The Japanese military attack on the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, thrust the United States into WWII. It wasn’t long after that, Australia and New Zealand found themselves also under threat of Japanese attacks. While the majority of Australia’s soldiers fought alongside the British Royal Army against the Germans in the Middle East and Africa, the Japanese made their way through South Asia and South Pacific with little resistance. It was then that Australia and the United States joined forces to stop their military expansion.

My grandfather was one of a million American servicemen who found himself in Australia during World War II. While Australians had popular Hollywood movies to familiarize them with American culture, Americans knew very little about Australia or its citizens. Our soldiers were in a foreign land trying to make sense of the currency, a new environment, unfamiliar foods and, of course, colorful Australian slang.

On my recent trip to Canberra, Australia’s capital city, I visited the Australian War Memorial. I was beyond impressed and moved by the Australian War Memorial’s collection and its presentation of the artifacts. The memorial was filled with detailed dioramas and paintings that depicted battles, along with pictures of soldiers paired with stories of their bravery. Some displays left me speechless, such as the restored planes paired with a large screen that played re-enactments of air battles which brought the aircraft’s history back to life. Another exhibit – a wall of thousands of names of soldiers who died in battle – was decorated with small red flowers called poppies. The wall left me with an overwhelming sadness that I could only compare to what I felt on my first visit to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C.

After spending the afternoon wandering through this shrine to Australia’s fallen heroes, my curiosity was piqued by a little blue book found in the gift shop. The book titled, Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia 1942 was reproduced from the original which was created by the Special Service Division, Services of Supply, United States Army, and issued by the War and Navy Departments Washington, D.C. Although our soldiers presence was mostly welcomed due to our countries’ common goal, that didn’t mean there wasn’t some tension. In order to try and avoid any unneeded drama, this small booklet was produced and issued to each American soldier arriving to Australia, familiarizing them with the Australian people, land, history and culture.

The book mainly focused on our similarities as relatively new countries with British roots. It described Australia as made up of proud, independent people who believed in the importance of personal freedom and democracy. A brief history was given of their involvement in past wars and their record as well-respected, brave soldiers who wouldn’t quit. All of the information covered in the book was used to build respect and a sense of common ground since they were qualities Americans also strived for and respected. More importantly, it stressed the fact we needed Australia’s help just as much as they needed ours.

While the book’s main purpose was to establish a sense of camaraderie between the newly arriving American servicemen and the Australians, at times it tried a little too hard to make that connection. I found some humor as it pushed our mutual love of sports and compared our carnivorous appetite. However, the part that really made me smile can be found at the back of the book, which covers Australian slang. After several of my own visits to Australia, it made me think back on all the words or phrases that ended in funny misunderstandings or left me scratching my head.

Having a grandfather who spent a great deal of time in Australia during World War II, this book was a fun little find. Sometimes it seems as though our loved ones’ service in the South Pacific during World War II isn’t covered as extensively as our involvement in Europe. Not only is this booklet a piece of history, it allowed me a look into the lives of our servicemen; I can only imagine the mixed feeling of excitement for those who had never left the country before, while also knowing there was a chance they might not come home alive.

Here was a book that was most likely issued to my grandfather that found its way into my hands, 67 years after he served, in the country he fought alongside. There is not one day that goes by that I haven’t wished I asked my grandfather more about his service and his time in Australia. I know he really would have gotten a kick out of my trips to the country he always wished to return to for a visit. It is small unexpected surprises like this that help me put his story together and make me like to think he’s still with me.

By Kris Williams
Twitter: KrisWilliams81

Sidney Reilly, the secret agent widely believed to be the inspiration for Ian Fleming’s legendary character James Bond, has been uncovered in an online archive available at Ancestry.com.au.

The record (shown above) was found in the British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 collection, which details the medal entitlement of more than 4.8 million WWI soldiers. It reveals that Reilly’s Military Cross was issued for service in the Royal Flying Corps.

Sidney Reilly, known as the ‘Ace of Spies’, was an agent for Scotland Yard’s Special Branch who in 1918 joined Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming, the first director of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), as an operative for MI1 (a predecessor to MI6). His friend Sir Robert Bruce Lockhart knew Ian Fleming for many years and told him of Reilly’s espionage exploits. Later Fleming allegedly mentioned to a colleague at The Sunday Times that he had created Bond after hearing about Reilly.

In typical secret-agent fashion, much of Reilly’s life is shrouded in mystery. It is alleged that he worked undercover and stole revolutionary aircraft engine parts and weapon plans from the Germans before the First World War even began.  He was then dispatched on counter-Bolshevik operations in Germany and Russia during the conflict itself.

