Seven Section is a 1951 Australian radio drama by Shan Benson, about Australian soldiers in New Guinea.[1]

Seven Section
ABC Weekly 1 September 1951
Genredrama play
Running time60 mins (7:30 pm – 8:30 pm)
Country of originAustralia
Language(s)English
SyndicatesABC
Written byShan Benson
Directed byJohn Cairns
Recording studioMelbourne
Original release3 September 1951

It won second prize in the ABC's 1951 Jubilee Year Play Competition (won by Colin Thiele for Edge of Ice).[2][3]

Benson was a filmmaker with Film Australia. The play was based on Benson's experiences in World War Two, where he served in the Australian army from 1940 to 1944. Seven Section was Benson's first radio play for the ABC. He wrote it specifically for the competition and said he was influenced by the plays of Douglas Stewart.[4]

Premise

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According to ABC Weekly the play tells the story of a group of Australian soldiers during World War Two in New Guinea. "A section of infantry, under a lieutenant, is given a reconnaissance job in rough country. The section gathers vital information which has to be got back through the Japanese lines."[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Australian Broadcasting Commission. (1 September 1951), "Radio plays for next week", ABC Weekly, nla.obj-1549743754, retrieved 27 January 2024 – via Trove
  2. ^ "Author Wins Two Prizes". The Age. No. 30, 007. Victoria, Australia. 2 July 1951. p. 7. Retrieved 27 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Radio Prize "Double" To Teacher". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 35, 421. New South Wales, Australia. 2 July 1951. p. 3. Retrieved 26 February 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Radio". South Coast Times And Wollongong Argus. Vol. LI, no. 67. New South Wales, Australia. 3 September 1951. p. 2. Retrieved 27 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
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