"(MILITARISTIC MUSIC)" "(PASTORAL MUSIC)" "(BIRDSONG)" "(CATTLE LOW)" "(lssues instructions)" "Pull him round." "Pull him round." "That's it!" "Let him up." "G'day, Martin." "Dick." "(CATTLE LOW)" "Mongrel-looking turnouts, aren't they?" "Latest mob from the Queensland property." "Yes, they won't make the Barrington fortune." "They'll fatten on good pasture, bring us a price." "One of them got Dad last year." "Yeah." "Yeah, that was rotten luck." "Give one to your mate, you bludger." "(Laughs)" "It's good to see you." "Good to see you." "Look at you." "Flash as a rat with a gold tooth." "Bush lout." "How come you're back from university?" "Oh, mate, it's a long, long story." "Oh, it's like that, is it?" "What's Sir Rupert think about it?" "Well, I've been dodging Father since I got in last night." "You'll get away with it." "You always have, you bludger." "Hey, I'm not the only one bludging on the Barringtons." "Right, you lot." "What do you think this is, a bloody picnic?" "Come on, Marty." "There, mate." "Marty!" "You don't learn this at university, mate." "(Laughs)" "(Yells)" "(LIGHT-HEARTED MUSIC)" "Come on, sugar." "Do some work, mate." "What do you think this is?" "Bush week?" "I tell you what, mate." "How about you and me go up the Queensland property for a while?" "We'll clear out those scrubber bulls and put some good bloodstock in among them." "Yeah." "Alright, you're on." "With a bit of practice, you might make a fair offsider." "I'll tell you what." "I'll speak to Father about it." "Hey, it looks like you've got your chance. (Chuckles)" "You ready to release him?" "OK, easy." "Let him go." "Smoko." "Is there a shortage of stockmen?" "Well, I thought I'd just help..." "I missed you at breakfast, Martin." "Wanted an early ride." "I see." "Dick and I were talking about the Queensland prop..." "I haven't time now." "See me in my study first thing after lunch." "Goddammit, boy!" "You can't just walk out of university like that." "Well, I have." "You owe me an explanation." "Father, I've had years of schooling." "It's enough." "What relevance is a degree in running a cattle property, anyway?" "I don't want you as just another farmer, secure in his provincialism." "I had hoped you'd go on to my old college at Cambridge." "What I want is to learn this trade." "An unfortunate term." "Just give me some breathing space for a year, then, if you wish, I'll take my degree." "Dick was talking about the Queensland..." "Out of the question!" "Why?" "!" "There's going to be a war." "I won't have a Barrington in the outback while the mother country is in peril." "Father, what are you talking about?" "That war, if it happens, will be 12,000 miles away." "What's it got to do with us?" "Your shallowness astounds me." "Perhaps university was a waste of time." "Martin, we are British, and being..." "Oh, I thought we were Australian, Father." "And being British carries with it responsibility as well as privilege." "Whatever the Europeans want to do is no business of ours." "If Britain goes down, how long will this country stand?" "I've heard all these arguments..." "You may have heard it, but you obviously haven't listened to it." "I'm not going back this year." "(SOMBRE MUSIC)" "I accept that, Martin." "This year we will have important things to do." "I may have an interesting surprise for you which will resolve all our difficulties." "We'll talk later when I know more." "Bit of a trimmer, eh?" "Oh, alright if you like 'em thin." "Built like a racing tadpole." "Well, well." "'Poddy Calf' Jackson and 'Left-Hand' McGee." "Eh, fair go!" "That was a long time ago." "Stone the crows." "It's Kate Baker." "Oh, Kate." "Why didn't you let on it was you?" "Thought you was one of the city sheilas." "I am a city sheila." "(PLAYFUL MUSIC)" "Well?" "Well, what?" "Give us a lift with the luggage." "That's if your brain can send a message to your limbs." "I was expecting the anger." "I was surprised at the hurt." "One generally is at your age." "He seems to have this great master plan." "I don't know if I'm ready for it." "Martin, you're his only child." "That makes it so much harder on him." "On all of us." "We were hoping that you'd follow the family traditionand finish at Cambridge." "(Laughs wryly) Yes, and acquire that all-important veneer of European civilisation." "Oh, you've no taste for European culture?" "Culture?" "Mother, they're tearing each other's throats out over there." "(Sighs) Don't worry." "It's a half a world away." "(Sighs)" "KATE:" "Mum, I'm not running off." "I'm just going to visit Dick for a few days." "You can come if you like." "Hmph!" "Don't see much of your brother, either, since he's kicked on at the Barrington place." "Bloody rich squatters." "Imitation Pommies." "Use up the working people, then throw them aside when they're no longer wanted." "Oh, a cottage for life and a pension is hardly what I'd call being 'thrown aside'." "It doesn't bring your father back." "That larrikin son of theirs is home." "Martin?" "Yeah." "They reckon he got kicked out of that fancy university." "Probably swallowed his silver spoon." "(Laughs)" "And the Prime Minister has sent a cable to London, saying," ""Indescribable enthusiasm and entire unanimity throughout Australia" ""in support of the Empire in war."" "Hear, hear." "Hear, hear." "We have never been so united." "The whole colony will give its..." "Nation, Father." "We're no longer a colony." "Er, 'nation', then." "We are not at war yet, Rupert." "We will be at any moment." "The Prussians have been rampaging through Belgium and France for two days now, and they are well past the deadline of Britain's ultimatum." "Today's papers report that there's been an exchange of messages between the Tsar, the Kaiser and King George." "Those three are cousins." "One must pray sanity will prevail." "My dear George, you will never change." "Always naive." "(All chuckle)" "Well, Rupert, if it is naivety to hope that the nations of our great Western civilisation can settle their differences like rational people, then I am as you say." "If a simple farmer like myself can see the thing clearly then surely you, as a scholar, can." "Whatever the cause, whatever the excuse, the issue is quite plain." "Germany is out for world domination." "She has planned it and will not be deterred." "I say, so be it." "If we must fight, we of the British Empire, then let's do it now and put the Prussian back in his place." "Quite agree, Rupert." "A summer storm to clear the air over Europe." "MAN:" "Hear, hear." "(SOMBRE MUSIC)" "(LOW-LEVEL CONVERSATION)" "Would you excuse me?" "Rupert has organised with the Cabinet that they telephone him when a decision's been made." "It's probably only the butcher." "(All chuckle)" "I say, Martin - if it starts, will you be going?" "Most definitely." "Oh, terrific." "To Queensland." "Oh." "What a pity." "You'd look splendid in one of those red coats." "I think they went out in the Zulu wars, Lydia." "(Laughs) (Huffs) Oh." "Nobody told me." "Ladies and gentlemen, Great Britain has declared war on Germany." "Not before time, either, Rupert." "Australia, New Zealand and Canada have announced they will be raising forces immediately." "Good show." "Jolly good." "(All applaud)" "Once we of the Empire set our minds to it..." "Roberts, tell the staff to tap the barrel now." "I could be a nurse." "(Laughs) You faint at the sight of blood." "Well, then, perhaps I could read to the wounded." "MAN:" "Well, my dear, this will teach those Germans once and for all." "(Clears throat) Well, for better or for worse, here's to Australia." "(All murmur) Australia." "No, Martin, we shall drink the toasts in their proper order." "The King, God bless him, the Empire, and then the land we love, Australia." "ALL:" "The King, the Empire, Australia." "If I may have your attention for one last time... (Sighs)" "Now is the time to confess to a gentle conspiracy" "I had undertaken on Martin's behalf." "In anticipation of the stirring news which came tonight" "I cabled my old comrade, the colonel of the Rifle Brigade." "That's the English regiment I had the honour to serve with during the Boer War." "I received the reply from London today." "(PAPER RUSTLES)" "The Rifle Brigade is pleased to accept my son Martin into the regiment with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant." "(All exclaim and applaud)" "Dick!" "You getting tidy in your old age, mate?" "Dick!" "Oh..." "Kate!" "My God." "A vision of loveliness." "Spare me the Barrington wit." "(Laughs) The barrel's down that way." "To hell with the barrel." "Mmm." "Do I hear a note of petulance?" "Very likely." "Which shoulder can I cry on?" "Neither." "(Sighs and tuts)" "(Laughs) Oh, come on, then." "Tell all." "Oh, no." "I'd rather talk about you." "They tell me you're a qualified nurse now." "Congratulations." "Thank you, squire." "So, will you be staying in Tolangerook?" "Oh, not on your life." "That nursing certificate is my passport out of the bush." "Is the bush that bad?" "From my point of view it is, yes." "I have two choices here - marriage and childbirth or childbirth and marriage." "(Quietly) Yeah." "What are you doing?" "I'm just looking for a soapbox or something you can preach from." "Oh, you!" "(Laughs)" "I'll get you!" "(Laughs) (Laughs)" "Hey!" "Who's going the grope on my sister?" "Oh, look, there's ants at every picnic!" "(All laugh)" "Oh, boys will be boys." "The three of us, huh, just like old times." "Old times don't come back." "No, we'll make them." "Coming down for a beer?" "Oh, no." "I wouldn't want to spoil their little war fever." "I came to talk about Queensland." "I'm going whether Father likes it or not." "Oh, yeah, Queensland." "Well, there's been a bit of a change of plan." "What?" "It was your idea." "Well, er, me and the boys are gonna join up." "(BUGLE PLAYS SOFTLY)" "Oh, come on, Marty." "Wouldn't want to miss out." "See some of the world." "I've seen some of the world." "That's why I like it here." "They reckon it'll be over by Christmas." "We'll go to Queensland next year." "You gotta be in it, mate." "(Sighs) Gotta laugh." "'Night, all." "(POIGNANT MUSIC)" "What the hell was that all about?" "He's having trouble making his first decision." "Oh." "MAN:" "All of Europe is threatened by the treacherous Hun, even the mother country herself, fair England." "Australia too is now in the play." "Would we have had it otherwise?" "!" "ALL:" "No!" "It's only an old piece of bunting." "It's only an old piece of rag." "But many have died for its honour and