First Friday Filmclub

I swithered a little bit about the placement of this item, given that it actually focuses on action taken in the month of July 1943. However, it is also very much about an Australian, and April is the month of ANZAC day (25th), which is the great memorial day down under. That meant this month won. 

One of the great privileges of my medical life was to sit in the company of some returned Australian servicemen. Two of my charges endured the Kokoda trail. One of them just would not talk of that time. The other, "Les", one day opened up. We were sitting watching the ANZAC parade. He could no longer march but had his medals on his chest and wore his uniform cap. Despite being air force personnel, he and his company had been forced to march the trail as no landing strips were available to them, and all combatants were required on the ground, no matter their force. "Les" spoke of the mud. He spoke of the almost vertical nature of much of the track. And he spoke of the camaraderie that arose. I will never forget the tears he was prepared to share with me that day... at the age of 92, he said he had never even told his wife about that time. Only his fellow veterans knew. "Les" passed away three days later.

Today, in addition to the Sabaton history and song, I add a short film that has Bull Allen's family talking about him. There is much made of the fact that Allen has not been awarded as might have been expected by the Australian army... but what is not taken into account is that all medals up until 1991 were issued under the imperial (read British) system. Cpl Allen was awarded the Military Medal on a prior occasion - which is as much as the Aussies could give at that point for his valour. As all the men he rescued in the action described below were US soldiers, it is fair enough that the medal recognition was also American. Since 1991, there have been Australian Gallantry decorations created... I believe that through that system, it could be possible for the family to nominate their father for recognition, but this doesn't seem to come up in conversation. In the thumbnail of their video, you can see the medals on Allen's chest; the MM is the one closest to his tie. Beside it lies the Africa Star (for serving in North Africa and Syria), then another on which the ribbon appears the same, so am uncertain of naming it. Then comes the SSM (US Silver Star). Next is another indistinct decoration followed by the Australian Service Medal 1939-45, and to complete the set is the (imperial) Defence Medal for service completed. 

The Kokoda Trail of WW2 holds as much awe and gratitude among devotees of Australian war history as the ANZAC episode from WW1. You can read more about it and see how the memory is maintained on the Kokoda Historical website.