Books by "Richard Camp Dick Camp"
5 books found
Only six escapees survived the Sandakan death marches of 1945 in North Borneo, the worst atrocity ever inflicted on Australian soldiers. 1787 Australian and 641 British POWs perished. Previous descriptions of the numerous violent acts have yielded little understanding of a situation where the real struggle was to keep one’s humanity when so many were losing theirs, whether Allied POWs, local residents of Borneo, Javanese slave labourers, or Japanese soldiers. Understanding this extraordinary story is aided by reference to a wide range of sources in different countries and disciplines, and by examining the perspectives of all players in this terrible game of survival. An unusual and extreme POW story, the Sandakan tragedy had four stages: active resistance in 1942–3, stubborn endurance in 1943–4, the collapse of civilized existence in 1945 and, finally, the postwar decades of torment for the six damaged survivors, the gradual assimilation of the story, the healing of the damage and the commemoration of the tragedy by the families and communities involved. Richard Wallace Braithwaite’s father was one of the six survivors of the Sandakan death marches of 1945. He died in 1986, still wanting the story to be properly told. This led to a project that has lasted for much of the last forty years of the author’s life, culminating in this book. With a scientific background, Richard worked for many years with CSIRO and universities in the biological and social sciences and in historical research. His extensive and diverse research history and lifelong personal immersion in the story has given him a unique perspective in exploring the complexities of the Sandakan tragedy.
Blooding the Regiment is the meticulously-researched narrative of a Union regiment that was hampered by in-fighting and politicking that led to its capture in the early stages of its service in the western theatre of the American Civil War. Conflicts in the officer's corps of the regiment were ultimately overcome when it was purged of its dissenters and unity of command was achieved. The troubled group fully overcame its divisions near the end of the war at the battle of Resaca, where it was crystallized into a steadfast, reliable fighting unit. The narrative brings together diverse sources including official military records, the private letters of many of the regiment's soldiers, newspaper articles of the time, and existing historical research to give a complete, vibrant picture of what life may have actually been like for the 22d Wisconsin regiment at each stage of its long and difficult development. Drawing upon his own extensive experience as an officer in the U.S. army, Groves sheds a uniquely intimate light on the events in the narrative, bringing a wealth of historical facts into a vivid and accurate picture. The work is equally valuable as a historical study, a critique of military strategy, and simply as an entertaining read for lovers of good storytelling.
A uniquely rich portrayal of Tennesseans who fought and lost their lives in the Civil War is presented in this collection of stories and portraits that are joined with personal remembrances from recovered letters and diaries and detailed historical background.
The main character was a real person known to the author as a friend in his youth. That part of the story is true, but most of his stories after his youth is fictional. Danny was born to immigrant parents in the small town of Kiel, Wisconsin, with population a little over three thousand, but Dan went on to achieve success in his life. A humble soul, he never aspired greatness, though he would have been capable of it. He eventually married his lovely childhood girlfriend after horrendous experiences in the war, and he went on to have a successful career. This is a love story and a war story, and it illustrates a high sense of moral values and deep devotion and patriotism to his country and, like many of his comrades, a life well lived. As a veteran of WWII, the author draws on his experiences and knowledge of the war in the southwest Pacific.