shed their life's blood for the flag." "(All cheer and shout)" "And in the short space of 13 years since our nation's birth, our own flag." "(All cheer)" "Is it worthy of sacrifice?" "Is it ready for its baptism of fire?" "(All cheer)" "I now call for volunteers to step forward and be the first of the new Australian Imperial Force." "Why, if it isn't Tom McArthur, a hero of the football field... (All cheer)" "...who no doubt could be a hero of that other, greater field." "Who's next?" "Come on, boys!" "Step up!" "Would to God that I could be with you!" "(All sing) Should old acquaintance be forgot?" "No!" "No!" "No, no, no!" "Australia will be there..." "I've gotta be in it, Mum!" "Roly, no!" "You're too young!" "Fair go, Mum!" "A bloke couldn't miss this!" "It's Australia's first chance to prove something to the rest of the world." "Now, that's what I want, boys!" "Come on, the rest of you too!" "I want you to get in the line, sign up, and I'll be right there, right there with you, boys!" "Hey, come on, you blokes!" "You joining up?" "Course we are." "We'll be there." "Take care of me dog, mate." "He'll follow me all the way to Ballarat." "Where's your fine friend Barrington now?" "Martin's alright." "I didn't ask about his health." "I asked where is he right now when he's wanted among his mates." "Marty can make up his own mind." "Dick, what are you waiting for?" "The war will be over by the time we arrive." "MAN:" "About time you got here, Andy." "Finished your shearing or what?" "Come on, Dick." "Let's go." "(LOW-LEVEL CONVERSATION)" "'Bye!" "'Bye, boys!" "(KNOCK AT DOOR)" "(DOOR OPENS)" "Thank you for dropping in so promptly, Martin." "Sit down, boy." "We'll miss young Baker." "He's leaving today, I understand." "Yes." "Waste of time, of course." "He'll be back before long." "The Australian army - no future there." "Probably only used for garrison duties behind the line." "Well, Martin, what about you?" "(Sighs) I suppose I'll be off to the Queensland property." "The Empire's at war, blast it!" "You say our fellows won't get near it." "Why bother?" "I offered you an honourable alternative." "English commission." "Is that all you've got to say about the finest regimentin the British army?" "Father, it's not for me." "I don't understand one damn thing about you now except your desire to contradict me at every turn." "Father, I'm NOT contradicting you." "It's MY life, and..." "Then I suggest you get on with it!" "...and it's MY decision!" "Might as well let him go." "They'll be home soon, anyway." "(Laughs)" "Mrs Baker." "Came to see them off, did you?" "Uh-huh." "Well, you're too late!" "Well, I'd better get after them and make my farewells." "It's a lovely day for a ride." "Care to join me?" "(Laughs)" "(Clicks tongue) Yah." "(LIGHT-HEARTED MUSIC)" "(All whisper)" "Yah!" "(LOW-LEVEL CONVERSATION)" "(Whistles)" "No point in walking the whole way." "Which way are you heading?" "Queensland." "Oh." "I'm going to France." "Yeah, well, that's what I mean." "I'm heading to Queensland the long way, via France. (Laughs)" "You and I have got an arrangement, mate!" "(Both laugh)" "Thanks, Kate." "Be seeing you." "Yes, you probably will." "You pack your lunch?" "(Laughs)" "See ya, fella!" "Whoo-hoo!" "Good to have you with us." "How far we got, eh?" "(Laughs)" "What's Sir Rupert got to say?" "Sir Rupert's as pissed as hell." "Oh, yeah. (Chuckles)" "I bet he's not too happy about it." "(LOW-LEVEL CONVERSATION)" "Boys, boys!" "I cannot let this historic moment pass without a few words." "As your member of Parliament, most of you know me." "MAN:" "Those of you that don't, keep your hands on your wallets." "(All laugh)" "We are as one on this great issue." "Australia will defend the mother country to the last man and the last shilling!" "Would to God that I could go with you, boys." "Oh, no." "A fair dinkum 'would to God-er'." "As one whose duty lies at the home front," "I want you boys always to know that Cyril Earnshaw is right behind you!" "Yeah - 12,000 miles behind you." "(All laugh)" "If you had one speck of shame you'd join up." "I am gonna join up - gonna join your outfit." "My outfit?" "Yeah, 'B' Company." "Be here when they go and be here when they come back." "(All laugh)" "(WHISTLE BLOWS) Bloody bastard!" "(JAUNTY MUSIC)" "Come on, Marty." "You joining us, are you?" "I might as well." "Comes to a choice between facing the guns and old windbags like him," "I'll take the guns every time." "Pat Cleary." "Martin Barrington." "Pleased to meet you, mate." "(HORSE WHINNIES)" "(Men shout) Whoa!" "Crikey - if we organised a cattle muster like this, we'd all get the sack." "Yeah, I've seen better organised duck raffles in country pubs." "They never expected so many volunteers." "It'll take them months to get organised." "We won't miss out, will we?" "No, we'll make it." "Geez, I remember a big muster up on the Barcoo." "That was organisation for you." "We had, what, 100,000 woollies coming in." "(Scoffs) Oh, here we go!" "No, fair dinkum." "They were coming in from 100 mile around." "It was so dusty, we had to shear by lamplight in the middle of the day." "(Laughs) MAN:" "Right, you lot, on your feet." "On your feet, I said." "Look sharp!" "(Clears throat) Do any of you blokes know anything about music?" "Well, er, I studied a little, sir." "Good." "You and your mates, shift that piano into the officer's mess." "Get on your way!" "First lesson - never volunteer for anything." "(WHIMSICAL MUSIC)" "Good on you, Marty." "Excuse me, sir - can I help them?" "What's your name, son?" "Roly." "Roly what?" "Roly Collins, sir." "Right." "On your way, Collins." "MAN:" "Keep it still." "Inward advance." "Left turn!" "Left, I said, the man with the big hat!" "Steady." "And easy." "Men of No. 3 Platoon, I am Lieutenant Harold Armstrong and I am your platoon officer." "You have all joined the colours of your own free will for the duration of the war." "As volunteers, you will be treated like intelligent adults." "Our battalion, the 8th, has formed so rapidly that there is a shortage of non-commissioned officers, so I have two temporary appointments to make." "Firstly, is there any man who feels he has the experience to perform the duties of platoon sergeant?" "Sir!" "McArthur, sergeant with the 'F' Dunoon Rifles." "Yes, McArthur." "You will have three weeks trial as sergeant." "Now, a volunteer for corporal." "Come, come, lads." "It's worth an extra shilling a day." "(All murmur) Easy." "(MAN SHOUTS ORDERS IN DISTANCE)" "I will have that man there." "Do you agree, Private Barrington?" "You were a cadet lieutenant, I understand." "Yes, sir, if that's what you want, sir." "Good." "Then that's settled." "Sergeant McArthur, take the men away and get them better dressed, then give them two hours of close-order drill." "McARTHUR:" "Sir!" "Platoon... attention!" "(DRUMS BEAT)" "McARTHUR:" "Platoon... halt!" "Platoon... will advance." "Left turn!" "Righto, you men." "Let's get to know each other." "Now, you all know who I am." "You may think those high-and-mighty officers run the army." "Well, you'd be wrong." "The army's run by sergeants." "Always thought Bligh was a captain, not a sergeant." "What was that?" "I said they should have made you a captain, Sergeant." "Yeah." "Righto, I want you to call out your names and tell us what you did in civvy life." "Johansen, dairy farmer." "Johansen, dairy farmer." "Well, well, what have we got here?" "2.5 Dutchmen." "Not Dutch, Sergeant, Danish." "Carry on." "Harris, rouseabout." "You a Pommy, Harris?" "English, Sergeant." "I've been watching you, Harris." "Seems you've been in the army before." "I was in the Boy Scouts, wasn't I?" "Is that so?" "Next." "Collins." "Bootmaker." "Baker." "Stockman." "Cleary - middleweight champion of north Queensland, all-time champion horse breaker of the outer Barcoo, and breaker of women's hearts everywhere." "ALL:" "Ohhh..." "Anything else?" "Well, sometimes I tell lies." "(All chuckle) Shut up, Cleary." "Next." "Barrington." "Student." "You're a bit old to be in short pants, aren't you, Barrington?" "They keep you back a couple of grades?" "(All snigger) University student, Sergeant." "Oh, an educated man." "Well, it's real nice to have a silvertail like you in the platoon." "I thought we joined up to fight the Germans." "What was that?" "!" "Come on!" "Speak up, laddie, so we can all hear!" "I said I thought we joined up to fight the Germans, Sergeant, not each other." "(All murmur agreement)" "There's another thing you ought to know." "Now that you're in the army, you all come under King's regulations." "That's a big, thick book where they list all the crimes they can think of." "For the crimes they HAVEN'T thought of, the offender will have to deal with me in person." "Things like having a big mouth, Cleary." "(Quietly) Me?" "The penalty might be meeting me behind the tents at night." "(DISTANT DRUMMING)" "Right, then." "Let's begin." "Now, get back to attention!" "Platoon... right turn!" "By the left... quick... march!" "(DRUMMING GROWS LOUDER)" "(Man shouts orders)" "Pull it back." "Deep breath." "Try again." "One, two, three... (Cocks gun falteringly)" "Like the story of the old bull and the younger one, mate." "Alright, fellas." "Put these on your service dress and we're off to the firing range." "Hey, bewdy!" "Hang on, Marty." "That's Australia." "I'm a Queenslander." "Bad luck, Pat." "Officially Australian now, mate." "Oh, well, that's not so bad." "I thought you might make me a Victorian." "What's wrong with Victorians, you banana-bender?" "ALL:" "Yeah!" "Have you got a couple of hours?" "(Derisively) Hey, watch yourself." "(All laugh)" "Blimey, it takes a bleeding war in Europe to make you lot understand you all belong to the same country." "He's right, you know." "Oh, yeah, he's right, you know." "Yeah, Bill." "Yeah, takes a Pommy..." "Oi!" "(Both laugh)" "At your targets, 10 rounds." "Fire!" "(GUNSHOTS ECHO)" "(Man issues orders indistinctly)" "I think we underestimated these men, Sergeant." "A letter from your regiment, dear." "The Germans have been repulsed outside Paris." "They won't be able to take much of this." "Should be over soon." "Yes, dear, that's what you said weeks ago." "And we've heard of nothing but defeats and retreats." "(SOMBRE MUSIC)" "Martin seems to have got in with a group of amusing young men." "(Chuckles) A man called Cleary has taught him how to play... two-up." "What on earth is two-up?" "Do you remember Bertie Oldfield?" "We met him when we were in London last year." "Yes." "He