The story of its release and the controversy that surrounded it is an added reason to seek out this excellent first hand account of the horrors of Gallipoli. Iconic, almost nation-defining in the courage shown by Australian soldiers in the face of an impenetrable enemy and strategic ineptitude, the landings at Gallipoli and ensuing months of fighting are the background for this soldier's story, told with honesty by Victorian farmer Sydney Loch. And I mean an unflinching, unsettling honesty that renders accounts of rotting corpses and smoke-filled sunsets with equal detail. It was this honesty that led to the book being banned on it's second release in 1919 - the War Department not keen for Australians to have access to the dark side of the story this close to the end of the Great War.
This modern release of the book re-titles it, and adds a brief biography by the writers Susanna and Jake de Vries, where we learn about the controversy as well as Loch's life and career after the war, primarily as a philanthropist helping the many dispossessed in Europe who took years to recover from the destruction and loss that surrounded them. This post-war selflessness adds an interesting perspective to the person we come to know from the original book, who is humble and loyal and not a little bit brave as he survives one of our most costly battlefield disasters. Loch serves as a runner for an Australian Colonel, putting him in many precarious situations but also making him privy to some of the higher level tactical decisions made at headquarters. He is remarkably supportive of the Colonels and Majors as they toy with men's lives, remaining silent and only allowing himself the briefest flashes of annoyance at the posturing and cowardice he sees.
Of course, the book was gleaned from his diaries, and perhaps the editor's pen has saved some of these commanders from further criticism, some of whom were still serving or remained on the peninsula in cemeteries. Loch doesn't set out to criticise his leaders anyway, his focus is more on the living conditions of the men, the daily grind of battle and survival, the constant reminders of a momentary and violent death. But he is no pedestrian diarist, and the text is littered with tight descriptions and illuminating observations, to the point where the great writer Miles Franklin pronounced it a "literary" work on its release. This is fair, as the different tone to other survivor's accounts is clear - Loch didn't know he would survive yet there is a poetry and a conscious development of anecdotes and even dialogues that is definitely writerly. He is struck by the calm scenes of ships in the harbour by night, the orderly tent cities that spring up on the occupied beaches, the expressions on men's faces as they prepare to attack or contemplate the loss of a mate. Some of these passages are unforgettable.
Less can be said, sadly, about the accompanying biography, which was possibly rushed or consciously underwritten to lend focus to the main part of the book. Whatever the reason, it is clunky writing and unsatisfying in both its detail and execution. The female de Vries is the writer of a series of books on women in Australian history which I had wanted to read - I'm less keen now. If only Loch himself could have written a full autobiography! In fact, he did, but it remains unpublished. War, and war stories are not to everyone's fancy I know but if you have never read a Gallipoli diary or need to have the story of this part of our history revived for you, Sydney Loch's is a most engaging and readable example.
The wrap-up:
Australian themes - Despite our long history of involvement in wars, there aren't all that many full accounts written by participants of these conflicts.
Australian characters - Loch doesn't set out to write a character piece but he manages some very perceptive studies of his comrades and commanders, mostly Australians.
Australian settings - There are some interesting observations of life in pre-war rural Victoria but the majority of the book is set in the Dardanelles, which has become sacred ground to many pilgrims.
Australian voices - Loch has an ear for dialogue and sets down some exchanges verbatim - a great resource for those interested in the lost inflections of a time gone by.
Australian focus - As a soldier, Loch has both a healthy disrespect for his battlefield commanders and a begrudging loyalty. His respect for the fighting Australian soldier, however, is immense and could be seen as the lingering message of his book.
