World War 1 Stories – Armistice Centenary

25 Jul 2023, 5:31pm Stanley Mills Stanley Mills (Service No. 195) In this audio recording taken from an interview with Ross McMullin (in 1978), 83 year-old Stanley Mills, a Lance Corporal, who served as a signaller in World War 1 (involved as a telephone linesman) responds to questions about news of the casualties on Gallipoli and how that affected him; about the censoring of mail; about the type of newspapers he got access to while in Cairo; whether he had an opinion of the reporting of the war in Australian newspapers; how informed people back in Australia regarding Gallipoli in 1915. Introduced by Edan Baxter

25 Jul 2023, 5:27pm Bill Kearsey In this audio recording a family member of Bill Kearsey’s is reading from an excerpt of the 33rd Battalion Unit Diary, from October 1917; a letter from Bill to the Commissioner of War Pensions in 1921, seeking a war pension, and a letter from Bill’s wife, Verdun Kearsey to the Repatriation Department in 1964. This audio was first recorded for the Museums Victoria (2014-2018) Love and Sorrow exhibition.  Introduction spoken by Jonathan Pilbrow

25 Jul 2023, 5:26pm Fred Farrell This audio recording contains excerpts from Fred Farrall’s interview with historian Alistair Thomson (in 1983 and 1987), when Fred was around the age of 86 and 90, where he is asked about his interactions with the Germans and about the behaviour of Australian soldiers during the war. The full interview recordings are available on the Australian War Memorial Website. Introduction by Patricia Ansell Dodds

25 Jul 2023, 5:26pm Lil MacKenzie This audio recording of Lil Mackenzie’s family member reading her wartime letters comes from Museums Victoria (2014-2018) Love and Sorrow Exhibition,  Introduction by Hannah Ekin

25 Jul 2023, 5:26pm Ern Morton In this piece an archival recording, taken from interviews with historian Alistair Thomson (in 1985 and 1987), when he was around 90 years of age, Ern tells of how an encounter with a young English speaking German soldier changed his perspective on the war. Ern also speaks of the conviction that grew within him that war was a cruel unnecessary waste of life which could be avoided if people committed to working out their conflicts in other ways. The full recording of their interview is available on the Australian War Memorial website. Introduction Spoken by Jonathan Pilbrow

25 Jul 2023, 5:25pm Albert Kemp In this audio, the God-Daughter of Ethel Kemp reads from two war-time letters from Ethel’s father Albert Kemp to Ethel; as well as a postcard from Ethel to her father from 1917. The audio also provides a reflection on the impact on Albert’s family as a result of his death in the war. This audio comes from Museums Victoria (2014-2018) Love and Sorrow exhibition. Introduced by Nadine Williams

25 Jul 2023, 5:25pm Samuel Browning In this audio Samuel’s great great nephew Daniel Browning read from his letters home from the front, and provides biographical context, with additional audio from Samuel’s daughter Betty Shields.  A variation on these recordings was first made for ABC Radio National’s ‘Awaye!’ Program, hosted by Daniel Browning (22 April 2017). Daniel Browning kindly re-recorded the letters for this app. The audio of Betty Shields was taken from an ABC TV program, ‘ANZAC Day brings pride and pain for Aboriginal digger’s daughter’,25 April 2013. Introduction by Patricia Ansell Dodds – Story by Daniel Browning

25 Jul 2023, 5:24pm Bill Langham This audio comes from interviews with historian Alistair Thomson (in 1983 and 1987), when Bill Langham was 86 and then 90 years of age. In the interviews, Bill answers questions about encounters with German soldiers on the front line, the gap between those who declared war and the civilians and frontline soldiers who suffered its consequences and the importance of remembrance in making people aware of the horrors of war. The full interview recordings are available on the Australian War Memorial website Introduced by Hannah Ekin