was a captain in your regiment, wasn't he?" "And Tony Wentworth-Jones and Sandy Fitzwilliam." "Bellamy Carew." "Yes, I remem..." "They're all dead." "They and 20 other officers of the 2nd Battalion and 389 other ranks." "It's the 2nd Battalion that offered Martin a commission." "I'm sorry, Thea." "It's the suddenness of it." "The finest regiment in the British regular army destroyed." "(Sobs quietly)" "Come on, boys, get yourselves set at Honest Pat's Two-Up School, famous the length and breadth of the outback." "The Murrumbidgee Kid's throwing at the moment, going for his fourth straight head." "20 quid says he can do it." "(All talk at once)" "Hey, Pat." "Eh?" "Oh, not now, Roly." "I don't take underage bets." "No, I just wanted to tell you..." "Not now, mate." "We all covered on the side?" "Yeah, yeah." "All covered heads?" "In the centre, all covered?" "Alright, come in spinner." "(All murmur)" "(All cheer and chatter)" "Tails pays." "Tails is a big winner." "Discount 10% for wear and tear on the carpet." "They said to tell you that they're going to the pub." "Pub's out of bounds." "I've organised a back room." "Good on you, Roly." "Tell 'em I'll be there in five minutes." "The way I'm going, I'll be shouting." "OK." "We got that other spinner?" "(All laugh) No class at all, mate." "Yeah. (Laughs)" "Oh, well, you'll be happy enough here, Bill." "Looks like an English pub." "Don't mind, so long as they serve beer." "DICK:" "Pull up a pumpkin and sit down." "Yeah. (Laughs)" "Ah, good evening, gents." "Sorry for serving you out here." "The saloon's full of officers, the bar's full of sergeants." "You wouldn't want to mix with them." "(All agree)" "Give us five pints of beer, landlord." "Oh, no, thanks, Pat." "Four beers and a lemon squash, mate." "Eh?" "Well, I signed the pledge." "I promised my mum I wouldn't drink." "Alright, four pints of beer and a pint of lemon squash for our mate here." "His wife wears her cardigan backwards, right?" ""And furthermore," he says," ""all the sheep bear a remarkable family resemblance."" "(All laugh)" "Good one, Pat!" "Crikey, I know that feeling." "Yeah, but never as plastered as that." "(FOOTSTEPS THUMP)" "(Slurs) Why don't you shut your noisy mouths..." "Oh, Jesus, you lot." "How'd you be, huh?" "A man works all week and they come back to haunt you after hours." "I ought to do the lot of you." "(All snigger)" "But I won't, no, no." "I'm gonna put you all on a charge." "You couldn't walk back to camp, let alone write out a charge sheet." "You had it comin', pal!" "Hey, take it easy, Sarge." "It's my fault." "I brought 'em here." "Piss off!" "Why don't you start with someone your own size?" "(Grunts with effort)" "BILL:" "Have you hurt him, Dick?" "No chance." "I tell you what, though" " I'd think twice about tackling him sober." "You alright, Roly?" "Yeah, mate." "We better go." "The place will be crawling with jacks." "We can't just leave him like that." "No, you're right. (Laughs) Come on, McArthur, wake up." "(Snorts)" "(Pants) Blast you." "The whole lot of you." "You think it's all a game." "We don't think it's a game, Sarge." "Yes, you do - a big bloody game!" "You poor buggers are going to a war!" "A bullet in the guts is the best you can expect, like my old man." "(Quietly) Like my old man." "(POIGNANT MUSIC)" "(Sobs) It took him 10 years to die." "I heard him coughing it up every night." "(Sobs)" "Which way is it meant to go?" "Straight ahead." "Straight ahead?" "Hey, look at that." "We've got more important things to do." "(CRASH!" ")" "Morning, Sister." "Can I carry your gear for you?" "You certainly can." "Struth, what are you doing here?" "Mum sent me to keep an eye on you." "You can carry your own gear, sis." "Morning, Sister." "(English accent) May I be of assistance, ma'am?" "Thank you, Private." "Corporal." "Where are you ladies staying?" "So, this is what you meant when you said you'd see us." "I've had my name down on the reserves for months." "And you never told us." "You never asked." "It's really good to see you." "(Giggles)" "You coming to France with us?" "Mm-hm." "France." "I can tell you a few stories..." "Put the bags down here, please, Corporal." "Oh... (Laughs)... cut the 'Corporal'." "(WHIMSICAL MUSIC)" "Oh, I see." "Army rules." "Some places are out of bounds to other ranks." "But you'd understand that, wouldn't you?" "Just like the big house at Hereford Downs." "Well, one to you, madam, but I'll even the score." "What - by applying for a commission?" "I wouldn't go that far." "I'll get you back." "(Laughs)" "BILL:" "I wasn't complaining, mind you." "I've always been a top man, myself, on that sort of score." "So we went for a daytrip - just a daytrip, mind." "Little town called Bologne." "Nice grub, but the beer wasn't much." "Someone said the other day that the French eat frog's legs." "I don't think I'd like that much." "G'day, boys." "ALL:" "G'day, Dick." "What do you reckon, Marty?" "What's that?" "They're saying in France, we could eat frog's legs." "(Laughs) It's not compulsory." "What, so you've been, then?" "Mm-hm." "Life's fairly snouted the young squire today." "My sister's a lieutenant and Martin Barrington's only a corporal." "(All laugh) Good on you, Dick." "Alright, alright, what's France like?" "Well, I went up the Loire Valley, and it was, well, like something you've never seen before." "A great, slow river that never runs dry, vineyards, castles." "A sun that never gets too hot." "Any sheilas?" "For sheilas, you should try Paris." "Well, go on." "Folies Bergere, Moulin Rouge, Bal Tabarin." "Wine, women and song right round the clock." "(All snigger)" "ROLY:" "One soon learns to expect the unexpected in the army." "On the day our transports were getting ready to leave Australian waters," "Turkey came into the war on Germany's side." "Instead of the fields of France, it was the sands of Egypt." "Now, after five months of training, we're heading for a place called Gallipoli." "Martin said the idea was to attack Germany through the back door." "They even gave us a new name for the occasion" " ANZAC." "Well, Pat says it sounds like a South American Indian tribe, but it stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps." "The mood was quiet." "The boys knew that all of Australia would be watching us today." "(Men sing) Oh, God, our help in ages past" "Our hope for years to come..." "What are you breaking up the crate for?" "Firewood, Roly." "Haven't you ever been in the bush?" "Course not." "He was brought up respectable, weren't you, Roly?" "(All laugh)" "Now, remember, lads, the biscuits and water you have are to last for three days." "There's nothing else at this spot in Gallipoli." "Right, skip." "Nothing but Turkish soldiers." "Stub out that cigarette." "Now, we turn left once ashore, do the beach quickly." "No smoking." "Good luck to you, lads." "You too, skip." "Good luck to you, sir." "Good luck, Roly." "Three days rations, boys - the biscuits and the water." "Look after 'em." "Three days on the rations." "(All shout)" "Here we go, Marty." "Here's to Australia!" "Get off the beach!" "Move, move, move!" "(SHOUTING CONTINUES)" "(GUNFIRE RESOUNDS)" "Double, double, double!" "3 Platoon, 3 Platoon, ready and out!" "Come on!" "2 Section, how many here?" "The boys are over this side." "Rest of us are here except Trellow and Smith." "Come on, come on." "Let's get up there." "Sir, the blokes are all mixed up." "I can't contact the company." "You and 100 others." "But the map doesn't make sense." "You're dead right there." "Get a message to the Colonel." "Tell him they've landed us a mile to the north." "Hear that?" "We're on the wrong beach." "Hey, slip up and tell the Turks it's a mistake." "You bloody tell them, Cleary!" "Not me." "(SHOUTING AND GUNFIRE)" "3 Platoon, follow me!" "Come on, 2 section!" "Move!" "Stay in close to the wall!" "Move in closer!" "Sergeant, advance your section now!" "Karl, can you make it?" "Move out, faster!" "Hang on, old son." "Medical section will be along soon." "Ready, Erik?" "Move them up, Sergeant!" "OFFICER:" "On your feet, Johansen." "Up here!" "Stretcher-bearers!" "(GUNFIRE AND SHOUTING CONTINUES)" "Watch your footing!" "Keep down!" "(DRAMATIC MUSIC)" "(Shouts) Forward!" "(GUNFIRE)" "1 and 2, go!" "3 and 4, go!" "Ready, Pat?" "Ready." "Just my luck to be stuck with a bloody pocket Napoleon." "(MUSIC INTENSIFIES)" "FIRE!" "(GUNFIRE)" "Go." "(Exclaims) Arggh!" "Marty!" "Dick!" "(DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES)" "(GUNFIRE)" "Where are you going?" "Just cover me." "(GUNFIRE)" "(Grunts)" "(GUNSHOT)" "(Grunts)" "Dick." "OK." "Bloody hell." "Let's dismantle the gun and get out of here." "Where's your sergeant mate?" "Lost him." "(GUNFIRE)" "Down, mate." "Bloody thing's back-to-front." "Come on." "Come on!" "Come on, boys!" "It's no good, mate." "We're lost." "Do you know which way to the beach?" "I may be buggered, but not stupid." "Look, mate, what do I know about the bush?" "We can't do it." "You go." "(EXPLOSION)" "I'm not going without you, mate." "We're getting out of here." "Fall." "(Both laugh)" "How are ya, mate?" "Alive." "(Pants)" "What are you doing?" "Having a picnic?" "You should be helping dig in along this ridge." "It's only 11 o'clock." "We're miles short of our objective." "The home team's got everything in its favour." "They've got all the high ground." "They know the bloody country." "They've got reinforcements coming." "I reckon we're in real strife." "(SOLEMN MUSIC)" "(GUNFIRE)" "It's no good." "It's too steep." "Throw me over" " I'll manage." "But it will kill ya." "Quick!" "Let go!" "Arggh!" "You know, someone said that the main weapon in this war would be a shovel." "They're not wrong, mate." "See anything, Dick?" "No, but they're out there, alright." "'A' Company, stand tall." "Something stirring, sir?" "Yes, they're mounting a counterattack." "We'll hold?" "Look around." "What do you think?" "Good luck, Martin." "Same to you, sir." "(GUNFIRE)" "Pick off your target!" "Don't waste ammunition!" "(Man yells)" "Struth, it's like getting in the last keg at the butchers' picnic." "You gotta pay the old Turk - he comes on like a train." "What are you doing, Baker?" "Having a tea-break?" "There's gotta be a nark at every party." "(Men yell)" "They're all heading back." "Dick!" "They've had enough." "Have a look." "(Men laugh and shout)" "'Bye, Abdul." "(GUNFIRE SUBSIDES)" "Reports this section, Corporal." "They've retreated, sir." "Told you we'd hold 'em." "Another step back and we'd have