Simply Hell Let Loose.

(Department of Veterans' Affairs): ABC Books Australia 2002 $29.95. Card covers, 236pp, b&w photos.

As part of the Centenary of Federation commemorations, the Department of Veterans' Affairs, in collaboration with ABC Radio, launched The Great Search, inviting veterans and their families to submit their wartime memorabilia. More than 1800 responses were received these included photos, letters, diaries, reminiscences and family records. Many of these were drawn on for the `Australians at War' documentary series which was screened on the ABC during the Centenary of Federation year.

43 of those stories have been included in this collection which includes personal accounts and family records relating to the major conflicts in which Australians have served, from the Boer War to the Gulf War. They depict the efforts of men and women, service and medical personnel and civilians. With a title like `Simply Hell Let Loose', taken from Charles Haslett's letter to his father in April 1900 (Charles Haslett was a civilian dispatch ride and news agent with the Natal Field Force in South Africa) the reader would expect to encounter a collection which dealt mainly with personal experiences of battle. Not so, and as such, the title is a bit misleading if that is what the reader is after. Certainly, there are some graphic depictions of warfare, but there are other stories full of mateship, compassion and humour. There is even a snippet about wartime knitting and comfort parcels, and bureaucracy gets a mention in `Protecting the Name of Anzac' (some things never change!).

Many of the stories were written by those who served, or were drawn from their letters or diaries and these are more powerful. Stories retold by family members came across as weaker and lacking in detail and without the immediacy of the first hand accounts. For me, the most poignant story is that told by Flying Officer Athol Snook of 100 Squadron, who tells the story of his mates who failed to make it back. The memory was triggered by the mention of an old radio sketch entitled `Running an Office'. One of the catch cries of that series was `Oh-eh-one thing more--goodbye'. It was quickly adopted by Athol and his mates and became a running joke. It emphasised the bonds of friendship that they shared, just as it excluded those not in the know of their particular joke.

News came in that a Japanese naval force was in striking distance of the Squadron, and nine crews were put on immediate alert. Athol's crew was eventually withdrawn from the strike when his plane went unserviceable. But two of Athol's friends went on the strike, and Don turned as he left the Ops Room, smiled and uttered that phrase `Oh--one more thing--goodbye'. And it was. Athol recalls how he waited for his friends to return, and remembers the `dull boom of an explosion, then silence, only the wind and the rain. The jungled arms of the bay have caught them in a wet embrace.... The black wet earth laid bare by their metal plough. A self dug grave for four young men' (`One thing more--goodbye' p125)

Other stories also stand out: Sister Atkins who took the time to write to bereaved parents and pass on their son's last words in `Please accept my sincerest sympathy & admiration for your brave young boy'; the extract from Able Seaman Harry Dale's diary of the bombing of Darwin; and `Devotion to Duty Worthy of the Highest Praise' where Flying Officer Ray Graetz recalls the time his aircraft was shot down over Wewak and he spent an amazing eight days without food, where he survived numerous encounters with Japanese troops, and even sabotaged Japanese weapons and trucks before he was rescued.

This book is a rewarding read and leaves the reader wanting more. But luckily we don't have to wait for a Volume Two, as more stories can be found on the Australians at War website at www.australiansatwar.gov.au. This site is well worth a look, and is a great adjunct to the book. Visitors can add their own or a family member's story, or they can select a conflict, scroll through the synopses and click on one of the many Australian stories of war.