Personal diary of Private Francis Brewer captured the horrors of war

THE words of Private Francis Brewer capture the terror of war, and his diary and letters are shared for the nation to read.

HIS words capture the terror of war; the diary and letters of Private Francis Brewer shared for the nation to read.

Pte Francis Joseph Campbell Brewer was a journalist with The Courier-Mail’s predecessor, the Daily Mail, before he enlisted in 1918. He kept a detailed diary during the nine months he served, including the capture of the fortress of France’s Mont St Quentin, one of the most significant but unheralded campaigns of the war.

His 85-year-old son Frank Brewer said he was amazed by the diary’s letters, postcards and correspondence – donated to the State Library of NSW – that Pte Brewer Snr had kept with his brother Edmund.

“I was pretty close to my father and we talked a fair bit about generalities about the war but never much specifically,” he said.

“I used to think he …. was only there for nine months and couldn’t have seen much. It opened my eyes when I read it, even for that short time.”

Pte Brewer left his pregnant wife and a burgeoning journalism career on June 21, 1917 to join the war effort and served with the 20th Battalion, 20th Reinforcement, 5th Brigade, 2nd Division, AIF in France from May to October 1918.

DIARY: READ PTE BREWER’S PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF THE ASSAULT ON THE VILLAGE OF WIANCOURT

The 5th Brigade captured the fortress of Mont St Quentin from August to September 1918. Pte Brewer was wounded in action on October 3, 1918, and returned to Australia on the City of York on January 14, 1919.

He turned 36 while at the front.

“He made mention that it was his birthday today and nobody wished me ‘happy birthday’ but I suppose you have to pick up the cudgels and soldier on,” Mr Brewer joked.

“But in other statements he writes: ‘I don’t know how I survived today’ and others where he nearly gets hit by explosives.”

GALLERY: The pictures that bring to life 100 Years of Untold Stories

Pte Brewer returned to Queensland to continue his journalistic career and to have four more children.

“All those other poor guys that were over there for four years – my father suffered both illness and injury but at least he got back here,” Mr Brewer said.

Mr Brewer, who is the last surviving child of Pte Brewer, said it was important to him that the work of war veterans and currently serving soldiers was remembered.

“It’s a war that’s long gone now – almost 100 years next year – and the warfare is different now to what it was then,” he said.

“It may seem a bit more sophisticated but men and women still die.”

DIARY: READ PTE BREWER’S PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF THE ASSAULT ON THE VILLAGE OF WIANCOURT

GALLERY: The pictures that bring to life 100 Years of Untold Stories

Read more ANZAC stories - 100 Years of Untold Stories and pick up the special liftout in Wednesday’s The Courier-Mail.