been up to our necks in salt water." "It's not over yet, Martin." "(EXPLOSIONS IN DISTANCE)" "The ANZAC Corps commander, sir." "I came ashore as soon as I could." "Well, those, er, New Zealanders and Australians of yours, Bridges, have done a magnificent job." "Someone made a similar remark AFTER the Charge of the Light Brigade." "If you have something to say then say it." "I believe it's time to seriously consider evacuation." "Good God, man, do you realise?" "We have been landed in the wrong place, we have failed to take any of our objectives, our men are clinging to chasms and to cliffs." "If one part of the line breaks, the Turks will be on the beach in minutes." "Fellas, Roly's back." "A few cuts and scratches, but he's alive and kicking." "Pat." "Told you, the kid's a born survivor." "He's got quite a story to tell." "Yeah, I have." "I started going back to the beach..." "Oi." "Save it." "(Men shout in distance)" "What's wrong with you?" "(EXPLOSION IN DISTANCE)" "Where's Dick?" "He went to look for those wounded blokes we heard calling." "What?" "!" "We tried to stop him, but you know Dick." "Turks could swarm this gully any minute." "Yep." "(Whispers) Dick, you stupid bastard." "Hey." "(GUNSHOT)" "Arggh!" "Stretcher-bearer!" "Do you realise I have committed my last reserves?" "Walker, where have you been?" "Taking on the Turks single-handed?" "No, sir." "I have been..." "No, let General Bridges summarise." "Of my three brigades, one has ceased to exist as a fighting formation." "The other two have suffered severe casualties." "Where are you getting your information from?" "From wounded and men returning to the beach." "God, what have shocked men and stragglers to say that is accurate?" "It leads me to the conclusion that our fighting spirit that has held up so far will crack under this impossible pressure." "I believe we should evacuate before this happens." "An evacuation at night in contact with the enemy - that's a recipe for a shambles." "I'd rather stay and die on the beach." "I visited a number of the forward companies." "They're holding well." "Up there, the thought of failure hasn't even entered their heads." "I cannot take responsibility for evacuation." "And I have a responsibility to the government of Australia and my men." "Signal from the Commander-in-Chief, sir." "Thank you." "(Reads) "Your news is indeed serious." ""There is nothing for it but to dig in and to stick it out." "Evacuation is impossible." ""You have got through the worst of the business." ""All you have to do now is to dig, dig, dig until you are safe."" "Signed..." "Ian Hamilton, Commander-in-Chief." "Well, there it is." "You know, Bridges, you may have underestimated those Australians of yours." "DICK:" "It's me." "I'm coming in." "Watch the arm." "Oh, beauty." "Jacko." "I knew my mates wouldn't let me down." "Come on, old son, let's get you comfortable." "(Laughs)" "There's scores of poor coots out there who'll never be found." "Good to see you back, mate." "G'day, Roly." "Still in the land of the living, eh?" "(SOLEMN MUSIC)" "What's up?" "Where's Marty?" "He got knocked 10 minutes ago." "Bad?" "Through the stomach." "You're to be Acting Corporal, Dick." "I'm not gonna take Martin's place." "What about Bill?" "I want you." "Crikey, he's a better soldier." "This is not a debating society, Baker." "Though listening to some of you, you'd think so." "Mr Armstrong wants you, and that's the end of it, right?" "Right?" "Now, sort out the reinforcements." "Smartly." "Only three." "Yeah." "Two got knocked coming up." "Names." "Richie, Warner." "I'm Flanagan." "OK, you blokes find Cleary, Harris and Collins." "One each - they'll show you the ropes." "Get going!" "What's the matter with you?" "Someone pinch your bag of lollies?" "You could be handy if you don't get your block knocked off." "Tiny." "Thanks, mate." "Any pain?" "Nah, not much." "Do you ever go into the lotteries?" "No." "Why?" "Well, you ought to." "We found the bullet." "Bounced off your ribs, ended near your pelvis." "Missed every vital organ on the way." "1,000-to-1 shot." "You're a very lucky fella." "(Sighs) Have any trouble getting it out, or?" "No, we didn't get it out." "Don't worry, it's less dangerous that way." "(Sighs) Oh, well, thanks anyway." "It's all part of the service." "That reminds me." "I've got a letter for you." "I'll give you a hand, eh?" "Good on you." "Thanks very much." "I see you're in the 8th." "Mmm." "Those nurses who came with the 8th will move here next month." "Oh, yeah." "Aye, aye." "Anyone in particular?" "Yeah." "Sister Baker." "Do you know her?" "Do I?" "Doesn't everybody?" "When's she due in?" "I'll let you know." "ROLY: "Dear Martin," ""the news came through at last that you were alive and recovering." ""It lifted the spirits of the platoon, particularly Dick and Mr Armstrong." ""It was a real pleasure to see them back to their old selves again." ""Not that there's many of the old faces left." "Just 11." ""Things have been pretty lively over here, I can tell you." ""Well, even the generals aren't safe." ""General Bridges, our commanding general, was killed the other day." ""A few of the new reinforcements showed up well," ""particularly a bloke called Flanagan." ""He's sort of like Bill and Pat in a way " ""he's got a nose for trouble and can anticipate it." ""I know you'll like him." ""Most of us have had a few more nicks, including yours truly," ""but nothing serious." ""There's some furphy about some big attack, so stay in hospital." ""Pat says only mugs live here." ""The best from all the boys, even McArthur." ""Yours, Roly."" "(GENTLE PIANO MUSIC)" "(CRICKETS CHIRP)" "Hey." "Take a look." "Oh, God." "(Man moans) Angel from heaven, boys." "(Man wolf whistles)" "(MELANCHOLY MUSIC)" "MAN:" "Come on." "Martin?" "(Groans)" "Martin." "(Groans) (Gasps)" "(All laugh)" "You..." "You!" "Is that any way to treat your wounded hero?" "Have you got any drains or sutures?" "Nup." "All healed up." "Headaches?" "Uh-uh." "Well, cop this." "(All groan and laugh)" "You ratbags, get back to bed or I'll have you on a charge." "(All laugh and chatter)" "(JAUNTY MUSIC)" "(Chuckles)" "To sum up, the ANZAC Corps will launch a series of attacks here at 0900 hours - the Nek and Lone Pine." "These will cover the landing of the two English divisions at Suvla Bay." "Do you have any comments to the Commander-in-Chief?" "Sir?" "Bloody murder." "I beg your pardon?" "Bloody murder." "Could you put it into language I can convey to the Commander-in-Chief?" "Right, then." "One, you ask us to commit tired troops against a well dug in, determined enemy." "Two, every inch of that ground is swept by fire." "Three, the objective is to draw the Turkish reserves on us while you land two divisions at Suvla." "Now, this can easily be accomplished by means of raids and diversions without the slaughter of a full-blown attack." "Damn!" "(GULLS CRY)" "Dick and I would have been in Queensland now." "It's a real man's world, isn't it?" "Not impressed, huh?" "No." "That's why I left the bush in the first place." "That's why I like it here." "You like the war?" "I like what it gives me." "A chance to run my own life." "You've got everyone from captains to generals running your life." "You miss the point." "Nobody here gives a hoot who I am or where I came from." "They're only interested in how I measure up in my job." "You try that as a woman in a country town." "What if you had good reason to go back?" "Such as?" "Oh, I don't know." "What say you and I got married?" "(Laughs) Oh, Martin." "It could never happen." "People like me become mistresses to people like you." "Not wives." "I know this war's going to sweep away all that nonsense." "Is it?" "Marty, the senior doctor tells me he could get you to a convalescent camp in Egypt." "No way." "I'm going back to Anzac." "Why, for God's sake?" "Well, look after Dick, for one thing." "Oh, blow Dick." "He can look after himself." "Who's gonna look after you?" "(EXPLOSIONS IN DISTANCE)" "Take the powder, bit of old shrapnel just a dash of barbed wire - rusty if possible." "Tamp it down." "Add detonator and fuse." "Voila." "Bloody marvellous." "The greatest empire in the world, and the best it can do is a bomb in a tin." "How are you going?" "Still flash as a rat." "Yeah, course." "Stay where you are!" "Got to keep him from the detonator." "Good to see you, Roly." "How's Kate?" "Good, mate." "How's your gut?" "Never mind." "What about the nurses, mate?" "Is this the way to Second Brigade HQ?" "Mr Murdoch." "Hello." "You back already?" "Martin, isn't it?" "That's right." "Weren't you due for a convalescence?" "Well, you know - someone's gotta look after these blokes." "Oh." "See you around, no doubt." "Yeah." "Straight down that way." "Thank you." "Who's he, mate?" "Keith Murdoch." "Oh, the reporter bloke." "He's not your ordinary reporter, I tell you." "I met him on Lemnos." "He's supposed to be looking into postal arrangements for the troops." "There's more to him than meets the eye." "Yeah?" "Good or bad?" "He's on our side." "You picked a good time to return." "The nobs are planning something." "Well, I always was lucky." "Martin, I've written a poem." "Do you want to hear it?" "Yeah." "Oh, spare us, mate." "Hang on." "I think the kid's got a bit of talent." "Come on, Roly." "Go on, on the box." "Here, listen up." "Follies on." "A bit of quiet for the artist." "(Recites) "We've forgotten all our manners and our talk is full of slang" ""'Cause you haven't got time for grammar when you hear the rifles bang."" "(Men groan) Fair go." "Go on." "Go on." "(Reads) "The heat and flies and lice and things has drove us nearly barmy" ""So we peeled off all our clobber..." ""...and we're called the naked army."" "(All groan and laugh)" "(LOW-LEVEL CONVERSATION)" "Hmm." "How about morale?" "It's, er... getting better." "Morning, Colonel White." "Morning, Murdoch." "How are your, er, inquiries coming along?" "They're progressing, thank you." "We had a signal from the Commander-in-Chief." "He requests a departure date from you." "Requests or orders?" "At that level it's the same thing." "He is aware, I imagine, that I'm here at the behest of the Australian Government." "I'm afraid the British high command is not much preoccupied with the wishes of the Australian Government." "But they are quite willing to use our troops." "I should like to stay." "At least until after the big attack." "It's not like you to be so quiet, Colonel." "It's not part of my job to supply information to civilians." "No." "But