 Digger newspapers of the first world war Graham Seal's survey of first world war diggers newspapers |
Digger Culture
One of the most interesting aspects of the trench journals is the insight they provide into the creation of a new and distinctive sub-culture between 1915 and 1918. This 'digger culture' was characterized by its language, its projection of an image of casual attitudes to authority, its matter-of-fact laconic humour, its in-group references and allusions, rivalry with the British 'Tommies' and aggressive Australian-ness. All these characteristics are evident in the trench journals, which used the language of the digger to communicate, even occasionally providing glossaries of 'diggerese', presumably for the initiation of recruits into the culture, but also to some extent as a self-conscious presentation of the distinctiveness of the digger. Many such presentations took the form of 'alphabets', a venerable folk and popular form of verse that allowed the simultaneous parading of digger slang and bitter-sweet comment on aspects of their experience.|
ANOTHER ALPHABET
(From the Anzac Book MSS) A is for Anzac, removed evermore, B is for Beachy who bursts on the shore. C is for Colic, which follows directly, D is the Dose taken paregorectly. E is for Exercise climbing the hills, F for Fatigues that come faster than bills. G is the Gennan who made the Turk fight, May H be his portion or serve him well right I is for Indian, excellent fellow, J is for the Jaundice which makes us so yellow. K is for Kobber, Australian for friend, L the Last Post, which comes right at the end M is the Mule who's game as a sparrow, N is the Nuisance with saps much too narrow. O is the Oaths, some of which are fair snorters. P is the Pain they produce at Headquarters. Q is the Quiver which runs down your back, When R a big Rooster comes plunk from Chanak. S the Soft Jobs you get back at the Base, T is the Turk and a pretty tough case. V is for Vickers, that man-killing pest W's the Whisky we sigh for in vain, X for Xcitement, "The mail's in again." Y is for Yes, if we're asked to go home, Z is for Zero -I'm chilled to the bone. LF.S.H. 8th L.H.R - Anzac, Dec. 1915. 13
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'The trooper's lament' appears to be the earliest example of this central genre of digger literature, verse 'written in the trenches'. It presents a folk history of the 4th Light Horse, and reveals attitudes and a style that would become the staple fare of trench literature (Bran Mash, no. 1, 15 June 1915, AWM Sl14).
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(Note. Where dashes are encountered in the following verses readers may substitute such words as 'blooming', 'bally', etc., or any suitable adjective of two syllables according to taste. Author) I come from good old Wamp-Wamp[?], and me monicker's Gus Headers An I joined the 4th Light 'orse out at Broad Meadows. I brings along me own old prad, and shoves the claim in ot But th' vet 'e crools me pitch, an 'arf was all I got I gathers in th' cash and gets off on the spree, And th' CO ups and passes me a week's C B. GORSTRUTH!! Then off we goes to Egypt, and in th' sand, I does a fortnight's doublin' with a rifle in me 'and And then we took our prads an' stuffed 'em well with tibbin (Which sorter calms them down a lot and stops their jibbin) 'An' round about the pyramids, the desert an' the Sphinx We does a five months stunt amongst the flies an' stinks But when we all gets pretty 'ot an' fit to take the track, They hikes me off me 'orse an' makes me 'ump a pack. CRISE!! Next thing I finds meself a dodgin' shrapnel in th' trenches Where a bloke can 'ardly turn around for periscopes an' stenches. 'Owever, its all in th' game a soldier's got to play, An' I'd rather be out 'ere than Egypt any day But let me feel just once again me old prad shy an' reef [?] An' you can 'ave me biscuit an' me tin of bu1ly beef. MY ,OATH!! |
 
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