Anzacs

[Wally]

I was wondering if any members have tales to tell of the diggers, without the thread decending into an idealogical debate.

For my uncle WW2 was something he never got over. He went away smilie and came back damaged goods. He joined the 2/10 Infantry Battalion 20/10/39 and was discharged 4/12/45. He was one of those guys who served in North Africa and then in PNG as a sergeant. My grandmother used to tell the tale how a high ranking officer knocked on her door one day to announce her brother was being discharged, but he, along with many others had experienced unimaginable horror while in New Guinea and to expect a different man.

I hardly saw him while I was growing up, the family prefering to to sheild us kids from his odd behaviour, but when I was about 21 I had the opportunity to ask him to evaluate a stone wall I had built, because he was a mason by trade. This was only the second time I'd seen him and this time I was old enough talk one on one. It wasn't much of a conversation, we didn't have mutual history, but, and it's hard to explain, I couldn't help but feel I was in the presence of a bloke who had an extremely brave, but tortured soul and I felt helpless in relieving that pain. We had a beer, he talked little and I never saw him again.

My small contribution every year to the diggers around Anzac day and Rememberance Day is to buy a cool drink and something like a vegemite snackpak, sneek up to the old fella selling badges/poppies, flick $10 in the kick and give him the snack before scarping. It's not much, but to see the feeling of worth it gives the old digger speaks millions. It's getting harder each year to spring the surprise because they seem to be bringing in reinforcements in an attempt to nab me before I can get to them. This year I think I'll wear sunnies and a cap to get the drop on them...I am the Scarlet Pimpernel of the Brisbane Western Suburbs LOL.