Over There with the Australians

1 CHAPTER I CHAPTER II CHAPTER III CHAPTER IV CHAPTER V CHAPTER VI CHAPTER VII CHAPTER VIII CHAPTER IX CHAPTER X CHAPTER XI CHAPTER XII CHAPTER XIII CHAPTER XIV CHAPTER XV CHAPTER XVI CHAPTER XVII CHAPTER XVIII CHAPTER XIX CHAPTER XX CHAPTER XXI CHAPTER XXII CHAPTER XXIII CHAPTER XXIV CHAPTER XXV CHAPTER XXVI CHAPTER XXVII CHAPTER XXVIII CHAPTER XXIX "Over There" with the Australians, by R. Hugh 2 CHAPTER XXX CHAPTER XXXI CHAPTER XXXII CHAPTER XXXIII CHAPTER XXXIV CHAPTER XXXV CHAPTER XXXVI CHAPTER XXXVII "Over There" with the Australians, by R. Hugh The Project Gutenberg eBook, "Over There" with the Australians, by R. Hugh Knyvett This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: "Over There" with the Australians Author: R. Hugh Knyvett Release Date: December 3, 2005 [eBook #17206] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK "OVER THERE" WITH THE AUSTRALIANS*** E-text prepared by Al Haines Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 17206-h.htm or 17206-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/7/2/0/17206/17206-h/17206-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/7/2/0/17206/17206-h.zip) "OVER THERE" WITH THE AUSTRALIANS by CAPTAIN R. HUGH KNYVETT ANZAC Scout Intelligence Officer, Fifteenth Australian Infantry [Frontispiece: Captain R. Hugh Knyvett.] New York Charles Scribner`s Sons 1918 Copyright, 1918, by Charles Scribner`s Sons Published April, 1918 BILL-JIM`S CHRISTMAS (Bill-Jim is Australia`s name for her soldier) "Over There" with the Australians, by R. Hugh 3 Here where I sit, mucked-up with Flanders mud, Wrapped-round with clothes to keep the Winter out, Ate-up wi` pests a bloke don`t care to name To ears polite, I`m glad I`m here all right; A man must fight for freedom and his blood Against this German rout An` do his bit, An` not go growlin` while he`s doin` it: The cove as can`t stand cowardice or shame Must play the game. Here`s Christmas, though, with cold sleet swirlin` down . . . God! gimme Christmas day in Sydney town! I long to see the flowers in Martin Place, To meet the girl I write to face to face, To hold her close and teach What in this Hell I`m learning--that a man Is only half a man without his girl, That sure as grass is green and God`s above A chap`s real happiness, If he`s no churl, Is home and folks and girl, And all the comforts that come in with love! There is a thrill in war, as all must own, The tramplin` onward rush, The shriek o` shrapnel and the followin` hush, "Over There" with the Australians, by R. Hugh 4 The bosker crunch o` bayonet on bone, The warmth of the dim dug-out at the end, The talkin` over things, as friend to friend, And through it all the blessed certainty As this war`s working out for you an` me As we would have it work. Fritz maybe, and the Turk Feel that way, too, The same as me an` you, And dream o` victory at last, although The silly cows don`t know, Because they ain`t been born and bred clean-free, Like you and me. But this is Christmas, and I`m feeling blue, An` lonely, too. I want to see one little girl`s sly pout (There`s lots of other coves as feels like this) That holds you off and still invites a kiss. I want to get out from this smash and wreck Just for to-day, And feel a pair of arms slip round me neck In that one girl`s own way. I want to hear the splendid roar and shout O` breakers comin` in on Bondi Beach, While she, with her old scrappy costume on, Walks by my side, an` looks into my face, "Over There" with the Australians, by R. Hugh 5 An` makes creation one big pleasure-place Where golden sand basks in that golden weather-- Yes! her an` me together! I do me bit, An` make no fuss of it; But for to-day I somehow want to be At home, just her an` me. (From the Sydney "Sunday Times") CONTENTS An Introduction Mainly About Scouts PART I "THE CALL TO ARMS" I. The Call Reaches Some Far-Out Australians II. An All-British Ship III. Human Snowballs IV. Training-Camp Life V. Concentrated for Embarkation VI. Many Weeks at Sea PRT. II EGYPT VII. The Land of Sand and Sweat VIII. Heliopolis IX. The Desert X. Picketing in Cairo XI. "Nipper" PRT. III ... - tailieumienphi.vn