Diary relating to service of Hector Alexander McIntyre - Part 13

39
DEFEAT OF SINGAPORE
1/ Oh! We had to leave our Homeland
For a distant foreign shore
To be thrown in a turmoil of a
Horror known as War
With rifles so long out of date so very
obselete
That helped us in our downfall the Singapore
defeat.
2./ Now the heads in all cabinets for many
a long long day
Had promised us that Air Support was
now well on its way
But the only ones who really knew how
faint our chances to be
Was our section of the Army. The fighters
AS.C
3/ What was the use of fighting Old guns
against new Tanks
For the sake of Rubber, Tin & Stuff & Singapores
Old Banks
With excuses flying right & left & empty
Promises galore
Its any wonder we had to lose the 
Battle of Singapore.
4/ Who was it treated us so bad, who let
us down so much
Who thought of us as galley slaves, & treated
us as such
Had all this not have happened, then its
very plain to see
There never would have had to be a
fighting A S. C.
5/  T'was lack of Air Support alone that
let us down so bad
For this was not the only place was
None to be had
38 DEFEAT OF SINGAPORE (continued)
Just  cast your minds to other days,
the fall of Greece & Crete
Then do not blame no soldiers for the
Defeat of Singapore

37 LAMENT
The meals we have are small
No nourishment at all
The rain comes in a flood
We walk around in mud
We ain't allowed to swear
Or piddle anywhere
The Majors word is final
We must use the urinal,
We ain't allowed much beer,
because its rationed here.
As for dirty clothes
We have lots & lots of those,
Our boots are always wet,
I haven't cleaned mine yet,
The Booms down out of sight,
We'll never get it right,
Theres nothing else to do
But sit & write to you
I'm empty in the Guts,
This place will drive me nuts,
Malaya! You have proved yourself a failure,
I'll be glad when I reach the shores,
Of good old Sunny Australia
36

35 MY FRIENDS THAT STAYED AT HOME
1/ I'm pulling off my colours, I've thrown my Web away
I'm going down to GHQ to draw my blinkin pay
I'm sick of being a soldier, bet your life I am,
Of chewin mouldy biscuits & eating bread & Jam.
I'm tired of fighting little Japs out here on my own
When I think of dear old Aussie
And my friends that stayed at home.
2/ I'll bet they're walking down the streets,
Their chests puffed out with pride,
Skiting to their cobbers, how they saved their worthless hide
While heres me in the rubber afraid to show my head
For fear some dirty little Jap, will fill it full of lead
3/ When I left my Mother, I'd volunteer to fight
She said "God bless you boy & bring you back alright,
They called me chocklite Soldier & a 5 five bob tourist too,
They said you'll never see a front or even get a view,
They said you'll have a lovely time, away across the foam
But they weren't game to try it, My friends that stayed at home
4/ They are ruthless with a rifle, when on a rabbit track,
But then there is no danger of the Rabbit shooting back
They shine before the barmaid, they're brimful of skite
But at the corner of the street, is where they do their fight
A Billiard Cue their rifle, a bar their fighting zone,
So they're aren't any Shells or Bullets, for my friends that
Stayed at home
5/ But I'll grab my old Lee Enfield, & buckle my web about,
I'm only a common Soldier, but I'll see the dam thing out.
For they put the Kybosh on me
My friends that stayed at home.
34

33 WHAT WE USED TO BE -
1/ We used to belong to old Aussie,
We joined the first Aussie Corps,
But now we belong to old Tojo
B--- well Prisoners of War 
2/ We're building a road round the Golf Links
With progress remarkably slow.
It's no B---- good on the surface
And a B----  sight worse below.
3/ We go to work with our chunkels,
And if I am any sort of Judge,
We do Bugger all in the morning,
And the rest of a day is a bludge.
4/ They feed us on Rice for our breakfast,
We gobble it up in great glee,
They feed us on Rice for our dinner
Then more B--- Rice for our Tea
5/ Now Tojo he tries to explain things.
He grunts, He stutters He Swears
But firstly nobody understands him,
And secondly nobody B--- well cares
6/ Then Tojo he gets very angry, 
And Takes a bit off our hides,
But we well pay it back in the finish
And a little bit more besides
7/ Then one day the Yanks will releive us
Arriving in all sorts of craft
Then in a rickshaw, I'll ride round our
Road Way,
With a little Jap boy in the shaft
28

27 DIGGERS ANTHEM OF MALAYA   
1/ I'm sick of the Japs & the tartar,
I'm sick of the Chink & Malay
And far away spots on the charts are
No Place for Yours truly to stay.
2/ I've had plenty of undersized chicken
And Milk that comes out of a can
The East is no region to stick in
For this one Particular man
3/ I'm weary of curry & rice balls
All mingled with highly spiced dope
Of Sick Parade, Roll Call & Pack Drill,
I'm sick Sir of carbolic soap
4/ I'm sick of skin itch diseases
Of vermin, mosquitoes & flies,
I'm fed up with Tropical Breezes
And Sunshine that dazzles the eyes
5/ Oh! Lord for a wind with a tingle
An atmosphere, zistful & keen
Oh! Lord let me once again mingle,
With crowds that are whole white & clean
6/ To eat without fear of infection,
To sleep without using a net
To throw away all our collection,
Of Iodine Quinine Etc.
7/ To hear all the noise & the clamour
The hurry & fret of the west
I'll trade all that Orient glamour
Which damn lying Poets suggests
8/ They sing of the East as enthralling,
And that's why I started  to roam
Now I hear the occident calling
Oh! Lord but I want to go home. 
26

