'Their wounds were no less real because they were often hidden.' Major General John H. Pearn AO RFD
Unlock the Secret History of Your Family’s Anzac
Due to the large quantity of artillery being used in WW1 thousands of Australian soldiers returned from the war with psychological disability - At that time referred to shell shock.
Did your great-grandfather return from the Great War changed? For generations, Australian families lived with the unspoken silence, night terrors, and fractured relationships caused by "shell shock." Ian Howie-Willis’s new book bridges the gap between historical military trauma and the PTSD we understand today. Discover the invisible wounds your ancestors carried home—and how it may shape your family story.
Book Overview: Covers most wars - 125 years of mental health trauma across the Australian Army.
Evolution: Tracks the shift from WWI "shell shock" to modern "PTSD".
Data Sources: Relies on decades of official military records, family records and inquiries.
Focus: Examines the lived experiences of soldiers alongside their families.
A primary strength of this book is its focus on the home front. Readers learn that the war did not end at the armistice; it simply relocated to Australian living rooms. Howie-Willis highlights the struggles of wives and children who had to navigate unpredictable tempers, night terrors, and emotional withdrawal. For descendants, the book provides context for historical family fractures, estrangements, or unspoken silences that may have trickled down through generations.
- The Home Front Reality: See how wives, children, and communities navigated the psychological aftermath.
- Heal the Silence: Discover why so many WWI veterans never spoke about their experiences.
- Family Historians: Anyone trying to contextualise generational trauma or historical fractures in their own family tree.
- Military & Medical: Readers interested in the evolution of military psychiatry and how institutions have historically failed—and slowly adapted to—veteran care.
