

© Bob
Cavill
C Company &
Assault Pioneers |
 |
It's morning... I know it is because the
Itchy–Arse bird is calling out somewhere out
there beyond the wire. Not much good getting out
of the cot yet though. Packed everything
yesterday and last night... I Think!
Pissed or not
—
Stand To!
—
Thank Christ! About time, it’s been the longest
night I've ever spent here! Last time we'll have
to stand in that bloody hole we dug, out there
beyond the tent!
"Gary! Get up, its time to give this place the
big arse!"
Fresh new greens hey! I suppose we've got to
look good for the Matlos. In three ranks
we march down to the field. "Hey! Don’t kick up
the dust Gary! You’re dirtying my
greens mate. What’s that Gary? Sounds like
Chinooks coming in. Here they come, look out
toward the 'Warbies'
—
Chinooks aye? Going to the ship in style
today mate." "Looks like we're next hey! What a
day, not far to go now mate hey? Look, down
there, there she is
—
the 'Vung
Tau Ferry' (HMAS Sydney)—
rusty deck
and all
— what a
beautiful sight! What’s that?
—
We've got to go round? Round where? What for?
Get it on the deck for f%@#k sake! What’s that?
The decks too weak and thin for the
Chinook's weight! Have to land at the back!
... Yeah! That'd be right... fall though the
bloody deck and get killed on the last day,
that'd be just my bloody luck!"
"Hey! What d'ya reckon Gary? Steel under our
feet at last. No bastard can dig a hole in that
aye! What’s that? Down to the mess decks?
Let’s go then. Jesus! It’s like an Aladdin’s
Cave down here!"
Talk about tucker
—
bread rolls,
snags, ham, chicken, and look! ICE CREAM for
God's sake!
"What’s that? Take as much as we want hey! How
long has this been going on? Christ, get it on
the plate mate! "
But it’s no good, I'll have to chuck it out...
got a gut the size of a walnut.
"What’s that? A Matlo who knows me? Where is
he?"
Well I'll be!
—
Jesus its 'Whitey’!
"How are you going Whitey mate! Haven’t seen you
since high school... What’s that? You've been in
the navy all this time aye? I've been over here
a year ... came with the advance party, C
Company, 13 months in all."
What was it like!?... Well I! ....arr... a
stoker aye? two hours down in the engine room at
a time....100 degrees! Christ that's hot mate"
... No air conditioning?
...
I don’t believe it! High humidity?
... MAN!
That‘d be hard, and only one hour up on deck
every two hours for a smoke?
...
Fair dinkum! Two
weeks at a time without leave? Jesus!
....That’s crook mate ... and the food? Yeah, we
noticed when we came on board mate. Crook
mate!...yeah, I don’t know how you could stand
it all pal! ...And they won't let you go
ashore?... THE BASTARDS! Hey Gary, did you hear
that!...THANK CHRIST WE WEREN'T IN THE NAVY
MATE!
TALES FROM THE TIGER │
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