Armistice/Remembrance Day.

Photo; Australian troops advance on Bardia.

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month is the time when many people here and elsewhere stop what they are doing and observe a minutes silence for the fallen in wars.

We have sent many soldiers overseas, some prior to federation and of course lost many of them.

As a tribute to ours, I am posting some references to Australian troops from various people, most of which I have found at "Convict Creations".

General Monash;

"not lip service, nor obsequious homage to superiors, nor servile observance of forms and customs...the Australian army is proof that individualism is the best and not the worst foundation upon which to build up collective discipline"

Australian attitudes to the English

" They had been taught by their parents, or had otherwise acquired, a strong dislike of the speech, manners and attitudes of the higher British classes. It was possibly the latter's nonchalant sense of superiority, combined with a lack of sensitivity to the suffering of the troops, that infuriated the ANZACS most. "

" The road is a continuous stream of detached parties of Tommies .. who have become 'lost. stolen, or strayed'... Seems to me that whole damn lot are more intent on getting back than getting up. They'll make a good advance guard - for the civilian retreat. "

·English assessment of the Diggers

"But Churchill was unequivocal on this subject - he told his physician Lord Moran that Australians were of "poor stock". Presumably he was referring to the so-called convict stain."

"The Australians rose to the occasion. Not waiting for orders, or for the boats to reach the beach, they sprang into the sea....Then this race of athletes proceeded to scale the cliffs."

"In the later stages of the last war, the Australian Corps was by general recognition perhaps the most effectively operated of any; it certainly played a leading role in our victorious offensive."

Captured German officer:

" I cannot understand you Australians. In Poland, France and Belgium once the tanks got through the soldiers took it for granted they were beaten. But you are like demons. The tanks break through and your infantry keeps fighting"

When Morshead Took Command of the Australians in North Africa, Lord Haw Haw the british traitor doing propaganda for the Germans referred to them as "Ali Baba Morshead and his 40,000 thieves". 

This was adapted to 20,000 thieves to refer to the 9th division, when they were called back from Syria to stiffen things up after the retreat from Benghazi (known to Australians as the "Benghazi handicap")

An anonymous poem was written at the time about that: -

Jerry had us on the run, the news was far from hot,
He had his feet in Egypt and the Sphinx was on the spot,
So Auchinleck despondent sent signals out in sheaves,
To Ali Baba Morshead and his twenty thousand thieves.

So Leslie called his officers and whispered in their ears,
And his message went to Auchy "Have a pot and drown your fears.
We'll make that bloody Rommel think he's got the desert heaves,
Will Ali Baba Moorshead and his twenty thousand thieves.

"So we traveled down from Syria by tank and truck and car,
Leaving Tel Aviv and Haifa and pleasant towns afar.
Both Cairo and Alex were left behind to grieve
Losing Ali Baba Moorshead and his twenty thousand thieves.

So we came back up the desert, well known from days of yore,
And stopped the foe at Alamein close by the Meddy shore.
The Eyeties were pathetic, the Huns fell back like leaves
From Ali Baba Moorshead and his twenty thousand thieves.

Now Rommel's got a headache, his tanks can't take a trick,
His Afrik' Corps are not so hot, his air force makes us sick;
His dreams of looting Egypt are ditched and he is peeved
With Ali Baba Moorshead and his twenty thousand thieves,

We have Kittyhawks and Hurricanes and bombers by the score,
Dropping loads on Jerry's bases, rushing back for more.
And it's sure that Rommel's stonkered, whatever plans he weaves
'Gainst Ali Baba Moorshead and his twenty thousand thieves.