So ANZAC day was yesterday, and today I was reading the news and a SBS presenter got sacked for his comment about ANZAC war crimes. I did some googling and found this article below which has some pretty bad info about Australian soldiers. I was wondering if most of it is true and if it was widespread within the corp (similar to Japanese soldiers action when invading China). Can some historian buff enlighten me on the subject. Thanks.
That SBS guy was talking out his behind. However, I must say it is a relief to finally see someone (specifically Mr. Stanley in that article you posted) addressing the horrible ill-discipline of the Australians.
They were NOT like the Japanese in China, they were not committing mass rape and murder everywhere they went, but the article is right that Field Marshall Douglas Haig, who thought VERY highly of the Australians, was dismayed by their delinquent tendencies, and I'd imagine it embarrassed Birdwood, Monash and Godley as well; Australians made up a quarter of the BEF's deserters.
The tendency of Australians to portray these men as 'happy go lucky rogues' is disconcerting, but that SBS guy got his ass fired fair and square; I actually laughed out loud at what he posted!
EDIT: It would be nice to ask him if he would rather have seen the Central Powers victorious in WWI, or the Axis victorious in WWII, since he seems to despise the ANZACs.