Introductory episode. It includes a short passage from the memoirs of a young Australian soldier at Bray, France in 1918
Listeners of WW1 Digger History Podcast that love the show mention: great war, ww1, wwi, percy, soldiers, world war, diaries, australian, histories, first hand, phil, accounts, history podcast, details, reading, give it a listen, human, subject, personal, great work.
The WW1 Digger History Podcast is an exceptional podcast that offers a unique and engaging perspective on World War I. The host, Phil Mannell, does a fantastic job of bringing the war to life through the use of primary source material, such as diaries and memoirs from Australian soldiers who served in the war. With each episode, listeners are transported back in time and given a firsthand account of what life was like on the front lines. The supplemental information provided at the end of each episode adds depth and context to the stories being told.
One of the best aspects of this podcast is its focus on personal narratives. Rather than simply providing a broad overview of the war or focusing solely on military strategy, Mannell allows the voices of the soldiers themselves to take center stage. This gives listeners a more intimate understanding of what it was like to be involved in such a monumental event in history. The raw and unedited nature of these accounts adds an authenticity and emotional weight that is often missing from other history podcasts.
Additionally, Mannell's reading and storytelling abilities are top-notch. He has a knack for bringing out the nuances and emotions in each story, making it easy for listeners to become fully immersed in the narrative. His passion for the subject matter shines through in every episode, further enhancing the overall listening experience.
While there aren't many negative aspects to this podcast, some listeners may find it disappointing that it primarily focuses on Australian soldiers. While this is understandable given Mannell's background and expertise, it would be interesting to hear more about soldiers from other countries as well.
In conclusion, The WW1 Digger History Podcast is an absolute gem for history enthusiasts, particularly those interested in World War I. Through its use of primary source material and compelling storytelling, this podcast provides listeners with a rare glimpse into the lives of those who fought on the front lines during this tumultuous period in history. Whether you're new to World War I or a seasoned history buff, this podcast is definitely worth a listen.
No battles, except on the most unusual sporting field! This one has two parts. It looks firstly at the YMCA in the Middle East Theatre in World War One. Secondly a fun look at the Imperial Camel Corps sports day in February 1918 so if you want to learn about 'The Galoot' then listen in.
It never stops does it? The Holy Land is in the news now as it was in 1917. We take a look at the fall of Jerusalem and the entry of General Allenby into the city marking the start of just over 30 years of British rule. Oliver Hogue, a 10th Light Horse trooper and a local bystander tell the story of the attacks leading up to the surrender of Jerusalem and how Allenby entered the old city on foot.
This one covers fan-boy Oliver's description of the work done by General Allenby, the widely attributed last cavalry charge of history by the Australian Light Horse on Beersheba and later battles around Gaza and Khulweilfe. We also cover the death of a great Aussie cricketer, Albert 'Tibby' Cotter and the unsubstantiated claim that his mates killed the Turks that killed him... It does happen but there is no proof it happened this time.
This one is about the hardships of living in the desert, the Bedouin, camels, Mount Sinai and blowing up railway lines. All fun stuff, to be sure. Be advised: Politically incorrect language and poor pronunciation warnings!
We won that battle, didn't we? .... We did, we did! Trust us, we'd never lie. Honest! Spin doctors were alive and well in WW1 and they worked overtime on the Australian and British public after the disastrous battles around Gaza in the Holyland in early 1917. Oliver gives a reasonable account of the battles, anecdotes about the troopers and lastly advice to a certain young actress.
The little known Battle of Rafah was the last in the Sinai Desert Campaign. The Aussies, Kiwis, British and Indians including the Cameleers with their 'Bing Boys' gunners had to attack a fortified position deep in the desert with absolutely no cover. Guess what? ... They won and here is their story.
Finally for the 100th real episode the long promised interview with Len Jones' grandson Murray. We talk about Len, the family and the service of Len's son and grandson, Norman and Murray. 3 wars for the price of one, folks! Episode artwork is Len in later years courtesy of Murray Jones.
