The Cold-Footed Mob
A History of the 5th Australian Broad Gauge Railway Operating Company
by Tom Goode
ISBN 978-0-85905-653-3, (New, 2016), A4, 100 pages, illustrated, indexed, 280 grams
$30.00* + POST
One hundred years ago over two hundred and fifty railwaymen from across the state left Australia for the Western Front. Many were over age and some of doubtful fitness but they went because they felt they were needed.
For more than eighteen months sometimes under German artillery fire they operated railways carrying vital men and supplies for the British army. Largely ignored by the Australian Official Histories of World War One, this is their story.
The history traces the events and decisions that led to the raising of Australian Railway Units for service with the AIF and follows the path of this particular unit from its formation in Western Australia through its service on the Western Front to its eventual return home. While recounting the unit activities in the context of World War One events, equal emphasis has been placed on the stories of many of the individuals who comprised the unit.