Gersen

Count me in. AKA John McDonough - Central Coast NSW jmcdono@optusnet.com.au

Just after leaving school I (and all my mates) used to hang out with a 'Rat of Tobruk'. He was a retired motor mechanic that helped us fix all our bombs (old cars - for the international audience). He was a tough old bastard who's fondest memory was the sh*t that all the diggers used to give to any English Officers that tried to tell them what to do! He made sergeant 3 times! He steadfastly refused to go to New Guinea because he had a phobia about snakes. More than happy to go back to the desert though. I'm sure he'd have something to say about 'not being in the desert long enough...'. Probably pull out the old 30/30 he had on top of the cupboard, ready for any intruders that came to knobble his greyhounds Cheers, John

Hi all, Firstly, as a first time poster (lurker?) I'd like to congratulate all those guys/gals that make this such a great board to visit. But like many 'lurkers', if I don't have anything to add, I don't say anything.... This topic caught my eye though. Well said Abbott, I think that sums it up. It's a bit like true courage...it is my opion that those that are truely 'sh*t' scared when they do something extrodinary, are the true heroes. For the record my vote goes down to the Australian / New Zealand digger. No special forces unit, just the plain old infantryman. Most historical records class them highly. Rommel considered them the elite of the Commonwealth forces. They held Tobruk and stopped the Japanese in New Guinea. In WWI they suffered the highest casualties (per capita) of any other force as they were used as 'shock troops' by the British. Now I'm pretty sure on that one, so go easy if I'm wrong . Not that I'm saying they did it with out help though... Lastly, I'll admit it...I'm a proud Aussie... Cheers, John Ohh, just read your post Stalin. Sorry mate gotta disagree there. Have a little read about The Anzac occupation of Tobruk and/or the battle of El Alemain where Aussies and New Zealanders featured heavily. Or perhaps you'd rather take Rommel's word for it . Don't quite get the bit about conscripts... In respects to Vietnam, from what I've read the Digger used very different tactics to the GI. An example of this philosophy is seen in the service rifle of the time, a semi-auto with no auto mode based on the Belgium FN. Full auto was seen as an waste in the stealthy jungle contacts and unneccesary. But then again I wasn't there... [ 05-01-2001: Message edited by: Gersen ]