I actually enjoyed editing this one which covers not only the Battle of Maghdaba, but also the Battle of Bir-el-Abd. Oliver has a gripe about a job he wants and the way the Middle East is covered in Australian press. It is a good one, please enjoy the 99th full episode of the podcast. Episode level artwork is the Standard of the Turkish 80th Infantry Regiment (AWM Item: RELAWM15159) captured by the 2nd Light Horse Regiment at Maghdaba. Link posted in Facebook.
Just a brief update on what is in store for the podcast.
Here's Part 10 of the saga of Trooper Bluegum. One of the major battles in the Middle East during WW1 secured much of the Sinai in Allied Hands. This is Oliver's and a Boer War Veteran description of the battle. Episode artwork is Brig. Royston, courtesy AWM
Part 2 covering the life of one of Australia's greatest soldiers. Harry Murray recalls the Battle of Bullecourt in great detail "Now, there were many furious arguments in billets and dugouts as to who — Jacka or Murray — was the Aussie with the greater number of decorations. “Murray killed yet?” Was always the first query shot at a 13th man whenever he went visiting. The answer was, “No, still going strong,” and the visitor would have some new tale to tell of Murray's latest piece of daring. Everybody wondered how long it could last!" (Trove)
He was the most highly decorated Australian soldier of WW1. Brave dashing and highly resourceful, Harry Murray rose from the ranks to command a machine gun battalion. This is the first of a 2 part series on the man who shunned the limelight after the war, always maintaining that he did not deserve the attention he received. Listen and decide for yourself. Warning, this one contains a lot of action! Harry describes Gallipoli, Moquet Farm and the battle where he wins the Victoria Cross.
In 1916 the Imperial Camel fought the Ottoman backed revolt by the Senussi in the Western Desert of Egypt. Oliver talks about training, patrols, deaths and near deaths from lack of water, including the ultimately pointless act of self-sacrifice by a British Pilot in the desert. We meet their 'hooshta' and hear how the Aussies hated these animals at first.
The Turks bombarded our lines and hurled half-a-dozen shells into our trench, smashing down parapets, wrecking rifles and gear, splattering bullets and splinters everywhere, and yet miraculously missing everybody. Later on, a single stray bullet found its way through a loophole, ran along the barrel of a rifle, ricocheted off at an impossible angle, and killed young Trooper Bellinger.
In this one we meet a 'gentleman' nicknamed 'Tommy' a sergeant who after the war went back to being, ahem, a gentleman... stick around for the rather long bios to hear about that. We also have Brigadier Ryrie doing chicken impressions, Oliver in his dugout, mail call, and we reacquaint ourselves with old friends, Billy Sing and the 'Old Bird' Major Midgely. So maleesch, settle down and don't imshee until it's finished. No baksheesh! (You'll work it out).
Guest presenters, 12 year old Abbey, 11 year old Xavier and their teacher, Mr Rob Coughlan, from St Michael's School in Western Australia bring you the story of Jim Martin, believed to have been the youngest Aussie Digger to die at Gallipoli. He was just under 14 years and 10 months old when he died of disease on a hospital ship. It is very fitting that a couple young Australians, just a few years off Jim's age present this true story. Lest we forget!
In this episode Oliver describes actions in the Battles of Lone Pine and The Nek, as well as profiles of a cook named George and three brave sergeants. There is an 'N' word warning for this one.
In this one the 2nd Light Horse Brigade take their place in the front line trenches at Gallipoli and have their first cracks at 'Johnny Turk.' Here is a bit of it: "The day after the big attack General Birdwood asked one of the 1st Light Horse Regiment if he had killed many Turks, and he answered, "Yes, miles of the cows." As a matter of fact the Australians were almost quarrelling for positions in the firing-line that night. When the fight was at its hottest, men in the supports were offering bribes of tobacco and cigarettes to the men in the firing-line to swap places with them just for ten minutes."
