Public Talk: Bert Facey and the 11th Battalion
Dates
Saturday 26 October | 10am - 11am
Free | Bookings required
Ages
This talk is suitable for those aged 12+
Location
The Wedge
Site access information
The Museum of Geraldton is fully accessible. Call (08) 9431 8393 for assistance. More about accessibility and amenities >
Bert Facey and the 11th Battalion – tall tales or true?
Albert Facey’s account of his war service at Gallipoli in 1915 is recorded in his acclaimed autobiography, A Fortunate Life. However, some historians have questioned the accuracy of his claim that he landed with the 11th Battalion on 25 April 1915.
Join us for a compelling public talk as Wes Olson, author of The Eleventh – The History of the 11th Australian Infantry Battalion 1914-1919, Volume 1, Gallipoli, delves into Facey’s story. Through research, Olson sheds new light on the historical accuracy of Facey’s war service and provides a fresh perspective on this iconic Australian narrative.
About the Speaker
Wes Olson is a retired locomotive driver, independent researcher and author. He has written extensively on HMAS Sydney (II), was research advisor to David Mearns - who located the wrecks of HMAS Sydney and HSK Kormoran in 2008, and was historical advisor on the WA Museum/Curtin University expedition which revisited the wrecks in 2015.
His first book, Bitter Victory – The Death of HMAS Sydney, was published by UWA Press in 2000, followed by Gallipoli – The Western Australian Story in 2006. Wes self-published Battalion into Battle – The History of the 2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion 1939-1945 in 2011, and H.M.A.S. Sydney (II) – In Peace and War in 2016. His fifth book, The Last Cruise of a German Raider – The Destruction of SMS Emden, was published by Seaforth Publishing in 2018. He self-published The Eleventh – The History of the 11th Australian Infantry Battalion 1914-1919, Volume 1, Gallipoli in 2023. Work on Volume 2 of The Eleventh will commence in 2025, upon completion of his current project, Articulated Steam Locomotives of the Western Australian Government Railways.
Wes served eight years in the Australian Army Reserve. He subsequently became a volunteer at Army Museum of Western Australia, and constructed most of the weapon and mannequin displays in the WWI, WWII and Post-1945 galleries. He left the Army Museum in 2014 and assisted the WA Museum with artefacts and displays in the National Anzac Centre, Boola Bardip, and the From Great Depths exhibit at the Museum of Geraldton.
