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Pacific Historian
Diggers 'afraid to attack enemy'
Diggers 'afraid to attack enemy' - National - smh.com.au
Email Printer friendly version Normal font Large font Frank Walker
December 2, 2007
AUSTRALIA'S war veterans are furious at claims by noted English historian Sir Max Hastings that they were too scared to fight the Japanese in 1945.
Hastings accused Australian soldiers of disobeying orders to attack, saying many soldiers were "embittered" and even on the edge of open mutiny.
He said regular volunteer troops felt bitter towards those who did not volunteer to serve and scorned conscript militia sent to New Guinea and Bougainville.
"The last year of the war proved the most inglorious of Australia's history as a fighting nation," he writes in the new book Nemesis - The Battle For Japan 1944-45.
Hastings appears to think not nearly enough Australians died fighting the Japanese.
He seems to belittle the 7384 Australians killed fighting in the Pacific War, by noting that this was fewer than the number of prisoners captured in Malaya and Singapore who died, and only slightly more than the number of US Marines killed on Iwo Jima.
He writes: "It seemed perverse that, having won so much honour far away in the Mediterranean, Australia's share of the Pacific War ended in rancour and anticlimax."
Hastings argues that Australian troops resented being sidelined by US commander Douglas MacArthur and being used only for irrelevant mop-up operations.
He argues that Australians believed the only reason for the pointless invasion of Borneo in July 1945 was to keep them away from America's final victory over Japan.
"Some 229 Australians died and 634 were wounded," Hastings writes. "Once more it was impossible to believe anything worthwhile had been achieved and every man at Tarakan and Balikpapan knew it," Hastings writes.
Pacific War veterans reacted with fury yesterday.
The Reverend Roy Wotton, who buried 400 Australian troops during the Pacific War, was outraged.
"All those blokes died fighting the Japanese," the 94-year-old said. "How dare this Pom say they didn't fight. If they could talk today they would teach him a thing or two."
Joe Madeley, president of the Rats of Tobruk Association, who also fought in Borneo, was disgusted.
"It is an insult to all the blokes who served in the Pacific," Mr Madeley said.
"I lost good mates there. Who is this Sir Max who sits in England writing this stuff? He should talk to the blokes who were there."
RSL chief Bill Crews said Hastings's book was "offensive". "Veterans are maligned in this depiction of events in the Pacific," Mr Crews said.
"Australians did feel sidelined by the American command, but his claims about the fighting spirit and morale of the diggers is a sweeping assertion that we find quite offensive. There were many acts of extreme bravery and many diggers were exhausted after years of protecting Britain."
Australian War Memorial historian Dr Karl James said Hastings had overstated frustrations in the Australian army.
"There were some who were exhausted after years of fighting, but there was nothing like Hastings is suggesting. The veterans have reason to feel aggrieved."
Hastings could not be reached for comment. A former editor in chief of London's The Daily Telegraph, he has written 20 books, mostly about World War II.
Diggers 'afraid to attack enemy' - National - smh.com.au
Email Printer friendly version Normal font Large font Frank Walker
December 2, 2007
AUSTRALIA'S war veterans are furious at claims by noted English historian Sir Max Hastings that they were too scared to fight the Japanese in 1945.
Hastings accused Australian soldiers of disobeying orders to attack, saying many soldiers were "embittered" and even on the edge of open mutiny.
He said regular volunteer troops felt bitter towards those who did not volunteer to serve and scorned conscript militia sent to New Guinea and Bougainville.
"The last year of the war proved the most inglorious of Australia's history as a fighting nation," he writes in the new book Nemesis - The Battle For Japan 1944-45.
Hastings appears to think not nearly enough Australians died fighting the Japanese.
He seems to belittle the 7384 Australians killed fighting in the Pacific War, by noting that this was fewer than the number of prisoners captured in Malaya and Singapore who died, and only slightly more than the number of US Marines killed on Iwo Jima.
He writes: "It seemed perverse that, having won so much honour far away in the Mediterranean, Australia's share of the Pacific War ended in rancour and anticlimax."
Hastings argues that Australian troops resented being sidelined by US commander Douglas MacArthur and being used only for irrelevant mop-up operations.
He argues that Australians believed the only reason for the pointless invasion of Borneo in July 1945 was to keep them away from America's final victory over Japan.
"Some 229 Australians died and 634 were wounded," Hastings writes. "Once more it was impossible to believe anything worthwhile had been achieved and every man at Tarakan and Balikpapan knew it," Hastings writes.
Pacific War veterans reacted with fury yesterday.
The Reverend Roy Wotton, who buried 400 Australian troops during the Pacific War, was outraged.
"All those blokes died fighting the Japanese," the 94-year-old said. "How dare this Pom say they didn't fight. If they could talk today they would teach him a thing or two."
Joe Madeley, president of the Rats of Tobruk Association, who also fought in Borneo, was disgusted.
"It is an insult to all the blokes who served in the Pacific," Mr Madeley said.
"I lost good mates there. Who is this Sir Max who sits in England writing this stuff? He should talk to the blokes who were there."
RSL chief Bill Crews said Hastings's book was "offensive". "Veterans are maligned in this depiction of events in the Pacific," Mr Crews said.
"Australians did feel sidelined by the American command, but his claims about the fighting spirit and morale of the diggers is a sweeping assertion that we find quite offensive. There were many acts of extreme bravery and many diggers were exhausted after years of protecting Britain."
Australian War Memorial historian Dr Karl James said Hastings had overstated frustrations in the Australian army.
"There were some who were exhausted after years of fighting, but there was nothing like Hastings is suggesting. The veterans have reason to feel aggrieved."
Hastings could not be reached for comment. A former editor in chief of London's The Daily Telegraph, he has written 20 books, mostly about World War II.