By Kyra Gillespie
An upcoming project by an award-winning Berwick novelist has been instrumental in securing the first-ever ambassadors in 90 years to help damaged war veterans.
AC/DC drummer Mark Evans is among the handful of individuals who have stepped up to be TPI ambassadors.
The TPI Association is dedicated to Totally and Permanently Incapacitated ex-servicemen and women.
It’s a topic close to the rock legend’s heart, as he has an uncle who is a TPI veteran.
The other five remarkable ambassadors are Doug Baird – father of the 100th and most recent Victoria Cross recipient in Australia Cameron Baird VC MG; Victoria Cross recipient Keith Payne and his wife Florence; OAM and founder of Digger Day Rick Meehan; and renowned 60 Minutes journalist Ross Coulthart.
And it’s all thanks to Berwick author Michael Madden’s upcoming book The Victoria Cross – Australia Remembers, which has helped spotlight the work the TPI Association does.
The three-year collaborative project is the first of its kind profiling the 100 Australian recipients of the Victoria Cross, with all proceeds going directly back to returned servicemen and women.
Combining Madden’s novelistic flair with non-fiction elements, the 500-page full-colour coffee table book takes readers around the world by telling the personal stories behind each of Australia’s greatest war heroes.
“My Dad is a Vietnam War veteran and without TPI we would have lost him.
“He experienced massive trauma over there that he has never spoken of again. He never talks about the war.
“TPI has provided him with safety and security and direction to help him through his PTSD.
“That’s why I wanted to do the project; to give back to those who have given our family so much.”
Adopting the role of novelist, journalist and historian all at once, Madden’s project took him and his leading photographer Gordan Traill all around the world, including France, Belgium, the UK and every capital city in Australia.
“We’ve seen some amazing places; we went over to the Western Front and were invited to Windsor Castle by the Queen.
“I am officially the first Australian to be in the vault that holds the metal they make the Victoria Crosses out of.
“The security there is second only to nuclear weapon security and far more than the crown jewels. It was an amazing experience.“
The aim of the project was to photograph the graves of every Australian Victoria Cross recipient around the world and interview their families – a task that proved more difficult than initially anticipated.
“There were graves all the way in places like Egypt, Gallipoli, Russia and Libya, and there was no way we could afford to do all of that travel. Lucky for us, all sorts of people were able to contribute the photos we needed.
“The Gazette has been a big part of this project – without your support we wouldn’t have found as many families as we did.
“We managed to find 57 families in total, meaning I now know more Victoria Cross history than anyone alive. And it’s all been driven out of Berwick.”
Speaking to so many families who had experienced so much loss took a big toll on Madden as an interviewer.
He said he was “reduced to tears” many times throughout the process.
Photographer Gordan Traill described the project as “a cathartic experience.”
“It’s been amazing. I never thought I’d find myself on my hands and knees in the graveyards of so many soldiers.
“I owe a big thanks to TPI and Michael for allowing me to see the world through the Victoria Cross.
“At each grave I made sure I thanked the men for their service, and to thank the ones before, the ones during, and the ones to come for giving up their lives.”
Mr Traill is a TPI member and served in the army for 28 years. After returning from Iraq, he turned to photography to keep his mind off what he had experienced there.
“When I came back I knew I wasn’t normal, I had a lot of trouble adjusting and needed a hobby. So my wife suggested photography and the rest is history.”
Despite all the hurdles along the way, Madden says the project has changed him as a writer.
“The biggest thing I learned through the project was to embrace failure.
“As a writer I was always afraid of rejection, but now I welcome it. I can’t accept no answer, but I can accept no because it always comes with caveats.
“My advice is to shoot as high as you can and be prepared to fail – it can take you amazing places.”
The not-for-profit book is set for release early next year and is available for pre-order at: https://www.tpivic.com.
