NEWS ARTICLES 1940s
The Amateur Theatre: Talent Discovered in New Guinea in The Argus, 9 November 1944
An article in The Argus, it informs of the acting group, The Enthusiasts, which has been formed in New Guinea, and its escapades. F. Keith Manzie, the amateur theatre writer for the newspaper, writes of the shows that have been performed, the producer of the plays, and the methods used to improvise materials needed for the performances, through information gleaned from correspondence. Written for people interested in theatre and the general public, the style is informal and easy to understand. Found by using the letter provided by the client, this article gives background information to the activities undertaken in New Guinea by the men, and will be useful information to what life was like for these men when writing the book.
Bougainville Scene When Jap Envoy Appeared in The Argus, 20 August 1945
Received from a Special War Correspondent, this article describes the scene and conversation that occurred between the Japanese and Australians in relation to negotiating a surrender of the Japanese in Bougainville, 1945, at Headquarters 3rd Division. Writing descriptively, the author claims to be writing of the event as an eyewitness account, also writing of the interview that happened during the negotiations. The article, written for the Australian public, attempts to recount the events, as well as imply the emotion of the surrender felt by Australian troops. This article can be used to provide information on an eventful occurrence in the Second World War that the men of Headquarters 3rd Division witnessed.
"Brisbane Line" Our Rampart A Year Ago in The Advertiser, 18 March 1943
George Johnson, a war correspondent, writes a descriptive article about American General MacArthur’s informal meeting with the media. It describes decisions and reasoning behind military movements in the previous year, including the Brisbane Line and the decision to move forces to New Guinea, with the intension of informing the Australian public of such decisions. The conversation is described as informal, with off the record questions answered. It is written in paragraphs, dividing the information into sections of topics, in common prose. This article is a good reference for the decisions made at a high level within the Allied forces, including the much-debated concept of the Brisbane Line.
Australians Fighting in Pacific: Allies' West Front Gains in The Advertiser, 10 January 1945
This article informs the general public of the move of Australian Troops to Bougainville in November 1944, as per an Australian Army announcement on 9 January 1945. The article provides an overview of what Australian troops have been doing in the previous months, and the hand over of Bougainville from the American’s. It explains the successes of the Australian’s, and also supplies information and an image of a surf carnival held, however no specific is described with much detail. As it is meant as a positive news article for the Australian public, there is a bias towards only positive events that have occurred in Australia’s war effort, and it is written in simple and easily accessible language. This information can be applied to Headquarters 3rd Division by other articles that describe the unit’s movements and the surf carnival, as depicted in the photographs on the Australian War Memorial website. The article gives insight into how the Australian public was informed of war efforts, and corroborates other information about events as the main source is an official release from the Australian Army.
