Alexander William Sheppard (2 June 1913 – 11 June 1997) was an Australian soldier, bookseller, publisher and writer. Rising to the rank of Colonel during World War II, he won the Military Cross for his role in the Allied evacuation from Greece in 1941. As a post–1945 rehabilitation officer in Greece he denounced the atrocities of the Greek Civil War and became an "outspoken critic" of British policies and the Greek governments Britain supported. In the 1960s he fought against book censorship in Australia. Early life and career Alex Sheppard was born in East Melbourne, Victoria on 2 June 1913. His parents were William John Sheppard, a labourer and later a tool sharpener, and his wife Alicia (née Simmonds), who had formerly been a Salvation Army officer. He lived in the Melbourne suburbs of Collingwood, North Fitzroy where he went to school, and finally East Preston. He studied commerce and law at the University of Melbourne. While studying he worked a part-time evening job with Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) (AWA). After graduating, he worked as a secretary with the Maritime Radio Officers' Union. He represented the union and others as an industrial advocate in the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration. In his spare time he served as a member of the Army Reserve. World War II – Greece and Middle East After the declaration of war in September 1939, Sheppard immediately enlisted in the Second AIF and was commissioned as a lieutenant. In January 1940 his unit departed Australia and disembarked in Palestine. He worked as a Defending Officer reviewing disciplinary cases in which soldiers were accused of impertinence or insubordination, the result of which he became unpopular with certain fellow officers for gaining acquittals where those officers had failed to correctly follow army regulations. Already a linguist fluent in several languages, he attended classes in modern Greek "as often as he could" at the Berlitz language school in Tel Aviv. He took part in the Western Desert campaign and was present during the siege of Tobruk. He was promoted to Major and was responsible for the welfare of the civilian population in the port town of Derna near Benghazi. In March 1941 Sheppard was sent to northern Greece, where his unit's mission was to cover for the retreat of Greek troops facing the imminent German invasion of that country. He worked as a liaison officer, then was in charge