1940: Anzacs in England: The historical moment when the 'sons of Anzac' first inhabit the Anzac Legend

Theoretical thesis.Bibliography: pages 53-61Introduction -- Chapter 1 'Britishness or Australianness' -aspects of Australian identity and the deployment of the 18th Brigade to Great Britain in 1940. -- Chapter 2'The Thirty-Niners' in England - negotiating The Anzac Legend and the 'digger myth'. -- Chapter 3 How did British perceptions of the 2nd Australian Imperial Force (AIF )reflect aspects of the Anzac Legend and the 'digger myth'? -- ConclusionThis investigation examines the much broader cultural and socio-historical concept of the Anzac Legend and the military traditions of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) encapsulated in the 'digger myth'. The investigation will do this by assessing the extent to which the men of the 6th Division 2nd AIF, specifically the 18th and 25th Brigades, inhabit and negotiate both of these ideals in England in 1940. Societal changes during the inter-war period are assessed as they relate to Australian identity and specifically the notion of 'Britishness'. The men's own self-actualization and the British perception of Anzac is examined using archival material and literature.1 online resource (61 pages