Notebook of Harry Raymond Green -Sep 1941- Apr - 1943 - Part 6
Malaya. II
1 You have heard about Malaya
The land of stinks & smells.
Where we sweat while doing nothing
And the Mossies give us hell.
2 Well the A.I.F. have landed
In this corner of the East
Where the rotten stinking climate
Is not fit for man or beast.
3 Still there's not much use in grumbling
Conditions could be worse
I'll just think up a few complaints
And write them down in verse.
4 First of all there's Dhobies itch
And burning prickly heat
And the awful itch of Tinea
That breaks out on your feet.
5 There are numerous diseases
That have us in their coils
While many lads are breaking out
In scores of ugly boils.
6 There are insects here in thousands
From centipedes to bugs
And they all have their nibble
At us poor silly mugs.
7 The townships, well they are not so hot
With big deep stinking drains
And coolies by the thousands
In all the rotten drains.
8 When ^we first went into a shop
They took us down a treat
But now we have learnt a thing or two
We're not such easy meat
9 Another thing we do not like
Its the awful blanky beer
Oh! when we think of dear old Aussie
I nearly shed a tear.
Continued on previous page.
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The End
Lies by P.O.W.s.
1 They told us help was coming
And in telling us they lied
We faced the foe & battled
And many a hero died.
2 They said we had the Army
To repel an invading force
And all of it was lying
For the battle took its course.
3 Good news, my comrade shouted
The Yankees are on the way
A bullet struck him singing
And he stiffened, where he lay
4 They lied and men believed them
And died as hero's will
They took a chance for freedom
But freedoms lying still.
5 If God had marked the sparrow
Stricken in its flight
What then of the betrayals
Who lied to make men fight.
6 Bring out your scrolls of hero's
Bring out your Songs of Kings
But tell no lies, for somewhere
Some-one, may know these things
The End.
The 2 Up King Comes Back.
1 A drunk blew in a 2 up game
He was down and out and broke
He magged his way past lookers on
And bit them for a smoke.
2 Now his hands they shook
He had blood shot eyes
And a "Tookey" tainted breath
The rags that hung to his strides
Were flogging him to death.
3 Now he slowly moved around the ring
And searched each players face
Then he took a seat beside the mat
As if he owned the place.
4 Some money heads or tails
Was running through his ears
Although he hadn't touched a bat
For any number off years.
5 But he thought of the days
When he could bet
And head them with the rest
That was in the good old days
Before the booze had sent him west
6 Now I've often sat & wondered
How the booze can get brokes down
For years ago he used to be
The flashest man in town.
7 The two up king they called him
He was known to all the mob
Then he saw an old time cobber
And "Bit" him for two bob.
8 Now the Kip came round to him
And he stepped upon the mat
The ringie looked him up & down
Then handed him the bat.
9 He took the Kip, with shaky hands
And threw his two bob in
Then threw the Pennies in the air
The ringie said "Fair Spin".
10 Well spin followed spin
And heads would fall
It seemed he wouldn't fail
He had, had a dozen spins
And never showed a tail.
11 Now its the cash that makes us cheeky
It's a fault with us all
It's when the pockets empty
It is the time that we feel small.
12 So this fellow's fate had brightened
He seemed a different bloke
But all the mob were getting sore
For he had them nearly all broke.
13 And he said "I'll break this push"
So set me for the lot again
It's Sydney or the bush
But he had to lay them 5-4
To make them set the lot.
14 Then he gave the kip a flip
And done them on the spot
He collected all the "oscar"
But with a smile upon his face
Beckoning to his cobber,
They to-gether left the place.
15 While the mob sat silent
Gazing dumbly at the ring
For them the old time monarch
Was once again a king.
16 To finish with a moral Boys
When things are looking black
Just keep in ^mind the story
How the 2 up King came back.
The End.
Looking Into the Future.
1 I think I'll get married when I get back
And raise a couple of sons
They will always come in handy
As fodder for the guns
2 For theirs bound to be another war
You can bet your life on that
To make the rich man richer
And the Politicians fat.
3 But things b will be much different
Of course they will have to be
Or there'll be a lot more mugs
Just the same as you and me
4 Singapore will still be there
A great mighty Fort
With battle ships and cruisers
And tons of air support.
5 Officers too will be A.1.
And plans will just go right
In fact things will be so perfect
They will hardly need to fight
6 And as for us going on marches
Such things will be unknown
They will mount each man on Roller Skates
To propell himself along.
7 It will be a lovely army
In fact it will be a welter
Each man will have a special case
In which to carry his bomb proof shelter.
8 Bayonets will be a memory
Rifles out of date
But tucked away in havasacks
Will be our daily rates.
9 And going into battle
Each man will have a beer
And a kiss from the Sergeant Major
When the enemy is near.
10 And after the noise of battle
And roaring of the guns
The C.O. will throw a party
With tea and hot cross buns.
11 They will never be taken prisoners
And of course will never run
When they hear a Jap dive Bomber
And think it may be guns.
12 Yes it will be a model army
And will never know defeat
Although we could show then a thing or two
When it comes to a fast retreat.
The End.
Malayan Lament.
1 I'll sing you a song
Of days that were long
While we waited around in Johore
For an enemy who
Should have been in a ZOO
And we killed bed bugs galore.
2 We'd sit in our huts
And gradually go nuts
Though looking at Rubber trees
And then some-one would ask the cook who
Could hardly cook stew
How they had the nerve to draw pay.
3 With boongs all around
The Battalion parade ground
Listening to old Black Jack's voice
We'd stand and moan
Each man had to groan
While the sweat, from us would pour
4 When on leave in the town
Mid folk black and brown
Some nights we would go for a stroll
The stinks and smells
Would make us all yell
For God sake, "go dig me a hole."
