On Guard with the Australian Volunteer Defence Corps

"On Guard": with the Australian Volunteer Defence Corps
Published for The Volunteer Defence Corps by the Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT, 1944
	Index of Chapters
EDITORIAL NOTES
UNDER the generous patronage of the Australian War Memorial Board, and with the ready co-operation of the Military History Section of the Australian Army, the Volunteer Defence Corps, which is an integral part of the Australian Military Forces, proudly presents its own record of its four years of achievement. Composed of veterans of the First A.I.F., as well as of younger men in reserved occupations or essential industries who were debarred from joining the fighting forces, the V.D.C. regards it as a privilege to have its activities recorded by its own members in a volume which is uniform with the other Service Books of this war. "On Guard" brings to the people of Australia and to their Allies an account of the doings of members of the Corps in all parts of the Commonwealth (with a significant article on the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles, counterpart of the V.D.C., showing how a volunteer part-time force played its part against invaders).
Essentially it is the book of the rank and file of the V.D.C., and in prose, verse and picture our members have told the story of their widely varied experiences. As the present volume will doubtless be of some value to Australia's official war historians, the honorary editors have also included an official account of the reasons which led up to the formation of the V.D.C., and of its subsequent rapid development and role in the A.M.F. To encourage members of the V.D.C. to make the contents of this volume truly representative of the available talent in all States, it was decided to follow the innovation of the editors of "Khaki and Green" and conduct a competition in seven sections. One of the conditions of the competition was that every entry should include a declaration that the work was original and had not previously been published. The honorary editors desire to record their grateful thanks to the Military History Section for the unstinted help given in compiling the book, and for the highly expert way in which it was seen through the press. To all those others, in uniform and in civilian occupations, who assisted in preparing this book the sincere thanks of the honorary editors are given.

TO OUR COMRADES, THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE FIGHTING SERVICES

"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph."

Set up, printed and bound in Australia by Halstead Press Pty Limited, 9-19 Nickson Street, Sydney, 1951. Registered in Australia for transmission through the post as a book.

FOREWORD

I AM very glad that the Volunteer Defence Corps decided to have a book of its own this year, and, as the Corps was raised and maintained during its early years by the Returned Soldiers' League, and as the original members had all served in the late war, it is fitting that this book should appear on the Fourth Anniversary of the establishment of the V.D.C. in Australia.

With all the traditions of the old A.I.F. behind them, it is not surprising that these men should come forward when they did and offer their services. Apart from the value these services have been, and are, towards the defence of their country, the example set to the rest of the community in patriotism and self-sacrifice has been of inestimable worth, and the enthusiasm With which the work was taken up in the first instance has never been allowed to wane in spite of all kinds of disabilities-shortage of equipment, distance from training centres and uncertainty as to the role of the Corps.

Great credit is due to these early members and their leaders, who, incidentally, were all men with distinguished service in the war of 1914-18. They were fortunate indeed -in having the League, with its efficient organization, behind them.

As a result of their work, a well-trained and properly organized force Of 50,000 men was handed over to the Army on the 15th May, 1941. Drawn from every part of Australia and from almost every walk of life, the Volunteer Defence Corps is truly representative of the people of Australia and belongs essentially to those people. That the Governor-General recognized this is - evident from his inviting each State Governor to be the Honorary Colonel of the Corps in his State.

I congratulate those who have contributed to this record of the Corps, and commend the book to the people of Australia.

Webmasters note. The Inspector in Chief of the VDC was the famed Harry Chauvel of WW1 Light Horse fame.

General,

Inspector-in-Chief, Volunteer Defence Corps