I was only 19

[Lang]

Australia seems to specialise in these sorts of songs. This one is probably the best known - about WW1 - but pretty timeless in its meaning. I like this rendition by Eric Bogle, who wrote it. Recorded in a crowded club on a Saturday night rather than his usual clean studio recording.

Usually you can not hear yourself think in these places but the song has such an impact that the noisy start quickly subsides into a low background hum (I suspect mainly young women).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E22gszljklc

While I am at it may as well put up another Australian Vietnam anthem Khe Sanh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTjvG4WJD_A

[Allan L]

Weirdly I coincedently listened/ watched both on You Tube yesterday. Both brought tears to the eyes (although I never served, was one who missed the birthday draft.)

Edit: The Eric Bogle one I saw was pretty 'clean' although still live, maybe different occasion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnFzCmAyOp8


PS. your link takes me to a livelier version by John Williamson??

[Lang]

Allan

Absolutely right about John Williamson. I must have pressed the save link after Eric Bogle's rendition had finished and Youtube ratcheted to the next clip. Just as good. I will leave mine up and yours, while pretty morbid, gives Eric's words.

To give Eric Bogle a more upbeat reputation here is a song - absolutely nothing to do with military vehicles, but it is about trucks, and I have heard it sung in an Officers Mess - that I love to play for cat lovers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcXzdq9kMw0

Lang

[Allan L]

Equally poignant is the medley of the Last Post with Waltzing Matilda. I first heard it played at the funeral of a mate (a former bandsman.) I then tracked it down to a compilation CD of Macca's, by I think the 3MD band (they did just the one song amongst a heap of other artists.)
There is a You Tube version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsTkaAWPCb4

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Lang

While I am at it may as well put up another Australian Vietnam anthem Khe Sanh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTjvG4WJD_A

Here's a cover, I think FAR, FAR better that the original Chisel version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-1bdGIM7BU

[Matthew P]

Thank you for that. The kind of song that you just have to sit there and absorb for some moments afterwards. Phew.

Thank you
Matthew

[Mike Cecil]

Interesting thread, and I have to agree with Lang that 'Frankie', at 19, could not have been a Nasho (National Serviceman - NS). NS were men who had turned 20 years of age and were ordinarily resident in Australia at the time of their registration for NS.

Of those actually called up, about 70% of NS were aged 20 years, and 18% were already 21 years at the time of their enlistment. 8% were 22 years old at enlistment. A small number - around 4% - were 19 years at enlistment, having volunteered for NS, rather than being conscripted. These men, after a year of training, were at least 20 years of age before being sent to SVN.

As the majority of NS then underwent a full year of training before posting to SVN, it can be seen that most NS had turned 21 years of age before heading to SVN. Indeed, the commonly held view that Aust troops in SVN were 'awash' with 21st birthday celebrations is incorrect: 95% of NS and 80% of regular Army soldiers were 21 (and older) before leaving for SVN.

Across the whole Aust force in SVN, about 63% were regular army, and 37% NS. The figures fluctuate a little in both directions as a result of postings in and out of country. For the RAAC, the proportion was about 56% regular to 44% NS.

(extracted from my article 'Posted to Vietnam: A Profile of RAAC Personnel', published in Ironsides 2007 edition)

Mike

[Lang]

Mike

The ages were very different as you say. Quite a few Nashos were deferred (mainly to complete university) and appeared in uniform as late as 22 or 23.

When I joined up I was still 19 and turned 20 during officer training. My first posting was to 3 Recruit Training Battalion at Singleton as a platoon commander. I had 60 diggers (twice the size of a normal platoon).

Do you think that was a steep learning curve being the youngest person in a platoon of blokes, many of whom did not want to be there!!! Luckily my flying course was brought forward and I went off to Point Cook after only two intakes and six months at Singleton.

But I learned a hell of a lot more, and faster, than the soldiers. The Colonel was a bloody tyrant and the young officers were in fear of their very lives which put huge pressure on us
unbeknownst to the soldiers. Looking back I now realize the CO (WW2 and Korea) knew that 75% of his lieutenants would be fighting a war as platoon or troop commanders within 6-9 months just as we realised our soldiers would also be getting shot at. The vast majority of soldiers tried to be the best they could and few regret their time in the army 50 years on. For me, as a regular officer, it was sink or swim and I fall back on what those blokes unwittingly taught me, every day of my life.

The system was really good and I loved the way the army had of getting everybody equally to the starting line.

We would go to Brisbane and pick up a few hundred Nashos and bring them back in a flock of chartered aircraft. Arriving at the camp we would put them in mixed lines of blokes out of university in suits, mechanics in shirt sleeves, farmers in jeans and in those days, not a few long haired hippies in leather sandals. Every barber in the district would be there and the boys just sat in the chair, got a complete all-over #3 blade head shearing then gathered on the other side of the building.

Unbelievable transformation! On one side of the building was a bunch of unconnected people from all walks of life while on the other side was a bunch of bristle brained stunned mullets. They all suddenly looked the same, all were in shock and all instantly bonded by this outrage committed on their persons by the bloody army.

The concept was brilliant and immediately made them realise they were all in the same boat and got them talking to each other on equal terms.

Probably could not do this today or if you did, the barber would have to be Laurence of Paris who would show them a photo board of styles and ask if they wanted a blow dry.

Lang

[Lang]

Here is a song I have never heard "Nashos"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKfPlgAJGn4