Lot 4386

Description

Mitchell, Capt. G.D., Backs to the Wall, 1937, The Awakening, 1939, Soldier in Battle, 1940, photocopy, also Central Army Records Office Australia for G.D. Mitchell. Generally fine.

The collected works of Major G.D, Mitchell M.C D.C.M. is of significant interest as historic Australian Militaria. C.E.W.Bean wrote of (them) Captain Mitchell in his Preface to Vol.V 'The A.I.F. in France 1918' as part of his history of Australia in the War 1914- 1918, 'The Author expresses his desire to thank Capt. G.D. Mitchell for permissiion to use an original record that richly deserves and in the interest of the A.I.F should have publication in book form.' This became his 1937 'Backs to the Wall'. The title is a direct quote from Sir Dougls Haig's famous 11th April 1918 appeal to the British Expeditionary Force in France when he said 'There is no other course open to us but to fight it out! Every position must be held to the last man: There must be no retirement. With our BACKS TO THE WALL and believing in the justice of our cause each one of us must fight on to the end. The safety of our homes and the freedom of mankind alike depend upon the conduct of each one of us at this citical moment'. Capt. Mitchell wrote his 'The Awakening' in 1939 with a foreword by former Australian Prime Minister W.M.Hughes: It is a novel warning of the consenquences of an invasion of Australia by an unfriendly power. Capt. Mitchell provided a text book 'Soldier at War' as a W.W II manual for the Australian Army. The lot includes his C.A.R.O record of both W.W.I & W.W.II.