Over the Top: A Digger's Story of the Western Front

AUSTRALIAN MILITARY World War I -Harry Hartnett was 23 when he joined-up in 1915 - here he tells the real story of the battles and the boredom, of life and death, on the Western Front in World War I. Australia's diggers didn't go 'over the top' for King and Country, they did it for their mates and their battalion - extraordinary deeds performed by ordinary men. Henry George Hartnett, known as 'Harry', joined the Australian Imperial Force on 13 September 1915 at the age of 23. He saw action on the Western Front at Fromelles and on the Somme, receiving his first 'Blighty', a wound so serious he was sent back to Britain for treatment, in the Battle of Pozieres. Upon his recovery, he returned to 'tour' the front with his battalion - an endless cycle of fighting interspersed with brief rest periods behind the lines. In this book Harry recalls the battles, the long marches, and the many amusing events that provided escape from the horrors of the battlefront. His moving descriptions give the reader insight into the unshakeable bonds forged between men trapped in situations they could never have imagined.'Over the Top' takes the reader on an eye-opening tour of life in and behind the trenches on the Western Front. Harry's book, which has never before been published, is a magnificent gift to Australia.xv, 326 p. : ill., maps, port., facsims. ; 20 cm. #270222/291225 First Edition. 1. Marmalade days 2. The voyage to Suez 3. Egypt 4. Crossing the Mediterranean Sea 5. The 'bull ring', EÌtaples, France 6. The 2nd Battalion, AIF 7. The front line near Fleurbaix 8. The battle of PozieÌres 9. Dear old Blighty 10. Back to the front-line trenches at Hill 60 in Belgium 11. Marching on the cobblestones 12. Floundering in the mud at Flers 13. Christmas in the front line at Gueudecourt 14. Freezing in the snow-bound icy trenches at Eaucourt l'Abbaye 15. Easter 1917 : the capture of Hermies 16. The second battle of Bullecourt, May 1917 17. A return to marmalade days 18. The battle of Broodseinde Ridge 19. The battle of Passchendaele : unlucky days for C Company 20. Christmas 1917 at Kemmel 21. The 1st Brigade School at Dranoutre 22. Promotion for Jack Davis 23. Anxious days in March 1918 24. Hurrying south to Amiens 25. Helping to check the German advance on Hazebrouck 26. Weary months in hospital 27. Hopes realised 28. Home Appendix 1: Xmas milestones Appendix 2: Honours, decorations and ranks of the 2nd Battalion.H.G. HartnettÂwas a digger on the Western Front.ÂOver the TopÂis based on Harry's diaries, which his family gave to Chris Bryett, a lawyer and World War I buff, to arrange for publication. Elizabeth's Bookshops have been one of Australia's premier independent book dealers since 1973. Elizabeth's family-owned business operates four branches in Perth CBD, Fremantle (WA), and Newtown (NSW). All orders are dispatched within 24 hours from our Fremantle Warehouse. All items can be viewed at Elizabeth's Bookshop Warehouse, 23 Queen Victoria Street\, Fremantle WA.…