The Australian Fourth Division has, until now, been without a narrative of its history, which has been remedied by Jeff Hatwell’s book Brave Days.
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Brave Days: The Fourth Division in the Great War by Jeff Hatwell
Details: Non-Fiction, published 2021.
Format: Hard cover, illustrations (maps), 767 pages.
By the end of the First World War, the ‘fighting’ Fourth Division had earned its reputation as an elite combat division, having taken part in many of the Australian Imperial Force’s major battles from Pozières in 1916 through to the Outpost Line in September 1918. The Australian Fourth Division has, until now, been without a narrative of its history, which has been remedied by Jeff Hatwell’s book Brave Days.
Hatwell has delivered a highly researched, well-balanced and engaging narrative, covering the entirety of the 4th Division’s history, from its formation in Egypt in 1916 to its disbandment after the armistice.
Much of the attention is focused on the infantry, but the artillery, machine gunners, mortars, signals, engineers and the headquarters elements do not miss out. The author shows how each of these elements worked individually and in concert to create a functioning division.
Supporting the narrative are a variety of maps that show the 4th Division’s areas of operation, from the Divisional level down to the individual battalion and company level, such as in the Monument Wood raid in May 1918. When combined with the narrative, the maps provide that crucial link to further understanding troop movements in battle. The reader is also well served by a comprehensive index and glossary.
While much is made of the 4th Division’s successes, especially its “backs to the wall” defence at Dernancourt, Hatwell also deals with the division’s failures and is unafraid to level well-considered criticism at Australian senior commanders. His critique of Australian leadership after the disasters of Bullecourt and Messines is masterful and will serve as a lesson to those seeking to deliver criticisms of their own.
For those interested in the First AIF and its performance on the Western Front, Brave Days is a must have addition for the shelf. For writers of military history, this book will serve as an exemplar of the art.
Highly recommended.
About the author
Michael Kelly
Michael Kelly, a historian at the Australian War Memorial since 2004, is an expert in post-1945 conflicts and served as a rifleman with the 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. Over two decades at the Memorial, Michael has curated major exhibitions, led battlefield tours, and manages WM magazine.
