This little ditty was found by Jason McGregor in a copy of the “Fort Critic” (newspaper) on 28th February 1918 … enjoy
The Queenscliff Dinkum
If you take the boat to Queenscliff
When you land upon the pier
You will see some dinkum soldiers – for a cert;
For when they are not drilling
Or the amber liquid swilling
They are down there on the lookout for some skirt.
When they rise up in the morning
At the orderly Sergeant’s warning
For reveille is a sound they cannot hear;
They do their turn at slavery
Peel the spuds to make the gravy
And then they help old Dave to brew the beer.
Having done these little trifles,
Shaved and dressed and cleaned their rifles,
And partaken of the porridge, fish and fruit,
They put on their leather kit,
Turn their ‘bays’ up till they fit,
And fall in like any raw recruit.
At the last note of the ‘fall-in’,
When the Sergeant’s finished bawlin’,
Down marches George to do his little stunt.
“Now, lards, back with your shoulders,
Pay attention to my arders,
And always look directly to your front”.
And just about ‘retreat’
When the sun has done its beat
They sally forth to quench their thirst in beer
Or catch some little peach
To take down on the beach
So goes the day for many a ‘rookie’ here.
(Note – George refers to George Howard – the Regimental Sergeant Major at the time.)