Reilly’s medal was awarded for his “distinguished services rendered in connection with military operations in the field”, which are said to have included parachuting behind enemy lines and disguising himself as a German officer in order to obtain undercover information.

His record is one of thousands of medal cards online, revealing the medals awarded to each First World War soldier. In addition, more than 50,000 of these cards also list details of covert operations undertaken or letters from next of kin on their reverse side, meaning thousands of people today can track down find the spy in their own family.

Ancestry.com.au’s researchers have also found another interesting James Bond-related fact; Daniel Craig is actually the half 19^th cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, his on-screen partner in crime during the acclaimed opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Brad Argent, Ancestry.com.au Content Director for Australia and New Zealand, comments: “James Bond himself would have been proud of this discovery – uncovering the ‘real’ James Bond among the millions of World War I records online.  The information contained on thousands of the medal cards available at Ancestry can help anyone find the ‘Bond’ in their own family tree.” 

We have added over 2.3 million Lancashire parish records to the site this week, including baptisms, marriages and burials ranging from 1538 to 1986. These records reveal the past residents of one of England’s most historic counties.

What’s New -

• Lancashire, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1911
• Lancashire, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936
• Lancashire, England, Deaths and Burials, 1813-1986
• Lancashire, England, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812
• Lancashire, England, Confirmations, 1856-1922

Parish records are the best source of vital record information before the nineteenth century. Before Civil Registration began in 1837, key events in a person’s life were typically recorded by the Church rather than the State. Starting in the sixteenth century, parish records are some of the longest running records available.

The baptism, marriage and burial registers let you build a timeline of your family’s most important events right back to the start of parish records in 1538. Even better, they often reveal parents’ names and addresses, giving you further generations to explore.

These new records are available in our UK Heritage Plus and World Heritage memberships. Let us know on Facebook if you make any new discoveries.

These stories will provide valuable support for an exciting media campaign which we are currently working on.

If you would like the chance to have your story told, then please send an email to Ancestry’s PR Team at mystory@ancestry.com.au.

Submissions must be received by Thursday 15th March 2012.

Please include the following information in your email:

• A brief summary of your family story and details of your ANZAC/military story – no more than 250 words
• In the subject line of your email please include ‘ANZAC Day collection’
• Please include your name and the state you are from
• Contact number and email address (please supply both)
• Indicate if you are willing to share this story in the media
• Please do not attach any images or files to your story

As an Ancestry member your privacy is always our first concern, therefore please be assured that even if you do respond to this email, nothing further will be done with the information you provide without your prior approval.

We look forward to hearing your story.

From Brad Argent, Content Director at Ancestry.com.au

February 19^th marks the 71st anniversary of the bombing of Darwin in 1942.  I asked my nan, Nita (shown in the photo above), what she remembered of the day.

At the time of the bombing – just two days after her 23^rd birthday – she was pregnant with my mother and recalled being worried and very scared.

“I remember that we didn’t hear a lot about it, just that it happened.  From then on everyone became serious about the blackout blinds and they needed to be drawn by 5 or 6pm.  My brother Neville was stationed up in Katherine at the time – when he came back he said that it was a lot worse than we’d been told.”

My father was in school during the later stages of the war and he remembers that after the Darwin bombings they were taught the ‘duck and cover’ process.  He tells of being given a wooden peg to bite on and something to stuff in his ears!

What do the older members of your family remember about the bombing of Darwin? Share your story with us on our Facebook wall.

The collections will be free to search from 11-13 November, allowing Australians and New Zealanders the opportunity to discover information about their ancestors who served during the Great War.

Many Ancestry.com.au members have discovered extraordinary military stories in their family history including:

• Penny Jennings (VIC), who had always wondered why a photograph of a soldier unrelated to her family hung on the wall of her grandfather’s library. She eventually discovered that he was Cuthbert Urwin, a friend of her grandfather Claud Harris with whom he enlisted in the 10th Field Ambulance Third Division (Victoria) in 1914. When German fighter pilot Baron Manfred von Richthofen was shot down near Morlancourt Ridge in 1918, Cuthbert and Claud were in one of the first ambulance units to arrive at the scene. In the following days, the Germans inflicted heavy assault upon the allies and Urwin was killed and subsequently buried at the Querrieu British Cemetery in France. His memory was preserved in two photographs that were eventually passed down to Penny.
• Dawn Dudkowski (VIC), who tells the story of her grandfather Thomas Ralph Tipton Brain, who was 17 when he enlisted to fight in WWI. After missing the boat to Turkey due to dysentery, he was sent to France where he fought in the battles of The Somme and Villers Bretonneux. After their success, Thomas and his fellow soldiers helped rebuild the Villers Bretonneux, Primary school and to this day Advance Australia Fair is sung by children attending the school. In 1990, Thomas returned to Gallipoli with Prime Minister Bob Hawke to attend the 75^th Anniversary celebrations. He told his granddaughter that the dawn service was the most moving event of his life as he lost many friends on Gallipoli whilst he was in the hospital in Egypt and until the service had not had the chance to say goodbye.
• Kate Mills (WA), who discovered a photograph of her 2x great-grandfather William Schmutter wearing a military uniform, taken in 1916 just before he left to fight. This wouldn’t have been unusual except that at the time William was almost 60. Kate discovered that William had lied about his age, changing his name to ‘William Smutter’, aged ‘44 years and 4 months’ at the time of his enlistment. He served overseas as a driver for two years, was injured and transferred to a hospitals in France then England and eventually discharged in 1918.

