100 Years of Untold ANZAC Stories: Brave service to the nation etched in ink and blood

IRAQ War veteran Liam Haven wears his experiences on his skin, literally, with tattoos recording the story of his service.

Aust Army soldier Private Liam Haven from Brisbane’s 6RAR was blinded by shrapnel while s

IRAQ War veteran Liam Haven wears his experiences on his skin, literally. Private Haven, who was blinded by a roadside bomb in southern Iraq in 2007 when he was just 19 years old, is covered in tattoos that tell the story of his service.

“I have an A on my shoulder representing Alpha Company,” Pte Haven said. “The dice on my arm add up to six, representing 6RAR. I have a ‘live in the moment’ tattoo representing East Timor because everyone there seemed a lot happier than Westerners.

The East Timorese were the inspiration for this tattoo on Pvt Haven’s forearm.

“There’s a phoenix on my chest because I got blown up and didn’t die. There’s a graveyard scene on my shin with blank tombstones for the boys that have died. [And] I have ‘lest we forget’ at the nape of my neck.”

Skin ink is just one of the ways Pvt Haven says modern soldiers record what they go through in the service of their country. Pvt Haven, originally from Brisbane’s 6RAR but now based in Melbourne, says song writing, social media feeds, poetry, photography and documentary making are also common among 21st Century diggers.

This tattoo is one of many that honour Pvt Haven’s fallen mates.

A new News Corp Australia project aims to ensure these private accounts are preserved and honoured, just as the vivid personal diaries of our WWI soldiers, which have become an essential part of our understanding of the ANZAC legend, were.

To commemorate the Centenary of WWI, which kicks off this August and runs through until the 100th anniversary of the Armistice in November 2018, News Corp Australia chief executive Julian Clarke will today launch 100 Years of Untold Stories: Anzac to Afghanistan.

Throughout the four and a half years of the commemorations News Corp will bring to life many of the extraordinary WWI diaries collected by the Mitchell Library (now the State Library of NSW) in the wake of the Great War, in a donation drive spearheaded by then-principal librarian William Ifould.

Growing up at War: Hector’s story

Afghanistan aftermath: James’s story

Longing for the Southern Cross: Henry’s story

These diaries, until recently kept in boxes in the bowels of the library, are being digitised and made available to the public for the first time in a project supported by News Corp Australia.

“Their accounts are vivid, thought-provoking and sad,” Mr Clarke said. “They write about everyday life on the front, fear and bravery in battle, and the loved ones at home they missed so terribly.

“We will honour their stories, and bring their experiences to all Australians.”

And to complete the picture of our 100 years of proud military history since the start of WWI we’re calling for servicemen and women from any military theatre since to help us tell their story.

As Pte Haven points out, it may not be in the form of a formal ‘diary’.

“Whereas in WWI they wrote pages and pages a day, now everyone breaks down their day into two or three witty comments that they post as a status and five or six photos,” he said. “You look at it like a digital scrap book.”

IF YOU HAVE A MILITARY SERVICE STORY YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE CONTACT US BELOW

THINKING OF SUBMITTING YOUR EXPERIENCE? QUESTIONS ANSWERED HERE.

Don’t miss our special WWI newspaper lift out, featuring Anzac diary extracts, next Wednesday.