Thoughts of a Soldier in Two World Wars and in Peace

There have been many books written about “The Great War” of 1914-1918, describing the day-to-day heroism and sufferings of Australian soldiers.  This story goes deeper.  It gives one soldier’s (Consett Carre Riddell) personal account as told through his war letter’s and diaries.  Not only does it graphically describe the conflict, but it also captures the human dimension of courage, loyalty and determination; as well as the impact of war on those who served, and those families that waited at home.


Consett Carre Riddell was not a professional soldier, but soldiering was his life.  He served with distinction with the ANZACs in World War I and he fought in most of the major engagements on the Western Front.  He was wounded three times, was twice mentioned in Dispatches, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for gallantry at Messines.  In 1940 he re-enlisted.  Too old for active service, he was appointed Officer Commanding an Engineer Training Depot where he taught young soldiers to perform similar tasks to those which he had performed 25 years earlier, those of a SAPPER (soldiers responsible for building and repairing roads and bridges, and for laying and clearing mines).  At war’s end he involved himself in Returned Soldiers League (RSL) affairs and was elected president of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (now Melbourne Water), RSL Branch.


In 1920 General Monash said this about the Australian soldiers who had fought in “The Great War” - “Australia owes much to these men, in whose hands lay the national honour and prestige.  They underwent untold privations and sacrifices, and won for us the battles that we planned.  They have gained for themselves a place in history which none can challenge.”


This is the story of one of those soldiers - what he did and what he thought during a lifetime of service to his country, spanning conflicts in Gallipoli, Egypt, France, Belgium and England.