it is mine." "And to governments." "I think the Commander-in-Chief is aware of that." "Particularly your conversations with the 'Times' correspondent." "I see." "The high command's intelligence is good." "I only hope their generalship is up to the same standard." "There is a rumour that General Walker is strongly against the attack." "He regards it as an unnecessary sacrifice of Australians and New Zealanders." "As a soldier, you don't expect me to answer that." "No." "But as a civilian, you don't expect me not to ask it." "A date, Murdoch." "They want a date." "And they shall have one." "Sooner or later." "Good morning, Mrs... (Children squeal and shout)" "Mrs Baker." "Oh, keep away from me." "Mrs Baker, I only want to have a word." "You only come round when there's something dead in the paddock." "Mrs Baker, please." "You've got an army telegram, haven't you?" "No, I don't have any telegrams with me today." "But I do have some news of your son, Dick." "I thought you'd like to know." "I gather you haven't had a letter yet." "Kate, she writes like clockwork, but Dick's not one for pen and paper." "Martin Barrington's letters have been coming through and he writes so much about Dick." "Well, go on, then." "Oh, please, Reverend." "For a start, it appears your son is doing well in the army." "They've already made him a corporal." "Here, mate." "You OK?" "Yeah, OK." "What's it like?" "It's a hell of a fight, but the boys are in the Turkish trenches." "Yeah?" "It's like a mine gone mad - tunnels and things all over the place." "It's our luck to be a carrying party while the others do the fighting." "Well, it suits me just fine." "(Sighs) So you had a long talk to Kate, eh?" "Yeah, long enough." "You know, just what I told you." "You'll do the right thing by her, won't you?" "What the hell does that mean?" "Well, you lot generally get what you want." "All I was doing..." "No, listen to me." "She's my sister and she's got a future." "I don't want her headed in the wrong direction." "Yeah." "And you mean my direction." "Depends on what you've got in mind." "Oh, it's a crazy subject to talk about." "No..." "Two bomb carriers at the double." "Let's go." "Straight up." "The sergeant will tell you where to go." "Come on, Marty." "Besides, I'll come back and haunt you." "(EXPLOSIONS)" "(FOREBODING MUSIC)" "(EXPLOSIONS CONTINUE)" "He won't be giving any more directions." "No." "Which way?" "Let's go." "(OMINOUS MUSIC)" "Turn." "(GUNFIRE)" "Bloody hell." "I've got some bombs here, mate." "You cover me when I tell you?" "Right." "Cover!" "Arggh!" "Come on, Marty." "Yeah, yeah, yeah." "It's coming." "Come on!" "Cover!" "(EXPLOSION) (Man yells)" "Beauty, Marty." "Keep them coming." "You got 'em, Marty?" "Look out." "Bombs." "Go!" "What the bloody hell is happening?" "I don't know." "You stay here, mate." "I'll have a squizzy round the corner." "Hey, take it easy." "Dick, take it easy." "I'll be right, mate." "(Breathes heavily)" "(Grunts) (Yells in pain)" "Dick!" "Dick, you OK?" "Sweet as a bun." "Well, just answer me next time, huh?" "I had my hands full." "(Sighs)" "(Men yell in Turkish)" "Bombs, Marty." "Take it easy." "(OMINOUS MUSIC)" "(Grunts)" "(EXPLOSION) (Man yells)" "Keep it going, Marty." "Only seconds to the final bell, mate." "(GUNSHOT)" "(CLICK!" ")" "Dick!" "Dick." "(Whispers) Dick." "Dick!" "(Sobs)" "(SOMBRE MUSIC)" "Crikey." "We heard your little shindig." "It doesn't look like you need us now." "It was all his work." "Jeez, he must have been a goer." "I was supposed to be protecting his back." "A mate of yours, was he?" "Come on, pal." "Go back to your own mob." "You've done your share." "By the way, the boys have taken Lone Pine." "(Sobs)" "(Pat plays 'The Overlander' on harmonica)" "(CRICKETS CHIRP)" "(Sighs)" "(Man coughs painfully)" "(INSTRUMENTS CLATTER)" "(Sighs) So you've heard, huh?" "I had to come just in case." "(Sobs)" "(MELANCHOLY MUSIC)" "I was so close!" "If only I'd looked around!" "No, no." "I've seen as much death as you have. (Sniffles)" "I know how random the chances are." "Stop it, do you hear?" "Mm-hm." "(Sighs)" "(Sighs) It's not gonna be the same, you know." "Nothing's gonna be the same after all this." "May as well face up to it now." "(Sighs)" "How did you wangle this?" "Oh, Harry Armstrong, bless him." "I have to go back tomorrow." "Good." "Gives us some time." "Everything's measured in hours these days." "Pat gave me some money to buy up every luxury on the island." "You've come to the right woman." "I have this friendly Greek merchant." "No, Martin." "It's enough." "(HOOVES CLOP)" "(HORN BLARES)" "Mr Lloyd George will see you now, sir." "Come in, Mr Murdoch." "How good of you to take the time to visit me." "It's the other way around, Minister." "No, not at all." "I bring greetings from my Prime Minister." "He says you and he have much in common." "Apparently you both had the good fortune to be born Welsh." "Good fortune, is it?" "I sometimes wonder if it's not a cross." "Still, your Mr Hughes has the Celtic fire in his belly, so I'm told." "I wish some of my Cabinet colleagues had a touch of it." "You were nobbled by the military, I hear." "Military intelligence intercepted me at Marseilles and relieved me of a letter I was asked to deliver from Gallipoli." "It was written by the 'Times' correspondent and a number of officers." "It was highly critical of the conduct of the campaign." "Pity." "It might have pierced the fog of military despatches." "Very strange despatches our generals write." "They conceal what they should reveal, like the clothes of a virtuous woman." "But I do have another letter very like it." "(Opens letter)" "Missed opportunities, chaotic supply lines, confusion in the medical arrangements, incompetent staff?" "Oh, this is very good, very good." "I will have it circulated as a Cabinet document." "Very good." "Good, because it will jolt some of my colleagues." "Good, because some of us believe that our energies should not be directed into bungled sideshows like Gallipoli." "But bad, too - bad for the British cause." "We will win this war." "We HAVE to win this war." "But it will NOT be won by fox-hunting fools or generals whose military imagination has fossilised after chasing a few ragged farmers around the South African veldt." "Sir, may I report this conversation to the Australian Prime Minister?" "Oh, you write to him, do you?" "He has asked me to keep him informed on developments in London." "You know, Murdoch, I think you and I will get along very well together." "PAT:" "You blokes have never eaten like this before, let me tell yas." "(GUNFIRE BOOMS DISTANTLY)" "And of course, me piece de resistance damper studded with raisins, smothered with apricot jam - spotted dog." "Looks more like a sick cat to me." "We'll show you city blokes." "We live like kings up the bush." "Mmm." "All that's missing is a tender little leg of jumbuck." "How about a bit of Queensland goat?" "I heard that." "And if I recognise the voice, you'll get nothing." "Just bear with... (PLANE APPROACHES)" "Bastards!" "(All laugh) You bastards!" "Stinking rotten fly-blown filthy mongrel of a dump!" "I wouldn't swap 10 yards of the drought-stricken Barcoo for this whole bloody rotten fly-blown peninsula!" "And you'll be here." "We'll all be here till we're bloody old men!" "You already are, you silly coot." "Oh, no." "Stuff it!" "(All snigger) (CLANG!" ")" "Careful, Cleary!" "You could kill somebody with that!" "(All laugh)" "GENERAL WALKER:" "Evacuation?" "We are expected to get 40,000 men off Anzac in full sight of the enemy." "Well, you're being less than the chatterbox today, White." "Come on, man, tell me." "Is the British Army expected to slink away like thieves in the night?" "The quieter the better." "I've been working on a feasibility study on how we just might avoid casualties, General." "This will need to be good, White." "(CLANG!" ")" "Clown!" "(GUNFIRE BOOMS)" "This is the third time this week we've had a silent start." "What's it about?" "There's no firing, not even any shooting back." "(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)" "I don't know, Roly." "I'll tell you what my guess is." "We're leaving." "Leaving Gallipoli?" "Not quitting?" "Living to fight another day." "Oh, come off it, Marty." "Can't just pack up and go." "Why not?" "'Cause we don't bloody quit, that's why not." "Who said anything about quitting?" "We tried this "back door to Germany" nonsense and it failed." "Time we went in the front door - France." "No." "(GUNFIRE RESOUNDS) Clarke." "ROLY:" "After seven months on the peninsula, we were as keen as the heads to break the stalemate." "We thought something funny was happening when we were ordered to play cricket on the only bit of flat ground at Anzac." "(PLANE ENGINE ROARS)" "We were also acutely aware that this place was under observation by the Turks." "Well, it wasn't called 'Shell Green' for nothing." "Sergeant McArthur, as usual, took the whole thing very seriously." "We noticed he picked all the best cricketers for his team, leaving Martin with the also-rans like me." "He also made Pat the umpire, which turned out to be the worst decision he'd made for some time." "I think Pat would've preferred to get his two-up school going." "Righto, on your toes, boys." "Sergeant McArthur turned out to be a very fast bowler, but he seemed to think it was a grudge match between himself and Martin." "Ho, ho!" "(All exclaim and applaud)" "(All exclaim) Watch your head, Marty!" "Howzat?" "No ball." "(All applaud)" "What do you mean, no ball?" "You overstepped the mark by a foot, son." "No ball." "(Stammers) Uh-uh." "Don't argue with the umpire." "No ball." "OK." "OK." "(Groans with effort)" "Howzat?" "How's that this time, Pat?" "No ball." "(All applaud)" "No ball?" "!" "It was a no ball last time!" "Don't argue with the umpire." "You're not the umpire anymore." "Go on!" "Get off!" "Eh?" "Play cards!" "You can't send the umpire off." "You." "You, come on." "You get the sack, Cleary?" "You're gonna be umpire." "You see that line?" "Yeah." "It's not there." "Sir." "No no balls." "(JAUNTY MILITARY MUSIC)" "You ready?" "!" "(Grunts with effort)" "(All shout) Catch it!" "Look out!" "(PLANE ENGINE ROARS)" "(CLONK!" ") Ow!" "Good hit, Marty!" "(All applaud)" "(RUSTLING)" "(MYSTERIOUS MUSIC)" "(GUNFIRE, EXPLOSIONS)" "3,000 off tonight, sir, without a hitch." "(Grunts)" "What was that?" "The one they usually send over at this time?" "20,000 still to go." "The next two nights are the clincher." "Is it really