Albert Facey, born at the desperate tail end of the Australian gold rush, suffered incredible hardship, poverty and even child slavery, only to escape and survive like so many other Huckleberry Finns of his time, purely by his wits and determination, in a harsh, unforgiving land. Illiterate, he taught himself to read and write, and was soon swept up in the fervour of the Great War. Ending up in the hell of Gallipoli, and its horrors of trench warfare, he was wounded and returned to Australia. He had barely settled into married life, when the Great depression hit; a nightmare he was only too familiar with from his childhood. Battling constant illness himself, and then losing a son in the second world war, and still having the strength to go on, his was a tale similar to so many others, of one disaster after another, of narrow escapes and lean expectations. And yet, in his 80’s he was to name his published memoirs “A Fortunate Life”, reflecting his incredibly positive outlook on life. He was in many ways the archetypical battler of his era, one of the faceless legions of pioneers that build nations, and a voice from the past that we can all benefit listening to. Join us, as we explore the life of this extraordinary, yet ordinary man, and pause to take some inspiration, during our own trying times, from his indomitable spirit. #aussiehero, #aussiebattler, #abfacey, #anzac Several viewers have commented that they found the music soundtrack distracting, so I've uploaded a - MUSIC FREE - version here: https://youtu.be/MrnZeNJ6zPQ A narration-only audio version of this video is available on the Heroes and Legends Documentary Channel Podcast, available through Spotify, Itunes and other leading broadcasters. All film footage used in this educational montage remains the property of its respective owners and is gratefully acknowledged. If you enjoy my content, leave your suggestions and comments below, and please consider making a donation via PayPal or sign up as a Patreon supporter to help me continue making these unfunded educational videos: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=4D958V58PAVDU https://www.patreon.com/heroesandlegends https://buymeacoffee.com/infoQh For resources, links to my other videos, merchandise, the latest social media posts and podcast links, please visit my Heroes and Legends Website: www.heroesandlegends.com.au ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRlnDa65NU4

The Suez Crisis of 1956 was triggered by the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Egypt's President Nasser, which angered the UK and France, as they relied heavily on the canal for their oil supplies- when Nasser finally acted to secure the canal, the UK and France, along with Israel, conspired to launch a military operation to regain control of Suez, without consulting the United States or informing the United Nations. On October 29, 1956, the Israeli army invaded the Sinai Peninsula, followed by British and French forces a few days later. The invasion was initially successful, and the forces quickly advanced towards the canal. However, the operation was met with international condemnation, and the United States, the Soviet Union, and other countries called for an immediate ceasefire. The Egyptians meanwhile decided that if they couldn’t have it, nobody would, so as the British and French troops came ashore the Egyptians scuttled dozens of huge tankers in the canal, rendering it impassable and useless till the following year – causing significant disruption to oil supplies and consequently crippling price hikes all across the globe. The Suez Crisis had a significant impact on the UK's international standing, and was seen by many as a turning point in the country's decline as a global power. The UK's involvement in the crisis was widely criticized, both domestically and internationally, and many saw it as evidence of the country's inability to adapt to the changing international landscape. Prime Minister Anthony Eden was criticised even from within his own party, and resigned as a result. The costs incurred in the failed campaign, the withdrawal of troops and compromised oil supply led to a serious economic impact on the British economy and a devaluation of the Pound sterling. It also accelerated the decolonisation process of British and French dominions around the globe, which several historians have criticised as being overly hurried and poorly managed, resulting in a succession of civil wars and humanitarian disasters throughout former dominions, particularly in Africa. The crisis also highlighted the growing divide between the UK and the United States, which had opposed the military intervention from the outset and openly sided with Egypt. Eisenhower’s government saw the crisis as an opportunity to assert its own leadership in the region, and played a key role in brokering a ceasefire and resolving the conflict, remaining the key regional player ever since. #suez #suez_canal #suezcanal #nasser #crisis You can watch the full length video on Margaret Thatcher here: https://youtu.be/6nwe0f_YBzI If you enjoy my content, leave your suggestions and comments below, and please consider making a donation via PayPal or sign up as a Patreon supporter to help me continue making these unfunded educational videos: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=4D958V58PAVDU https://www.patreon.com/heroesandlegends https://buymeacoffee.com/infoQh For resources, links to my other videos, merchandise, the latest social media posts and podcast links, please visit my Heroes and Legends Website: www.heroesandlegends.com.au ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1O5myIoYhI