The Moon Seems Upside Down
Letters of love and war
Published on 1. April 1995
Book
Paperback/Softback
264 pages
978-1-86373-764-7 (ISBN)
Description
The war letters of Arthur Alan Mitchell 1939-45.At the outbreak of the Second World War, Alan Mitchell was a foreman at McPherson's bolt factory in Richmond. Eileen Griffin was a typist at the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission. They had just met. He was 23 and she was 19.In 1940, he joined the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion, trained at Puckapunyal, fought the French in Syria and the Japanese in Java, and then suffered as a prisoner of the Japanese on the Burma Railroad. Alan survived the war and came home. He and Eileen married and the rest is history.The Moon Seems Upside Down is Alan and Eileen's story. It is a story of love and war told through the letters of Alan to Eileen. The letters are tender and funny, detailed and well-observed. They provide a unique insight into what the Second World War was like for Australian soldiers, and those who waited for them back home.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Sydney
Australia
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 230 mm
Width: 155 mm
Weight
444 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-86373-764-7 (9781863737647)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
04/1995
Allen & Unwin
€10.49
Available for download
Person
Dr Jim Mitchell is Alan and Eileen's son. He has taught at the University of Melbourne and is now a counsellor at that university.
Content
Abbreviations and glossaryAcknowledgementsIntroductionEileen remembers1 Melbourne University Rifles: November 1939-March 19402 Puckapunyal, physical training instructor: June-July 19403 Puckapunyal, a budding Hannibal: July-September 19404 Puckapunyal, bivouacs and exercises: October-November 19405 Goulburn Valley route march: November 19406 Last letters from Puckapunyal: December 1940-February 19417 On the move: February-April 19418 Queen Mary: April 19419 Palestine: May-June 194110 The Syrian campaign: June-July 194111 Army of occupation: July-August 194112 Syria: cadre: August-September 194113 Damascus: September 194114 Trucks: October-December 194115 Haifa and Jerusalem: December 194116 Winter quarters: December 1941-January 194217 To the rescue: January-February 194218 Java: February-March 194219 Prisoner: March 1942-August 194520 Free: September-October 1945Alan's slangIndex