Zero Hour (23 page)

‘blurred by dust…' quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 417

‘in the air at a time', quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 420

‘wounded could be seen …' quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 437

‘perhaps for the last time…' quoted in Gammage, page 160

‘Don't forget me, cobber', quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 441

‘Stretcher-bearer!…' quoted in H. Williams, page 65

‘in arm and leg…' quoted in Gammage, page 160

‘were not sufficiently trained…' quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 444

‘Yesterday evening, south of…' quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 446

‘We thought we knew something…' quoted in Gammage, page 161

Chapter 3

‘Nocturne' (extract), quoted in
New Zealand at the front, 1918.
Written and illustrated by men of the New Zealand Division. Cassell & Co., 1918, page 52

‘I want you to go into the line…' quoted in Bean,
Anzac to Amiens
, page 293

‘hasty or ill-considered', quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 468

‘The tension affected the men…' quoted in Gammage, page 162

‘Hell's trenches…' quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 522

‘urgent and secret', quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 537

‘Heavy firing all morning…' quoted in Gammage, page 165

‘
Gottmituns
', quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 599

‘dug out and buried again', quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 618

‘most scientific and most military…' quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 643

‘the strain had sent two other…' quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 658

‘I have had much…' quoted in Bean, Vol. III, pages 660–1

‘Huns and Aussies were…' quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 720

‘When you see this I'll be dead…' quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 797

‘All we are doing is using up…' quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 876

‘book on the life of an infantryman…' quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 872

‘Nothing published in the papers is worth…' quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 872

‘through the incompetence, callousness…' quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 872

‘marks a ridge more densely…' quoted in Bean,
Anzac to Amiens
, page 264

Chapter 4

‘In Memoriam' (extract), quoted in MacKenzie, Vol.II, page 67

‘The sights to be seen are terrible…' quoted in MacDonald, page 149

‘The face was turned away…' quoted in MacDonald, page 152

‘Finnigan', quoted in MacDonald, page 235

‘Hell on the Somme', quoted in Stewart, page 101

‘sandbag kilt', quoted in Pugsley, page 122

‘simply Hell on earth', quoted in Harper, page 68

‘not war, it's absolute murder', quoted in Harper, page 66

‘mass of confused memories…' quoted in Boyack, page 74

‘My God, you are going…' quoted in H. Williams, page 86

‘churned to the consistency…' quoted in Mitchell, page 14

‘muddy rabbits', ‘howled out of foggy space…' quoted in Mitchell, page 27

‘I'm not going in—I'm finished', quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 941

‘reeked so strongly of gasoline', quoted in Bean, Vol. III, page 919

‘the longer a man served…' quoted in Mitchell, page 168

‘some day there will be warmth…' quoted in Mitchell, page 51

‘happy, hopeful, young faces', quoted in Wilson, page 60

‘spirit of the bayonet', quoted in E. P. Williams, page 206

‘bully beef stew, layered with ice…' quoted in Marriot, page 33

Chapter 5

‘Sing me to sleep', courtesy of Les Cleveland

‘Once more from the same old place…' quoted in Boyack, page 64

‘very quiet, the only thing we heard…' quoted in E. P. Williams, page 212

‘night crept slowly by…', ‘That shut the cow up', quoted in Mitchell, page 252

‘Those damn flares constantly rising…' quoted in Wilson, page 80

‘some snatches of indistinct…' quoted in Malthus, page 66

‘Very short of tucker yesterday…' quoted in Gammage, page 174

‘like rabbits in holes…' quoted in Phillips, Boyack & Malone, page 239

‘They are tireless brutes…', ‘satisfaction from the popping sound…' quoted in Wilson, page 89

