Sons of War

by Paul Byrnes

Published by Affirm Press
RRP $45.00 in hardback
ISBN 9781922848277

Regular readers of this blog will recall Paul Byrnes as the author of The Lost Boys, about the under-age recruits of World War I. When approached to write a similar book covering the Second World War, he did not expect to find that, once again, thousands of Australian boys had lied about their age and volunteered for war, echoing the experience of the previous war. And once again, like many of their fathers, these boys signed up with the same naive enthusiasm until the grim reality of war robbed them of their youthful vigour.

This extraordinary book captures the untold stories of forty under-age Australian recruits who fought in the deadliest war in history.

Libya and Palestine, Greece and Crete, the jungles of Malaya, Papua New Guinea and Borneo, these are all featured in their stories, illustrated by photographs, many of which have never been seen previously.

There are haunting images of youths in training camps and behind the lines. And haunting stories, such as the sixteen-year-old killed in action at Parit Sulong, Malaya. This is deeply personal military history: an homage to youthful bravery, a eulogy for those who fell and a tribute to those still standing, none of whom could escape the terrible physical and psychological scars of war.

Footnote: In reading this book, I was reminded my own father advanced his age by two years, leading to confusion, later in life, about his actual year of birth. In his early army records, it was recorded as December 1918, whereas he was actually born in December 1920. Now I understand why. In 1939, he would have been too young to enlist.

For many like him, enlisting meant a steady job. He passed away in 2004, his last years affected by the terrible memories of his time in New Guinea. A familiar story I know. No one survives war unscathed.