Content on Veterans

This page lists content tagged with "Veterans"

Anzac Day In Australia (1940) newsreel (Video)

The first Anzac Day of the war was seen very much as a passing of the torch from the original AIF to the Second AIF. In this newsreel footage, we see troops, World War I veterans and police marching…

Commemorating Anzac Day: In Their Own Words (Student activity), (Virtual lesson), (Educational), (Oral history)

Hear Australian veterans reflect on what the commemoration of Anzac Day means to them.

Repatriation of Australians in World War I

Repatriation during the war Service men and women of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) were being re

Research an Australian veteran's war service

To start, you'll need to know some basic details, such as:

Rachael Pratt: Stories of Service (Video)

Rachael Pratt enlisted in the Australian Army Nursing Service in 1915, during World War I. She was 41 years of age. She worked to help the sick and wounded, often in very difficult conditions. In…

Robert Harold Nimmo: Stories of Service (Video)

Lieutenant General Robert Harold Nimmo (known as Harold) served in the Australian military forces for over 35 years. He served in World War I and II, and was the Chief Military Observer to the United…

Cheryl Pearce: Stories of Service (Video)

Major General Cheryl Pearce, a distinguished soldier, has served in 2 major peacekeeping operations. This video tells the story of Cheryl’s service as a peacekeeper in East Timor and Cyprus. Cheryl…

Donald Barnby: Stories of Service (Video)

Donald Barnby has had an exciting and varied career in the Australian Army, Special Air Service (SAS) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP). During this time, he also served in the Vietnam War.…

Alastair Bridges: Stories of Service (Video)

Alastair (Al) Bridges was born in Scotland and moved to Australia with his family when he was 2. Like his father who flew aircraft in World War II, Al wanted to become a pilot. He joined the Royal…

Tony Ey: Stories of Service (Video)

The job of a Navy Clearance Diver during the Vietnam War was a vital but dangerous one. Discover Tony Ey's story as he describes his experiences in the Royal Australian Navy as a clearance diver and…

Thomas Henry 'Buddy' Lea: Stories of Service (Video)

Find out about Thomas 'Buddy' Lea's heroic efforts to save his friends during the Battle of Long Tan in the Vietnam War. This story tells of the experiences of Buddy, a First Nations Australian who…

The Fab Four Nurses: Stories of Service (Video)

Discover the experiences of the 'Fab Four', the first 4 Australian Army nurses to serve in the Vietnam War. This story tells the experiences of Lieutenant Colleen Mealy, Lieutenant Margaret Ahern,…

Dorothy Drain: Stories of Service (Video)

Journalist Dorothy Drain was born in Mount Morgan, Queensland, in 1909. A pioneer in her field who wrote from the heart, she helped pave the way for Australian female war correspondents. Dorothy…

Bill Coolburra: Stories of Service (Video)

Bill Coolburra was born at Palm Island, North Queensland, and joined the Australian Army in 1964. As a sapper with the Australian Engineers, he served in Borneo, Vietnam, Malaya and Singapore. In the…

Harry Cobby: Stories of Service (Video)

Harry Cobby was a bank clerk in Melbourne when the war began in 1914. He was keen to serve but his job at the bank was considered essential and he wasn't able to enlist in the Australian Imperial…

Jim Martin: Stories of Service (Video)

James (Jim) Martin was 14 years old when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). He served as a private in World War I. Arriving at Gallipoli in early September 1915, he served in Wire…

Weary Dunlop: Stories of Service (Video)

Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop's story is one of care, compassion, hardship and suffering. Weary enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force after studying medicine. This tells his story as an army doctor…

Ellen Savage: Stories of Service (Video)

Nurses played a vital role in the Australian Army during the Second World War. Sister Ellen Savage was one of those nurses. She was on board the hospital ship Centaur when it was torpedoed by a…

Gordon Wallace: Stories of Service (Video)

Gordon Wallace enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in 1940. He went on to serve in North Africa and New Guinea during the Second World War. This tells the story of Gordon's service…

Reginald Saunders: Stories of Service (Video)

Reginald Walter Saunders was from the Gunditjmara people of southern Victoria. His father and uncle had served in the First World War, which motivated Reg to enlist in the Second Australian Imperial…

Pearl Corkhill's story of First World War service (Video)

This short film is about Australian veteran Sister Pearl Corkhill, who served with the Australian Army Nursing Service, Australian Imperial Force (AIF), during World War I.Sister [Elizabeth] Pearl…

Rats of Tobruk short film (Video)

We captured the reflections of six Australian veterans who served in North Africa in World War II and survived the siege of Tobruk in 1941. Bob Semple, Ernie Brough, Hautrie Crick, Jack Caple, Jim…

Fall of Singapore short film (Video)

Created to mark the 75th Anniversary of the Fall of Singapore, this film includes reflections from 8 veterans who served in the Malaya and Singapore. Some were taken prisoner and were allocated to…

Australians on the Western Front short film (Video)

An important part of our work is to gather and share Australia's military and service history through the experiences of Australian veterans.

Victory: Episode 4 of Paths to Victory podcast series (Podcast), (Educational)

This podcast is part of the series, Paths to Victory. Join us to explore some of the many paths our veterans took through World War II on the road to Victory in the Pacific. In this final episode, we talk about how the war ends with the defeat of Japan. Australians at home celebrate the peace – but not all feel joy. Many are mourning the loss of loved ones. We explore the experience of coming home after service or being a prisoner of war. We end with stories of life after VP Day, as people looked to the future.

Wars and peacekeeping missions involving Australia

Australia's experience of war Australia's involvement with war began in the Colonial period:
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