OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN MILITARY HISTORY SERIES

 

  1. First World War

The Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 is a 12-volume series covering Australia’s involvement in the First World War. The series was edited by the official historian C E W Bean, who also wrote six of the volumes, and was published between 1920 and 1942. The books, with their familiar covers, “the colour of dried blood” in the words of one reviewer, rapidly became highly regarded internationally. Bean’s work established the tradition and set the standard for all subsequent Australian official war histories. These are supplemented by the three volume Medical series shown below.

Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918

  • Volume I – The Story of ANZAC – CEW Bean
  • Volume II – The Story of ANZAC – CEW Bean
  • Volume III – The AIF in France 1916 – CEW Bean
  • Volume IV – The AIF in France 1917 – CEW Bean
  • Volume V – The AIF in France 1918 – CEW Bean
  • Volume VI –– The AIF in France 1918 – CEW Bean
  • Volume VII – Sinai and Palestine – HS Gullett
  • Volume VIII – Australian Flying Corps – FM Cutlack
  • Volume IX – The Royal Australian Navy – AW Jose
  • Volume X – The Australians at Rabaul – SS Mackenzie
  • Volume XI – Australia during the War – Ernest Scott
  • Volume XII – Photographic Record of the War

Official History of the Australian Army Medical Services 1914-18

  • Volume I – Gallipoli Palestine and New Guinea – AG Butler
  • Volume II – The Western Front AG Butler
  • Volume III – Problems and Services – AG Butler

 

  1. Second World War

The official history of Australia’s involvement in the Second World War represents one of the longest and largest historical endeavours Australia has ever seen. The enterprise began in January 1943 with the appointment of Gavin Long as General Editor. The 22 volumes, written 14 authors, were published by the Memorial over a 25-year period between 1952 and 1977.

 

Australia in the War of 1939-1945 – Series 1 (Army)

  • Volume I – To Benghazi – Gavin Long
  • Volume II – Greece, Crete and Syria – Gavin Long
  • Volume III – Tobruk and El Alamein – Barton Maughan
  • Volume IV – The Japanese Thrust – Lionel Wigmore
  • Volume V – South-West Pacific Area – First Year – Dudley McCarthy
  • Volume VI – The New Guinea Offensives – David Dexter
  • Volume VII – The Final Campaigns – Gavin Long

Australia in the War of 1939-1945 – Series 2 (Navy)

  • Volume I – Royal Australian Navy, 1939-42 – G Hermon Gill
  • Volume II – Royal Australian Navy, 1942-45 G Hermon Gill

Australia in the War of 1939-1945 – Series 3 (Air)

  • Volume I – Royal Australian Air Force, 1939-42 – Douglas Gillison
  • Volume II – Air War Against Japan, 1943-45 – George Ordgers
  • Volume III – Air War Against Germany and Italy, 1939-43 – John Herington
  • Volume IV – Air Power over Europe, 1944-45 – John Herington

Australia in the War of 1939-1945 – Series 4 (Civil)

  • Volume I – The Government and the People, 1939-41 Paul Hasluck
  • Volume II – The Government and the People, 1942-45 – Paul Hasluck
  • Volume III – War Economy, 1939-42 – SJ Butlin
  • Volume IV – War Economy 1943-45 – SJ Butlin
  • Volume V – The Role of Science and Industry – DP Mellor

Australia in the War of 1939-1945 – Series 5 (Medical)

  • Volume IClinical Problems of War – Allan S Walker
  • Volume II – Middle East and Far East – Allan S Walker
  • Volume III – The Island Campaigns – Allan S Walker
  • Volume IVMedical Services of the RAN and RAAF – Allan S Walker

Photographic supplement

  • Volume 1 (green hard cover – sometimes found with greasepaper transparent dustjacket)
  • Volume 2
  • Volume 3
  • Volume 4
  • Volume 5

 

  1. Australia in the Korean War 1950-53

Professor Robert O’Neill was appointed the Official Historian for the Korean War series of two volumes which were published jointly by the Australian War Memorial and the Australian Government Publishing Service in 1981 and 1985.

  • Volume 1 – Robert O’Neill. Strategy and Diplomacy. The Australian War Memorial and The Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1981

Tells the story of Australia’s participation in the Korean war at the political and strategic level.

  • Volume 2 – Robert O’Neill. Combat Operations. The Australian War Memorial and The Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1985

Describes the war experiences of the RAN, Australian Army and RAAF.

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  1. Australia’s Involvement in Southeast Asian Conflicts 1948 – 1975

Professor Peter Edwards was appointed official historian in 1982 to produce the current official history series on Australia’s involvement in Southeast Asian conflicts from 1948 to 1975. This nine-volume series covers the longest period of any of the official histories and deals with the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960), the Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation (1963-1966) and the Vietnam War (1962-1972). In keeping with the previous official histories, this series covers Australian combat operations by all three services as well as the areas of strategy, diplomacy, home front politics and society, and medical matters.

