of war with Germany. Advice to colonial authorities on the organisation of their local forces tended to advocate structures that were amenable to Imperial direction and control. Company sized units capable of incorporation into regular British regiments were generally preferred. Neither New South Wales nor Canada was keen on th...
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Statement on the Vandalisation of Public Monuments and War Memorials

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  STATEMENT ON THE VANDALISATION OF PUBLIC MONUMENTS AND WAR MEMORIALS The following statement was adopted by the Council of the Military History Society of New South Wales at their meeting on Monday, 28 October 2024: As a body dedicated to preserving and honouring our state’s military heritage, the Military History of New South Wales is disturbed by continuing instances of defacement, vandalism and misuse of historical public monuments, including war and veterans memorials. Acts of physical destruction as a means of political expression should be condemned unreservedly. These attacks represent an infringement of community rights. They are an illegitimate substitute for the democratic processes by which these monuments are properly managed with broad popular consent. This is true even if controversy surrounds the monument in question. In the case of war memorials, the attacks dishonour the sacrifice, and insult the relatives, of those who gave their lives for the precious freed...
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RECONNAISSANCE Magazine Spring 2024 Issue

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"From the Editor" column of the Spring 2024 Issue of Reconnaissance , the quarterly magazine of The Military History Society of New South Wales. Welcome to the Spring 2024 Issue of Reconnaissance . Angus Britts is an Australian naval historian and author of four books dealing, particularly, with the British Imperial experience, including in the Pacific theatre of World War II. He has presented to our Society on two occasions and both times left the audience with a much clearer perception of the imperatives that drove the course and outcome of the Pacific War. On 6th April this year, Angus homed in on the strategic and doctrinal thinking behind Japan’s naval operations over the fateful years 1941 to 1945, the year of catastrophic defeat. In this issue of Reconnaissance, we are pleased to publish an article version of that lecture. Most people could be excused for assuming that the Japanese behaved in similar ways to other imperial powers. Having decided to capture and occ...
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Second World War Tour 2025: Anzac Day in Athens - Greece and Crete

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  On the 6 April 1941 the German Army launched its attack against the Greeks on the Metaxas Line and the Imperial Expeditionary Force at Florina. The Allied force was pushed off Greece by 28 April and so began the Battle of Crete. Join our memorial tour lead by Lt-Colonel Ron Lyons (retd), Vice President, Military History Society of NSW, in conjunction with Battlefield History Tours, to Greece and Crete visiting the battlefields where the 6th Division and the New Zealand Division confronted the German Army. This is a special tour developed for the very special purpose that we hope will, in a small way, ensure that this part of Australian and New Zealand history is not forgotten. As we visit the battle sites, each with an informative briefing, we will meet the local dignitaries who maintain our military heritage and pay our respects at the resting places of our fallen. ABOUT BATTLEFIELD HISTORY TOURS www.battlefieldhistorytours.com.au Battlefield History Tours is one of Australia’s ...
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