Marcel Caux

An air of mystery surrounded Marcel Caux, one of Australia's last surviving veterans of World War I, prior to his death in August 2004. He was unknown to most Australians until four years ago when he suddenly emerged as a veteran of World War I. The Department of Veteran Affairs said he had wished to retain some anonymity until that time and had asked that the file containing his service records be kept private. Why?

Author and historian Lynette Silver sets out to explain the mysterious life of Marcel Caux in this fascinating account of a man who, up until 2001, even had his family wondering what his past really revealed. In a beautifully written and pacy read, Silver unravels the true Marcel Caux.

Veterans Affairs records in fact show that Caux's real name was Harold Katte, born in 1899, who served in France and returned to Australia in 1919. Records issued in the name Marcel Caux describe the service of Harold Katte. His son, Marcus de Caux, only knew his father as Harold Katte. Was Caux trying to forget the horrors of war? Did he in fact serve, as he said he did, during his time in the Great War?

Caux scarcely talked about his war experiences for 85 years and up until 2001 he never attended an Anzac Day or Remembrance Day service. "I'd rather forget the whole bloody business," he said. The amazing unravelling of the real Marcel Caux—through official records, photographs, and interviews with family, friends, and acquaintances—will certainly take you on a journey that, up until now, has been elusive.