RAA Liaison Letter – 2025 / 2026 Edition 93 divisions. Consequently, the Australian’s regularly had their flanks exposed to the enemy. On occasion this situation had deadly outcomes in terms of unnecessary casualties. The politics of appointing Monash as the commander of the 1st Australian Corps is something that also should not be underestimated. Despite Australia becoming nation in 1901, the British Empire still very much existed. This nexus was not really broken until World War Two. The early stages of the last 100 days incudes the Battle for Mont St Quentin and Peronne. Some historians have described the taking of Mont St Quentin and Peronne as among the finest Australian feats on the Western Front. This is highlighted by the eight Victoria Crosses awarded during the period 31 August to 4 September 1918. The recipient’s included Lieutenant Edgar Thomas Towner VC, MC from my own hometown of Blackall located in Central Western Queensland. On a practical note as a reader due to the detail and layout of the content I had to refer frequently to the very basic “mud” maps provided. This was important to keep orientated with the flow of the divisions and formations as the battles unfolded. To more easily follow the scheme of manoeuvre I would have appreciated a few more key towns and villages included on the maps. Action! Action! Action! A Short History of the Employment of Australian Artillery, 1871-2021 Nicholas Floyd and Paul Stevens BIG SKY PUBLISHING, SYDNEY, 2024, 228 PAGES, B&W AND COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS. Abstract Over one hundred and fifty years ago, on 1st August 1871, the Colony of New South Wales raised its first permanent Battery, known as the New South Wales Artillery. This battery complemented existing colonial volunteer batteries. The previous year, the last British forces had departed for England, leaving the young, dynamic colonies across Australia to uphold their own defences. This occasion marked the origins of the substantive, permanent presence of professional Australian artillery soldiers – a presence that endures to this day as the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery. In the years that have followed, Australian Gunners have served their country in war and in peace; abroad, and in the defence of their homeland, with honour and dedication, and will continue to do so into the future. 1st August 2021 marked a century and a half of unbroken dedication in the service of our community and the Nation by Australia’s Gunners – Volunteer, Militia, Reserve, Permanent and Regular; at home, and in far-off lands; defending assaults from the sea, in the sky, and on land; and advising, defending and supporting our comrades-in-arms through summoning and orchestrating devastating fires and effects that are accurate, responsive, dependable & joint. These are, and will remain, the tenets of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery in all its forms. This is the story of Australia’s Gunners – so far. Reviewed by Emeritus Professor David Horner AM; Australian National University This new book, published under the auspices of the Royal Australian Artillery Historical Company, is in the style of the Australian Army History Unit’s successful campaign series. It is lavishly illustrated with photographs and maps, has ‘breakout’ pieces on prominent artillery personalities, and sections on artillery tactics and technology. Substantial appendixes cover artillery organisations over a hundred years. Written by two experienced gunners, Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Floyd and Major General Paul Stevens, assisted by members of the Artillery Historical Committee, the book seeks to condense the history of Australian artillery over 150 years into just over 200 pages. It keeps its focus firmly on the employment of artillery rather than on the experiences of the gunners, except for the sections on individual gunners. The book is targeted primarily at aspiring professional gunners.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjE4NTMz