possible we can get them away from under their very noses?" "If everyone adheres to the plan, we can." "It's never been done before, you know." "(WATER TRICKLES)" "(GUNSHOT)" "10.5 minutes." "Simple." "(LOW-KEY MILITARY MUSIC)" "The rearguard commander is on the beach in position, sir." "Mr Armstrong." "OK, Sergeant." "(WATER TRICKLES)" "Thanks for letting the originals be the last to leave, sir." "Nobody could have done better, Roly." "Nobody could have led us better, Harry." "Right, sir." "Well, it's time." "Thanks." "(GUNSHOT)" "(GENTLE MUSIC)" "BILL:" "I hope they can't hear us." "Yeah." "Feel like a bloody dingo, sneaking around in the dark." "DICK:" "They say it'll be over by Christmas." "We can go to Queensland next year." "Come on, mate." "Look, if you thought of all the good blokes we've lost, you'd go crazy." "(Sighs) It was a stuff-up from the start." "Let's go, eh?" "(SOMBRE MUSIC)" "(WAVES CRASH)" "All parties on the beach now, sir, and only two casualties." "Organisation and planning." "After nine months in Gallipoli, our only achievement was the way we left." "This must never happen again." "Who was that bloke, Marty?" "General White." "Yeah, well, I hope he can practise what he preaches when we get to France - the real war." "(WATER TRICKLES)" "(DISTANT GUNFIRE AND EXPLOSIONS)" "(GUNSHOT)" "(BUGLE PLAYS)" "(Choir sings) There's a long, long trail a-winding" "Into the land of my dreams" "Where the nightingales are singing" "And the pale moon beams" "There's a long, long night of waiting" "Until my dreams all come true" "Till the day when I'll be going" "Down that long, long trail with you." "(DRUMMING)" "(JAUNTY MILITARY MUSIC)" "(MILITARY DRUMMING)" "(FLUTES PLAY JOLLY TUNE OVER DRUMS)" "(MUSIC ORCHESTRATION SWELLS)" "(TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS)" "Three." "You awake?" "Pity Flanagan's such a restless sleeper." "What's that writing up there mean, mate?" "40 men or 8 horses." "The French certainly care about their horses, eh?" "Go easy, will you, mate?" "Thinks he's a bloody conductor." "What's the book?" "'Such Is Life' by Tom Collins." "That's one of my favourite books!" "You one of the fair dinkums?" "You know, anybody who joined up after the mess at Gallipoli had to be fair dinkum." "Oh, I see." "Roly Collins." "Wilhelm Schmidt." "Pleased to meet you." "Jesus!" "Did you hear that?" "We've got a bloody Hun here." "Ha!" "Wilhelm Schmidt." "How'd ya be?" "A bloke travels 12,000 miles to fight the bludgers, and there's one right here with us." "Schmidt the spy." "This bloke's a fair dinkum - a volunteer like every one of us." "Don't give me that, he's gettin' a train ride home." "Hey!" "Get off me bloody hand, you mug!" "Why don't you stand up and say that, soldier?" "OK." "Don't get off your bike." "Having a bit of fun, that's all." "Keep your mouth shut, then." "OK." "What's your name?" "Dinny Gordon." ""Dingo' would suit him better." "(Others chuckle) (Sarcastically) Ha ha ha ha." "He looks like a dingo too." "Welcome aboard, mate." "Name's Flanagan." "Pleased to meet you." "A good man." "Is he one of the originals?" "Yeah." "Well, not really." "He joined us as a reinforcement at Gallipoli." "How many originals are there?" "Only six out of 40." "Martin Barrington, the corporal - well, he should be an officer, but he won't." "I don't know why." "Bill Harris... he's a Pom, and a bit of a mystery." "And that's Pat Cleary." "He's bulletproof." "How do you mean?" "Well, he's got so many wads of money on him, it's like armour." "Oh, and there's Sergeant McArthur and Mr Armstrong, except they're travelling first-class." "And there's me." "You were wounded twice, Roly?" "Most of us got in the way of something." "Wilhelm, with your name and all..." "Well, what I mean is you must've thought hard about joining up." "My father, who brought us out from Germany he always taught us that freedom has its price." "Tell you what, this looks like a fine country to be fighting for." "(TRAIN WHISTLE TOOTS) Sure beats Egypt." "Oh, it's a beautiful country." "Mmm." "(Giggles)" "Sheilas!" "(All laugh) MAN:" "What are you talkin' about?" "Are they laughing at you or it, mate?" "Whoo-hoo!" "White sheilas!" "What's your name, mate?" "Pudden, they call me." "Pudden from Patchewollock." "Patchewollock?" "Well, Pudden, if you've gotta go, you've gotta go, mate." "'Wilhelm'?" "!" "We can't keep calling you Wilhelm." "Yeah, it's the same name as the Kaiser." "That's what we'll call him." "Kaiser." "ENGLISHMAN:" "Bayonet!" "18 inches of cold steel." "That would've drawn every sniper on Gallipoli." "Bayonet weapon of the assault." "The spirit of the bayonet must be inculcated through all ranks so they go forward with aggressive determination." "Sergeant, put on the killing face." "On guard!" "(Others chuckle)" "Stone the crows!" "That's the face that killed his mother-in-law." "One more remark like that and you're up on a charge." "That man stand out here by the bayonet dummy so I can keep an eye on you." "We have been warned about you Australians." "Absolutely no discipline!" "Well, let me tell you, you're not fighting the Turks now." "This isn't the Bashi-Bazouks." "It's a real war against a first-class enemy." "But the Hun can't stand cold steel." "Sergeant... final demonstration." "(Shouts threateningly)" "(Others laugh) (Continues shouting)" "(Others mock) Kill." "Kill." "Kill." "Kill." "Platoon..." "left turn!" "Stand at ease!" "Stand easy." "Been at the bayonet demonstration, have you?" "Might've been useful at Waterloo." "Up the line, they mostly get used for opening jam tins." "Let's have a look at the real queen of the modern battlefield." "Number one, load." "Number two, load." "Number one ready, sir!" "Number one, fire!" "(MACHINE GUN RATTLES LOUDLY)" "That, gentlemen, is why there's a continuous trench from the North Sea to the Swiss border." "As long as the machine gun's intact, neither side can cross no-man's-land." "Our enemy, the German army, is extremely skilful in their use of it." "Their gunners are hand-picked, and they use them like this." "Crossfire." "The entire front is crisscrossed like that." "What's the answer, then, sir?" "Guns... bombs..." "Bravery, perhaps." "There isn't a real answer." "Not yet." "(GUNSHOT)" "Nice, quiet sector here, Mr Armstrong." "(DISTANT GUNFIRE)" "Not short of guns here, Sarge." "Freeze." "Not the usual fireworks display." "Didn't look like this in the brochure." "I played footy on a ground like this once." "Very good for the small men." "Yeah, the big man's buggered in the wet." "MCARTHUR:" "Move forward." "The nursery sector, Mr Armstrong." "After you lads have settled in, the brass hats will find a job for you." "See you later, chum." "Barrington, move some of your men into the next bay." "MARTIN:" "Bill, Roly, Pat, Upton, Bluey, follow me." "How are we gonna go in this?" "I don't know." "Not a gang of Abduls flooding in, bloody German army out there." "They can't be any better than old Johnny Turk." "Course they bloody are." "This line hasn't advanced in a year and a half." "Armies from all over the world against them, they're still there." "How the hell are we gonna shoot them?" "Come and have a brew." "(Whispers) Keep it quiet, and come up here." "Mrs Baker?" "Mrs Baker?" "May I sit down?" "I hope you don't mind my intruding like this." "It's just that no-one at Tolangerook has seen you these last few months." "I thought, perhaps..." "Thought you could play the lady bountiful." "Mrs Baker, that's not at all..." "I've had all the connection I want with the Barringtons." "First I lose me husband with them, and then me boy." "That's the most horrible thing I've ever heard." "Your Martin he was there when Dick was killed." "You disgraceful woman." "You know Martin would have done anything for Dick." "Anything." "And where do you think Martin is now?" "In some safe place behind the line?" "No." "Oh, look... stay, please." "(WISTFUL PIANO MUSIC)" "I know what it feels like." "Hoping against hope." "I'll put the kettle on." "Actually I came to ask a favour." "Of me?" "Yes." "You see, with all the men at war and some of the girls working in munitions, we're desperately short of help at the house." "I was wondering..." "Wouldn't want to live up there no more." "That wouldn't be necessary." "Oh..." "Well... would, em Mondays to Fridays be OK?" "I'm..." "I'm going to enjoy this cup of tea." "(Men sing) Goodbye, Piccadilly" "Farewell, Leicester Square" "It's a long, long way to Tipperary" "But my heart's right there." "Dingo Gordon, 40 francs." "Cleary, me old mate, I'm flat broke." "You're always flat broke, aren't you, Dingo?" "That's 10 francs." "All you've gotta do is find another 30." "Where will I steal that, mate?" "You'll manage." "15 francs." "Bill." "Shylock." "Shylock?" "Just a hardworking bookmaker, mate." "Anyway, Shylock charged interest." "He's right, Bill." "Is he, Pudden?" "And who was Shylock?" "The bloke Pat told me about." "Officer material, Pat?" "Born leader of men, Bill." "Morrissey!" "Oh." "Didn't see you there, Pat." "Bad luck, was it, eh?" "Yeah." "Yeah." "35 francs." "Better luck next time." "Hey, Bill..." "Got a minute, mate?" "Listen, I've got a bit of a job on later tonight." "Wondered if you could give me a hand." "I would if I could." "But I'm on a carrying party at 0300, carrying 2 tons of barbwire, ammunition, duckboards and orders of the bleeding day up into the line." "Listen, I'll help you with that if you help me with my little job." "Ah." "Wouldn't be against King's regulations, would it?" "Ah!" "Heaven forbid." "Special orders from General Haig, mate." "Could shorten the war by months." "Matter of fact, the high command specifically requested that I have at least one Pom on the job." "In that case..." "Pudden, Upton." "Thanks for the bloody company." "There you go, boys." "Have one on me." "(Laughs)" "So, there." "Absolute vigilance, do you hear?" "This consignment of whiskey is for general headquarters." "Every case must be accounted for, particularly as there are Australians in the area." "Carry on, Corporal." "Sir, good as done, sir!" "Right, lads, move it!" "Prepare to begin." "Stop!" "Look!" "There's one of them." "Arrest him." "Hang on, fair go." "We were ordered here to pick up the padre's altar wine." "A likely story." "He's right, sir." "It's all in order." "Well, there's no wine here, so clear off!" "Clear off?" "If there's no service tomorrow, there'll be hell to pay." "The padre would wanna know..." "Get out!" "We were gonna be altar boys." "Go!" "Our first mass." "Carry on, Corporal." "MAN:" "Right, left." "Right, left." "Right, left." "Right, left," "Right, left." "Right, left." "Right, left." "Right..." "Detail... halt!" "Detail wheel advance, right turn!" "(Loudly) Corporal McLeod, extra security detachment from Railyard HQ, sir!" "We have been informed there are Australians in the area." "Quite." "You're a bally disgrace!" "Do up that top button!" "What unit are you from?" "You horrible wee man!" "How dare you speak to an officer without permission?" "!" "203rd Light Rail Company, sir." "You can't pick and choose these days." "Absolutely right." "With your permission, sir," "I'll post these two at the door of the rail and I, myself, with Jones there will take post at the lorry." "They'll personally count every item in there." "(Shouts) Detail, move!" "One!" "Er... begin!" "Have the men count loudly." "CORPORAL:" "Three four five six..." "MAN:" "Four!" "Seven..." "Come on, lads." "Eight nine... 21... 