This episode covers much of 1917 including The 2nd Battle of Bullecourt and "Passchendaele" or the 3rd Ypres offensive. Len as usual provides great insight into the life of a digger on the western front. His description of signalling during the Battles of Polygon Wood and Broodseinde Ridge are awesome. You'll never forget the "s"es beers!
This episode covers Len's Chapter 8 of his memoirs and is quite long, but that is how he wrote it. Here is some of it:
"In charge of a sergeant, off we went, quite a mob, for Division was also sending up a wireless set. We were loaded with scopes and lamps and we were shelled all the way. Heavy stuff. We missed a lot of congestion going across country, but the ground! It was quite spongy, for underneath were mules, horses, Fritzes and Tommies of 1914 vintage on. And the stench rising from cracked, drying ground was pretty awful. Many of the division chaps, new to this smell, were not looking too good and one chap was promptly very sick over some brand new accumulators he carried. We had some narrow escapes, for we just had to plod on heavily laden. Anyway, he was ‘sweeping’ all over the place. Looking across to that dreadful Menin Road, I saw mules, men and ammo go up with a roar. Noise everywhere and up aloft scores of planes: Fritz planes, very aggressive. In fact, he seemed definitely to be ‘on top’, new Fokkers, etc. The dog fights fascinated us but on we went."
Episode 8.16 Jerusalem Bluegum 16
Episode 8.15 Beersheba Bluegum 8.15
Episode 8.14 The desert patrol Bluegum Part 14
Episode 8.13 The battles of Gaza and spin doctors Bluegum Part 13
Episode 8.12 The Battle of Rafah Bluegum Part 12
Episode 1.11 Keeping up with the Joneses
Episode 8.11 The Battle of Maghdaba Bluegum Part 11
Episode 0.6 Podcast Update 6
Episode 8.10 The Battle of Romani Bluegum Part 10
Episode 6.9 Battle of Bullecourt Harry Murray VC Part 2
Episode 6.8 I wasnt mad Harry Murray VC Part 1
Episode 8.9 Ugly smelly creatures Bluegum Part 9
Episode 8.8 Done like a dinner Bluegum Part 8
Episode 8.7 The war is a fair cow Bluegum Part 7
Episode 6.7 Jim Martin The youngest Anzac to die
Episode 8.6 Cop it in The Nek Bluegum Part 6
Episode 8.5 Gravel Crushers Bluegum Part 5
Episode 8.4 In Egypt Bluegum Part 4
Episode 8.3 Its not the Love Boat Bluegum Part 3
Episode 6.6 The ode
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Irish Songs with Ken Murray
History Obscura
Historycal: Words that Shaped the World
The Rest Is History
Lore