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Rumours and gossip played a part in every soldier’s life. In training and operations, soldiers craved news and seized on rumours of movements and actions in which they might become involved. Rumours broke the monotony of service life and gave hope of improved conditions.
Sapper Les Boyd of the 2/3rd Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers, wrote about his service at Tobruk shortly after Australian troops were pulled out of the besieged fortress. Written in a small diary, he recorded rumours and also the opinions of many troops in the forward area towards others they perceived as having an ‘easier’ war.
One claim was the presence of many spies at Tobruk. Boyd believed these rumors to be true.
More than one German agent was found in Tobruk, both English and Australian. When caught, they were found guilty and shut up in a room with a revolver and one bullet, with orders to shoot themselves. The official report of their deaths was ‘killed in action’. Boyd claimed that an Australian lieutenant frequently went to the wire saying he was observing the Germans but was a spy.
Two signallers went out one night, dug themselves in and watched him. He was sending information to the Germans with a shiny tin. The signallers wrote down his message and gave it to headquarters. The next time the officer went to the wire to signal the Germans, a shot was fired and he was hit by a bullet in the heart. Nobody ever knew just where the shot was fired from - but it had been arranged beforehand. (There is no recorded case of an Australian officer spying for the enemy at Tobruk.)
Like many soldiers, Sapper Boyd also felt somewhat fed-up after months of hard living, poor food and heavy casualties. He and his mates felt especially bitter towards the air force, described by many as ‘the glamour boys’.
The biggest disappointment of the war was the way in which we were deserted by the RAF and RAAF. [We] had to fight the German and Italian planes as best we could. Their [RAF and RAAF] glorious showing here as well as Greece and Crete has earned them the contempt and distrust of the Army and the Navy. It is a bad name that a great force will find it hard to live down. The real saviours of Tobruk were the RN and RAN. We all dip our lids to the Navy, the service which saved us all. Boyd was also feeling the limitations of his rank.
You have probably heard Australia’s claim to have the most democratic army in the world. Well, don’t believe a word of it. ... There always has to be a distinction between men & officers. Wherever we go we see such signs as ‘Officers Only’, ‘Out of bounds to ranks below Sergeant’ at cafes, clubs, pubs etc, and I find it even more so at AIF HQ and 6th AGH [Australian General Hospital]. Sapper Boyd also vented his frustrations and anger at men who did not serve in the forward area.
Headquarters is where we find officers & men who usually haven’t got what it takes to go where the steel flies about, yet they give all the cheek in the world about fighting.
Also located here is the world’s leading thieves. The gang from the kit store who wait until we go into a stoush, leaving our kitbags in their keeping, and then go through by smashing locks, slitting bags open etc and pinching souvenirs that men with guts have risked their lives to get.
Then they tell great yarns of how they got them during some battle – the bloody liars. They come second on our list of enemies, first being the Base Provos but I will not say anything about them, they are too low to be worried about. Finally, he commented on the service of Voluntary Aide Detachments, women who supported the nursing staff at general hospitals, with rumours of parties and romances between the VADs and officers he despised
I might also make slight mention of the VADs stationed at 6th AGH, but not much. They are doing a very good job but outside of that their only interest lies in having a good time with officers and sergeants, mainly of the base area crowd.
Any man serving in the ranks is hardly to the liking of most of them. With few exceptions, they are society girls who came over here for a holiday and romance.
The sisters are to be praised for their work, but like the VADs have not got time to spend with men who can’t keep the whisky and entertainment up to them.
But what romance some of them found, getting engaged to men who are already married, only to find that out when it is too late. Some of them have already gone home with a little family of their own.
The material for this article was supplied by Guy Watkins from Tasmania
14/01/2003
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