 Digger newspapers of the first world war Graham Seal's survey of first world war diggers newspapers |
Category 2 Journals
Concern with attracting and amplifying key aspects of the diggers' oral culture was also present in the second category of trench papers, typified by productions such as Yandoo and Honk. Although some of the papers in this category began life as troopship journals, their front-line formats were distinctively 'trench'. Billed as 'The Voice of the Benzine Lancers and Organ of the Gear- Box', Honk originated on board troopship A40 in January 1915 as the journal of the Australian Ammunition Park. From no.8, published in August 1915, it was produced 'in the field' in' France. It was a printed paper, usually running to six pages. In addition to the basic trench paper requirements of verse, furphies and humour, Honk included 'News from Down Under', news and results of AIF sporting competitions and even articles with a practical theme, such as how to purify water.8In common with most other papers in this category, such as the 14th Company Magazine and Yandoo, Honk was a relatively sophisticated product, able to print snippets of Australian news less than two weeks old, letters from Anzac and Australia, and patriotic verse from the Sydney Sun. However, Honk also carried items of the type common to all trench journals, such as this brief but evocative piece contributed by Sergeant C. Strong:
Whilst seated one day on my lorry,
Weary and ill at ease,
I saw a gunner scratching'
As though he was full of fleas.
I asked him why he was scratching
And what was he scratching for,
But his only reply was a long drawn sigh,
And he carefully killed some more.9
The aims and fundamental content of these second category journals were much the same as both their less sophisticated precursors and those of the polished products of the third category of trench journals.
 
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