Rob I knew it was Aussie humor. I just didn’t know what it meant. So I looked it up… I need a better Aussie dictionary don’t I Mate.
Harold
Dodgy, don’t worry. I love the interchange between you and Harold. Never been down under, but know a little Aussie slang. You keep being you!
Ok Harro, I’ll give you and Johno a bit of a rundown on some Aussie slang, but fist of all I’ve got to let my chooks out, so stay tuned. Oh, ‘chooks’, means chickens/hens.
Thanks mate. I like to be positive and have a bit of fun. I also love our slang, but a lot of it is falling into disuse as we become more ‘sophisticated’, so I make an effort to use the old sayings when I can.
Sophistication is overrated. Keep doing what you’re doing. We love it.
g’day Harro and Johno. So here’s a few Aussie terms.
Blowfly - dunny budgie
dunny - toilet
budgie - a small native bird that has proved to be very popular and is often bred in captivity.
stoush - a fight
blue or rangar - a redhead. a blue is also a fight.
strewth - an exclamation of suprise
dingo - a native wild dog, yellow in colour. - a coward or a backstabber
the Never Never - the outback. A reference to the magic and mystery of Aboriginal beliefs.
The Dreamtime - Aboriginal view of their history and beliefs.
Beyond the black stump - the middle of nowhere
She’ll be right mate - it’ll all be ok
Sheila - a female
Drongo - an idiot, also a whacker
Wanker - a person who thinks they know everything
Pub - the most wonderful place on God’s earth. Where a bloke can get a beer.
Bloody and bugger - two of the most useful words in the English language. i.e. The blooder bugger ran of with me sheep, or, bloody hell, I’ll kill that bugger on day, or bugger me! The last is a statement of amazement.
Digger - an Aussie soldier, also shortened to ‘Dig’.
Ginger beer - queer or engineer
Turret Head - tankie
Blue Orchid, or Zoomie - airforce
Pongo - soldier Where the army goes, the pong goes…
Pusser - sailor. No, it’s not what you think. Its’ the family name of a prominent ship’s chandlers from Lord Nelson’s days. i.e. pusser’s issue.
dead horse - tomatoe sauce
Walkabout - to take off with no particular destination in mind
Fair Dinkum, or just Dinkum - the honest truth
The good oil, as above.
Furphy - a rumour. Named after the manufacturer of a water cart that was used on Gallipoli. As the cart went from point to point where soldiers gathered to have their canteens filled, the rumours went with the cart. What you blokes would call scuttlebut.
Pom - a person from Britain
Septic Tank - Yank. Sorry bout that, but… This is an educational program.
Walloper - a copper/policeman. Also known as a ‘jack’
Well boys, theres a few things for you to ponder from the land down under. I hope you get a good laugh!
Thank you, Rob for an introduction to real Aussie lingo.
On a more serious side, military history is one of my interests. Below is a picture I recently found of my Uncle Harold who I was named after. Like John he was in the Air Force, the Royal Canadian Air Force. Many American, Australian and Canadian airmen were trained in Canada by the RCAF to fill ranks in the Royal Air Force during the early years of World War 2. Uncle Harold was one of them.
He was born in 1918 on a large dairy farm (2,000 acers) in central Missouri. He wanted to be a pilot more than anything, but at the start of World War 2 the United States did not enter the war, so Uncle Harold went to stay with relatives in Nova Scotia, Canada and he joined the RCAF. There is no information about his training or even when he left Canada, but history books indicate the RCAF training lasted about two years. Working backwards from what we do know he would be about 22 years old when he received his wings.
We believe that he arrived in England in late 1940, or early 1941 as a Flight Sergeant Pilot, just in time for the North Africa Campaign I imagine. Uncle Harold wrote his family that he was a fighter pilot. Around 1944 we found records that show he had been transferred to 153 Squadron of Bomber Command (volunteer night bombers) and was now a Flying Officer Lieutenant and Pilot of Lancaster Bombers. Uncle Harold and three of his crew died in Laon, France 17 December 1944 on return from a mission over Ulm, Germany, he was 26 years old.
I never met my Uncle, but I lived in his house and heard my Mother and Grandmother talk about him often. Uncle Harold’s generation have all passed away now, but I plan to write to the Air Ministry of the RAF and request as much information about him as they will provide. I have seen his grave at the Canadian War Cemetery in Dieppe, France. I also joined a group in Britain a few years ago call 153 Squadron Association in the hope I would meet someone who had a picture of my Uncle. A few days ago his picture mysteriously showed up on the Internet with supporting documents. I have no idea how or why it suddenly appeared.
Harold
Sad to have lost folks, but great to have historical pieces like that. I have some things from my English Great Grandfather who died at the 3rd battle of Ypres in WWI and my Grandfather who was English coastal artillery(gunnery?) in WWII.
I really like this project - from the vehichle to the paint scheme. I’ve had the Tamiya quad gun tractor and 25 pounder in the stash for years wanting to do this camo so please, lots of pics on the technique!
Yes. Thanks Rob. That was a fun, informative lesson in Aussie lingo.
I felt privileged to be able to visit the Bomber Command memorial in London in March 2019. It’s important to remember the losses that RAF Bomber Command suffered along with those of the U.S. 8th Air Force during the campaign over Europe in WW2. I’ll always try to think of their sacrifice for we who came after.
Awsome info mate. Have the RCAF any records?
In 1943 the average life expectancy of bomber command air crew was 3 weeks. Sobering thought isn’t it.
PS. I’m glad you both enjoyed the Aussie language lesson. Just a bit of fun. We also have a habbit of speaking to our mates as if they were our worst enemies. It tends to confuse visitors though. And John, if you ever come to Oz, ignore people who tell you to watch out for the ‘drop bears’.
There is a few records like flight logs and target information that have been declassified, but I am betting their is more when I contact the RCAF Veterans organization for help. I know of at least three service metals Uncle Harold and his crew members would have earned before his death. The thing about these air crews of Bomber Command is they were so busy toward the end of the war under Air Marshal Sir Arthur Harris they didn’t have time to get into their dress uniform.
Harold
Rob, you know I was in the Navy from 1963 to 1969 and like you served on a guided missile destroyer. After I finished six years in the Navy the Vietnam War was still going, so I joined the Army as a Radio Sergeant. One of my jobs was training radio operators. The Army said their life expectancy in a Vietnam combat situation was three-minutes. The enemy knew that every radio operator has an antenna and is near the person in charge. So, they deliberately went after the man with a radio.
Update: After I said 3-minutes I decided to do a fact check and this is what I found.
https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/radiomen-life-expectancy-vietnam-war/
Harold
Harold, I don’t really know what to say to that. I’m guessing that a number of blokes you trained were destined to become casualties.
Training soldiers to use badly designed equipment in jungle warfare was the worst job I had in the military. The article talked about most of the hazards, except one. Climbing in and out of rice paddies and streams with 50 pounds on your back and snakes everywhere. Vietnam has almost as many deadly snakes as Australia.
Harold
I made a little progress on the camouflage painting using masking tape and hand-painting, but it is very slow and time consuming.
Harold
I think it’s worth the effort. It’s lookin’ mighty good, Harold.
I’m with John Harold. It’s looking terrific!