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AbstractThe Anzac tradition does not talk much about what happens when combatmorale falters and battle fatigue undermines military effectiveness. Yet,despite the Australian Army’s proud history, it has not been immune fromsuch problems. Evidence of this is not, however, likely to be found in any officialhistory or unit report. Fortunately, the 7th Australian Infantry Brigade’s campaignon Bougainville, 1944–45, allows these issues to be studied in detail. The existenceof candid personal diaries and memoirs written by the brigade commander, twoof his unit commanding officers and a private soldier offer a rare glimpse into therealities of life on combat operations.This paper traces the fortunes of the brigade’s battalions and assesses theirrelative experiences: one disintegrated under the weight of combat stress, onewas placed under considerable pressure and one appeared to escape relativelyunaffected. In this tale of three battalions, the fate of each unit offers importantinsights into the nature of combat and the maintenance of morale and fightingeffectiveness when soldiers are engaged in battle. It is not just an interesting storybut offers much that remains relevant for the Australian Army’s current leaders asthey seek to face the contemporary challenges of the ‘Long War’.vi — A tale of three battalions
ContentsAbout the Author ....................................................iiiAcknowledgements ..................................................iiiAbstract ............................................................ viIntroduction .........................................................1Part One: 7th Brigade’s Campaign on Bougainville ........................15Part Two: Explanations of Morale and Combat Fatigue Problems ...........39Conclusion. .........................................................61Bibliography ........................................................65Land Warfare Studies Centre: Publications..............................69TablesTable 1: 7th Brigade Strength States, Bougainville,November 1944–May 1945 ............................................40Table 2: 7th Brigade Casualties, Bougainville, November 1944–May 1945.....40Table 3: 7th Brigade Incidence of Disease Causing Evacuation,Bougainville, November 1944–May 1945.................................41A tale of three battalions — vii
Page 1 and 2: A tale of three battalions:combat m
Page 3 and 4: About the AuthorMajor Gavin Keating
Page 5: Land Warfare Studies CentreThe Aust
Page 9 and 10: IntroductionTo those who have known
Page 11 and 12: limitations of military efficiency
Page 13 and 14: operations in the most expeditious
Page 15 and 16: II Australian Corps area of operati
Page 17 and 18: AIF. Only two of the battalion 2ICs
Page 19 and 20: Swank and Marchland’s study of Al
Page 21 and 22: for giving meaning to the efforts o
Page 23 and 24: Part One7th Brigade’s Campaign on
Page 25 and 26: attle experience’.81 Matthews lat
Page 27 and 28: Southern Sector—January to May 19
Page 29 and 30: 7th Brigade area of operations, sou
Page 31 and 32: a series of patrol clashes with sma
Page 33 and 34: his officers and men are saying ope
Page 35 and 36: ‘We have been in contact for seve
Page 37 and 38: BM says 61 Bn in bad state, troops
Page 39 and 40: to endeavour to open the LOC with t
Page 41 and 42: Plate 1: Brigadier J. Field, comman
Page 43 and 44: Plate 5: A jeep train, in support o
Page 45 and 46: The brigadier visited a 61st compan
Page 47 and 48: Part TwoExplanations of Morale and
Page 49 and 50: Table 3: 7th Brigade Incidence of D
Page 51 and 52: It has been argued that Dexter’s
Page 53 and 54: Many adverse reports on officers we
Page 55 and 56: There was also irony in Field’s c
Page 57 and 58:
That is 60 men they will never see
Page 59 and 60:
just over a week after it commenced
Page 61 and 62:
In many ways the 25th Battalion’s
Page 63 and 64:
elieved that his instructions to th
Page 65 and 66:
‘A number of refusals to go on pa
Page 67 and 68:
higher proportion of forceful leade
Page 69 and 70:
ConclusionPrevious studies of the c
Page 71 and 72:
and return to Torokina supports thi
Page 73 and 74:
BibliographyUnpublished RecordsAust
Page 75 and 76:
Denham, Peter, The Blue Diamonds: H
Page 77 and 78:
Land Warfare Studies CentrePublicat
Page 79 and 80:
118 Blaxland, John, Information-era
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