165 ANZACs: telling part of the story of 165 Northern Tasmanian World War 1 ANZACs

'Telling Part of the Story of Northern Tasmanian WWI ANZACs' is a book that investigates 165 ANZAC servicemen named on the War Memorial at Holy Trinity Church, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. There are many significant stories located within this set of names. A number of the servicemen were at Gallipoli and some were killed there; others received important awards for bravery during WWI, including Cyril Abey, who received the Military Medal. The stories of these men illustrate a cross-section of Tasmania's and Australia's contribution to the 1914-1918 war. In part the book reflects the Australians involved in the First World War. There was a wave of initial enlistments that peaked in 1915, but enlistments continued on for the rest of the war. Although many in the public tend to think of the Gallipoli campaign as the major Australian battle of the First World War, it was the Western Front that really tested the ANZACs, particularly the Somme campaigns. The war experience of each of the 165 men is described. In addition, the context of the war is outlined and its effects on Tasmania and Australia are reviewed. The authors have also worked to bring out the voices of the ANZACs by including poems that have only had limited publication. The book has also tried to address the complex issue of ethics and war. For this, Rev Ken Box has provided an analysis of some of the issues associated with the notion of a 'just war'. The book has a companion in the form of a web site (http:/​/​165anzacs.org/​). One of the innovations associated with this book and the webpage project is to have the data set generated on the 165 ANZACs available in a spreadsheet form that schools can use in their classrooms. Information on 165 ANZACs addressed in this book is designed to try to give a voice to those who experienced the horrific scenes of destruction and torment that is war, and aims to try to allow the reader and user to reflect on the First World War and its meaning in a contemporary Australian context.