The Oarsmen : The Remarkable Story of the Men Who Rowed From the Great War to Peace

At the end of the First World War, there were 270,000 demobilised Australian soldiers in Europe. Getting them home after the Armistice was a task of epic proportions that would take more than two years. In the meantime, how to keep these disgruntled, damaged men with guns occupied? In a word: sport. The Oarsmen tells the story of the servicemen who survived the war to row for the coveted King's Cup at the 1919 Royal Henley Peace Regatta. Competing against crews from the US, New Zealand, France, the UK and Canada, the Australians were a ragtag bunch of oarsmen thrown in an old-fashioned boat and expected to race. Many had seen the worst of the action during the war at Gallipoli and the Western Front, and carried scars both physical and psychological. The baggage they brought to the boat would soon threaten to capsize the whole endeavour. Combining first-hand accounts with lively prose, this never-before-told story approaches the First World War from peacetime and illuminates history in vivid and compelling detail. Interweaving the soldiers' personal stories from before, during and after the war, The Oarsmen paints a fascinating picture of how these men, and society, transitioned from an unprecedented war to a new sort of peace. Intro Title Page Table of Contents Prologue -- Rowing into war Part 1 -- The War Chapter 1 -- The game is worth the candle Chapter 2 -- Hauenstein Chapter 3 -- The dying days Part 2 -- The Peace Chapter 4 -- Occupy the men Chapter 5 -- Battlefield to playing field Chapter 6 -- Syd and Marion Chapter 7 -- The Sports Section Chapter 8 -- The oarsmen of Pozières Chapter 9 -- Disher Chapter 10 -- Getting back into the boat Chapter 11 -- Putney Chapter 12 -- Gathering the oarsmen Chapter 13 -- Making the cut Chapter 14 -- The Australian style Chapter 15 -- The boat Chapter 16 -- Fairbairn Chapter 17 -- Trouble in the boatChapter 18 -- Anzac Day Chapter 19 -- Mutiny in the boat Part 3 -- The Regatta Chapter 20 -- Picking up the pieces Chapter 21 -- New digs, new coach Chapter 22 -- The two crews Chapter 23 -- Six to one Chapter 24 -- The Marlow Victory Regatta Chapter 25 -- Tough choices Chapter 26 -- The Royal Henley Peace Regatta Chapter 27 -- The King's Cup Chapter 28 -- The Inter-Allied Regatta, Paris Chapter 29 -- The Euripides Epilogue Notes Map of the Henley course Acknowledgements About the author Copyright Page At the end of the First World War, there were 270,000 demobilised Australian soldiers in Europe. Getting them home after the Armistice was a task of epic proportions that would take more than two years. In the meantime, how to keep these disgruntled, damaged men with guns occupied? In a word: sport. The Oarsmen tells the story of the servicemen who survived the war to row for the coveted King's Cup at the 1919 Royal Henley Peace Regatta. Competing against crews from the US, New Zealand, France, the UK and Canada, the Australians were a ragtag bunch of oarsmen thrown in an old-fashioned boat and expected to race. Many had seen the worst of the action during the war at Gallipoli and the Western Front, and carried scars both physical and psychological. The baggage they brought to the boat would soon threaten to capsize the whole endeavour. Combining first-hand accounts with lively prose, this never-before-told story approaches the First World War from peacetime and... ebook