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the experience of combat is not of big battles but instead numerous small actions.In this age of the ‘Long War’, the way in which the combat fatigue induced by thistype of environment gradually wore down morale in the 61st Battalion, over aprolonged period, is of particular importance. As the 7th Brigade found, trainingleaders to maintain morale and manage battle fatigue under these circumstancesis not an easy task.Finally, this study suggests that attempts to generalise about collective failuresin combat morale and the results of battle fatigue reaching critical levels areflawed. Tolstoy commences Anna Karenina with the wise observation that ‘Allhappy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its ownway’.266 The same applies for military units with combat morale and battle fatigueproblems—each must be studied with due regard for the individual circumstancesand complexities that combined to break the primary group and esprit de corpsbonds required for success in combat. Evidence of such problems is not, however,likely to be found in any official history. This is unfortunate as it does nothing tohelp future Australian soldiers to appreciate, and train for, the morale and battlefatigue pressures inflicted by war.266 Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1980, p. 1.64 — A tale of three battalions
BibliographyUnpublished RecordsAustralian War MemorialAWM 52AWM 54AWM 67AWM 76AWM 932nd AIF and CMF Unit War Diaries, 1939–45 WarWritten Records, 1939–45 WarOfficial History, 1939–45 War: Records of Gavin LongOfficial History, 1939–45 War: Bibliographical FilesAustralian War Memorial Registry FormsAustralian War Memorial, Private RecordsPR82/079PR84/370PR88/72PR89/078PR89/190PR011823DRL25293DRL66433DRL6937Lieutenant Colonel T.J. Farrell PapersLieutenant General Sir Frank Berryman PapersGavin Long PapersLieutenant Colonel G.R. Matthews PapersJ.H. Ewen PapersLieutenant Colonel W.R. Dexter PapersLieutenant General Sir Stanley Savige PapersField Marshal Sir Thomas Blamey PapersBrigadier John Field PapersA tale of three battalions — 65
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A tale of three battalions:combat m
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About the AuthorMajor Gavin Keating
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Land Warfare Studies CentreThe Aust
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ContentsAbout the Author ..........
Page 9 and 10:
IntroductionTo those who have known
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limitations of military efficiency
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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 return to Torokina supports thi
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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