I commend this video by Nick Hodge to you this ANZAC Day. Nick talks about the people side of war and how he has tracked down some of his family history about WWI and WWII using online resources. This is a different perspective to a lot of what we hear regarding ANZAC Day – a really personal perspective.
Just to put the lost uncles in perspective, Australia’s population in 1914 was 4,948,990; Australian war deaths in WWI were 61,511; and total enlistments were 416,809.
It is interesting to consider that these deaths did not just impact the individual who died. Many women were deprived of husbands and potential husbands and this had a flow on effect on society. Families were deprived of brothers and uncles. In addition, the returned servicemen suffered from post traumatic stress, which was unrecognised at the time, but it impacted family life and society for many years.
Nick also talks about Sir John Monash a little as well.