You can search select military records for FREE until Sunday 13 November. Click here to start searching.

Do you have a military hero in your family? Share your story or photo on our our Facebook page.

These new collections are outlined below:

New Zealand Army WWI Nominal Rolls 1914-1918

New Zealand sent almost 10 percent of its population overseas to do battle on World War I’s killing fields as the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF). The casualty rate (killed and wounded) among the men who went was over 50 percent. These records are the published Alphabetical Rolls of the NZEF from World War I and provide an index of soldiers who embarked from New Zealand as part of the NZEF.

New Zealand Army WWII Nominal Rolls 1939-1948

New Zealand’s casualty rate per capita was among the highest in the Second World War. Some counts estimate that almost 1 out of every 150 New Zealanders died in the war.

These rolls provide an index to the men and women who embarked from New Zealand as part of the 104,000-member-strong Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF) on their way to fight in Greece, North Africa, Syria, Europe, and elsewhere. Along with name, rank, unit, and the like, the rolls also list occupation (including body-builder), last New Zealand address, and next of kin.

New Zealand Army Medal Rolls 1860-1919

Between 1860 and 1919, New Zealanders fought in 3 major conflicts: the New Zealand War of 1860–1870, the Second Boer War, and World War I. This collection, compiled from the New Zealand Official Yearbook (1919) and Defenders of New Zealand (1887), indexes individuals from New Zealand who were awarded medals, decorations, or other military honors during this time.

New Zealand WWI Military Defaulters 1919-1921

Men who, for moral or political reasons, did not meet their obligations for compulsory military service during World War I were declared military defaulters after the Expeditionary Forces Amendment Act of 1918 – more commonly known as conscientious objectors. You’ll find their names and places of residence in this index.

The original defaulters list was published in the New Zealand Gazette in May 1919, and taking a stand came with a cost. Defaulters lost their rights to vote, hold office, or be employed by any public authority until 1927.

New Zealand Army WWI Reserve Rolls 1916-1917

To keep the ranks of the NZEF filled, the Military Service Act of 1916 instituted compulsory military service. Men not already registered for service with the NZEF were to register for the reserve, which became the government’s pool from which draftees’ names were drawn.

Two rolls were compiled. Each record contains the name of the reservist, his occupation, and place of residence at time of enlistment. The second roll also includes a classification based on the number of children the reservist had. Class A was for reservists with no children; Class Fs had more than four.

New Zealand Army WWI Casualty Lists 1914-1919

By the end of WWI approximately 124,000 New Zealanders had served in the NZEF – nearly half of the eligible male population of 250,000. These lists include the names of those who died of wounds or sickness while on active service during the war or while training in New Zealand, as well as wounded and prisoners.

New Zealand Army WWI Roll of Honour 1914-1919

New Zealand lost more than 18,000 soldiers in World War I. This index of NZEF soldiers who died during their WWI military service is divided into three sections: persons killed in action or who died from wounds or disease while on active service, persons who died from wounds or disease after discharge from the NZEF, and persons who died from accidents or disease while in training in New Zealand.

The Defenders of New Zealand

Thomas Wayth Gudgeon’s book features short biographies of colonists who distinguished themselves during the New Zealand War of 1860-1870, tales of the Māori, recipients of the New Zealand Medal, and men killed in action during the war.

Chronicles of the N.Z.E.F., Issues 1-61

Chronicles of the N.Z.E.F. was a magazine published twice monthly in London during WWI. The pages reported on service life in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, including stories, entertainment, and information about sporting and social events. Each issue also contains obituaries and casualty lists, as well as hospital reports on wounded troops. This collection includes 61 issues with pages listing the names of thousands of men and women serving with the NZEF.