Judge's Report Extract

Saving Sergeant Harlockis an inspirational and creative hybrid biography that effectively uses the elements of prose poetry—including strong imagery, parataxis, and emotional effects—to reveal the story of Corporal Ernest Albert Corey a stretcher-bearer in World War 1, who joined the Snowy River recruiting march at Cooma, and who later served in World War II. Corporal Corey was the only soldier in the British Commonwealth to be awarded the Military Medal for bravery four times. The author provides an eloquent insight into the western front and the sacrifice of so many young lives—a work that coincides with the 100th anniversary of the end of World War 1 on the 11th November.And I quote:

They were just like him, though many even younger.

Straight out of the bush.

Simple blokes, good old boys.

Perhaps not as much up for adventure as those earlier recruits—they'd heard the news, read the papers.

Still, they were a no nonsence lot. Used to hard times.

Doing your bit, that's what it came down to.

Farmers. Drovers.

Soon to be diggers; that meritorious sobriquet setting them apart from the Poms and earned for all those trenches dug in the hard ground on which these newies would find themselves standing soon enough.

Lambs really.

Most were raggedy and thin.

Item added 19 July 2019

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