Us Serviceman's Pocket Guide To Australia, Ww2

Discussion in 'Australia & New Zealand' started by spidge, Jan 21, 2006.

  1. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Definitely belongs on Aussie homefront.

    An example of the quick witted Aussie to the yank "invasion".

    The book tells the American troops that you might remember this next time you get into an argument about who's going to win the war.

    Not so long ago in a Sydney bar an American soldier turned to an Australian next to him and said "Well, Aussie, you can go home now. We've come over to save you". The Aussie cracked back, "Have you? I thought you were a refugee from Pearl Harbour".

    http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-confli...s/ww2/guide.htm

    Good reading!
     
  2. angie999

    angie999 Very Senior Member

    Excellent. The UK equivalent has been republished and was on sale in the bookshops recently, but I have not seen it on the web.

    Some of the slang looks "quaint" to say the least.
     
  3. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    (angie999 @ Jan 22 2006, 02:05 AM) [post=44650]Excellent. The UK equivalent has been republished and was on sale in the bookshops recently, but I have not seen it on the web.

    Some of the slang looks "quaint" to say the least.
    [/b]

    There are a few errors in the slang. I had never heard of some of them.
     
  4. jimbotosome

    jimbotosome Discharged

    (spidge @ Jan 21 2006, 08:55 AM) [post=44647]Definitely belongs on Aussie homefront.

    An example of the quick witted Aussie to the yank "invasion".

    The book tells the American troops that you might remember this next time you get into an argument about who's going to win the war.

    Not so long ago in a Sydney bar an American soldier turned to an Australian next to him and said "Well, Aussie, you can go home now. We've come over to save you". The Aussie cracked back, "Have you? I thought you were a refugee from Pearl Harbour".

    http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-confli...s/ww2/guide.htm

    Good reading!
    [/b]
    That's pretty neat Geoff. It's pretty interesting to see the analogies between American's and Aussies. They ought to make that required reading for American elementary schools. Seems like all they learn about these days is one continent. I “busted a gut” reading the Aussie idioms. (“busted a gut” – had a hearty laugh) I imagine the American soldiers stationed in Aussieland probably had the best time of the war (other than the fighting). I picture Yanks and Aussies who hung out together then, a lot like the “New York pub scenes” in Crocodile Dundee. Considering their fun-loving attitudes, how anyone could mistake Aussies for being British I will never know!
    Aussie: = :D
    Yank: = images/smilies/default/biggrin.gif
    Brit: = images/smilies/default/mad.gif
    (just kidding)

    Austrailia is one continent I have always wanted to visit, not for the war history per se, but because it is one of the most unique countries/continents on the earth, in culture, fauna and flora. Maybe someday...
     
  5. chippo

    chippo Member

    the diggers and yanks were anything but friends, unfortunately. The yanks were paid better and had smarter uniforms than the diggers. And due to this fact, the Aussie girls swooned for the American soldiers and that really annoyed the Australians. The Australians also thought that the Americans had a very high opinion of themselves in WW2 and the Americans also threw their money around like it was no object. The Americans could buy their Aussie dates anything they wanted while the Aussie soldier couldn't afford much.

    It became such an issue that the Japanese even airdropped propaganda leaflets on the Australians in PNG depicting an American putting his tie back on and an Aussie lady lying on the bed. Obviously they had just done something and underneath the picture was the text "while you are away"

    There were frequent fights and even a massive brawl in Brisbane between the Americans and the Australians... in fact the brawl in Brisbane got so violent that a US MP shot dead an Australian soldier.

    As the saying went: "overpaid, oversexed and over here"

    - Chris
     
  6. jimbotosome

    jimbotosome Discharged

    (chippo @ Jan 24 2006, 07:30 AM) [post=44780]the diggers and yanks were anything but friends, unfortunately. The yanks were paid better and had smarter uniforms than the diggers. And due to this fact, the Aussie girls swooned for the American soldiers and that really annoyed the Australians. The Australians also thought that the Americans had a very high opinion of themselves in WW2 and the Americans also threw their money around like it was no object. The Americans could buy their Aussie dates anything they wanted while the Aussie soldier couldn't afford much.

    It became such an issue that the Japanese even airdropped propaganda leaflets on the Australians in PNG depicting an American putting his tie back on and an Aussie lady lying on the bed. Obviously they had just done something and underneath the picture was the text "while you are away"

    There were frequent fights and even a massive brawl in Brisbane between the Americans and the Australians... in fact the brawl in Brisbane got so violent that a US MP shot dead an Australian soldier.

    As the saying went: "overpaid, oversexed and over here"

    - Chris
    [/b]
    I could see how this could be a problem. It was probably the same as those in Britain. Show me a teenager (on either side) that didn't think he was better than anything else and even invincible to boot. WWII for the Allies was not fought by men but rather boys. What happens when you pour liquor down an immature nineteen year old? But then again, I have to believe that a good number got along very well. Aussies, the few I have personally met, have always seemed very warm and upbeat. You can't help but like people like that. My main point is that it is not hard to distinguish between the average Aussie and the average Brit though there are exceptions to all rules. Most British seem to take themselves way too serious in my opinion. Not that there is anything wrong with that but it makes people who don't feel a tad less at ease.

