Getting a decoration Aussie style

[George Armstrong Custer]

Being nominated for a decoration was clearly seen by some as entailing more bother than it was worth for all concerned - from the recipient to the awarding general and everyone in between - as this pithy account from 1917 attests:

'At our second billet on the way out of Ypres orders were issued that all men of the 4th Division who were to be decorated were to assemble at a certain village on a given Sunday. On this occasion I was the only "victim" in my battalion. Lieutenant Reg Jones was detailed to parade me, and one Sunday morning we set out. After two hours of walking we had not reached the village. Jones cursed me, and I cursed the medal that was the cause of it all. When eventually we reached the parade, Jones duly obtained a receipt for me, told me I could go to hell now for all he cared, and went off home.

After the church service, Birdie* commenced handing out medals and crosses. When my name was called, he informed me that my medal had gone astray, and he would give me a piece of ribbon instead. Looking into my eyes and grasping my hand, he said: "Thank you! Thank you for what you have done for us." I felt like a damned fool. He had a lovable personality, sincere and earnest, but he ruined much of the effect of it by ladling out what we called "bulsh" by the cartload. With it all, you could not help liking him. After this part of the show was over, I walked over to where a padre, who had just arrived from Australia, was standing. Some of his friends were mine also, and the thought of hearing about them thrilled me. But he was as cold as an iceberg, and his hand felt like a dead fish.

All this for a bit of ribbon. I went into the village to cheer myself up, and into the rowdiest estaminet I could find. Ordering four fried eggs, I sat back and watched the fun. Two rather nice-looking French girls were handing round drinks to a crowd of our fellows. The tables were close together, and one of the girls, in broken English, kept calling out: "Deeger, do not touch ze legs with ze hand," and occasionally making leaps and bounds like a young kangaroo. They were certainly a lot of rascals but a cheery crowd. By the time I was ready to leave, the girls were behind the counter and refused to come out. Their drapery must have been well tattooed by the Diggers' dirty beery fingers.'

- E. J. Rule (14th Batt., A.I.F.)

*General Sir William Birdwood, commanding I ANZAC Corps.

ciao,

GAC

[Ozzie]

Why 'Pithy"?

Kim

[George Armstrong Custer]

Why 'Pithy"?

Kim

Kim I used it in the sense of Rule's pen-portraits of everyone from his escort officer to Birdie to the etaminet girls being precise, meaningful, forceful and brief - in a word, pithy. It also applies, I think, to the way his terse sentences manage to convey an impression of attitudes without having to spell it out in so many words.

ciao,

GAC

[Ozzie]

My apologies for the terse post, thought that you were having a go.

The Anzacs did not look at medals as some may have. What was a medal when you had seen mates blown to hell? What was a medal when you knew of others that had done much more?

The presentation of a medal seemed to mean an embarrassing line up, where you were paraded as a hero, when possibly, when all you were doing, was doing your job.

Some may be critical of my reasoning, but if you read about Albert Jacka, he seems to epitimize the Anzac creed of doing the job, for the sake of it, not for the glory, and with passion.

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-vc/jacka_vc.htm

http://www.anzacsite.gov.au/5environment/vc/biography.html

I remember another story, but for the life of me, can't put my hands on it, of an Anzac that was called to the palace threee times, but did not show, to get his medal from King Gearge.

They finally got him there. He did not see the point in being in the limelight.

The commendation, and companionship of mates meant a lot more than a piece of metal.

And yet, today, that bit of metal means so very much to the soldier's descendants, and to others such as collectors.

Kim

[George Armstrong Custer]

I'd certainly never have a go at the Aussies, Kim - I had wonderful schooldays in Australia (Victoria) and its where I'll buy a second home if the lottery ever comes up! I think you're absolutely right that, in general, it's fair to say the Aussies had a different attitude to medals than others - and that difference in attitude can also be seen in their never being overawed in the presence of top brass - as Rule's reference to Birdie spouting formulaic 'bulsh' at the awards ceremony shows!

I was told an anecdote, around 1980, by a former (British) staff officer, which I may have posted before but I think bears repeating here in the context of Australian attitudes to the presence of the higher echelons. It again references Birdie, who on an inspection tour of Australian lines came across a Digger having a wash and shave out of a steel helmet shell. "You wouldn't be able to take a bath in that!" quips Birdie. "No, but a bird would!" shot back the Digger without missing a beat! ('Birdwood' - 'bird would' for those who've been asleep at the back).

ciao,

GAC

[Ozzie]

They called it how it was, no gloss.

You should invest anyway, in a home in our beautiful country.

Hang it all, just move here anyway.

Cheers

Kim

[George Armstrong Custer]

They called it how it was, no gloss.

Cheers

Kim

Indeed. What I find interesting is that, even though Rule has no time for what he sees as Birdie's OTT 'bulsh', yet he still holds the man and his motives in some affection. This is something the old staff officer who witnessed the exchange between Birdie and the Digger shaving also emphasised to me - there was no obsequiousness from the Diggers to Birdie's rank, but they held him in some affection as a decent bloke.

I'd love to go for a second place in Australia, but without the funds to allow regular commuting to and fro after purchase I'm afraid it's all dependent on those lucky numbers coming up someday!

ciao,

GAC

[Gunner Bailey]

The Anzacs did not look at medals as some may have. What was a medal when you had seen mates blown to hell? What was a medal when you knew of others that had done much more?

Kim

Not just the ANZACS. It the end of WW2 my father refused all medals. He said he come out of it with his life, and that was enough for him. Many of his friends had been killed in Sicily and Italy.

Gunner Bailey

[Ozzie]

I suppose it came down to what a man personally thought of medals, doesn't it. Some might see them as a rememberance of effort and loss, while others did not need or want those memories. Would be an interesting study, but unfortunately, the WW1 people have all gone.

I wonder if such a study has been done?

Kim

[Gunner Bailey]

I wonder if such a study has been done?

Kim

I doubt it Kim, but there's probably a department in every government medal office that has a list of 'not collected, no known address, refused issue' etc. But I would assume it's a small minority.

GB

[auchonvillerssomme]

I wonder how todays public and press would respond to the comments about the unwanted fondling of cafe staff to the point where the staff hid.

Mick