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On
patrol in the jungle
Operation
Orders
By Pat Beale. Australian Military History Publications. 141pp.
$45.
Reviewer: PTE John Wellfare
In Operation Orders Brigadier Pat Beale, DSO, MC (ret’d)
writes of his experiences as an officer in the Australian
Army on operational tours in Malaysia, Borneo, PNG and Vietnam
through the 1960s to 1970.
What is essentially a memoir of 10 demanding years for the
Army reads like an adventure story as Beale tells it, with
acute attention to detail painting a lush-green jungle picture.
When the action gets going, most of the detail disappears
and short to-the-point sentences add an exciting urgency and
adrenalin to the scene.
Although the book is laid out in a rather military fashion
with three main chapter headings – Situation, Mission
and Execution – the writing style is much more descriptive
and flowing, making for a very readable story.
For extra “unputdownability”, Beale has structured
his chapters in a way that gives the reader a sniff of the
action at the beginning, then the background is explained,
gradually building up to a climactic finale.
Operation Orders gives the feeling of being there, on patrol
with Beale and his men.
True stories written by soldiers about their experiences can
be a little one-sided and egocentric, but Operation Orders
does not fall into this category. Beale goes to great lengths
to ensure credit is given where due to those soldiers he served
with and those he fought.
The
structure and outward appearance of Operation Orders give
it a slightly “reference book” feel, which could
deter some readers, but the descriptive language and compelling
storyline make this an exciting read from the first page to
the last.
Factual, comprehensive and action packed, Operation Orders
is an invaluable read for anyone with an interest in military
history or soldiering.
The occasional slip towards Army slang and terminology makes
this a work best read and understood by soldiers, but anybody
just looking for a good adventure will also greatly enjoy
Beale’s account.
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