Ordinary blokes' exceptional deeds (Australians in WWI)

The Australian ^ | April 23, 2008

[nickcarraway]

PADDY Bugden, nicknamed The Tank by his footy mates because of his athletic build, helped run country pubs in northern NSW.

Robert Beatham emigrated from England as a teenager and worked as a labourer in Geelong, Victoria.

Blair Wark was a quantity surveyor from Bathurst in NSW.

They were just ordinary blokes when they enlisted to fight in World War I, but their extraordinary deeds on the Western Front elevated them to the pantheon of Australian heroes awarded the Victoria Cross.

Queensland Museum marked Anzac week yesterday by opening an exhibition honouring the three, who are among the 96 Australians awarded the VC.

Entitled The Courage of Ordinary Men: Three Stories of the Victoria Cross, the exhibition was launched by Keith Payne, the latest Australian recipient of the VC and one of only two of the nation's awardees still alive.

Among guests were members of the McLeish family from Yorkshire in Britain, including the aptly named Matilda, 8.

Her great-great-great uncle was Robert Beatham, a former Geelong labourer who served at Gallipoli and became known as the "English Anzac" after he was awarded the VC for conspicuous bravery in France in August 1918.

During a battle with German troops east of Amiens, Beatham, according to his citation, "dashed forward, and, assisted by one man, bombed and fought the crews of four enemy machineguns, killing 10 of them and capturing 10 others". Although wounded, he ran forward a second time and died riddled with bullets.

[doc1019]

There has never been a battle won by Generals, they take the credit, but it is always the “ordinary blokes” that win the wars.

[sinanju]

I’ve read references to the godawful amount of young lives Australia poured out in The Wars.

That (in addition to years of semi-socialism) must be a major reason Australia isn’t a superpower today.

[DieHard the Hunter]

Our local RSA (Henderson, Waitakere City) has just this past week displayed the portrait of New Zealand’s most recent recipient, Cpl Willy Apiata VC. I felt proud and humbled to belong to a country that could breed such Warriors as him: New Zealand’s history with the Victoria Cross is long and distinguished, and Cpl Apiata’s is the latest in a legendary pedigree: the New Zealand Warrior. And I felt deeply, deeply grateful for his Service.

[Vietnam Vet From New Mexico]

I’ve read references to the godawful amount of young lives Australia poured out in The Wars. That (in addition to years of semi-socialism) must be a major reason Australia isn’t a superpower today.

Maybe, but they didn't have a shortage of brave young men in the 60's when they shed their blood along side us in Nam, and they don't seem to have a shortage now.

[Dundee]

I’ve read references to the godawful amount of young lives Australia poured out in The Wars.

That (in addition to years of semi-socialism) must be a major reason Australia isn’t a superpower today.

I think the fact that most of it is arid desert is the likely culprit.

[naturalman1975]

For casualty comparisons.

First World War.

Australia. Population: 4.5 million. Military Killed: 61,928 (1 in 72 Australians).
United States. Population: 92 million. Military Killed: 116,708 (1 in 788 Americans).

Second World War.

Australia. Population: 7 million. Military Killed: 39,400 (1 in 177 Australians).
United States. Population: 131 million. Military Killed: 416,800 (1 in 314 Americans).

I don’t believe Australia would have become a superpower if not for World War I - our population was so small, and we remain a fairly small country (22 million). But certainly, Australia paid a high butchers bill in both World Wars. Not as high as some others - including the United Kingdom - but a high price nonetheless.

We’ve done our duty when called on to do so. I hope we always will.