Notebook of Harry Raymond Green -Sep 1941- Apr - 1943 - Part 7

There were road blocks in galore
Each one covered with deadly guns
The 19^th must fight as before.
28/ That night we crossed the causeway
Where swamps were wide and deep
The weary men were marching
Mostly half asleep.
29/ If we made the river safely
If we crossed the narrow bridge
If we got Pont's story
We could rest upon the bridge.
30/ But Nippons army held the bridge
And the jungle by the road
And they came in from behind us
Like a tornada along a road.
31/ Two hundred yards of roadway
Two hundred yards to cross
It looked as though the pennies fell
and Nippon won the toss.
32/ All day long he belted us
 

With mortars and with shell
and his aeroplanes flew over us
and machine gunned us as well.
33/ And groups went out to open up
A way to let us through
But no one way opened up for us
And those returned were few.
34/ They thought they had us beaten
And their ultimation came
Ore complete surrender
"come on give up the game."
35/ But Andy chuckled softly
Turned their great demand away
No surrender said the boss
And bedded down to stay.
36 They hammered us with fire
And laughed at us with a sneer
The next few hours it will be dark
And then they will hold no sneer
37/ The morning came a bloody day
 

The help for which we prayed
Had not come then, so twas up to us
To make the final grade.
^38/ Oh! you can have your heroes
of Imaginative Birth
For I have seen the greater men
That trod this sorry earth.
^39/ The wounded men wimpered
The dieing never cried
I know because I tended
many gallant men that died.
^40/ Nippon pressed us closely
Tried to wipe us out complete
Hats off to the rear guard
That covered our retreat.
^41/ When the pressure got to solid
We destroyed our guns and trucks
And beat it to the jungle
With its swamps and muck.
^42/ We swam across the river
 

They machined us from the air
But a miracle had happened
And there was no faces there.
43/ No guns were covering the way
We steadily crept into the jungle
So we could not be betrayed.
44/ We split into a dozen parties
And the jungle was our friend
We slid along the courses
That seemed to have no end.
45/ That night we slepted in slumber
Of tired, sore and hungry men
They were frightened every now & then
For fear they were surrounded
By the little yellow man.
46/ For as yet we were not sure
The foe had left an open way
We awakened stiff & hungry
To face another day.
47/ In the afternoon of this day
 

We saw a friendly truck
Tired exhausted & limless
Ex What a great spot of luck.
48/ We made back to safety
And there friendly faces smiled
As they looked upon our parties
We (almost) looked so wild.
49/ They gave us food and clothing
And razors for a shave
A tear or two run down my cheek
So then, you see I am not so brave.
50/ It's good to recollect
The Heroes which we knew
In such a battle as Muar
And recollect it's true.
51/ And Andy thats him over there
With calculating face
A man a mate a soldier
None could ever take his place.
52/ The boys who wh knew him
 

A leader such as he
Walk up and greet our Andy
Colonel Anderson V.C.
The End.
Ah! Forget It.
1/ I recollect his joining

I liked him from the first

His smile was everlasting

Unquenchuble his thirst.

2/ I ventured once to ask him

What made him take to booze

He mumbled "Ah Forget It"

I drink because I choose

3/ It wasn't quiet an answer

He saw that I was hurt

and hastened to repair things

With "Ah Forget It" Bert

4/ I didn't mean to snub you

Then he shook me by the hand

A woman - but forget it

 

I said I understand

5/ I remember the occasion

When going to a show

I promised him a girl friend

If he should care to go

6/ "Ah! forget it" was his answer

He strove his wrath to quell

I want no truck with women

They send mens sorl souls to hell

7/ Then he shouted me a whisky

He paid for two or three

And grumbled "Ah Forget it"

When I said the nexts on me.

8/ His heart was like old Phar Laps

As big and just as brave

To, many a m needy cobber

A helping hand he gave.

9/ Of cash he'd always had plenty

and this the wise one knew

He seldom got his loans back

 

 

Good fellows seldom do.

10/ He'd fight like a trogan

But in a pub one night

an old man up and punched him

and he refused to fight.

11/ He said old man I'm sorry

I ran a little hot

But the cobber said. "Ah Forget it"

I earned all I got.

12/ Yet when our unit champion

Hit little Bugler Ben

He socked the bragging bully

and put him out for ten.

13/ He'd fight for any weakling

And "Glory" in it too

When thanked he'd say "Ah Forget It"

Its what any man would do.

14/ He'd never stoop to lying

Was straight and played the game

To save a pal from trouble

 

 

He'd gladly take the blame.

15/ Then came the day for sailing

For foreign parts unknown

We all had friends to cheer us

But he was there alone.

16/ Until a grey haired old lady

Her motherly eyes alight

Said, son I'll keep on praying

For you both day and night.

17/ With an "Ah Forget It" Mother

For things will be O.K.

He stumbled up the gang plank

and so we sailed away.

18/ Well soon the old Battalion

Was in the fighting line

and we knew no finer hero

Than this old pal of mine.

19/ And out between the trenches

When we had made a raid

I learned just the Anzac's were

 

 

The bravest thing God made.

20/ Wounded and lying in a shell hole

and wallowing in mire

With screaming wizz-bangs flying

Midst crackling rifle fire.

21/ Machine-guns loudly stuttered

and swept the shell hole rim

When some-one dropped beside me

I knew that it was him.

22/ His cheery voice was saying

Buck up this war's a cow

But "Ah Forget It" cobber

I'll get you back some how.

