Letters relating to Oliver 'Trooper Bluegum' Hogue, 1915-1927 - Part 9

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG0000997
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 6

AU. mere party st Mysore Sancers rades vous af lupy h to pre- a Spito the maft To proned arranged m b of Swar buy Yrargh I will ablul [ frll o story yf the of a tt Sent labeon mach Haw Some Secy the fol write o tell Oale same day they I see him he near recognises ther very he is other day Boud Bulleton the I saw in the my a reference t other day Dar Coonpakent selfthe stated the psition ae Jeb 4 Ihear Gair 2 Defence the Wunsber down. In t has carned MORI 009
tuips The matter ever Case the papers up a the Jabt. These the te austoalian H Cal Gayne saw mee & said it was nitally necessary for Some purnilist to t to handle be attacted from Aust the cabbs to presented in the they are thocknett to Epplin papl the operations defcribl tht Horset the Anrbalian told him fwas 86 has not ken in a Ar - 2 Tinular offer refused a sondon X Agril A month laker teneral sent for m Cal Arrst said they were rconnneading me for the job. I told sw
A0 was not looking Syne the for a pressjob . Cal drust reminded me that if o in That we sent X lpasty would have to Co I acquiesced A faliight late General Sor Harry Chanvel sut for me he had Wld me that recommendadion sut in the the td. I had O E. E. Frce been endorsed a falnight later blayve tilk the it had gooe on ODefence, MMusher to t I was rathe surpersad therefore pot when a month ago a leke from Genral Kyrie The numster for Stating that had turned ut donen Defence
Kea in I was not Now this Jb at first - but now- for an hith auxius Id like to write up all that Campain Reman Waghdabu lafat Aush This should to in Juskce he dive to t Andalians here who have had no ragintion perers at allon the dine. The all thy have Masser of here out 6 ane such Daily Marl an fair nsited of the Bable account. of Roncan that Jewish channel sent for him X he then any then the gave the Aushaliars they desersed tenk 4 109
Te Grachcall muning batl on their forn. col you could see Payne of Widsor (Lake lairs) &be H0 can sipplement the they want let our boy To Ret t France See nothing ahead but desirt pabal & Skermishes for some ham. So the pass jot offens beter oppertuntes the kund marks to all ow beys beet wd in a the k NO
sufe is of hur This not for pablisation but ther is no harn know And the reason The facts a he shd why there uep he Anoralian Mra tet Me L is credited with an interse dslike of the Autralians Iwork Fall it in his comunigue get may little a Socimtion all The BCH did all the hakhe that get new more mentioned cables at all a ill 1 109

2
party of Mysore Lancers were   
lucky enough to rendezvous at
a spot on the map prearranged
& so proved a
big triangle of Sinai to be
free of Abdul (I will
send a bit of a story of the
march later on)
How is Percy? Some of

the girls wrote & tell me
they see him & some say
he never recognizes them
& others say he is very

sweet….
I saw in the Bulletin the
other day a reference to myself 

& the War Correspondents 
job. It stated the position very 
fairly. In case I hear
the Minister for Defence

has turned it down. In 

 

3

case the matter ever crops 

up in the papers or in

the AJA or I of J.

These are the facts: -

Col Payne (OC Australian H.Q.)

saw me & said it was vitally

necessary for some journalist to

be attached to HQ to handle 

the cables to & from Aust

(they are shockingly presented in the

Egyptian papers] & to

describe the operations of

the Australian Light Horse &

J.C.C. I told him I was

not keen on it as I had

refused a similar offer in 

London.

A month later General Ryrie &

Col Arnott sent for me &

said they were recommending

me for the job. I told General

 

4

Ryrie I was not looking 

for a press job. Col Arnott

reminded me that if I

were sent to HQ in that 

capacity I would have to

go. So I acquiesced.

A fortnight later General Sir

Harry Chauvel sent for me

& told me that he had

sent on the recommendation

to the H.Q. of the 

E. E. Force & it had

been endorsed.

A fortnight later Col Payne

told me it had gone on

to the Minister for Defence,.

I was rather surprised therefore

when a month ago I got

a letter from General Ryrie

stating that the Minister for 

Defence had turned it down.

 

5

Now, I was not keen on

this job at first - but I

am rather anxious now - for 

I'd like to write up all

that Campaign of Romani

El Arish Rafa Magdhaba
etc etc.. This should

be done in Justice to

the Australians here who

have had no recognition 

at all in the press of

all they have done. The

only Ref here (Massey of 

Daily Mail) gave such

a one sided & unfair

account of the Battle

of Romani that General 
Channel sent for him
& he then only then 
gave the Australians the 
credit they deserved for

 

6

practically winning the 
battle on their own.
You could see Col J.J.

Payne of Windsor (Late
OC H.Q Cairo) & he 

can supplement this.
They wont let our boys
get to France so I
see nothing ahead but 

desert patrols & skirmishes

for some time. So the 

press job offers better 

opportunities etc..
Kind regards to all the

boys.. How fares the 

book?
Yours Bluegum
 

9 

7  PS

This is of course Confid.

& not for publication

but there is no harm 

in the A J A  &c knowing

the facts. Another reason 

why there shd be an

Australian rep here is

that the GOC (Murray)

is credited with an intense

dislike of the Australians.

They do all the hard work

& in his communiques

get very little or no

[recognition at all. 

The ALH did all the Nakhl

stunt yet never were mentioned

within cables at all at all

OH 
 

 

 

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Paula P.Paula P.
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