22..." "Stop!" "23..." "Stop!" "How many did you say?" "16, sir..." "I think." "16?" "I'll stay here now." "Ready, and I want to hear the count loudly." "32..." "CORPORAL: 23..." "Come on!" "24..." "17!" "...25..." "18!" "...27..." "19!" "...27..." "20!" "62..." "MAN: 28." "MCLEOD: 70!" "...63... 71." "...64... 72." "...65... 73." "116..." "100." "...117... 101." "...118... 102." "...119... 104." "...120... 105." "...121 122... 106." "Oh, come on, you slackers, there's another 25 to come off yet." "Beggin' your pardon, sir, but there's only two left." "What?" "!" "We've been robbed!" "Aye, sir." "There's the man responsible." "I'll nab him." "Security detachment, follow me!" "Come back, young man." "Come back!" "You're under arrest!" "One... two... three... four..." "Five." "Yes, thank you, Corporal." "Sir." "Six... seven... eight..." "PAT:9... 10." "22 exactly." "Ma belle France." "That'll do me." "(French accent) Pardon?" "France." "More opportunities here for an enterprising businessman such as meself." "Found Gallipoli a bit restricting in that way." "You do not expect me to keep this loot here?" "!" "Loot?" "Oh, no, we're just minding it for General Haig." "See, it's got his name on the bottle." "(Scoffs) How you say?" "Bull!" "Oh, just for a while, anyway." "Anyway, you're gonna have to..." "mind it until we get the marketing operation under way." "No." "Why should I have the risk?" "'Cause half of it is yours." "Why you do this?" "Oh, I don't know." "Can't help myself." "Generosity runs in the family." "Besides, it'll mark the beginning of our, ah... partnership." "Partnership?" "There's a lot more stuff like this out there just waiting to fall off the back of a truck." "(SULTRY MUSIC)" "Ho ho!" "Thank you, General!" "No worries." "ARMSTRONG:" "All present, Sergeant?" "Sir." "PAT:" "Yeah, all here " "Dead-Eye Dick, Mexican Pete, and Sambo." "Shut up, Cleary." "Right, I'll run through the details of this trench raid one last time." "But firstly I want to say that brigade staff are terribly keen about this stunt." "Maybe they should do it instead." "So all eyes will be on our performance." "I want every man to give of his best." "Our aim is to gather information on the German unit opposite us." "Ideally, we would like a prisoner." "If not, documents or unit identifications." "The search party will be led by me." "Corporal Barrington will be second-in-command." "The covering party will be in the command of Sergeant McArthur." "I want you in and out of those trenches in five minutes." "The box barrage will begin at 0300 hours." "Any questions?" "(EXPLOSION)" "Now it's time to move." "Good luck." "(Upton sings) Oh, the Camptown ladies sing this song" "Do-da, Do-da" "Camptown racetrack's 5 miles long..." "PAT:" "That's a good idea, Upton." "Sing, let 'em know we're coming." "Don't fiddle with that revolver, Pudden." "Ah, "trench raid' - is that a staff name for keeping the troops on their toes, sir?" "Well, they have to put something in the communiques." "Martin, when are you gonna apply for a commission?" "You sound like my father." "You know you should." "Ah, no." "I'm happy here... with my mates." "Mates can be one burden too many in this war." "(Clears throat) Ah, how's the time, sir?" "It's time." "ROLY:" "It was a harsh introduction to the way things were done on the Western Front." "None of us were happy about it, but nobody said anything." "We'd learnt that the front-line soldier didn't get much say in his fate." "Mr Armstrong was outed by a drop short before it even began." "Trench raids were hated by everybody." "At worst they caused casualties, and at best it goaded old Fritz into a bloody retaliation." "All for the dubious advantage of identifying some German unit that might not even be there next week." "This one was attended by the usual confusion." "Upton!" "FLANAGAN:" "Check there." "Even with all the chaos, thanks to Pudden we did manage to get a prisoner." "Pat?" "Well, he was pleased to pick up his first valuable souvenir." "Jackpot." "Cleary!" "Where are they others?" "Down further." "Get them out." "Quick." "How's Morrissey?" "Dunno, mate." "Come on, men!" "MARTIN:" "Better get Cleary." "I don't remember seeing Sergeant McArthur in the enemy trenches, but then it was all like a blur." "MARTIN:" "Come on." "Move it." "Martin and Flanagan seemed to know more than they were saying." "And anyway, we were just glad to survive another trench raid." "Besides, everyone has his bad days now and again." "Harry?" "Harry?" "Macca?" "Macca?" "Macca?" "Come on." "You're alright." "Come on." "Come on." "Get up." "Come on." "Come on." "Come on." "Alright." "Off you go." "I got these from young Barrington." "Magnificent." "(EXPLOSION) Hell's bells." "Congratulations, Armstrong." "A prisoner too." "Don't thank me, Captain." "I was knocked out by a drop short." "Sergeant McArthur here took over, then carried me out under fire." "Tremendous." "Wait till the Colonel hears about this." "ARMSTRONG:" "Stand fast." "As you were, lads." "I have just had word from Brigade." "Our raid was one of the most successful and fruitful operations of its type they've seen." "Jesus!" "What were the others like, then?" "You have all acquitted yourself with very great distinction and I am very proud to be able to serve with you." "In particular, I'd like to single out Sergeant McArthur for his initiative in taking command." "And for also saving my life." "He has been awarded the military medal." "Drinks are on the Sergeant." "FLANAGAN:" "Good form, mate." "It's good rough shooting country round here." "The King could be interested." "What's in the diary today, Kiggell?" "Oh, there's that long cable from Marshal Joffre asking for details on the Somme Offensive." "He wants an early start." "Tiresome man!" "When we no longer have to pull chestnuts out of the fire for the frogs, perhaps we can fight on ground of our own choosing." "Next year." "Anything else?" "A Mr Murdoch this afternoon." "Who's he again?" "An Australian newspaper man." "He's some..." "An Australian and a newspaper man." "That's doubly unfortunate." "He's some sort of informal representative of the Australian Prime Minister." "I really don't need to be reminded that the Australians are in France." "There's been reports of thefts, disorder in back alleys." "It's South Africa all over again!" "South Africa?" "Yes, the colonial hooligans." "We were gonna pack off home, then." "And did you, sir?" "They were useful against the Boer command." "The same sort of ragamuffin mentality." "We shot a couple, as I remember." "Yes." "So we did." "Probably have to do the same again." "I'm afraid not, sir." "After that affair, the Australians abolished the death penalty in their army." "The devil they did!" "Oh, we'll have to change that." "Make a note that I raise the matter with this Murdoch fellow." "Right, sir." "If not, Kiggell, we must blood 'em as soon as possible." "Somme should be ideal." "Quieten 'em down." "Oh... (Speaks French)" "C'est une bon bouteille, monsieur." "Know it all, don't you?" "Oh, not quite all." "Oh, just showing off in front of an ignorant country girl." "I like showing off in front of you." "I always have." "Dick and I used to laugh about that all the time." "Remember the time you fell out of the red gum?" "Just because I said you couldn't reach the top." "Yeah, I did reach the top, though." "(Chuckles)" "(Speaks French)" "To the manor born." "Ah, who's he?" "Just a bloke I know." "Doesn't speak French as well as you do, but he is a captain." "Kate, I, ah..." "Nothing." "No." "Nothing at all?" "Just that it's... a pleasure to have lunch with you like this." "(WHIMSICAL MUSIC)" "G'day, ladies." "(Women giggle)" "Bonsoir, mademoiselle." "Mademoiselle." "(Women giggle)" "Smooth, aren't ya?" "Notice there's not many blokes around?" "It's the war, mate." "The war!" "All the more sheilas for us, eh?" "Eh, cop a look at this." "You two men, stand fast there!" "Don't you salute in your army?" "Not a lot." "Well, we used to, but we're trying to give it up." "(COMICAL MUSIC)" "Mmm, that was lovely, thanks." "My pleasure, my dear." "(Knocks loudly on window)" "We've got some company - the lads." "PAT:" "My friend's over there." "FLANAGAN:" "Ladies." "G'day." "Well, this is a wonderful surprise, boys." "PAT:" "G'day." "What do you want?" "I want a beer." "I told you he'd be glad to see us." "Course he's glad to see us." "You ought to see it outside - it's a circus." "All these Poms saluting the officers." "KATE:" "Well, if you ask me, it's a good idea." "Who's your friend, Marty?" "Oh, I'm sorry, this is Lieutenant Kate Baker." "This is Privates Cleary and Flanagan." "How do you do?" "Pleased to meet you, sister." "If all officers looked like you, I wouldn't mind saluting one bit." "Don't know about this froggy grog." "What do you reckon, Pat?" "Needs another sugar." "(Chuckles)" "I'd better go." "I'm on duty soon." "I'll walk you back." "We all will." "Won't we, Pat?" "Ah, yeah." "If you'd do me the honour, miss?" "Thank you, Private Flanagan." "You're a real gentleman." "(Chuckles)" "Leave a big tip, mate." "I always leave a big tip." "PAT:" "Thank you, garcon." "(WHIMSICAL MUSIC)" "KIGGELL:" "Mr Murdoch, sir." "From Australia." "MURDOCH:" "Good afternoon, General." "HAIG:" "Mr Murdoch." "I wondered where I'd heard your name." "You were the man mixed up with that Gallipoli report." "I thought it my duty to forward a responsible opinion, General." "Mmm." "Perhaps journalism has its uses." "It put an end to that abominable sideshow." "The war must be