Why men go to war and other stories

What was it that propelled young man to war in the 1940s? Was it pure patriotism, a sense of duty? A sense of adventure? Finding answers to such a question is difficult, given that many men were reluctant on their return from war to explain or discuss their motives. For many it was best to let the world return to normal and try to forget about the fear, the horror, the sacrifices of wartime.

Ron Banks explores the issues that confounded his own generation about the past of his parents - and of his grandparents. He examines the story of his own family’s wartime experiences, including his father’s enlistment in a battalion that fought in Syria, within the wider context of wartime Australia with its recruitment drives, overseas battles, austerity programs, internments, government-led initiatives to both win the war and establish the peace. His story extends to his own generation’s involvement in the Vietnam War and such controversial issues as the Anzac legend and opposition to the war.

To find out how wartime experiences were documented across the country in newspapers, Banks has reached back into the archives via trove.com.au, weaving press reports and government announcements into his narrative.
Dad’s Army is both personal and historical.