‘best of times…' quoted in Gammage, page 152

‘The yells were really pitiful…' quoted in Boyack, page 106

‘example to the rest', quoted in Pugsley, page 121

‘I want to see them shoot', quoted in Pugsley, page 108

‘not a born soldier…' quoted in Pugsley, page 153

‘should have been sent in…' quoted in MacDonald, page 237

‘to shoot a boy…' quoted in Pugsley, page 211

‘something in trench-holding that is…' quoted in Mitchell, page 253

‘sit crouched day and night in a wet…' quoted in Pugsley, page 236

‘really brave man is he who…' quoted in Pugsley, page 272

‘been completely destroyed', quoted in Pugsley, page 262

‘A chap said to me today as we marched…' quoted in Wilson, page 79

‘It's a blighty, a good blighty…' quoted in Malthus, page 120

‘No one who had actually gone…' quoted in Gammage, page 214

‘vastly pleased with himself…' quoted in Mitchell, page 168

‘a glorious feeling', quoted in Burton, page 229

‘Though fairly old, she was still quite…', ‘A simply ripping day, quite…' quoted in Wilson, page 162

‘a pitiful sight to see women and children…' quoted in King, page 144

‘most of the bus and tram drivers…' quoted in Pugsley, page 153

‘among the old familiar faces…' quoted in Gammage, page 213

Chapter 6

‘GLASSINGTON—Died of wounds…' posted in
Sydney Morning Herald
, 5 April 1919

‘The Last Post is being played…' quoted on
www.anzacday.org.au/history/ww1/anecdotes/casualty.html
/

‘as long as men are available', quoted in Stewart, page 59

‘What use am I if I am broken…' quoted in Baxter, page 123

‘Will you send another woman's…' quoted in Scott, page 43

Don't leave the boys…' quoted on
http://billyhughes.moadoph.gov.au
/ conscription

‘murder (or near enough to it)…' quoted on
http://www.samemory.sa.gov.ausite/page.cfm?u=1022
/

‘Vote No, Mum, they'll…' quoted on
www.awm.gov.au
(ID number: RC00336)

Chapter 7

‘NITCHIE—In loving memory…' posted in
Geelong Advertiser
, 19 July 1920

‘violence, brutality and rapidity', quoted in Holt, page 84

‘grape-like bunches of coloured lights', quoted in Mitchell, page 89

‘like a crowd from a football match', quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 282

‘of what use would I be tonight', quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 290

‘seemed to swarm with fireflies', quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 295

‘keep the position till the cows…' quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 317

‘only describe it as Hell…' quoted in Gammge, page 183

‘fight it out like Australians', quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 333

‘run the gauntlet back through…' quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 334

‘You are not going to leave us?', quoted in Mitchell, page 97

‘Finish hospital', quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 341

‘Bloody April', quoted in Holt, page 85

‘What time is zero?', quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 429

‘Pull out—retire—get back for your lives', quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 435

‘the old familiar “pop…”', ‘every man for himself…' quoted on
www.awm.govau/atwar/ww1_flying.asp
.

‘Stick it out, lad…' quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 484

Chapter 8

‘A trench, a stench…' quoted in MacKenzie, Vol. I, page 63

‘men killed alongside you…' quoted in Harper,
Letters from the Battlefield
, page 99

‘It's our turn…', ‘poor, frightened devils', quoted in Harper,
Letters from the
Battlefield
, page 100

‘Alright Sir, if it is to be taken…' quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 673

‘Somehow we get wrong ideas…' quoted in Harper,
Letters from the Battlefield
, page 101

‘make our names stand out…' quoted in Gammage, page 116

‘a queer thrill shot through me…' quoted in Gammage, page 256

‘felt little emotion, just intense…' quoted in Wilson, page 198

‘for another smack at the…' quoted in Gammage, page 257

‘but one does not think till…' quoted in Gammage, page 224

‘I don't think old Fritz…' quoted in Boyack, page 92

‘They are dead, and for their…' quoted in Wilson, page 118

‘in a rain of flowers…', ‘in an age of security…' quoted in Jünger, page 5

‘No one can help…' quoted in Jünger, page 92

‘a series of low long-drawn-out…' quoted in Jünger, page 98

‘poor old Jim was laying there…' quoted in Boyack & Tolerton, page 39

‘the sour smell of new death…' quoted in Mitchell, page 143

‘You've got a decoration…' quoted in Mitchell, page 147

‘occasional cry of “Stretcher-bearers!”…' quoted in Wilson, page 78

‘I'm hit…' quoted in Mitchell, pages 157–8

Chapter 9

‘Thoughts', quoted in MacKenzie, Vol. IV, page 203

‘like a Gippsland bushfire', quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 813

