Portal:Military history of Australia/Quotes

"My God, I wish we had [the] 9th Australian Division with us this morning."

— Major-General Freddie de Guingand, Chief of Staff, Allied Land-force Headquarters Europe, D-Day, 1944.

It is my melancholy duty to inform you officially that, in persistence by Germany in her invasion of Poland, Great Britain is at war, and that, as a result, Australia is also at war...

There was never any doubt as to where Great Britain stood... There can be no doubt that were Great Britain stands, there stands the people of the entire British world."

— Prime Minister Robert Menzies

— Lieutenant General Henry Gordon Bennett, 26 July 1916.

— Field Marshal Sir William Slim.

— Last words of Harry 'Breaker' Harbord Morant, said to his firing squad, 27 February 1902

— Prime Minister John Curtin, 27 December 1941

— John Collins, July 17, 1940 after sinking the Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni

—Australian Government telegram to the Admiralty on August 3, 1914

— Governor General Henry Forster during the opening of Parliament, 22 June 1922

"Should the worst happen Australia would rally to the Mother Country to help and defend her to our last man and our last shilling"

— Andrew Fisher, Opposition Leader of Australia at the outbreak of World War I

"the Australian divisions and the New Zealanders had become what they were to remain for the rest of the war - the spearhead of the British Army"

— John Terraine, commenting on the fighting capability of the Anzac troops.

"For dash and gallantry the bloodthirsty Scots, Australians and Canadians led the way, with the impetuous Irish close behind. The Australian to my mind were the most aggressive, and managed to keep their form in spite of their questionable discipline. Out of the line they were undoubtedly difficult to handle, but once in it they loved a fight. They were a curious mixture of toughness and sentimentality..."

— Lieutenant-General Adrian Carton de Wiart

"On Anzac eve we dug in among friends. At last I felt like an Anzac, and I imagine there were 600 others like me,"

— Captain Reg Saunders, said following the withdrawal during the Battle of Kapyong

— Lieutenant Colonel Charles Hore, said during the Battle of Elands River in 1900 when asked to surrender by the Boer commander

— Signal sent by Wing Commander John Lerew, commander of No. 24 Squadron RAAF on the eve of the Battle of Rabaul in 1942