In this one, Oliver and the men of the Light Horse are in Egypt when the Infantry go to Gallipoli. The men get restless and some rip the bad part of Cairo up in a brawl known as The Battle of The Wazzir. Finally the men get the word, they are going to Gallipoli.... without their beloved horses!
Do you fancy a cruise? Do you like travelling with pets? What was life like on a cruise liner with nearly 500 horses on board. Oliver and the Light Horse travel to Egypt on the SS Suevic. Don't worry, it's not as boring as it may sound. So wrap yourself up in some tarpaulin ... never mind, just come aboard!
In September 1914, English author and poet, Laurence Binyon was so appalled by the casualty lists coming out of France that he penned the 7 stanza poem, "For the fallen". Little did he know that the middle, 4th stanza, would become the most remembered and solemnly cited verses in at least 4 countries. From 1921 this stanza became known as "The ode" and an integral part of remembrance services on Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.
Ion Idriess was arguably the greatest adventure novelist Australia has produced, writing 53 books in a 40 year career. As a young man in the iconic Australian Light Horse he kept a diary which he later turned into his most enduring book, "The Desert Column". This is his story.
Well, who is the future famous star of stage and film that stole a soldier's heart before he went to war? Find out in this second episode on the life of Trooper Bluegum, Oliver Hogue!
Trooper Bluegum became a household name in Australia during The Great War, a journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald he wrote numerous articles widely published in the press, turning these into 2 books after his semi-fictional "Love Letters of an Anzac". These letters were fake but his real love interest would become a Broadway Star and Oscar nominee. Follow him through Gallipoli and the Battles in the Holyland. But this man's fate has a modern irony and I give you a spoiler alert part way through. Oliver Hogue was an interesting man, take the time to hear the first part a look at his life and works.
Billy Sing was arguably the greatest sniper ever produced by Australia but as a Chinese Australian he was nearly denied enlistment and after the war almost forgotten. Billy died almost a pauper and alone at the age of 57. Here is his story. The Ballad of Billy Sing is presented with the permission of Mr Jeff Brown.
Just an update on where we are going with the podcast!
The 7th and final part to the WW1 memoirs of Verdi Schwinghammer, who fought in the battles of Broodseinde and St Quentin Canal. There is no fighting in this one with Verdi sight seeing in Paris, Brussels, England and Ireland with some great observations of the immediate post era. Verdi returns home to his folks and we follow a little of his post war life.
In this one, Verdi and 3rd Division take us through the Battle of St Quentin Canal with the Americans of the 27th & 30th Divisions, through Armistice and on to the early post war period. Of particular interest is the episode where Verdi treks through the old battlefields to find his cousin's grave and on his Aunt's request....
When some of our men went to bury the dead after the Battle of Mont St Quentin, when they were lifting up some of the dead bodies, bombs would explode and many of our men were killed this way. He laid these traps for us – placing a bomb under a dead soldier and when the body was lifted the catch from bomb would be released and the bomb exploded. That night enemy planes came over all night long dropping bombs, and several of the men at the rear of us were killed and wounded, by long-range shells..... Sometimes one was safer in the front-line trench than in the back areas!
The Australian 3rd Division Memorial sits above the town of Sailly-le-Sec for a good reason.... "We eventually arrived at Heilly. Passed a few stragglers – Tommies – the remnants of Gough’s British Fifth Army, which had been overtaken by disaster. The citizens had evacuated Heilly before we arrived. Here we dumped our packs and belongings and got into battle order."
We were each given a tin of fruit and a tin of preserved sausages for our Christmas dinner. My pal and I were hungry, so we both opened our tins and ate half the contents for breakfast, putting the remainder in the tin on a shelf in our dugout – covering them with a board with a stone on it. The rats were very bad in the trenches and dugouts. As we were off duty, we went to sleep for a couple of hours and on waking and going to get our dinner found that the rats had knocked off the coverings while we were asleep and had eaten everything. So we had dry biscuits for our Christmas dinner of 1917.