    Those leaflets, boy, that was low down! Seems to me it could have a deleterious affect on the Japanese though. Do you really want to piss off a bunch of soldiers and then go fight them?
     
  7. Exxley

    Exxley Senior Member

    (chippo @ Jan 24 2006, 01:30 PM) [post=44780]the diggers and yanks were anything but friends, unfortunately. The yanks were paid better and had smarter uniforms than the diggers. And due to this fact, the Aussie girls swooned for the American soldiers and that really annoyed the Australians. The Australians also thought that the Americans had a very high opinion of themselves in WW2 and the Americans also threw their money around like it was no object. The Americans could buy their Aussie dates anything they wanted while the Aussie soldier couldn't afford much.

    It became such an issue that the Japanese even airdropped propaganda leaflets on the Australians in PNG depicting an American putting his tie back on and an Aussie lady lying on the bed. Obviously they had just done something and underneath the picture was the text "while you are away"

    There were frequent fights and even a massive brawl in Brisbane between the Americans and the Australians... in fact the brawl in Brisbane got so violent that a US MP shot dead an Australian soldier.

    As the saying went: "overpaid, oversexed and over here"

    - Chris
    [/b]

    I remember having read about that in hmmm either Spector's Eagle against the Sun or Toland's Rising Sun. I was quite shocked to learn that at time things became really nasty.
     
  8. 39thmilitia

    39thmilitia Member

    Wasn't the average American serviceman 27 years old?
     
  9. Herakles

    Herakles Senior Member

    The fight, on Brisbane railway station came to be called "The Battle of Brisbane". Two trains had pulled in on opposite sides of the platform. The rest is history.

    The girls swooning at the Yanks had something to do with nylon stockings I think.

    On a more serious note, there was much ill feeling between the Aussies and the Yanks due mainly to Macarthur's incorrect and damaging press releases that gave the impression the Aussies weren't even present. There are still people who believe the Yanks won New Guinea.

    And then there was the small matter of the Yanks always getting the plum fights and the Aussies having to put up with mopping up operations.
     
  10. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Old Hickory Recon

    It wasn't so much that it was the Yanks that Old Mac was trying to play up, it really was MacArthur himself. It was just that he was in command of the US forces, so they had to look good to make him look good.

    Jack over at WW2F was involved in this somehow, I think more of an observer. He has spoken of some.

    The fight, on Brisbane railway station came to be called "The Battle of Brisbane". Two trains had pulled in on opposite sides of the platform. The rest is history.

    The girls swooning at the Yanks had something to do with nylon stockings I think.

    On a more serious note, there was much ill feeling between the Aussies and the Yanks due mainly to Macarthur's incorrect and damaging press releases that gave the impression the Aussies weren't even present. There are still people who believe the Yanks won New Guinea.

    And then there was the small matter of the Yanks always getting the plum fights and the Aussies having to put up with mopping up operations.
     
  11. Herakles

    Herakles Senior Member

    This seems to be the case Jeff. Macarthur took every opportunity to push his own barrow it seems. But at the time, everyone in Australia was in awe of him.
     
  12. Russ_B

    Russ_B Junior Member

    Definitely belongs on Aussie homefront.

    An example of the quick witted Aussie to the yank "invasion".

    The book tells the American troops that you might remember this next time you get into an argument about who's going to win the war.

    Not so long ago in a Sydney bar an American soldier turned to an Australian next to him and said "Well, Aussie, you can go home now. We've come over to save you". The Aussie cracked back, "Have you? I thought you were a refugee from Pearl Harbour".

    http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-confli...s/ww2/guide.htm

    Good reading!

    Reminds me of a story my Dad told me, when his ship was in Sydney, a few of the boys were drinking in a pub & listening to some yank spruke off about how he had been shot in the elbow in some contact somewhere, then a couple of hours later, the yank repeated the same story to someone else, only this time he was shot in the ass.
    1 of dads mates leans over & says to the guy, earlier it was your elbow now its ur ass, personally I think u were running that fast you didnt know your ass from your elbow....went down like a lead balloon.

    I'm new to this site & love reading some of the history & stories on here.
    What a shame we cant collect ALL the war time stories we have heard a 1000 times b4 from our parents & put them somewhere for all to read....it would be nice to hear some new ones for a change.
     
  13. Oggie2620

    Oggie2620 Senior Member

    Russ you are sooooo right. Thats why I talk to any veteran of any type I can get into conversation with and that doesnt mean just the WW2 ones because eventually even the ones in the later wars/conflicts will become rarer... I love readding books that have been written by veterans more than the text books for that reason... Dont by the way buy new books unless you can get it signed by the veteran go for alibris, abebooks or amazon and pay less (or you might get a signed one cheaper!)....
     

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