The second book in the Aussie Soldier series, Aussie Soldier: Prisoners
of War by Denny Neave and Craig Smith, details the lives of the men and
women who found themselves on the wrong side of the wire. This
collection of heartfelt stories and anecdotes from Australian POWs will
take you on their very personal journeys. Surviving as a prisoner of war
required as much strength of character as any hard fought battle. Some
lived to tell their tales about extreme suffering, mateship and hardship
and many would carry with them forever the memories of those who died.
Almost 35,000 Australian service personnel were taken prisoner during
the Boer War, World War 1, World War 2 and the Korean War. As POWs are
relatively few in number, their stories often take a back seat when it
comes to tales about battles and conflict situations. Like most
soldiers, former prisoners do not like reliving the horrors of war and
their time in captivity. This is a collection of the stories of our
Australian POWs. Interviews, questionnaires, written records, images and
letters provide an insight into captivity and the joy and fears that
came with their release. These vivid and compelling stories highlight
the contradictions of war: the compassion and generosity on the one hand
and the cruelty, hate and indifference on the other.