"Men do not go into battle sad and gloomy (as many civilian people wrongly imagine). They are quite the opposite, even though they know the dreadful things they have to face and that some of them are going to their death," Verdi Schwinghammer describes the Battle of Broodseinde, part of 3rd Ypres in this, the second part of his memoirs.
An ANZAC Day Special .... well kind of! The first part of a 7 part series from the memoirs of Verdi Schwinghammer. Here is a taste of it, "That night a big air raid took place and we enjoyed watching our guns shooting at the German planes – which were caught and held in the searchlights – several close hits being secured. No bombs fell on us but one fell on the horse lines close by, killing and wounding several horses and mules." The episode covers his enlistment, training, voyage to Europe, more training and his initial days in the 42nd Battalion AIF.
This is just a few words to let you know what is planned for the podcast.
Simpson was the most famous 'Anzac' of all. On the second day of the Gallipoli Campaign, Jack found a small donkey, wrapped a red cross band around its forehead and started ferrying wounded men down to the beach. For three weeks he did this, slogging through the bullet and shrapnel wrapped gullies until finally... But who was John Simpson Kirkpatrick? Listen to his letters home and descriptions of his exploits from other men at Anzac Cove.
This is a very short episode on the Glosters and their part at Fromelles. Short because? Well, unfortunately I can't find any written accounts of the battle by these boys. Famous war poet Ivor Gurney was in their sister battalion over to the right and one of his poems sounds just like Fromelles.
100 years after winning the Victoria Cross in North Russia, the remains of Welsh born Aussie soldier, Samuel George Pearse are thought to have been rediscovered in a scrap yard at Archangel. At the time of his death, recently married Pearse, was already a war hero with a Military Medal won at Glencorse Wood 2 years earlier.
Leon Gellert, a 23 year old Physical Education Teacher from Leabrook, South Australia is considered to be the best Great War poet from Australia. This episode focuses on his war experience and his poems. I watched the place where they had scaled the height, The height whereon they bled so bitterly Throughout each day and through each blistered night I sat there long, and listened - all things listened too I heard the epics of a thousand trees, A thousand waves I heard; and then I knew The waves were very old, the trees were wise: The dead would be remembered evermore- The valiant dead that gazed upon the skies, And slept in great battalions by the shore.
To the right of the Australian 5th Division at Fromelles was the 61st Division of the BEF. These were second line territorial troops that had never seen action before. They had slightly different problems to the Australians but both Divisions suffered from bad generalship and primary among these bad generals was Lieutenant General Sir Richard Haking. We look at the men of the 184th British Brigade, men that were part of the nick-named "Sixty-worst Division". I think this was unfair, see what you think!
Pompey Elliott's Australian 15th Brigade attacked the unbreakable 'Sugarloaf' on 19 July 1916. This is the story of this disastrous attack. Teddy Roosevelt befriended one of the survivors. Hear T.R.'s words and hear his friends description of Fromelles. This is some of what he wrote: "I lay for half an hour with my arms around the neck of a boy within a few yards of a German "listening post," while the man who was with me went back to try and find a stretcher. He told me he had neither mother nor friend, was brought up in an orphanage, and that no one cared whether he lived or died. But our hearts rubbed as we lay there, and we vowed lifelong friendship. It does not take long to make a friend under those circumstances, but he died in my arms and I do not know his name."
13 year, 11 month old Leonard Jackson was able to fool the enlistment officers and go overseas to Egypt but his father Joe wasn't fooled. It was impossible to find the lad among all the thousands of recruits in khaki so Joe enlisted and followed the boy. Instead of bringing Len home, Joe joined him in the 55th Battalion and both fought at Fromelles. Corporal Harold Roy Williams of the 56th Battalion wrote a successful book, "The Gallant Company". You'll love the story of "Skinny" Elliott and other real men of the 14th Brigade!
