Scotch College

Dr Johnston Researches El Alamein

The Head of History at Scotch, Dr Mark Johnston, recently travelled to Egypt with the aid of a Historical research Scholarship from the Australian Army.

He and the Senior Historian from the Australian War Memorial, Dr Peter Stanley, were there to undertake research for a book on Australian soldiers who served at El Alamein between July and November 1942. Australians made a crucial contribution to the Allied victory at El Alamein, which is seen as one of the turning points of the Second World War.

Not many Australians have an opportunity to visit our World War II battlefields, which tended to be in locations that are now out-of-the way, and Mark's classes in Australian History and the new Enhancement course on World War II should benefit from the tremendous experience he had on this battlefield.

One of the most moving experiences on his trip was a visit to the El Alamein War Cemetery, which contains the graves of more than 1000 Australians who died in the area in the Second World War.

Among the dead was G G Anderson, who as a captain of infantry was killed in heroic circumstances at 23; just six years earlier he was captaining Littlejohn House and playing football in the Scotch First XVIII.