The Military History Society of NSW

  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...

"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...

  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 ...

Following are images from the group visit that some of our Society members made to the beautiful and historic grounds of the Lancer Barracks and Museum at Parramatta on Sunday, 26 May 2024.  The visit was a great experience for members who were able to inspect the Museum's fleet of armoured vehicles up close and were also treated to a demonstration of some of the vehicles in motion. The guides were very helpful and informative. Other exhibits inside the Museum building were also fascinating and testify to the long and distinguished history of the Royal New South Wales Lancers. These include a collection of uniforms, equipment, small arms like rifles and machine guns, photos, flags and other items stretching from the era of the Boer War through to the two world wars and to Korea, Vietnam and more recent engagements. The Lancer Barracks and Museum is one of the premier military history sites in New South Wales and a visit is highly recommended. Why not become a member of The Military...

  ' We used our knees and our rifle butts and our blades. For a while we stopped being ordinary blokes and became blood-lusted creatures.'   March, 1941: 40,000 Australian and New Zealand troops are rushed to Greece in a desperate attempt to stop the Wehrmacht overrunning the country. Most of them overseas for the first time in their lives, they seek excitement and adventure. What they get are experiences they could never have imagined.   The operation is doomed to fail, but not before the Aussies and Kiwis succeed in holding up the German advance and evacuating thousands, mainly to Crete, where Hitler next sets his sights. As the Nazis assault the island, they deploy a devastating new weapon of invasion – paratroopers − for the very first time, meeting desperate resistance as the Allies fight for their lives.   This talk will delve into the experiences of the soldiers who fought in the mountains and villages of Greece, and faced entrapment and death on Crete. ...

On Saturday 7th October 2023, The Military History Society of New South Wales held a One Day Conference at the Auditorium, Anzac Memorial Hyde Park, Sydney with the title New South Wales At War: Heroes And Tragedies Of A State In Three Conflicts . The Auditorium was full to capacity and attendees enjoyed four outstanding military history talks as well as a special guided tour of the Memorial including back of house areas. We are pleased to present the following photo album of the day's events. Video recordings of the day's proceedings can also be viewed on our YouTube channel . Why not join the Society? Our main website is here: www.militaryhistorynsw.com.au