Denis Winter, 25 April 1915:the inevitable tragedy. University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, 1994, ISBN 0 7022 2472 3, xiv + 290 pp, 8.95

2 Pages·1995·0.68 MB·

by  David Carment

Book Reviews
escaped and were recaptured soon afterwards. As not properly understood. Two middle-aged Aus¬
Harry Gordon explains, the ‘full facts’ of the tralian soldiers died heroically in a vain attempt
escape were not disclosed until quite recently. to stop the escapees with a single Lewis Gun.
The author of an earlier book on the incident Even the efforts to recapture prisoners were
published in 1978, he found in preparing a new sometimes badly organised. Some soldiers sent
work that there was much information of which out to look for the Japanese were only armed
he had not been previously aware. with bayonets.
Gordon is a'distinguished journalist who is the Voyage from Shame deserves a wide reader-
author of nine previous books, most of which ship. It ought to appeal to all those interested in
have been well received. It is, then, not surpris¬ the Australian experience in the Second World
ing that Voyage from Shame is clearly written War. It also is worth close attention at a time
and well organised. 1 found it difficult to put when many Australians are looking closely at
down as the story it recounts is full of drama and developing understanding with various Asian
human interest. The book is also based on thor¬ peoples. Of these the Japanese are perhaps the
ough research. Much relevant archival material most important yet remain the most perplexing.
was used in its preparation and many of those
involved with the escape, both Australian and David Carment
Japanese, were interviewed. Gordon makes a
sincere effort to understand the Japanese partici¬
pants and hopes that his book will assist the
Denis Winter, 25 April 1915: the inevi¬
process of reconciliation. My one complaint is
table tragedy. University of Queensland
that some dialogue, while based on evidence, has
Press, St Lucia, 1994, ISBN 0 7022 2472 3,
clearly been invented for dramatic effect.
xiv + 290 pp, $18.95.
A point that emerges frequently is the enor¬
mous shame associated with surrender for the
Japanese. Many prisoners at Cowra had given Denis Winter is an historian with a special
false names when captured so that dishonour interest in the First World War whose recent
would not be brought to their families. The book Haig’s Command: A Reassessment attracted
breakout was, from an Australian perspective, a much criticism and led several reviewers to ques¬
futile business as there was virtually no chance tion his capacities as a researcher and writer. 25
that any escapee could elude recapture for very April 1915 is slightly less controversial but some
long. For the Japanese involved, though, the aim of its claims are still likely to be contested. The
was to remove sliame by being killed or commit¬ purpose of his latest work is to present a new
ting suicide. Even today some survivors of the picture of the landing at Gallipoli, an event with
breakout find it difficult, if not impossible, to almost spiritual significance in Australia. Winter
discuss or even acknowledge their prisoner of claims to have used documents never before
war experience. studied by historians. He argues that these con¬
Among the more prominent organisers were clusively demonstrate that the campaign was
doomed from the very beginning. This view is,
airforce men captured in the Northern Territory.
of course, in opposition to the quite widely held
Hajime Toyoshima, for instance, made an emer¬
belief that the Gallipoli operation may have
gency landing on Melville Island after the Japa¬
succeeded if the men in charge at various levels
nese raid on Darwin on 19 February 1942. He
had made wiser decisions during the campaign.
was found by Matthias Ngapiatilawai, a young
Winter considers various events leading up to
Tiwi man who became the first person to arrest
25 April through discussion of the soldiers in¬
a Japanese serviceman on Australian soil. An¬
volved, strategic planning and operational mat¬
other group of five airmen, including Marekuni
ters. He argues that there was ‘a quantity of
Takahara, were also washed ashore on Melville
forethought and planning in stark contrast to the
Island after being shot down at sea nearby.
customary presentation of Gallipoli as a knee-
That the escape took place at all was due to lax
Australian procedures. Many members of the jerk response to the Russian appeal for assist¬
garrison battalion at the Cowra camp were unfit ance of January 1915’. He provides an evocative
for normal military service and their weapons description of the day to day experiences of the
were obsolete. There were some early warnings Australians and New Zealanders training at Mena
