WW1 Digger History Podcast

Phil Mannell

True accounts of the First World War / The Great War / WWI as told by the soldiers themselves! read less

HistoriaHistoria

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Episode 0.0 There were skeletons of horses too

Episode 0.0 There were skeletons of horses too

This is the introduction to my new podcast which aims to bring primary source material originally written by soldiers and other combatants in The Great War or World War One (WW1), if you prefer. These will be mostly the memoirs or diaries of Australians, at least at first, that is why it is called The WWI Digger Stories Podcast. The Australians fought in famous campaigns and battles like Gallipoli, The Somme, Ypres, Pozieres, Fromelles, Passchendaele and in the middle east at Gaza and Beersheba. They also served in less well known places like German New Guinea and at sea. Background material son the events described by the soldiers and biographical information on the individuals mentioned will be included. This is the intro redux recorded in January 2017, much improved over the early 2016. Phil Mannell

Temporada 8

Episode 8.1 Oliver Hogue The Great War Blogger

Episode 8.1 Oliver Hogue The Great War Blogger

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.

Episode 8.2 Bluegum and Frantic Bluegum Part 2

Episode 8.2 Bluegum and Frantic Bluegum Part 2

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!

Episode 8.3 Its not the Love Boat Bluegum Part 3

Episode 8.3 Its not the Love Boat Bluegum Part 3

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!

Episode 8.4 In Egypt Bluegum Part 4

Episode 8.4 In Egypt Bluegum Part 4

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!

Episode 8.5 Gravel Crushers Bluegum Part 5

Episode 8.5 Gravel Crushers Bluegum Part 5

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."

Episode 8.6 Cop it in The Nek Bluegum Part 6

Episode 8.6 Cop it in The Nek Bluegum Part 6

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.

Episode 8.7 The war is a fair cow Bluegum Part 7

Episode 8.7 The war is a fair cow Bluegum Part 7

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).

Episode 8.8 Done like a dinner Bluegum Part 8

Episode 8.8 Done like a dinner Bluegum Part 8

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.

Episode 8.9 Ugly smelly creatures Bluegum Part 9

Episode 8.9 Ugly smelly creatures Bluegum Part 9

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.

Episode 8.10 The Battle of Romani Bluegum Part 10

Episode 8.10 The Battle of Romani Bluegum Part 10

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

Episode 8.11 The Battle of Maghdaba Bluegum Part 11

Episode 8.11 The Battle of Maghdaba Bluegum Part 11

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.

Episode 8.12 The Battle of Rafah Bluegum Part 12

Episode 8.12 The Battle of Rafah Bluegum Part 12

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.

Episode 8.13 The battles of Gaza and spin doctors Bluegum Part 13

Episode 8.13 The battles of Gaza and spin doctors Bluegum Part 13

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.

Episode 8.14 The desert patrol Bluegum Part 14

Episode 8.14 The desert patrol Bluegum Part 14

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!

Episode 8.15 Beersheba Bluegum 8.15

Episode 8.15 Beersheba Bluegum 8.15

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.

Episode 8.16 Jerusalem Bluegum 16

Episode 8.16 Jerusalem Bluegum 16

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.

Temporada 7

Episode 7.1 The Memoirs of Verdi Schwinghammer Part 1

Episode 7.1 The Memoirs of Verdi Schwinghammer Part 1

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.

Episode 7.2 The Battle of Broodseinde

Episode 7.2 The Battle of Broodseinde

"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.

Episode 7.3 In and out of the line Verdi Part 3

Episode 7.3 In and out of the line Verdi Part 3

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.

Episode 7.4 The German Spring Offensive Verdi part 4

Episode 7.4 The German Spring Offensive Verdi part 4

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."