WW1 Digger History Podcast
119 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 48 ratingsTrue accounts of the First World War / The Great War / WWI as told by the soldiers themselves!
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Episodes
Episode 2.1 The diary of Percy Smythe: Build up that chest
September 15, 2016 10:31 - 55 minutes - 57.8 MBIt is April 1915, you are 21 years old, you have two brothers in khaki and on their way to god knows where (Gallipoli), you have had a big problem at work and you are broke. What do you do? You join the AIF of course! This is part one of the diary of Percy Ellesmere Smythe, the third oldest of four brothers who go to war. This is the story of your experiences and those of your brothers through your eyes. Come on a journey through the Dardenelles and the western front with Percy and come ...
Episode 1.10 A cut of the cards
August 31, 2016 00:42 - 53 minutes - 49.8 MBThis final episode of Len Jones' memoirs takes us through the final battles of the Great War to the Armistice, including fierce battles through the Somme Valley. Len then describes the very difficult trip home in early 1919 on the SS Somali, including an attempted mutiny by the soldiers at Adelaide. He takes up the story in July 1918, just before Ludendorff’s ‘Black day of the German army. Len finished the memoirs as World WarTwo started and he provides us with his thoughts on the new confl...
Episode 1.9 The Yanks are coming
August 14, 2016 01:13 - 38 minutes - 36.7 MBIn this episode, Len takes us through the first half of 1918, at first on furlough in "Blighty" then he attends a training school when the Germans launch their final Spring Offensive. Len provides us with more insights into life in the AIF and in wartime England. He gives his opinion on the quality of later recruits to the AIF and of the Americans he meets. It is also obvious how more mature and reserved Len became toward the end of the war. Enjoy!
Episode 1.8 Blinkin' bleedin' mad
June 29, 2016 06:43 - 1 hour - 88.9 MBThis episode covers much of 1917 including The 2nd Battle of Bullecourt and "Passchendaele" or the 3rd Ypres offensive. Len as usual provides great insight into the life of a digger on the western front. His description of signalling during the Battles of Polygon Wood and Broodseinde Ridge are awesome. You'll never forget the "s"es beers! This episode covers Len's Chapter 8 of his memoirs and is quite long, but that is how he wrote it. Here is some of it: "In charge of a sergeant, off we...
Episode 1.7 Fritz saves his sausage
June 09, 2016 22:29 - 38 minutes - 33.7 MBIn this episode of Len Jones' memoirs, Len recounts the 3rd Battalion's activities in 1917. He also describes the reaction of his family and friends when he goes on 'Blighty' leave. We hear about attacks at Hermies and the Lagnicourt, the German 'retreat' to the Hindenberg line in early 1917, boils, sausage balloons and the Red Baron. This episode is shorter than the last epic so come along for the ride.
Episode 1.6 Rats as big as cats
May 31, 2016 10:51 - 1 hour - 76 MBLen takes us through the dismal winter of 1916-1917 at Ypres and on the Somme, in this episode which I almost called A for ANZAC. Find out why. We experience the death of the well loved Colonel Howell-Price, amongst other men. Joe Weger and his mates take prisoners in a trench raid on Hill 60 and Len describes action at Flers and sightings of some beings 'from another planet'. Meet Sergeant Yorke, Snooksie, 'Cock' and others that Len could never forget. This is the longest episode in...
Episode 1.5 Shaking Hands With Fritz
May 08, 2016 12:32 - 33 minutes - 38.3 MBIn this episode Len takes us back to the Somme in front of Pozieres at Moquet Farm. We also meet a couple of Germans. A very amusing little Saxon bloke and a possiblr spy. Len ends up at Ypres in Belgium. My apologies about the variable sound quality in this episode. I had problems with my old laptop!
Episode 1.6 Definitions
May 06, 2016 01:50‘Loots’ means Lieutenants. On this, I have been pronouncing this word with the traditional English “left” beginning, I suspect the American “loo” beginning was already being used by many. It certainly is the common version used in Australia today. ‘outback’ here means the rear areas behind the combat zone. ‘neers’ is short for Pioneers. These guys were the engineers or trades specialists in the forces. Playfair is a cipher based on the alphabet ‘duff’ means the steamed pudding in thi...
Episode 1.5 Definitions
May 06, 2016 01:43‘Froggies’ is slang for French. PMG means Post Master General, or a ‘telco’ in modern parlance; KIA means killed in action. A ‘bar to his MM’ or a ‘bar’ means he has one that medal twice. ‘Two bars’ is three times. ‘Cleaned the mob up at nap’ is unknown to me. Après la Bataille’ is a poem by Victor Hugo and turned into a song, ‘bloche beni’ and ‘Maitre Renard’ (Burgundy) are unknown. CCS is Casualty Clearance Station. These were forward aid posts. 5th Division is the fifth and...
