The Defence Department says the age of military pamphlets seized from a Canberra bookshop is the reason it took two years to examine the publications.
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A number of pamphlets, including the 1937 edition of Small Arms Training, were taken from Beyond Q in Curtin in 2011 and returned last week.
A Defence spokesman said: ''In line with government and Defence policy, prior to declassification, material is assessed to ensure that its release cannot reasonably be expected to cause damage to Australia's defence, security or international relations. Due to the age of some of the material, specialist advice was required from a number of subject matter experts and agencies, which regrettably delayed the release of the material.''
The pamphlets include a 1966 Adjutant's Pocketbook, a 1969 Aide-Memoire for Regimental Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers, the 1942 version of The Detecting and Reporting of Unexploded Bombs, Shells and Parachute Mines and the 1979 edition of Manual of Land Warfare Part 3.