23/ Despite that mad inferno

He safely brought me through

But not before nippon

Had badly plugged him too.

24/ In choking words I thanked him

Though dieing he was game

He said "Ah Forget It" mate

 

 

You would have done the same.

25/ His rugged face was greying

I knew it was the end

A better man than I am

Had died to save a friend

26/ And when its comes to judgement

I know what he will say

Dear God I am unfitted

To tread thy heavenly way.

27/ I've gone my way unheeding

Just lived a life of sin

But God - the just - will answer

"Ah Forget It" son come in.

The End.

 

A Mothers Son.

The scene is that of a soldier

On a lonely out post stand

as he rests his gun on his shoulder

And thinks of his own dear land

 

 

2/ The moon shines down from the heavens ^brightly

As night birds flutter within it's lights

The jungle itss self is a frightful sight

But he keep's his vigrit through the night

3/ His head is bent as thou in prayer

He's thinking of home & those back there

Thinking of mother far across the sea

With his sweetheart & sister he longs to be.

4/ There's a rustle in the near by rocks

A squirrel perhaps, or, a malayan fox

He's watch-full now and fully alert

As his hand fell around his army squirt.

5/ It rustle's again and he see's his mistake

He's dreaming again (and) but, he's wide awake

Dreaming of days that were happy and free

Of familiar faces he longs to see.

6/ Picture his mother at home that night

As she kneels in prayer for the one so dear

Praying to God to bring him near

Picture his sweetheart and sister proud.

 

 

His name in praise they would cry aloud

But their thought's travel to a distant land he stands

Theres a tramp of boots

With that steady beat.

He cock's his rifle peers through the dark

A form appears and shoots at its mark

His fingers squeezes the trigger slight

To blinding flashes penetrate the night

To forms be silent upon the ground

And all is silent for miles around

The camp now is waiting to welcome their lost

Silence now reigns, broken by flame's

Their rifles were speaking again & again

The battle is over the enemy's fled

Except for the wounded & the dead

The role is answered there's one a miss

The lonely soldier accounted for this

I guess its the end he was saying

and smiled at them there where he lay

Theres one consolation I cherrish

 

 

Tis not only me that pays.

Send all my love to my mother

Through the mist I see her sweet face

Hold it theres for a moment

Give, portion of it to my grace

They knew his wife was fast ebbing

He shuddered, throws forward his head

They knew that their best friend was dead

Now a cross marks the spot of a lonely grave

The resting place of a soldier brave

Who was willing to sacrifice
Not only comforts but even his life

Now any of you people who think was grand

Just take - tread through the jungle sand

Pause, at the grave side of those who fell

These are the boy's who saved xx Aussie from Hell!.

The End.

 

 

Brave Bluey.

As I sit alone in silence

When the moon comes on the fall

I often think of Bluey, and his answer to the call

He was just a simple chap

He came from of the plains

He dodged for miles womens smiles

And was scared still of dames

His life was quiet & peaceful

He knew no cannons roar

He joined the Army Medical

He thought he could do no more

He nursed the ill and not to kill

Or shot his neighbours blood

He joined a stretcher party

Bringing in wounded men

Through stakes & wire

Constant fire time and time again

They tried to fetch the stretches through

Men died from shot and shell

But Bluey kepted on going

 

 

Though he went through living hell

Then finally came victory

The foe gave in at last

But what of little Bluey

Did he survive the blast

They found his riddled body

For Bluey true & brave

Lay beside a wounded digger

Whom he gave his life to save

Now his life is quiet and peaceful

He hears no cannons roar

Though in his grave, his spirit brave

Lives (eterall) eternally on

So should you come from a homestead

Mansion or Gum tree hut

Just prove that you like Gallant Blue

Have good Australian Guts.

The End.

 

The Causeway Job.

The shades of night had fallen

A huge camp fire burns bright

A group of handy workmen

Sit around it's cheerful light

Their job was on a causeway

A crossing at a stream

The biggest one they'd ever done

The biggest most had seen

A stranger had dined their that night

and now to the fire drew near

He listened, they talked of their causeway

To his eye came the sign of a tear

Then the ganger turned to the stranger

With a friendly sort of smile

Don't suppose you've done any causeway work

Woundn't exactly be your style.

 

 

The stranger fluched as though with fear

Then slowly raised his head

Your causeway counts for nothing

compared to mine he said.

Don't think that I am sarcastic

Your job is big I am sure

But the one I refer to

Is the one at Singapore.

We used a pick and shovel

We dug by day and night

We did not dig for wages

We dug to save our life.

No camp fire in the evening

No warm and cheerful glow

For straight in front across the stream

Another gang "The Foe"

 

 

Our job to guard that causeway

and hurl back Nippons might

Their planes made merry hell all day

Artillery boomed at night.

Your stream flows swiftly by

yellow with river mud

Our stream was another (cob) colour

Red with Nippon's blood.

When it rains out here you lose a day

and find it hard to take

When it rained over their it was shrapinel

and you'd find you'd lost a mate.

For more than a week we held them

They could not make us run

But at last they came right around us

and our causeway job was done.

 

 

Well mister ^now you understand

The statement that I made

The reason why my causeway job

Put your job in the shade.

I'll say good night & get some sleep

May'be I will dream

Of Pals I lost on a causeway job

across a Malayan stream.

The End.

 

Not Me.

I wondered down the city streets

AS happy as (can) could be

Until a Glaring sign I saw

A starring down at me.

It said to ^for me to join a push

And told me what to do

It said to join the A.I.F.

And be a digger to.