5 Through jungle and marsh
Hoping some-one would blast
But had to relate
The reverse was our fate
And these we had to stop.
Now we long for the day
When we head far away
To Aussie our home in the south
Where we'll spend our spare-time
In that beautiful clime
Holding (Icecold) icy cold drinks and
(And drinking our) brine.
The End.
Battle of Singapore.
From the cause-way we marched to the west ^coast
And dug our defences sure
And lived like a happy family
In the trust of all secure.
2 We sat and watched and waited
And then the word came through
The Japs had made a landing
And the order was "Stand too"
3 We (eat) held them back till morning
Though they gave us merry hell
When they plastered our location
With tons of screaming shell.
4 The boys struck back with Valour
But the power wouldn't hold
So we took our disposition
Back one thousand yards dead cold.
5 Bully beef & Biscuits were eaten under fire
A night of broken sleep
Was starring us in the fire
Then we stood to in the morning
Ere the dawn began to creep
6 The numbers over whelming
There were on our every side
It was fight on, fight on you diggers
And they fought out with all their pride.
7 Miles we marched through jungle fern
Miles through burning smoke
In history every man will learn
How many men made a passing joke.
8 Their forces raged Singapore
Besiezed us for a week
And then came consulation
The leaders had been made speak.
9 Not with a bearded head
Not with a shameful eye
We looked back as our comrades did,
Beneath the foreign sky.
10 Ours was a course of Heroes
And many a hero died
And looking back, we know no shame
But a greater manly Pride.
The End.
The Unknown Soldiers Grave.
1 There is a spot so sacred
Covered over with flowers and trees
There neath the stone, there sleeps alone
A boy who no more breathes.
2 He gave his life for freedom
Amid the battles strife
But flowers and praise can never raise
This soldier back to life.
3 Somebodys boy is sleeping
In the unknown Soldiers Grave
Some mothers son whose work is done
Sleeping where all glory waves.
4 Maybe he's yours and maybe mine
He wanted to be brave
He earned his rest and sleeps with a bless
In the unknown Soldiers Grave.
5 Oh! mother dear so tender
Do not shed a single tear
Our nations love and gratude
Are his each day and year
6 There is no death in heaven
No thought of sorrow or pain
No storm or strife can come in life
Where the great commander reigns.
7 Somebodys boy is sleeping
In the unknown soldiers grave
Some mothers son whose work is done
Sleeping where all glory waves.
8 Maybe he's yours and maybe mine
He wanted to be brave
He earned his rest and sleeps with a bless
In the unknown soldiers grave.
The End.
Muar.
1 Your Lochinvars were dandies
Your Gallahads had looks
And you read of their adventures
In pretty history books.
2 Though our Andie, not a dandy
As a man he's surely right
He's proved himself a winner
In a thick and dirty fight.
3 There was led that flew
Like cockneys chalf
As thick as any hell
And Andy rose among it all
Thats the story I have to tell.
4 The 29th were trapped they said
And fighting hell for all
The 29th were trapped they said
And Andy heard the call.
5 He gathered in his men and said
The 19th will be there
If they can hold a little longer
We'll be up to do our share.
6 The 19th rallied quickly
And set to make the grade
And Andy looked them over
Confident and unafraid.
7 It was just two miles from Muar
That we met the Nippon force
And ten miles from the ocean
Where the river made its course.
8 Some miles of swamps behind us
And jungle on each side
A new and useful country
For some leader to decide.
9 Andy sent the 19th up
And gave them all his trust
They were good men and he knew it
And the good men raised the dust.
10 Nippon got a head-ache
On that sunny afternoon
When our guns beat a tattoo
For the rising of the moon.
11 But the moon was hidden in the dark
And the night came thick and black
And the firing of a rifle
Was a quick and sudden crack
12 Then suddenly in the night fall
In the tropic latitude
The dim of battle ceased a though
To make the dim of battle crude.
13 Morning came and fierce attacks
Came in on every side
Andy stirred the 19th up
And got them into a stride.
14 The enemy were 10 to one
And under estimate
No quarter was asked or inferred
In thirteen hours of hate.
15 Again silence fell and silence reigned
Except for once or twice
A twiching finger fired a shot
In-to the world fight.
16 The sun rose up next morning
Heating tired and hungry men
Who braced themselves for battle
With the enemy again.
17 There were noble deeds that morning
Where the rubber jungle grew
And the Nippon forces was broken
And the 29th came through.
18 That night hell blazed a time or two
Where Andy's Army lay
And his spirit cheered and urged them on
In his own uncanny way.
19 When dawn came flushing quickly
And we came fighting back
A lot of heroes stayed behind
To beat back the attack.
20 The Colonel gave the orders
We must fight hard to get out
The 19th boys can do it
And the 19th gave a shout.
21 A marching song came urging
A high battle pitch
And the boys marched into a led lead storm
From jungle and from ditch
22 We battled through till afternoon
We struck a machine gun nest
They halted us that evening
And treated us as pests.
23 They had us jammed in hollows
And peppered us with lead
I heard Andys voice come drifting in
"Run in Lads, " it said.
24 I gasped "Where can I run."
He bellowed "any where"
So I up and ran and bullets followed
Through my path to share.
25 "Good Lads" Andy shouted
With an overwhelming Pride
Hunger strongly stirred within me
As I saw our (Colo) Colonel stride.
26 Where the bullets flew the thickest
He called for a barrage of mortars then
Those left fell to a bayonet charge
It was midnight when we passed them.
27 But the battle wasn't won yet
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