 25 COMPENSATIONS
1/ When a fellow joins the army
And that army is at war
He learns to do a lot of things
He's never done before 
2/ He leaves his wife or Mother
His sweetheart or his Gal,
Anyhow theres mostly someone
Whom a fellow calls his Pal, 
3/ He doesn't feel  so clever,
As the Convoy sails away,
He knows his folks will miss him,
Still they wouldn't have him stay.
4/ They hold their heads up proudly,
Though the tears be very near,
For they know a fellows doing
What he thinks is right and fair.
5/ The chap without a family
Or the chap without a home
May be non plussed if you ask him,
Why he chooses to cross the foam
6/ To risk his life in Battle
With a foe he's never seen
But you know before he answers
What his reason must have been. 
7/ He is fighting for his Country
Which he loves, His native land
Yet it's ten to one he'll answer
Just to give the lads a hand
8/ In a casual sort of manner
But you know he's pleased & Proud
For he's found himself a family
With the fellows in the crowd
9/ There's an atmosphere prevailing
That a fellow couldn't find
No Matter how  he hunted
Among the men d who stayed behind.
24   COMPENSATIONS (cont)
10/ There's a union that is stronger,
Than the strongest over there
And the ticket is the Manhood
Of the fellows over there.
11/ When the fightings written finis.
When the World is clean and free
When a sturdy lisping urchin
Climbs upon his daddy's knee
12/ When a loving Proud Wed Mother
Puts her arm about the two
Then a fellow will be thankful
That a fellow saw it through

23 IMPRESSIONS
1/ Left Australia to fight a war
Found ourselves dumped in Singapore
All that we fought on arrival here
Were Mumps & Singapore ear.
2/ Then they shifted us further North,
In case old Tojo should venture forth
Quartered us there in native huts
Drilled us & drove us nearly nuts.
3/ Taking cover from Enemy Planes
Who didn't exist making lanes
Through Jungle & scrub to  see if we,
Could read a compass accurately,
4/ Then Tojo started his little game
Back to the South again we came
Here we burried & went on patrols,
Painted our helmets & dug some holes
5/ Once again we had a thrill,
Raising within us the urge to kill
Settled down to the old routine
Resigning ourselves to the might have been.
6/ Scratching about like a lousy bitch,
Deep in the throes of  Dhokes itch
Moping along like a lot of dills
Daily sucking our Quinine Pills,
7/  Do we like Malaya! do we? like hell.
We don't like its people, its style or its smell
8/ Theres everything here a Man abhors,
NCO's & Sore eyed hoars
Reptiles, fever, & tinea feet,
Skin eruptions & Prickly heat,
A Tropical state which you'll all call
Balmy
Wouldn't it - you? This - Army!
22

21  IRENE or JASON
1/ Madamoiselle has a counterpart, Parley vous
To whom the Diggers have lost their heart Parley vous
Madamoiselle is dead & gone
But Irene or Jason carries on, Inky Pinky Parley vous
2/ Irene the wench with the figure superb Parley vous
Irene whose poise you can't disturb Parley Vous
Irene the girl who's hard to pass
With the shapely legs & Perfect class Inky Pinky Parley vous
3/ Irene or Jason is mighty cute Parley Vous
She'll comfort a Private or a Lieut Parley Vous
Irene or Jason a rare delight
She's cheerful & gay & always bright Inky Pinky Parley vous
4/ Irene saw the diggers depart   Parley Vous
Who can guess what was in her heart Parley Vous
Whatever it was, it matters not
The diggers will miss what Irene's got
Inky Pinky Parley Vous 
20

19 THE BULL STAG 
1/ The Old Bull Stag leaned against the fence
He was too poor to walk,
And as the butcher sharpened his knife
This stag began to talk
2/ See here young man the Bull Stag said,
Don't Perpertrate this crime,
Don't sell me to your customers,
And kid them that I'm Prime,
3/  I was 32 last birthday & bred by old Steel Rudd
And for 19 long & happy years, I was Monarch
of his stud
After that I was cut & sold & put out to work
And the hair & hides been flogged off me from
Beave & over to Bourke
4/ And all along that parched  Paroo, with never
a day to spare 
My driver kept me to my work & by cripes how
he could swear.
From getting old & useless with a cancer on
my side
He swopped me to a chinaman, for a dog &
a lump of hide
5/ I've had cancer, bot & slurs till I could scarcely
draw my breath
So just let me drag my bones away & die a
natural death
The butcher laughed his greasy laugh, while
poking out his tongue
I'll kid them that you're lucerne fed, I'll kid
them that you're young.
6/  The people of this place, they know not what they eat
And God sends along the like of you too keep down
the price of meat
With this he knocked the old man down & cut 
him into straga
Next day he winked the other eye &
served them out the stag
18  THE BULL STAG-(cont)
7/ Now if any of his customers should suffer from
my ills
May it be those lousy crawlers, who never
pay their Bills.

17  HOME
1/ When the still of night is creeping
My thoughts return to home
To far & distant Brisbane
Whose streets I wo once did roam.
2/ The loved ones I have left behind,
Are brought quite near to me
The Sacred gift of thinking
Forms a bridge across the sea.
3/  Visions of the future
Helps to aid my lonely heart
And the noble art of writing,
Plays a most important Part,
To Make a life like image
Of the ones I left  behind
4/ It prevents me from boredom
From playing on my mind
Discomforts are forgotten
When my thoughts commence to stray,
To the many happy moments
Before I sailed away
5/  But my lonely mind is sated
But the thought of a wife who'll wait,
For the delberance  deliverence of Mankind
For the days of hunger, strife & hate
16