‘Old Fritz's morale vanishes…' quoted in Wilson, page 124

‘It's great sport, driving them…' quoted in Wilson, page 122

‘every square yard of it…' quoted in Harper,
Dark Journey
, page 40

‘We are given a damn lot…' quoted in Wilson, page 126

‘Of course don't forget…' quoted in Boyack & Tolerton, page 32

‘We always believed we were…' quoted in Adam-Smith, page 311

‘pipe up like the Aussies', quoted in Tolerton, page 140

‘stern, dour and grim', quoted in Stewart, page 616

‘crump, crump', quoted in Bean,
Anzac to Amiens
, page 370

‘Dear M, D and G…' quoted in Phillips, Boyack & Malone, page 127

‘a pig's life, humans were…' quoted in Ingram, page 55

‘that there should be no postponement…' quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 884

‘as dry as a bone', quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 884

‘The official attitude is that…' quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 884

‘flesh and blood…' quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 908

‘Stretcher bearer…' quoted in Phillips, Boyack & Malone, page 148

‘one pillbox to find it just…' quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 906

‘I have seen some pretty…' quoted in Phillips, Boyack & Malone, page 148

‘a pretty dumb beast…' quoted in Boyack & Tolerton, page 32

‘I do not feel as confident…' quoted in Stewart, page 292

‘Most gratifyingly…' quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 928

‘what am I to do?', quoted in Bean, Vol. IV, page 918

‘the stunt should never have…' quoted in Harper,
Dark Journey
, page 87

‘the bloody heads…' quoted in Harper,
Letters from the Battlefield
, page 114

‘cold driving rain and hail', quoted in Stewart, page 293

‘the agony was awful…' quoted in Harper,
Letters from the Battlefield
, page 120

‘we couldn't find him…' quoted on
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/sound
/ sidney-stanfield-remembers-passchendaele

‘flew incredible distances', quoted in Jünger, page 319

Chapter 10

‘BIRD—In loving memory…' posted in
Sydney Morning Herald
, 1 September 1919

‘Get out of the road…' quoted in Gammage, page 209

‘get killed', quoted in Harper,
Dark Journey
, page 206

‘It was the only time I used…' quoted in Harper,
Dark Journey
, page 224

‘sent another lot and he got…' quoted in Harper,
Dark Journey
, page 240

‘Who are you?', quoted in Bean, Vol. V, page 172

‘hold on at all costs', quoted in Bean, Vol. V, page 321

‘Goodbye, boys, it's neck or nothing', quoted in Bean, Vol. V, page 340

‘Australians', quoted in Bean, Vol. V, page 397

‘Here lies a brave English…' quoted in Bean, Vol. V, page 418

‘Every position must be held…' quoted in Bean, Vol. V, page 437

‘like firing at a whole haystack…' quoted in Bean, Vol. V, page 467

‘for two days companies of infantry…' quoted in Bean, Vol. V, page 540

‘If it was God-Almighty…' quoted in Bean, Vol. V, page 575

‘Kill every bloody German…' quoted in Bean, Vol. V, page 580

‘New waves always come on…' quoted in Bean, Vol. V, page 590

‘It's Anzac Day…' quoted in Downing, page 117

‘There they go…' quoted in Downing, page 119

‘War hardened as I was…' quoted in Mitchell, page 211

‘untrained rabble', quoted in Mitchell, page 216

‘with a voice like a bull', quoted in Bean, Vol. V, page 650

‘Surrender be—…' quoted in Bean, Vol. V, page 653

Chapter 11

‘LINFORD—In sad and loving memory…' posted in
The Argus
, 6 October 1919

‘We have the Australians opposite…' quoted in Bean, Vol. VI, page 59

‘They lay opposite us, exceptionally…' quoted in Bean, Vol. VI, page 60

‘good assault division…' quoted in Stewart, page 618