that a breakout might take place but these were in Egypt, not far from the great pyramids, and
211
Book Reviews
later at the island of Lemnos. There is extensive Queenslanders, it would seem, are searching for
use of their diaries and letters. As in Bill new identities through their histories and litera¬
Gammage’s classic The Broken Years, one gets ture. Work began on this book in 1989 and it is
the impression of young men who were danger¬ reasonable to speculate that after a year of cel¬
ously naive. They often saw the war as a great ebrating the bicentennial of the settlement of
adventure with little realisation of the horrors Sydney, which became synonymous with the
that would occur. Meanwhile, the politicians and settlement of all Australia, the collaborators were
senior commanders were, Winter contends, ‘mud¬ keen to ensure other voices were heard in the
dled’ in their thinking about the Gallipoli ven¬ construction of our national identity.
ture and ‘mercilessly pushed forward’ with in¬ The bibliographic survey concludes that
herently faulty schemes. women have been excluded so far from most
The most interesting part of the book deals general histories of Queensland and this text
with the landing on 25 April. Winter suggests therefore can be read as a contribution to the
that the true story is difficult to recount due to the search for a revised and feminised Queensland
secrecy enforced by military commanders and identity. The masculinist images of the frontier
the fact that so many vital documents are miss¬ days no longer reflect the way Queenslanders
ing. He argues, though, that three distinct and view themselves. Several of the writers identify
consecutive schemes existed for the landing, David Malouf, Jessica Anderson and Thea Astley
each with a clear tactical logic behind it. The last as the most influential figures in reconstructing
of these, contrary to the usual version in studies Queenslanders’fictional identities. Also signifi¬
of Gallipoli, indicated that Anzac Cove was the cant, argue many of the writers, is the distinctive
chosen landing point and the troops did not architecture of the Queenslander house and the
arrive there by mistake. Winter also contests way various spaces were created and used by the
prevailing views about the soldiers’ conduct at occupants, and by women in particular.
Gallipoli. Some formations disintegrated under There are thirteen essays covering sources,
Turkish firepower, with men straggling back histories, spaces, and politics and parties. The
towards the beach. Other soldiers, of course, majority of the contributors, of whom all are
fought heroically. A special bond was formed women, were connected in some way with Griffith
among those who survived the fighting on the University at the time of publication and the
first day at Gallipoli. camera-ready copy was produced with the as¬
Winter writes well and his book is easy to sistance of the Division ofHumanities at Griffith
follow. There are some excellent photographs University, which makes this book a truly col¬
and maps. The book also appears to be thor¬ laborative effort. The col lection is presented as a
oughly researched although there are occasional contribution to women’s studies rather than to
factual errors. I am not sure that he adds as women’s history, though most of the essays use
greatly to the Gallipoli story as he claims or historical methodology and the book is pub¬
whetherexpert military historians will think much lished under the University of Queensland’s
of some of his arguments. For the general reader Studies in Australian History series.
interested in Australians’ experience of war, The Introduction by Gail Reekie, addresses
though, 25 April 1915 is certain to be of interest. the relevance of region to feminist enquiry. Re¬
gion, argues Reekie, is defined by borders con¬
David Carment structed for the use of geographers, demogra¬
phers and politicians.
Because women were primarily located in the
domestic and private sphere as daughters, wives
Gail Reekie, ed. On the edge: women’s and mothers and only temporarily or informally
experiences of Queensland. University (if ever) as entrepreneurs or paid workers, the
of Queensland Press, St Lucia, 1994. ISBN majority were isolated from the effects of such
0702224618 RRP $29.95. public and formal regional boundaries. Is region,
then, a usefu 1 concept in the analysis of women’s
The title of this edited collection of essays. On relationship to history, culture and government?
the Edge, relates not only to the marginalised (P-2.)
position of women, but of all Queenslanders in Reekie suggests that for regionalism to be
relation to Victoria and New South Wales. relevant to feminist study, the borders must be
212