Australia in Palestine - a souvenir book from the Australian soldiers in Eretz Israel to their friends in Australia ...

Australia in Palestine - a souvenir book from the Australian soldiers in Eretz Israel to their friends in Australia during the First World War

“Australia in Palestine” - Australia in Palestine. Memories, illustrations and photographs of ANZAC soldiers (mounted infantry unit) in Eretz Israel. An impressive book in an album edition which was produced by the Australian soldiers who served in Eretz Israel during the First World War, and which was intended to be sent as a souvenir to their friends in Australia and abroad. Published by Agnus & Robertson, Sydney, 1919. The book includes many unique color photographs documenting the special atmosphere that surrounded the stay of the Australian soldiers in Palestine, by Frank Harley and a portrait of General Allenby at the beginning of the book, made by James McBey especially for the book. The copy before us is numbered and it was sent from the soldier Dodo to his relative James Dodo in England - with a dedication and his signature on the special sticker that was intended for the dedication of the Australian soldiers. At the same time, the publisher also released copies without the special sticker which were sold to the general public. Before us a rare copy of the soldiers themselves with the sticker and dedication of the aforementioned Australian soldier.

From the editors' words in the introduction: “Australia in Palestine is in no sense intended to provide a complete picture of the part of the Australians in the great campaign. This is simply a soldiers' book produced entirely by soldiers in the field, on active duty to send to their comrades in Australia and overseas…”. The book was printed on thick and fine paper, and alongside vivid descriptions of the Australian soldiers' lives in Erstz Israel, there are many photographs of landscapes and people in and around Jerusalem - among them historical photographs of the arrival of the Australian soldiers in the Land, colorful illustrations in lithographic style, maps of the Middle East and Eretz Israel (also appears A large open diagram documenting the deployment of the Australian soldiers in Rishon Lezion), many humorous illustrations documenting the encounter of the Australian soldiers with Middle Eastern culture, illustrations of Australian officers, and more.

The preparation of the book involved James McBey - the official British artist in Palestine, Captain Hodge Kinson - the British press officer who gave the publication some of his rare photographs, the cinematographer Jeeps who accompanied the Australian soldiers in the campaign, and the publicist Burton who helped edit the book.

The ANZAC Mounted Infantry Division (ANZAC - Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) was a military unit that was built during the First World War and consisted mainly of volunteers from Australia and New Zealand and was mainly based on mounted infantry. Among the Anzac units that fought on the front in Israel was the Mounted Infantry Division . Mounted foot were soldiers who fought as foot but moved to their destination on horses. The main activity of the division was in the campaign on Sinai and Israel during which more than 33,000 soldiers were sent who participated in major battles between 1916 and 1918 against the Turkish army. The force fought in the Gallipoli system and on the Western Front, but its mounted units also fought in the campaign on Sinai and Israel. In the famous Battle of Beer Sheva, Australian cavalry charged Ottoman positions while riding horses, capturing the town and its wells. This type of soldier, which was common before and during the First World War, began to decrease after the war when the army began to transport infantry on top of armored vehicles. The unit was disbanded in 1919.

During the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I, Australian soldiers were known for their love of "smoko". Smoko was a break from fighting, usually lasting about 15 minutes, where soldiers would smoke cigarettes, eat, and relax. The term smoko is still used in Australia today to refer to a break from work.

153, [4] p. 28 cm. Very Good Condition.