I thought members might be interested. http://rommelsriposte.com/2022/05/01/shell-shock-bomb-happy-and-the-tobruk-garrison/ All the best Andreas
I was very recently read the section on battle exhaustion in Alan Allport's Browned Off and Bloody Minded. I didn't read much of the reference material you presented but it's an interesting article - thanks for sharing!
That's interesting. I emailed the article to him (have never read his books, but reviewed the Mediterranean section of Britain at Bay for him before he finalised the draft) and he immediately came back with the point on how influential the paper was. All the best Andreas
I think I missed Sinclair's article in The Medical Journal of Australia, but I dealt with this subject in my own book. Battle exhaustion (typically described by the medicos as Not Yet Diagnosed, Nervous, or NYDN) was quite a serious problem in 9th Australian Division in Tobruk. It tended to cluster in certain groups (particularly older soldiers, of whom the 2nd AIF had too many) and in certain units which had disciplinary and command problems or unsuccessful combat experiences (2/1 Pioneer Battalion, 2/1 HQ Guard Battalion, 18th Australian Infantry Brigade). The British AA units in the garrison, which were exposed to constant Axis bombing, also had a high rate of neurosis. And yes, 21 Army Group's system of dealing with combat exhaustion was very similar to that developed in Tobruk by 9th Australian Division.