 

  • Volume 1Peter Edwards with Gregory Pemberton, Crises & Commitments: The Politics and Diplomacy of Australia’s Involvement in Southeast Asian Conflicts 1948-1965, Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 1992
  • Volume 2Ian McNeill, To Long Tan: The Australian Army and the Vietnam War 1950-1966, Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 1993
  • Volume 3Brendan G. O’Keefe and F.B.Smith, Medicine at War: Medical aspects of Australia’s involvement in Southeast Asia 1950-1972, Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 1994
  • Volume 4Chris Coulthard-Clark, The RAAF in Vietnam: Australian Air Involvement in the Vietnam War 1962-1975, Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 1995
  • Volume 5Jeffrey Grey and Peter Dennis, Emergency & Confrontation: Australian Military Operations in Malaya and Borneo 1950-1966, Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 1996
  • Volume 6Peter Edwards, A Nation at War: Australian Politics, Society and Diplomacy during the Vietnam War 1965-1975, Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 1997
  • Volume 7 – Jeffrey Grey, Up Top: The Royal Australian Navy in Southeast Asian Conflicts, 1955-1972, Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 1998
  • Volume 8Ian McNeill and Ashley Ekins, On the Offensive: The Australian Army in the Vietnam War 1967-1968, Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 2003
  • Volume 9Ashley Ekins with Ian McNeill, Fighting to the Finish: The Australian Army and the Vietnam War 1968-1975, Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial, Sydney, 2012

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  1. Australian Peacekeeping, Humanitarian and Post-Cold War Operations

Since 1947, at least 30,000 Australian peacekeepers have taken part in over 50 operations, in more than two-dozen theatres of conflict around the world, as well as a similar number of disaster-relief operations. The Australian Government has authorised the Australian War Memorial to research and write a six-volume Official History of Australian peacekeeping, humanitarian and post–Cold War operations. This important document of Australians in peacekeeping represents a world-first: the first official history of a nation’s complete peacekeeping record.

The history is official only in the sense it has government support and that the team has access to all relevant government records. What the historians write is not subject to censorship of any kind, except for reasons of national security. The history is a joint project of the Australian War Memorial and the Australian National University. The Official History of Peacekeeping, Humanitarian and Post–Cold War Operations is being produced under the general editorship of Professor David Horner as Official Historian. The series is being published by Cambridge University Press. The six-volume history recounts the story of Australian participation in over fifty operations in some 25 areas of conflict since 1947 and a similar number of humanitarian operations.

The current schedule is as follows:

  • Volume 1: The long search for peace: observer missions and beyond by Dr Peter Londey, formerly of the Australian War Memorial and now at the Australian National University, covers peacekeeping missions that began between 1947 and 1987, including Indonesia, Kashmir, the Middle East, the Congo, Cyprus, and Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. Forthcoming, publication anticipated by February 2018.
  • Volume 2: Australia and the ‘new world order’: from peacekeeping to peace enforcement, 1988–1991 by Professor David Horner, covers peacekeeping missions that began between 1988 and 1991 including Namibia, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf and Kuwait. This volume was published by Cambridge University Press in 2011.
  • Volume 3: The good international citizen: Australian peacekeeping in Asia, Africa and Europe, 1991–1993 by Professor David Horner and Dr John Connor, formerly of the Australian War Memorial now at the University of New South Wales (Australian Defence Force Academy), and covers peacekeeping missions that began in 1991, including Iraq (humanitarian operations, sanctions, and weapons inspection) Cambodia, Western Sahara and former Yugoslavia. This volume was published by Cambridge University Press in 2014.
  • Volume 4: The limits of peacekeeping: Australian peacekeeping in internal conflicts, 1993–2006 by Dr Bob Breen and Dr Jean Bou of the Australian National University, covering peacekeeping missions from 1993 onwards including, Somalia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Haiti, Eritrea, Guatemala, Sierra Leone and Sudan. Forthcoming, publication anticipated by September 2017.
  • Volume 5: The good neighbour: Australian peace support operations in the Pacific Islands, 1980–2006 by Dr Bob Breen, covers peacekeeping missions in the Pacific region since the mid-1980s, including Bougainville, Solomon Islands, and other deployments. This volume was published by Cambridge University Press in 2016.
  • Volume 6: In their time of need: Australian overseas emergency relief operations, 1918–2006 by Dr Steven Bullard of the Australian War Memorial, covers overseas emergency relief operations, including Papua New Guinea, Sumatra, Pakistan, Iran, and various Pacific nations.  Forthcoming, publication anticipated by March 2017.

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  1. Australian Operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Peacekeeping Operations in East Timor

Since its inception, the Australian War Memorial has sponsored the production of Australia’s official war histories. In 2016 the Memorial, with funding from the Australian government, began writing the official history of the most recent conflicts in which Australia has been involved. The team, led by Official Historian Professor Craig Stockings, will provide a detailed, authoritative account of Australia’s extensive and complex combat operations in Iraq (2003–11) and Afghanistan (2001–14), as well as its role in peacekeeping operations in East Timor (1999–2012).

Australia has had long-running involvements in both Iraq and Afghanistan. More than 40,000 Australian Defence Force personnel have served in or directly supported these operations since 2001. More than 40 Australians have died as a result of their service in Iraq and Afghanistan, and hundreds more have been wounded.

Australia’s involvement in East Timor, from 1999 to the end of 2012, was instrumental in that nation gaining independence. The International Force East Timor (INTERFET), deployed from 1999 to 2000, remains Australia’s largest peacekeeping mission to date, and the largest overseas military deployment since the Vietnam War. Furthermore, it was the first time Australia had led a major international coalition.

As at Jan 17, this sixth Official History series will comprise the following:

  • Volume I: covering operations in Afghanistan and the Middle East, 2001–06
  • Volume II: covering operations in Iraq, 2003–11
  • Volume III: covering operations in Afghanistan, 2005–10
  • Volume IV: covering operations in Afghanistan, 2010–14
  • Australian peacekeeping operations in East Timor:
    • Sub-volume I covering the period of the INTERFET deployment, 1999–2000
    • Sub-volume II covering the period 2000–12

Six distinguished historians have been appointed as authors: Dr Craig Stockings (Official Historian), Dr Steven Bullard, Dr Rhys Crawley, Dr David Stevens, Dr Roger Lee, and Dr Robert Stevenson. The project is expected to be completed by 2022.