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Aussie Soldier

Prisoners of War

Published by Big Sky Publishing
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

The second book in the Aussie Soldier series, Aussie Soldier: Prisoners of War by Denny Neave and Craig Smith, details the lives of the men and women who found themselves on the wrong side of the wire. This collection of heartfelt stories and anecdotes from Australian POWs will take you on their very personal journeys. Surviving as a prisoner of war required as much strength of character as any hard fought battle. Some lived to tell their tales about extreme suffering, mateship and hardship and many would carry with them forever the memories of those who died. Almost 35,000 Australian service personnel were taken prisoner during the Boer War, World War 1, World War 2 and the Korean War. As POWs are relatively few in number, their stories often take a back seat when it comes to tales about battles and conflict situations. Like most soldiers, former prisoners do not like reliving the horrors of war and their time in captivity. This is a collection of the stories of our Australian POWs. Interviews, questionnaires, written records, images and letters provide an insight into captivity and the joy and fears that came with their release. These vivid and compelling stories highlight the contradictions of war: the compassion and generosity on the one hand and the cruelty, hate and indifference on the other.

About The Authors

Denny Neave lives in Queensland. His family’s military history began with his Great Great Uncle Ted Hawkins who served in the Crimean war, the Boer War and WWI. His Great Grand Father, John Lingard Neave, served in the navy during WWI and Grand Father John Lingard Neave the second, served with the Militia in New Guinea. Denny’s father Colin Neave was a professional soldier who joined the Infantry Corps and served in almost all of the Royal Australian Regiments. He saw active service in Malaya and Vietnam before retiring as a Sergeant after 20 years service. Growing up in a military environment and seeing the professionalism of his father was the driving inspiration for Denny to continue the long family history of military service. Denny enlisted in the Army Reserve Infantry Corps in 1989 and completed Officer Training. He has served for over 30 years. Denny has authored five military titles and produced a military history documentary Long Tan to Afghanistan.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Big Sky Publishing (March 1, 2009)
  • Length: 304 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781921941450

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