Episode 1.4 Definitions
May 06, 2016 01:37‘Mob’ means group. A ‘Salvo’ is a round from an artillery battery 5.9s, 75s etcetera are various artillery shells. These are commonly known by the calibre with a few exceptions like the ‘whizz-bang’ and ‘coal box’. ‘Cherio’ means goodbye (like ‘hooroo’). ‘Strafed’ means to get a dressing down from a superior. ‘Anzacs’ in this case refers to a crunchy biscuit or a ‘cookie’ if you are a ‘doughboy’ rather than a ‘digger’. Anzac biscuits remain very popular today. 'Cawnpore Angels' r...
Episode 1.4 Toc's Premonition Pozieres
April 09, 2016 12:32 - 35 minutes - 41.8 MBThis is it, the Battle of Pozieres. Len describes the taking of this infamous French Village between the 22nd and 27th of July 1916. Toc Oates had a premonition of death at Gallipoli. Now you can see what happens! But, Len loses several mates at Pozieres, not just "Toc". 126 men from Len's Battalion were killed, a true decimation. He also describes being blown out of a trench, digger buried men out, holding a man who died in his arms, killing a German with the butt of his rifle and anoth...
Episode 1.3 Definitions
March 31, 2016 22:12PLM: is the Paris Lyon Mediterrannee Railway; QM: means Quartermaster; Backshee: means false; PH: is a kind of hooded gas mask. I am not sure what “PH” stands for; Nick: means steal; Fromelles: refers to the front line sector south of Armentieres. The Battle of Fromelles took place on 19th July, 1916; Shaking: means stealing; ‘Whizz-Bangs’: are a high explosive shell which has a curious sound caused by the fast moving shell outpacing the sound of the gun being fired. ‘Babblers’ or ‘B...
Episode 1.2 Definitions
March 31, 2016 22:10“Don” Company: in this case is “D” Company of the 3rd Battalion, AIF. In the Great War, the Military alphabet differed quite a bit to later years: The four companies are A for Ack, B for Beer, C for Charlie and D for Don. Len refers to a mate as “Toc” Oates and his CO later in the war as “Don Toc Emma”. These were their initials. SAA: is small arms ammunition. I wonder if the Turkish authorities ever found that dump! ‘Crimed’: means having someone charged MG: means machine gun ‘Johnny Tu...
Episode 1.1 Definitions
March 31, 2016 22:05AIF: is The Australian Imperial Force The “strong”: means the news of the war. I wouldn’t have understood the Light horseman either! Liverpool Camp: is now an industrial estate on the eastern bank of the Georges River in the suburb of Liverpool, NSW. Marmalades: was a derisive term at the Liverpool Camp which was applied to the newest batch of trainees. There was a particularly distasteful brand of marmalade jam named “Pinks” which the “Old hand “ refused to eat. Camp authorities got rid ...
Episode 1.3 Pink Patches
March 30, 2016 21:33 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MB"Righto Don Company, over you go". In this episode, Len takes your on a train trip through 1916 France, then into the trenches of the Western Front for the first time. We here about life in the trenches near Fromelles before the famous battle and anecdotes about the Aussie digger mates he has made. Len takes us through the rear areas of The Somme and into the jump off trench near Pozieres. He then leaves us with a cliff hanger as he rushes from the trenches.
Episode 1.2 Fighting Johnny Turk
March 18, 2016 01:31 - 43 minutes - 50.6 MBIn this episode, Len Jones describes life in the trenches at Gallipoli before the withdrawal and the Battalion's time in Egypt and on the Suez Canal. Len is sniped at and nearly blown up. He also just about bayonets a Brigadier General. He finishes with the trip to France and the "mob" landing at Marseilles. He introduces many of his cobbers and gives us some fine anecdotes particularly about the adjutant "Joe" Burrett.
Episode 1.1 The Memoirs of Corporal Len Jones
March 07, 2016 20:00 - 31 minutes - 35.2 MBThis is the first episode in a series presenting the memoirs written by Warwickshire born 21 year old Leonard Jones. Len describes his early life as a merchant seaman, his voyage to Australia and his brief life in Sydney, Wondai ans Temora before enlistment. He describes basic training and signalling training at Liverpool and Broadmeadows Camps, his embarkation, stay in Egypt and his own personal landing at Gallipoli.
Episode 0.0 Definitions
March 07, 2016 03:43DEFINITIONS Tommy: English soldier (Derived from Tommy Atkins) Poilus: French soldier (It means "hairy" as the French soldiers rarely shaved when on the frontline) Bluey: Common nickname for an Australian with red or auburn hair (Now quite an archaic nickname) Lewis Gun: A light machine gun fitted with a rotating ammunition drum and invented in the US in 1911 Hooroo: A now largely archaic Australian word meaning goodbye (The "H" is not usually pronounced and sometimes not written). It m...
Episode 0.0 There were skeletons of horses too
February 19, 2016 21:47 - 7 minutes - 8.72 MBThis 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 Beer...