WW2 Prisoners of War - Interview with Christina Twomey

What world awaited World War Two prisoners of war on their release from captivity? Was it possible for them to return to 'normal' life after the horrors they had endured, and what would family, friends and their country think of them on their return?

In this emotional episode, Professor Christina Twomey joins Mat to discuss the life after captivity that faced thousands of Australians in 1945. Using a previously forgotten trove of documents written by the ex-prisoners themselves, Christina paints a picture of the traumatic and often hidden struggles faced by these men on a daily basis.

Christina's new book, The Battle Within, explores these struggles in detail and delves into the associated issues of rehabilitation, marriage breakdown, national shame and relationships with former enemies. It is a compelling and important book, exploring a topic that has been overlooked in our memory of the Second World War.

A defeated soldier held prisoner by people of a different race did not sit well with the mythology of Anzac. Australian POWs had to struggle to rehabilitate themselves and to win compensation - the 'battle within' was both a personal and national one.

'The Battle Within - POWs in Postwar Australia' is available at bookshops Australia-wide and is published by NewSouth Books. To learn more or buy a copy, visit www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/battle-within/

Christina Twomey is Professor of History at Monash University, Melbourne. She is the author of three books, including 'Australia's Forgotten Prisoners: Civilians Interned by the Japanese in World War Two, and has published widely on the cultural history of war, with a focus on issues of imprisonment, captivity, witnessing, the photography of atrocity, gender and memory.

Follow Mat McLachlan's adventures through history on his website: www.matmclachlan.com

To learn how you can walk with Mat in the footsteps of the Anzacs on battlefields all over the world, visit www.battlefields.com.au

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