"Khaki & Green", with the Australian Army at home & overseas in 1943

"Khaki & Green", with the Australian Army at home & overseas in 1943
	KHAKI	Sub category index
	and
	GREEN
EDITORIAL NOTES
Once again the fighting men of Australia have momentarily put aside the trappings of war to present themselves in prose, verse and picture to their people at home. This book is the successor to "Active Service" and "Soldiering On", and carries on, worthily we believe, the tradition of 1915 when Gallipoli gave Australia "The Anzac Book". "Khaki and Green" is a representative but necessarily small part of the great number of contributions received. Its text has been wholly written by serving members of the Australian Army scattered over the Commonwealth and in all those places where Australians are called upon to serve. The jungle's damp imprint was to be seen in the stained pages of stories, penned on odd scraps of paper. Considerable ingenuity was displayed in the improvisations adopted by front-line troops to ensure that sketches and drawings Should travel without damage. Reports of the two major campaigns fought by Australian troops in the span of time covered by "Khaki and Green"-the battle for Papua and the closing stages of the fighting at El Alamein -are included. Each of these official narratives has been read and revised by the Headquarters' staffs concerned whose assistance is gratefully acknowledged. Some details have been omitted where security demanded it, and, for the same reason, some stories left untold. An innovation this year was a competition in seven sections designed to encourage literary and artistic talent among the troops. With the exception of the section for unit photographers the competition amply Justified its introduction. A condition of the competition demanded that each competitor should submit a signed declaration that his work was original and had not previously been published. As in 1942 the sister Services - the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force - have prepared their own books, companion volumes to "Khaki and Green". For that reason there is but brief reference herein to their sterling efforts in the divers theatres of war where global strategy has demanded their presence. The grateful thanks of the compilers of this volume are tendered to all who collaborated, again, in this service to the Australian Army.

Set up, printed and bound in Australia by Halstead Press Pty Limited 9-15 Nixon St Sydney 1943. Registered in Australia for transportation through the post as a book.

FOREWORD

"KHAKI AND GREEN" sums up in one telling phrase the scope of the activities of Australian soldiers since last they related their experiences, in book form, to their homeland. It speaks of desert and jungle, epitomizing the two major regions of the campaigns in which Australians have participated since October, 1942-the overthrow of Rommel's forces at El Alamein, and the smashing of the Japanese in Papua. Brief summaries of these campaigns are recounted in this book.

With the return of the Ninth Division A.I.F. to Australia the Australian Army was assembled as a single command for the first time since the war began. These desert-hardened troops, last of the Australian formations to leave the Middle East theatre of war, will play such new role in future operations beside their old companions of the Sixth and Seventh Divisions as the changing pattern of war may make necessary.

Those of us who know the Australian soldier-those who have observed him in two great wars-have noted his capacity to portray his experiences and reactions, both in story and poetry. Some of the fruits of that desire to write are to be seen in this book, the successor to "Active Service" and "Soldiering On". There is humour in these pages, there is laughter, and there is sober reflection. They reveal that though occupied with the things of war the soldier is much concerned with thoughts of those at home, of what they are doing and of how they fare.

That constant concern of the soldier for those at home imposes a deep responsibility upon all Australians to leave nothing undone that will contribute to the physical well-being and mental ease of the soldier.

For our own part we soldiers give grateful thanks to our people who have so splendidly supported us in the hard and anxious months through which all have passed.

It is fitting, too, that once more we should express our warm admiration for the feats of our brothers-in-arms from the United Kingdom, the Sister Dominions, the United States, and Netherlands East Indies and China, whose strenuous endeavours have done so much to ensure the freedom of this country and the furtherance of the Allied cause.

No Australian soldier needs to be reminded of what he owes to -the ceaseless and untiring work of our sister-Services, the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. We are happy to pay our small tribute here to two great Services whose exploits are recounted in separate books, forming with this, a trilogy of Australian martial achievement.

And last we are grateful for the untiring devotion of our own Women's Services whose sole desire is to share in every sacrifice and hardship that they may serve to the utmost.


	General, Commander-in-Chief, Australian Military Forces.