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[Page 68]
| 1918 | |
| June 8 | And what a change had come over most of we men as we stood there being welcomed back on to our native heath by those we loved, those we had fought and bled for, and for those for whom we |
| Aug 4 |
From the day upon which I returned, the time was spent in the usual manner of attending at Randwick Hospital for Medical Boards, being marked out to such places as George Heights Hospital for sundry treatments, and such like, attending the Barracks for accumulated pay, etc., On August 4, the fourth anniversary of the outbreak of the great war, requiring no further treatment, and having no further leave or furlough to spend, I was instructed to attend at Victoria Barracks for the purpose of receiving my discharge from His Majesty's Australian Imperial Forces. I forget the stipulated hour now, but I attended at that hour, handed in my greatcoat, received my returned soldiers badge and discharge, and made my way home. The lack of ceremony about this discharging of soldiers greatly impressed me at the time. I thought how much nicer it would have been if one of the Brass Hats could have addressed us in tones of thanks from the Commonwealth Government for our services rendered overseas. But that would not have been the Military way. One never gets thanks for anything in the army, and they kept this up to the death, with a vengeance. |
| So, with my discharge and badge in my pocket, I made my way home, determined to get out of khaki in record time and into "civvies" once again. How nice they felt on one again, and how nice it felt that one was at last free from that ever-present discipline which became inseparable from one's life. So ended my military career as a member of the Australian Imperial Forces, a force that has carven a gilded name on the flint surface of history, a name that is immortal, glorious, a name that is written in the blood of this |