National Service had a powerful immediate effect on the men who served in the SADF, immersing them in an unfamiliar military world. But its impact reached beyond them – to the families and loved ones at home - and it has left its mark decades after the conscripts re-entered civvy street.
From Soldier to Civvy explores National Service from a number of different angles. It contains in-depth accounts from a diverse selection of former conscripts - a Recce, a dog handler, a mortarist, a Parabat, a gunner, a loadmaster, a military policeman and a marine - who take you through their entire military careers and provide detailed insider's information on each role. A number of frank and humorous letters home from a soldier to his fiancée are also included, and there are interviews with women - mothers, sisters, wives and girlfriends - who talk about how National Service affected them and their men. And, finally, former soldiers look back at their time in the army and reveal the powerful and lasting effects it has had on them and how they view it from the perspective of the present.
From Soldier to Civvy provides valuable new insights into National Service and its far-reaching consequences. It will entertain, enlighten and challenge readers to reconsider this crucial period of our history.