'The sergeant comes up shouting, "Hey! Haven't y' gone yet? Got cold feet?" "Cold feet yourself," Ted retorts. And then seeing Bert, who has been missing for some time, Ted produces a note-book and calls, "Here you are, Bert, write your next-of-kin's name and address." There is no farewell. They grasp their rifles, and Ted slings the phone over his shoulder. "You all set? Come on!" he calls, and away they go. He shouts "Good luck lads!" as they climb over the parapet. God! what sights they see out there. Huddled and stretched out bodies, khaki heaps that were once men. '
"A young sergeant led a section that passed in artillery formation, and I shall never forget that godlike youth while life shall last. To think of him now is an inspiration, for he was Australia, young, handsome, earnest, and grim. His eyes were lit with the flame of duty, and he never flinched beneath the swish of shrapnel that Fritz had now directed on our advancing troops. He led his brigade and could not falter." ... Lieutenant George H Wilson. Enough said!
Jim finishes his wartime recollections with descriptions of his time as a "guest" of the Ottoman Empire after his capture at Es Salt in May 1918. Jim describes the conditions in the prison camp, working on the Berlin Baghdad Railway, lice, poor food, bad clothing, other prisoners and the Turkish guards. He also recounts his repatriation, first to Alexandria, then England and then home to Adelaide.
In 1973 Keith Tidswell placed a microphone in front of his grandfather, cameleer, light horseman and field ambulanceman. Over an hour later Jim had recounted his training, the trip over, a little about Beersheba, Es Salt and... Well, that is as far as we get in this episode. It's a "ripper of a yarn" as Jim might have said but you'll have to wait for Part 2 to hear how Jim's war ends! Apologies for the lateness of this one folks, I have been busy with work and home matters!
In late October 1914, English born missionary, Reverend Cox was assaulted and flogged with a cane by several Germans and a Belgian on the island of New Ireland. What followed was one of the few blemishes on the career of Major General William Holmes. The Germans went so far as to ask the US Ambassador to London enquire about the punishment without a trial. The SS Matinga visits Rabaul on one of her supply missions, but it is her last supply run in 1917 that is interesting when she meets the German raider SMS Wolf!
This one is action packed, Bill hides stores, watches the surrender of New Guinea, is present when the submarine AE1 went missing and heard first hand about the sinking of the SMS Emden by HMAS Sydney. We also look at the capture of the German vessels, Nusa and Komet and Tok Pisin!
Although a minuscule battle by WW1 standards, about 37 men were killed in the Battle of Pita Paka, the fight to take the German colony of New Guinea in September 1914. Bill Lane was amongst the fighting: "Owing to the thickness of the bush, a few of us got separated from the mob. With shooting go on all around, we not knowing whether it was the enemy or our own men. Us, not knowing the German uniform and not knowing they had natives fighting for them, we were in danger of shooting our own men or being mistaken for the enemy."
Who were the first Australians to die in World War 1? They were British soldiers, "Old Contemptibles" actually, but what next? Gallipoli? No! Australia fought its first land battle at New Guinea....“If your Ministers desire and feel themselves able to seize German wireless stations at Yap in Marshall Islands, Nauru on Pleasant Island, and New Guinea, we should feel that this was a great and urgent Imperial service”. So there you go, this short series examines this campaign.
In the final 5oth episode of Percy Smythe's diary we interview his niece, WW2 WAAF veteran, Margaret Clarke and great niece and creator of the Smythe Family History website, Jacqui Kennedy. We also hear Percy's daughter Betty's account of his and Dorrie's later years, read by another great niece, Vivienne Smythe. The last minute will leave you numb as Vivienne reads Percy's poem about the Battle of Pozieres.
At a concert on board the ship home a scene had a "map of Australia depicted by boxes placed together with lights in them. Behind was a tableau, a "digger" just arriving home, met by his mother and his grey-headed old father, the latter holding a little child in his arms. It was very touching, and brought a choking pain into one's throat and a dimness to one's eyes." Then, at Adelaide when the ship docks, Percy hears some terrible news. This one covers the trip home on the SS Anchises, sight seeing in South Africa, Adelaide and Melbourne. It's a real buzz-buzz, whatever that is!
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