The Footsoldiers: The Story of the 2/33rd Australian Infantry Battalion, A.I.F. in the War of 1939-45

The early diaries just lacked detailed information. They give a very broad overview, but lack the finer details such as service numbers, names, just specifics really.

Thanks Matt.

That opens up a whole heap of questions for me! All probably unanswerable. (I've got a feeling I might not get past Chapter 1 at this rate :-)

Whilst I do not have any family ties to this wonderful battalion, since 2013 I have been very warmly welcomed by veterans and descendants alike.  A real privilege which has not been lost on me.  My life's journey with the 2/33rd Australian Infantry Battalion started with an email back in January 2011 from the son of an original battalion member .....  this man told me his father was VX1879 Russell Ray WATKINS.  As it transpired, I walked the Kokoda Trail with this battalion descendant during October of 2012 and we visited the scene of an aircraft crash site which I knew very little about.  As a result, I made a lifelong friend.  I then had the honour of acting as "Australian War Memorial Liaison Officer" to the 2/33rd Australian Infantry Battalion in a long overdue commemoration of Australia's worst aviation related disaster.  This resulted in a pilgrimage to Papua New Guinea and the rest is now history. As a result of this, I further added numerous lifelong friendships which I truly value.  However my greatest privilege was receiving a 'Life Membership' which was presented by one of Australia's countless unspoken heroes .... NX43720 Lance Sergeant Raymond Charles GIBSON.  So as I commence reading this book, I will be accompanied by a little reminder in the form of a  "bookmark" which was distributed by the family of a digger on the day we bid him farewell - back into the ranks of his comrades.  It was this "bookmark" which sowed the seeds of this Reading Forum .... when Matt Sloan and I decided this wonderful book needed to be read from cover to cover .... by our generation .... and that I would use this bookmark to remind me that 'names in history books' are in fact real people with family and friends that loved them.  No doubt this book will invoke emotion for all of you as you think of your respective ancestor.  As a non-descendant ..... I will be thinking of Ray GIBSON and his mates NX153060, NX200319, NX96806, NX2849 and NX146322 whose names and signatures adorn the inside cover of my copy of THE FOOTSOLDIERS.  Of NX81054 who represented the battalion at our PNG pilgrimage.  And NX88133 who continues to guide this ''second generation" of 2/33rd battalion members.

Hi All,
This is where we would love for you to share information about your ancestor. You can post up any information that you have about him, photos, stories, absolutely anything that you want to share.
We would also love for you to let us know why this reading club is important to you and why you decided to take part.

Please create a new topic for each individual soldier, using the same layout as: "(Service #) (Rank) (Name)"
Please see attached photo as example.


Regards, Matt

Like many I've had "The Footsoldiers" sitting on the shelf for quite a while. I've delved into the pages where my father gets named but not a lot more. I'm really looking forward to finding a context for the bits that I do know through this study of the book.

It is exactly the same for myself. When I first started to research my grandfather's service, I simply flicked to the pages he was mentioned on and not really much more. There is no denying that 'The Footsoldiers' is a very in-depth book, but as a group we can tackle it together.

I do have a question though - the comments by Cotton say that the early War Diaries are woefully inadequate - what is missing from them? What should be there?

I am sure that Felicity Hickman will be able to answer this better than anyone with the research Felicity has been conducting with her father's letters. The early diaries just lacked detailed information. They give a very broad overview, but lack the finer details such as service numbers, names, just specifics really. The detail that is contained within 'The Footsoldiers' actually came from the soldiers replying to Bill Crooks' request for information. It was only then that he had the detail required to write the book in the detail we have today. This is also largely why it is considered one of the best written battalion histories of WWII.

Regards, Matt

With regard to Gary's query re a U.K. X mentioned on page viii of the Appreciation, it remains somewhat of a mystery. However there may be a couple of explanations.
1. A British officer (maybe of Australian descent?) was appointed as a liaison officer between the local British units and the Brigade.
2. A number of British NCO's were seconded to set up a training school nearby to instruct newly appointed 2AIF officers. When forming the new 25th Brigade, the battalions were devoid of infantry officers as the ranks were filled by 450 Army Service Corps (my dad was one of), 276 machine gunners, 384 artillery personnel, 1300 technical troops (whatever that means !) and 459 infantry reinforcements. These were all moved sideways from the 18th Brigade. These British NCO's may have been given the honour of being "temporary' Aussies.

The quote in the book refers to "a UK X"- difficult to imagine just one individual being given "X" status.
I have researched "UK officers at training school near Tidworth UK 1940 which led me to another site- "The AIF in UK(Aust war memorial) PDF Appendix 1. The document is quite a detailed account of our time in the UK in 1940.