Overview

Harry Freame was the first Australian soldier to win the Distinguished Conduct Medal at Gallipoli. He risked his life again and again to scout the battlefield, reporting invaluable intelligence and relieving stranded soldiers. Some say he should have got the VC but didn't because he was half-Japanese, a fact he tried hard to conceal. After the war, Harry (real name Wykeham Henry Koba Freame) became a soldier settler and champion apple grower. But in the lead-up to World War II, he was recruited into Australian intelligence. Extraordinarily, this fact was leaked by the Australian press, and the Japanese secret police tried to assassinate Harry not long after his arrival in Tokyo in 1941. He died back in Australia a few weeks later. Harry was the first Australian to die on secret service for Australia, but his sacrifice has never been officially acknowledged. The Bravest Scout at Gallipoli is a fascinating and immersive investigation into a grievous historical wrong.

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9781922992086

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'A vital parable at the root of multicultural Australia.' - Jock Serong 'A thrilling biography of one of Australia's forgotten heroes.' - Shankari Chandran 'Ryan Butta's dogged pursuit of the truth about Harry Freame is more than a virtuouso piece of archival sleuthing - although it's certainly that. It's an act of dedication to a forgotten Australian, the restoration of a discarded legacy. There is much to learn in here about the ways we mythologise ourselves, and the lies we repeat down the generations. Through compassion and careful scholarship, Butta has found a vital parable at the root of multicultural Australia.' - Jock Serong 'A thrilling biography of one of Australia's forgotten heroes. Butta is a gifted storyteller, exploring the lives of Australia's forgotten heroes. Beautifully written, the story reads more like a gripping, high stakes adventure than [a] historical biography. Butta returns Harry Freame - fearless Gallipoli scout, intrepid spy and devoted patriot - to his rightful place: the centre stage of our collective memory and history. Butta explores the socio-political forces of Australia that celebrate some heroes and erase others.' - Shankari Chandran

'A vital parable at the root of multicultural Australia.' - Jock Serong 'A thrilling biography of one of Australia's forgotten heroes.' - Shankari Chandran 'Ryan Butta's dogged pursuit of the truth about Harry Freame is more than a virtuouso piece of archival sleuthing - although it's certainly that. It's an act of dedication to a forgotten Australian, the restoration of a discarded legacy. There is much to learn in here about the ways we mythologise ourselves, and the lies we repeat down the generations. Through compassion and careful scholarship, Butta has found a vital parable at the root of multicultural Australia.' - Jock Serong 'A thrilling biography of one of Australia's forgotten heroes. Butta is a gifted storyteller, exploring the lives of Australia's forgotten heroes. Beautifully written, the story reads more like a gripping, high stakes adventure than [a] historical biography. Butta returns Harry Freame - fearless Gallipoli scout, intrepid spy and devoted patriot - to his rightful place: the centre stage of our collective memory and history. Butta explores the socio-political forces of Australia that celebrate some heroes and erase others.' - Shankari Chandran 'A compelling and meticulously researched narrative'. - The Myrtleford Times

'Ryan Butta's dogged pursuit of the truth about Harry Freame is more than a virtuouso piece of archival sleuthing - although it's certainly that. It's an act of dedication to a forgotten Australian, the restoration of a discarded legacy. There is much to learn in here about the ways we mythologise ourselves, and the lies we repeat down the generations. Through compassion and careful scholarship, Butta has found a vital parable at the root of multicultural Australia.' Jock Serong

Author Information

Ryan Butta's first book, The Ballad of Abdul Wade, was longlisted for the Indie Book Awards nonfiction book of the year for 2023. His feature writing has appeared in the Good Weekend magazine and he is a regular contributor to Galah Press. Ryan's works of historical nonfiction look to reveal and understand the hidden and forgotten stories of Australia and the Australians who came across the seas to make their home here. Ryan now lives on Dharawal country on the New South Wales South Coast.

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