Below are examples of primary sources from WW1
![Picture](/uploads/1/8/2/5/18257097/343745142.gif)
An Australian World War One recruiting image, courtesy of the Australian War Memorial.
The Recruit
If I must go and leave these ways I know
These dusks and dawns, and colour in the trees,
And the slow yarns, and wood-smoke hanging low,
And glowing stars, and cattle at their ease
And all the dear, small things of which I am a part -
I do not go for any prideful cause
That Europe might defend.
But only that the sun-swept Austral land
Might still lie warm within the Austral hand;
And that young boys, who speak the tongue I know,
Might laugh in years ahead where sunsets glow;
While softly, softly in the leaves of the kurrajongs,
The night wind croons its tiny summer songs.
Charles Shaw [Australia]
If I must go and leave these ways I know
These dusks and dawns, and colour in the trees,
And the slow yarns, and wood-smoke hanging low,
And glowing stars, and cattle at their ease
And all the dear, small things of which I am a part -
I do not go for any prideful cause
That Europe might defend.
But only that the sun-swept Austral land
Might still lie warm within the Austral hand;
And that young boys, who speak the tongue I know,
Might laugh in years ahead where sunsets glow;
While softly, softly in the leaves of the kurrajongs,
The night wind croons its tiny summer songs.
Charles Shaw [Australia]
An Australian Recruitment poem
http://hsc.csu.edu.au/modern_history/core_study/ww1/poetry/page133.htm#anchor188104
http://hsc.csu.edu.au/modern_history/core_study/ww1/poetry/page133.htm#anchor188104
- Video on remembering WW1
GALLIPOLI EXPERIENCE
OF AN OLD JERILDERIE BOY
Corporal Bert Smythe, an old Jerilderie boy, writes an interesting narrative concerning trench warfare in Gallipoli in which campaign he participated. At time of writing the soldier was an inmate of a London Hospital. He says:-
“It is about 6 o’clock in the morning, and we are in the rest trenches due to go into the firing line for four hours (approx.) sometime during the morning. There is a splutter of rifle fire and a machine gun spits out about 20 rounds viciously. A short silence and another splutter, and an ominous heavy report, and again silence. You turn over, and in so doing dislodge some dirt in your dugout which of course falls into your ear and mouth. Further sleep out of question by the time you have emptied your mouth, so you get up, but do not bother dressing as the situation demands you to sleep fully dressed. Examine your rifle and see that your ammunition is OK, and then you think of “brecker.” Being in charge of a platform you look up your orderly roster and find out who is orderly for the day. You should have done this last night, only the excitement of writing to the “one and only” caused you to forget. You find that Smith and Jones are the unfortunates, so you proceed to Smith’s domicile and kick him gently in the ribs. You don’t kick him because you don’t like him, but because it is too much trouble to bend down and shake him.
OF AN OLD JERILDERIE BOY
Corporal Bert Smythe, an old Jerilderie boy, writes an interesting narrative concerning trench warfare in Gallipoli in which campaign he participated. At time of writing the soldier was an inmate of a London Hospital. He says:-
“It is about 6 o’clock in the morning, and we are in the rest trenches due to go into the firing line for four hours (approx.) sometime during the morning. There is a splutter of rifle fire and a machine gun spits out about 20 rounds viciously. A short silence and another splutter, and an ominous heavy report, and again silence. You turn over, and in so doing dislodge some dirt in your dugout which of course falls into your ear and mouth. Further sleep out of question by the time you have emptied your mouth, so you get up, but do not bother dressing as the situation demands you to sleep fully dressed. Examine your rifle and see that your ammunition is OK, and then you think of “brecker.” Being in charge of a platform you look up your orderly roster and find out who is orderly for the day. You should have done this last night, only the excitement of writing to the “one and only” caused you to forget. You find that Smith and Jones are the unfortunates, so you proceed to Smith’s domicile and kick him gently in the ribs. You don’t kick him because you don’t like him, but because it is too much trouble to bend down and shake him.
http://www.smythe.id.au/letters/15_33.htm