Media: BOOK - paperback, 336 pages
Author: C. Lowndes
Year: 2011
ISBN: 9781921555862
Other: b&w photos, index
Publisher: Boolarong Press

The men of the 9th Battalion, a Queensland based unit of the AIF, were among the very first wave of volunteers to enlist for war service in what was initially thought of as the 'great adventure' with their mates following the outbreak of World War I. For these young men reality would soon see their world turn upside down. Far from what they ever imagined the war to be, these ordinary men would be asked to perform extraordinary service in the most brutal and inhuman conditions imaginable.

These men were the first Australian's ashore on the beaches of Gallipoli, suffering terrible casualties in the first few days of an eight month campaign. They were then sent onto fight at the infamous Western Front battlefields.

Chris follows this Battalion of brave men through their experiences, recounting the lives of individual men within the battalion obtained from diary and service records and presenting to the reader a view of what these men were like and what drove them to perform extraordinary acts of bravery and courage in the most trying of circumstances. Through getting a better understanding of these men, appreciating what they achieved and tracing their steps in particular, on the Gallipoli Peninsular, Chris Lowndes presents his journey of discovery. This is their story.

Contents:
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Preluded to War
The Queenslanders Depart for Adventure
Welcome to Egypt
The 3rd Brigade AIF is Going to War
The Landing at Anzac Cove
Hardship and Suffering at Gallipoli
Now on to the Western Front
The War is Over
Final Thoughts
Appendices
Endnotes
Bibliography