The Great War: Are we really getting it?

For most anyone who serves, or who has served, an understanding of the Great War is a by-product of the job – the traditions and stories carried through the ages remember the history.

But where do most Australians learn about our experiences in the Great War? For many years our schools focussed only on the story of Gallipoli, and even then it generally focussed on one man and a donkey. Gen X and Y could be forgiven for thinking Australia’s Great War was Gallipoli.

In the Great War Centenary more of the story is being unveiled. Last year’s commemorations at Pozieres and Fromelles added detail that many people knew little about.  This year we will remember battles like Bullecourt and Passchendaele on the Western Front, and the famous charge of the Light Horse Beersheba in the Sinai. But the focus on battles does not necessarily tell the story of Australia in the Great War.  Are we getting the backstory? What was life like for the troops? How did they view their enemy? How did they get from point A to point B? What were families doing at home? So much happened in the period 1914-1918 that just isn’t “sexy” enough for news or events. Yet it was these simple things that shaped modern Australia more so than a single battle.

Eight schools in Northern Queensland are using the Australia in the Great War diaries to help students and teachers get a better understanding of the times and events.

The Great War diaries create a story about life in the war based on historic detail woven into the experiences and stories of a single Australian family – at home and on the frontline. The content is created by leading military historians, writers and artists to create a narrative that explores more than a single moment.

St Margaret Mary’s College principal Kathy Park told the Northern Queensland Register that the diaries, which were given to the schools by the National Servicemen’s Association, were a timely gift given the focus on Australia’s entry onto the Western Front 100 years ago this year.

“The History department is relishing the diaries and all the other material we received, the diaries give students real life examples of what life during wartime would have been like,” Ms Park told the Register.

“Students and teachers are really enjoying digging into them and they are proving particularly useful for senior students studying modern history as one of their topics happens to be World War One.”

“They are using the diaries frequently when conducting research on the war as an additional source of attributable material.”

At the end of the year, St Mary’s College will present the diaries as prizes for students in the junior classes to reward particularly high achievers.

There are many places where people can find information on the Great War but the diary historians and writers have pulled a lot of information into a single easy to read narrative.  They even include lovely commemorative pennies about everyday events that may otherwise never have been shared. Definitely recommended reading.

Discover the Great War Diaries today.