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[Page 63]
"The Boys"
A popular song :- [Song in French with English translation]
After the war is over
Australian Soldiers go away
Mademoiselles of Roguetour stay & weep
And nurse the babies.
Shrapnel coming over an officer gave the order "helmets" so steel helmets could be donned, One said "does he mean gas helmets?"
Heard on the march – a column of Australians passing one of "Scotchies" both fairly merry
Aust. "I'll swop yer caps Jock"
Scot. "No b---- fear you won't! Pause "I'll sworp yer b----- paybooks tho' laddie"
It was a shocking wet cold night, the barbed wire party were at work under fire behind our trenches. It was pitch dark and the only light was that given by the enemies flares. One chap fell into a deep ditch with high slippery sides & could not get out in the dark not being able to see where to climb up. This was his prayer intoned in a supplicating tone as if offered up by some altar. "Fitzy you b-----rd: send up a b----- candle for C----- sake.
The same night Thomson was out & heard two men talking in the dark
(1) "What officers have you got out with you?"
(2) "Skeenie & Thomson are here"
(1) "And a pair of b----- beauties they are too!"
A popular song. (Hymn tune "On, steadily on!"
"I want to go home, I want to go home
"Machine guns & mortars they whiz & they roar
"I don't want to go in the trenches no more
"Take me right over the sea
"Where the Germans they can't get at me
"Oh: my: I don't want to die
"I want to go home.
Heading on top of a letter written home by one of the men :- "Somewhere in France where they shoot iron foundries at a bloke".
In conversation about rations and ridicule currant issue in lieu of jam, Thomsen suggested they issue acorns!