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In Reply to: not quite so handy, but I perisistently remember my Pardy (granddad) making me a little cricket bat in his workshop shed posted by Timbo in Oz on February 21, 2007 at 14:03:55:
they came from anew and sceptical culture - at the micro level of people - to do a job and get it DONE.They had little patience with miltary bullshit, rank, pomp and swagger, especially when it was wrapped in crap-performance, and incapacity, plus Upper Class Twit voice, aka Fraffly / earse for yes!
Which, in both wars, they noted by the bucket load.
It tells me and I hope y'all, a lot about us then at least, that TWO national referendums to introduce conscription so as to feed Haig/ Robertson's mincer, and Murray's incompetence, were rejected!!!!
And, that it was the diggers in France, and Palestine, whose votes stopped the idea - twice - especially in the near run 2nd ref'm!
? Yes!
They didn't want men there who were not committed, and who they felt could not be part of 'the elephant' - as their mates.
They were heartily sick of their job, and knew that it was permanently damaging them to their cores. Their many cogent and wonderful letters home are overwhelmingly united on this latter point, and the books based on research into this vast body of hand-writing are highly recommended. I will list some, soon.
You may be / not be surprised to find that the a/h who pushed the conscription idea so hard, splitting our young country in the midst of that most terrible of wars and his party, which he was supposed to lead and sustain (?!), was knighted for his war-time efforts by a grateful Britain, in THEIR honours list, mind.
SIR (!?!!!*&%$#@???) William Morris Hughes!!!
He had built his political position and power as a ferocious and public anti-imperialist, and then WWI happens and he can see the POWER he could have with the fearful and supine among humanity, and became a war mongering demagogue, a flip in deed!!!
Yet, post-war he was turned into 'the little digger' by the nascent RSL in Victoria. This lead to the quiet determination of many returned men to have nothing to do with the RSL, like my father, Pardy, my FIL, and me. After BOTH wars, and after Vietnam.
The incongruity of it is compelling, to me at least!?
Back when I was a lad the huge shortfall between the membership numbers, and the number of living returned men, just never came up in public debate until 'Nam. WMH was aging by then and was allowed to sit and be saluted during the Anzac Day parades, wearing a slouch hat to which he was NOT entitled, not having served.
Isn't it strange, and sad, that veteran's organisations tend this way?
Even more striking in countries when the two world wars have been costly and UNprofitable for their country.
But, why did they use Billy as a cat's-paw / figurehead?
After he had sought to force lots more young men to their death!???? to serve alongside men who did not want them to come!
No, not at all!!
Because he had, post-war, gotten behind the RSL's push for very special treatment of returned men, from tax-payers money>. Some of this was just, some extravagant and corrupting, some misconceived, of which some plans were VERY bad for our ecology.
There was corruption and 'placing' mind as well, but you had to toe the line or you could find yourself with NTBP on yr file. Even in the civil service when I joined! yep!
Many in Melbourne just would not salute Billy, nor later the chair and hat - after he died and went off to burn for ever!!!!! Fights would break out when this was noted by the bullyboy types.
NB You didn't HAVE to be 'in the rissole' to march with your unit, or with your neighbours.
(So, very many would never march with their old units that was solidly Rissole politically - and it's original initials were RSS&AILA. A rissole is a - CHEAP - bread-crumb-laden minced-beef and onion, pattie, fried.)
Nor to benefit from the care made available. They wouldn't help you with the bureacracy though, until quite recently.
There is/was another alternative grouping called Legacy whose work and outcomes are entirely funded by donations, along with volunteering.
FIL and I are adult members, and we kids were 'junior Legatees'*, from Dad's death onwards. Kind of like the YMCA? gym, etc, and trips all over and 'vigorous' holidays, and I learned to fence, foil mostly!!!
And, I learnt to ride and love horses ever after, at two pony camps in Narrabri - outback. The Association did not charge Legacy any fee - so it was entirely free to us - these associations in many centres had own links with Legacy via the Light Horse units, and 'bush rifle' battalions,
this was in the spring hols in my teens. Even the very good horses were supplied for no cost to Mum. And, I got new boots both years as I shot up!!
I also went on a kindof outward bound program, learning to row, rock climb and abseil, bushwalk, and camp out!
Serendipitously, 'Legacy' in Necastle's city centre, was just down hill from the Cathedral, to which I caught a bus twice a week anyway!
WarmestTimbo in Oz
The Skyptical Mensurer and Audio ScroungerAnd gladly would he learn and gladly teach - Chaucer. ;-)!
'Still not saluting.'
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Follow Ups
- I failed to type in that both of the AIF's were ALL volunteers. the aftermath of WWI and later - in Aussie still running - Timbo in Oz 17:53:01 02/21/07 (0)
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