Wes Olson

Wes Olson (Wesley John Olson) (born 1960) ^[1] is an independent researcher and author based in Perth Western Australia. His work has concentrated on Australian military history during both World Wars.

For nearly a decade Olson researched the loss of HMAS Sydney in WWII and after its publication by the University Of Western Australia Press in 2000 ^[2] became recognised as an independent authority on the ship and its lost crew. His research proved of great importance in the eventual location of the wreck and that of its adversary the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran in 2008. One of Olson's most notable works from WWI is his history of Western Australian involvement in the Gallipoli campaign of the first world war. ^{[3] [4] [5]} . This work was followed in 2018 by Olson's account of the cruise of the German raider SMS Emden in 1914.

A feature of Olson's works is his use of contemporary diaries (from friend and foe alike), leading to a sense of 'being there' in and around the action, bringing both the heroism and horrors of war from the perspective of both sides in the conflict into stark and immediate focus.

Olson married Dale Williamson in 1988, and have three adult children.

In May 1977 he commenced work with the Western Australian Government Railways as a Junior Station Assistant. At age 18 he transferred to the locomotive branch and having commenced training to become a Locomotive Driver, was appointed Driver in 1988. Olson is currently employed in that capacity by Pacific National.

Olson joined the Australian Army Reserve in 1978 and served a total of eight years as an infantryman. In doing so he continued research into arms and armament on both land and sea.

With a boyhood interest in WWII British warship design Olson learned of the Western Australian Maritime Museum's 50th anniversary international forum seeking to resolve the mysteries surrounding the loss of the Department of Maritime Archaeology in November 1941 and to commence and/or facilitate a search. After contacting staff for a copy of the papers from the forum, it was learned that Olson also had a background in incident investigation with the Railways and after joining the Museum's Department of Maritime Archaeology as a volunteer, Olson's first research task was to compile a comparative study examining all WWII vessels that had sunk or been severely damaged in similar manner. After completing that database and producing an internal report, his next task was to examine whether a carley float with a corpse onboard that floated onto Christmas Island in 1942 could have come from HMAS Sydney. Olson's research not only disproved the then widespread belief the float was not of Australian naval origin, but it showed where it was stowed onboard HMAS Sydney. From then he continued his research both independently and as an adviser to the Museum.

In 1997 Olson became a volunteer at the Army Museum of Western Australia. Initially given the role of Researcher, he was subsequently appointed Firearms Keeper within the Curatorial Section. He then joined the Gallery Development Committee and was involved in the development, construction and display of mannequins and weapons in the WWI, WWII and Post-1945 galleries.

Olson left the Army Museum of Western Australia in 2013 and began assisting the Western Australian Museum with various military projects, including its plans to revisit the wreck of HMAS Sydney (II), the National Anzac Centre at Albany, and Boola Bardip in Perth. He also assisted the Smith Sculptors (Charles Smith and Joan Walsh-Smith) with the HMAS Sydney (II) Memorial at Geraldton, the HMAS Sydney (II) Memorial at Denham, the HMAS Perth Memorial at East Fremantle, and the Battle of Crete Memorial in Kings Park, Perth. In 2023 Olson assisted James Parkinson, Director of ROV Services Australia, to produce an information graphic of the wreck of SMS Emden at North Keeling Island.

Olson's first book, Bitter Victory – The death of HMAS Sydney, was published by the University of Western Australia Press in 2000. The following year he chaired the Archival Committee for the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Sydney Wreck Location Seminar. Olson then became research assistant and historical advisor to David Mearns of Blue Water Recoveries prior to the 2008 search and discovery of HMAS Sydney and HSK Kormoran. In 2015 he became historical advisor on the WA Museum/Curtin University expedition to revisit the wrecks of HMAS Sydney and HSK Kormoran, and contributed to the subsequent book From Great Depths – The Wrecks of HMAS Sydney (II) and HSK Kormoran (published by UWA Publishing and The Western Australian Museum in 2016).

Gallipoli – The Western Australian Story (published by UWAP in 2006), was short-listed in the Western Australian History category of the WA Premier’s Book Awards for 2006; Battalion into Battle – The History of the 2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion 1939-45 (self-published in 2011); HMAS Sydney (II) – In Peace and War (self-published in 2016); The Last Cruise of a German Raider – The Destruction of SMS Emden (published by Seaforth Publishing in 2018); and The Eleventh – The History of the 11th Australian Infantry Battalion 1914-1919, Volume 1, Gallipoli (self-published in 2023). Wes Olson is currently working on his seventh book, Articulated Steam Locomotives of the Western Australian Government Railways, in conjunction with his cousin, Les Smith. He anticipates commencing work on The Eleventh – The History of the 11th Australian Infantry Battalion 1914-1919, Volume 2, The Western Front, in 2025.

An avid sportsman, Olson was bestowed with Life Member of the Fremantle Mosman Park Cricket Club in 2004.

Publications

• Ellam, Raye; Ellam, Allan (2004), Olson, Wesley (ed.), Private David John Simcock, 11th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force: The bloke with the pink top, A. Ellam
• Olson, Wesley (2000), Bitter victory : the death of H.M.A.S. Sydney, University of Western Australia Press, ISBN   978-1-876268-49-7

• Olson, Wesley (2016), HMAS Sydney (II) : in peace and war, Wesley John Olson, ISBN   978-0-9873348-1-7
• Olson, Wesley (2011), Battalion into battle : the history of the 2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion 1939-45, Wesley John Olson, ISBN   978-0-646-56363-3 ^[6]
• Olson, Wesley (2018), The last cruise of a German raider : the destruction of sms Emden, Seaforth Publishing, ISBN   978-1-5267-3729-8 ^[7]

References

1. "Olson, Wesley (1960–)". trove.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
2. "HMAS Sydney (II): In peace and war / Wes Olson". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
3. Olson, Wesley; Olson, Wes (2006), Gallipoli : the Western Australian story, University of Western Australia Press, ISBN   978-1-920694-82-1
4. Butler, Janet (1 December 2008), "Review of Wes Olson's Gallipoli: The Western Australian Story.(Book review)", History Australia, Monash University ePress, 5 (2): 55.1(2), ISSN   1449-0854
5. Clement, Cathie (2011), "Gallipoli: The western Australian story [Book Review]", Studies in Western Australian History (27): 231–232, ISSN   0314-7525
6. "Author Historian Wes Olson with a copy of his". WestPix. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
7. Swinden, Greg (2018), "The last cruise of a German raider: The destruction of SMS [Book Review]", Sabretache, 59 (4): 57–58, ISSN   0048-8933