Clik here to view.
Review: 'Stalag Luft III. An Official History of the 'Great Escape' POW Camp
Given my current research I have been avidly awaiting my copy of Stalag Luft III. An Official History of the 'Great Escape' POW Camp, the history of the British and Commonwealth compounds at Stalag...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Albert Hake and Paul Royle: Australians in the Great Escape.
On 20 March 2017, during the week of the 73rd anniversary of the Great Escape, I presented this talk to the Deakin Combined Probus Club.Two hundred men tried to escape from Stalag Luft III on the night...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Kriegie Easter
Given today is Easter Sunday, and I spent the morning stuffing my face with chocolate cake, I wondered how the air force prisoners I am studying spent their Easters in captivity. Interestingly,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Every night about this time: A kriegie's wife writes.
It’s easy to forget that the wives, fiancées and girlfriends of prisoners of war had it just as rough as their menfolk, but in a different way, of course.I am currently going through the letters of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Ever remembered'. James Catanach, Anzac Day 1944
Jimmy Catanach had been a prisoner of war for almost seven months before unburdening himself to his brother, Bill, on 28 March 1943. It had been a long journey from Melbourne, where he had been born on...
View ArticleClik here to view.
William Henry Edwards, an Australian in Stalag Luft III.
One of Stalag Luft III's Australians in the RAF was William Henry Edwards, known as Bill to the family. Born on 18 October 1915, Bill grew up in Leichhardt (Sydney) NSW. He applied for and was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A shout-out to the kriegie tin bashers of Stalag Luft III
Tin bashers such as Tony Gordon, who was noted by Bill Fordyce as North Compound’s ‘official’ tin basher, played a key role in Stalag Luft III’s physical comfort. (Caricature of Tony Gordon, by Bill...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Kriegie Commandments
Over the last few months, I’ve been delving into the place of religion in helping the airmen prisoners of war in Stalag Luft III cope with captivity. Some men had profound faith which provided much...
View ArticleClik here to view.
‘I miss you very very much’: Another Christmas apart.
Charlie Fry and Beryl Smith had known each other for five or six years when he embarked for the UK in July 1937.(Photo with application for Point Cook cadetship, NAA A9300, Fry, C.H.) A graduate of 20...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Marking the Occasion: Birthdays in Captivity
As I flip through another brochure assuring me I am now eligible to join an active 55+ community, my thoughts turned from wondering whether I would have chocolate cake or scones for my festive morning...
View ArticleClik here to view.
After the Great Escape
Much has been written about the Great Escape: what occurred on the night; what happened to those involved; and the commitment to obtaining ‘exemplary justice’. Artist: Ley Kenyon, published in Paul...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In good spirit
D-day infused prisoners of war every everywhere with great optimism of a speedy return to home and loved ones. The Australians in Stalag Luft III were no different. They had talked about it for months...
View ArticleThomas Albert Bax
Thomas Albert Bax: Mini BiographyA number of the Australian prisoners of war were medically repatriated from German POW camps. One was Thomas Albert Bax. As part of my research into the Australians of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A seasonal anthology of Kriegie Christmases
It’s been a few years since I entered the bloggersphere and over the years I’ve put together little stories related in some way to my research. I’ve been studying the Australian airmen of Stalag Luft...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A bit overcrowded
Prompted by a curious friend, I looked at SLIII’s population statistics. According to Red Cross visitor reports, in April 1944, the camp total of British, Commonwealth and allies, and Americans...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Kriegies coming home
The long sea voyage to Australia allowed a period of transition between the ‘long and arduous’ road from captivity ‘strewn with pain, both physical and mental’ to home. It offered an opportunity to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Grieving the 'Great Escapers'
Much has been written about the Great Escape: what occurred on the night; what happened to those involved; and the commitment to obtaining ‘exemplary justice’. Artist: Ley Kenyon, published in Paul...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Winning the Battle of the Wits in Stalag Luft III
Friends of Air Force History and Heritage Network Seminar 4 December 2020Winning the ‘battle of the wits’ in the barbed-wire battleground: Australian airmen of Stalag Luft III. In my first post-PhD...
View ArticleClik here to view.
‘He “assaulted me at the matrimonial home”: captivity trauma and domestic...
Conflict and Society Webinar: 28 September 2021School of Humanities & Social SciencesUNSW CanberraFor recording, click here (and scroll down)...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Australian War Memorial History Webinar Series 26 July 2022
Australian War Memorial History Webinar Series 26 July 2022Graphic courtesy of the Australian War Memorial. Sketch by Tim Mayo, courtesy of Mayo Family Archive View the webinar at...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New article about the Great Escape
My latest article has been published in the Australian War Memorial's Wartime magazine. It is a great honour to be included in their 100th issue. If you want to buy a copy of the magazine, which...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Traumatic Legacy of the Dam Busters Raid: Tony Burcher
Today is the 80th anniversary of the Dam Busters Raid. Nineteen Lancaster bombers powered towards German targets. Eight crashed or were shot down. Fifty-three airmen were killed. Some were captured. It...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Podcast interview: Kriegies: the Australian Airmen of Stalag Luft III
My interview with Matthew Dahlitz, President of the AMAHA Inc http://www.australianmilitaryaviation.com.au/ is live! Forty-odd minutes discussion about my latest book, Kriegies: the Australian Airmen...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Aviation Cultures Mark VII – Flying High: Aviation in Popular Culture 20–21...
In July 2023, I zoomed into the Aviation Cultures Mark VII – Flying High: Aviation in Popular Culture conference. My paper was: ‘I wanted wings.’ Donald Duck, Pilot Officer Prune, and a motorbike: the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Faith in Stalag Luft III
Missed the talk? It's now onlinehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmeqkA8HcfY
View Article