fought here in France." "This is where the German Army must be brought to battle and bled white." "And we need every man to do it." "And not be sidetracked by politicians and strategic amateurs." "I agree, General." "I trust this interview is not going to result in a newspaper article." "No, sir." "My Prime Minister asked me to call and express his admiration and best wishes in the onerous responsibilities you have before you." "Thank him from me." "Anything else?" "He did ask me to raise with you the possibility of all five Australian divisions being grouped together under their own command." "Like the Canadians." "Out of the question." "I will not have my hands tied as to where I can dispose them." "It is a matter which both the Prime Minister and the Australian public feel very keenly about." "But I remind you, Mr Murdoch, that you are a small country." "And your army is less than 10% of the British forces in France." "A not insignificant force, I hope." "We shall see." "They have as yet to prove themselves against a first-class enemy." "Meanwhile, it grieves me to say they are creating legal and disciplinary problems out of all proportion to their numbers." "Perhaps under their own command..." "And furthermore I'd like you to convey to your prime minister in the strongest terms the urgent need to reintroduce the death penalty." "The Australian people would never again hand the power of life and death to a British court martial." "The maintenance of discipline must take precedence over national feeling." "Agreed, if that's what's at stake." "But our men are all volunteers." "The kind more easily led than driven." "A dubious distinction." "I don't see how volunteerism can replace the normal wastage, let alone losses, in a major battle." ""Normal wastage"?" "About 5,000 a day across the whole front." "However, this trench deadlock may soon be a thing of the past." "I am preparing the greatest blow of this war." "I will put 20 British divisions against the German line and, God willing, we will break through and set the cavalry loose." "It may soon be over." "(TENSE MUSIC)" "COLLINS:" "So when are we moving out?" "MCARTHUR:" "Tomorrow." "Do we know where yet?" "The Somme." "Then it really is the big push." "MARTIN:" "Sounds like it." "They've got more artillery down there than anyone's ever seen." "PAT:" "Yeah, all they need now is someone who knows how to aim it." "(Chuckles) At least it's part of the plan." "Who wants a drink?" "MAN:" "I'll drink with you, Kaiser." "Oh, no, thanks, mate." "But I'll get you one." "You know, I should give this thing back." "Blokes all know what happened." "I wouldn't let one bad night worry you." "Might have the wrong date, but it's got the right name." "I'm off." "Go and have a drink with the boys." "I must be going to bed." "Bonsoir." "Bonsoir." "(Coquettishly) Bonsoir, Uncle Pat." "She's got her eye on you, mate." "Ever since we got here she's been after you." "Ask Bill." "Yeah, she's quite taken with you." "She's always looking at you." "You know what I mean?" "I reckon you're in there." "But it's a one-man mission." "The only danger's gonna come from enemy artillery." "But I'll keep her occupied on another front." "Oh, thanks, mate." "Ah, Madam." "Oui." "Excuse, one more bottle for the boys." "Oui." "Something special." "Ah, you want something a little different, ah?" "Oui." "You wait." "Get in there, mate." "You're a noble pack of buggers, aren't you?" "Fly the flag, my son." "I will, Bill." "MADAM:" "Whiskey - you want?" "Tres expensive." "Madam." "Hmm?" "Monsieur Cleary." "(Shouts in French)" "(DRUMMING MUSIC)" "(WHIMSICAL MUSIC)" "Must get a good view of this." "Wouldn't miss this." "What a terrible thing to do to a bloke." "Here, Roly." "(Flanagan chuckles)" "COLLINS:" "I don't think this is very nice." "Shut up, Roly." "Wait for it." "(Chuckles)" "Well, can we go back now?" "(ROOSTER CROWS)" "(SULTRY MUSIC)" "(Men sing) Hello, hello Who's your lady friend?" "Who's the little girlie by your side?" "ROLY:" "When we started our march south to the Somme, everyone was in high spirits." "We'd all been told that we were going to join the great battle that was going to win the war." "Even the old hands who might have reason to know better were caught up in the mood." "We'd heard the guns a long way off." "They'd been going non-stop for three weeks, and we were pretty sure that old Fritz must be really knocked about by now." "The village they wanted us to take couldn't be much of a problem, surely?" "That was our last day of innocence." "Right wheel." "(Men sing) With a girl or two" "Oh, oh, oh, I am surprised at you" "Hello, hello Stop your little games" "Don't you think your ways you ought to mend?" "It isn't the girl I saw you with at Brighton" "Who, who, who's your lady friend?" "Hello, hello" "Who's your lady friend?" "(EXPLOSION)" "(Man yells orders)" "(EXPLOSIONS)" "(EERIE MUSIC)" "(Man yells) Keep it moving!" "Move it!" "Sir." "(Loudly) Sir!" "(MISSILE SCREAMS)" "(EERIE MUSIC)" "We're nowhere near the drop-off point." "We should be way up there." "We'll never get to the bloody war like this!" "Sir, we can't stay here." "We'd be better running along the top." "Sir, we'll be slaughtered if we stay here!" "Everyone, out along the top!" "Over the top!" "(DRAMATIC MUSIC)" "Where the bloody hell are we?" "Who knows?" "Is this the jump-off trench?" "When I find out I'll tell you." "This is the battle that's gonna win the bloody war." "Mate, I'm gonna take a look around." "Runner coming in." "Any new orders?" "I'm looking for the 4th Battalion." "They're down that way somewhere, I think." "Sir." "(EXPLOSION)" "We're taking casualties just sitting here, Mr Armstrong." "There's another man buried here!" "I said we're taking casualties!" "If we stay here, you won't have a platoon left." "We're not going stumbling around till I get clear orders from Battalion." "Now get back to your post!" "Ah, Max, my boy." "Still delving amongst the dusty tomes, I see." "It's my job, Father." "So it is." "So it is." "But have you read what's happening outside these walls?" "These are stirring times, Max." "Great deeds to perform." "Accolades to be won." "Reputations can be earned which will carry a man far in the postwar world." "Ah, I wish to God I was young enough to be with the brave men at the front." "I thought you were offered a post in France." "Yes, well... (Clears throat)" "It was decided at cabinet level that my value here recruiting was to take first priority, recruiting fine young men like yourself." "Are you saying that I should join up, Father?" "I'm merely suggesting the advantages which might accrue to yourself and your family - to be part of this great crusade before it is too late." "We Earnshaws have a reputation to maintain." "WOMAN:" "Shh." "What, what?" "I... thought about it, Father." "But honestly, I'd just get in the way." "(Laughs) Oh, come, come, Max." "Overmodesty was always an Earnshaw family fault." "I was never any good at sport at school, and I get lost more than 100 yards from where the street lights end." "I can't see myself being a soldier." "Who said anything about you being a soldier?" "I'm talking about you being an officer." "Think... think what it would look like." "Earnshaw - father and son, for the war efforts." "WOMAN:" "Shh!" "What?" "I'll think about it, Father." "You won't regret it." "You'll be serving the mother country and Australia." "They'll both be grateful, believe me." "Ah, I can see it now." "Get there after the victory on the Somme, just in time for the triumphal march to the Rhine." "Shh." "What, what?" "Sir, I came across a dead runner." "The way I read it," "I reckon we're still about 200 yards from the jump-off point." "(Shouts) Platoon will follow me to the extended line." "Move!" "(TENSE MUSIC)" "They're Germans!" "Hold it, Bluey." "Hold your fire, men." "We're Aussies!" "What the hell are you jokers doing here?" "Advancing troops to Pozieres." "What are you doing?" "Just trying to find the village." "I think the village is that pile of rubble up there." "Mind if I check it on your maps?" "We don't have a map." "That's bloody lovely, isn't it?" "Neither do we." "(EXPLOSION)" "This is getting us nowhere, sir." "If we can't sort it out, we'll have to find company HQ." "Come on, sir." "The men can hold their positions." "Right." "Men!" "Just hold your positions." "Sergeant, you put your men up on the edge of the village, huh?" "Right." "Come on, Harry, let's go." "Come on, Harry!" "Don't take this out on me, Martin!" "No officer can function with orders like these!" "Hello?" "Hello?" "!" "Flamin' useless!" "The shells have cut every line." "Sparks, go and check." "(EXPLOSION)" "What do you want, Armstrong?" "I don't know our jump-off point, nor where I'm supposed to be going." "You were told to advance as far as you can." "So bloody vague it's dangerous!" "You're not wrong, but that's all I've got to go on." "Have you seen any enemy?" "They're probably as disorganised as we are." "Can I see your map, sir?" "Map?" "(Chuckles)" "I haven't got any bloody map." "What a way to run a war!" "Hell!" "The biggest barrage of the war, and it's falling in all the wrong places." "We could push Fritz to Berlin if we had one ounce of generalship." "Armstrong, round up all the men you can and occupy the church out at Pozieres." "I'll try and sort out this mess." "Yes, sir." "Hey..." "Oh, struth." "No live Germans for at least a hundred yards out there, Sarge, but lots of them dug in after that." "What the hell are you doing wandering about?" "Patrol." "Patrol?" "You should be helping to dig in." "It's OK, Sarge." "We paid Pudden to dig twice as hard to make up for it." "They did too, Sarge." "And I am." "Can you make any sense out of this?" "Does it matter?" "Bloody oath it does, mate!" "If I'm gonna get knocked here, I'd go happy if I knew what I was doing." "Do you really think somebody thought all this up?" "(EXPLOSIONS)" "(EXPLOSION)" "(TENSE MUSIC)" "(EXPLOSION)" "Sir." ""Platoon will capture the remainder of the village."" "What bloody village?" "We will advance at first light." "Pass the word." "(LOUD EXPLOSION)" "Arrgh!" "Dead man!" "(Screams) I could see it." "It was there." "(Blows whistle)" "(GUNFIRE)" "Platoon will advance!" "Come on, men!" "Spread out!" "Keep the line!" "We're losing our flank." "The 4th is in trouble." "The German bombers have gotten blocked!" "Bluey, machine gun on the right!" "Gotta get around behind them." "Now!" "Let's go!" "Christ, they're onto us!" "We're sitting ducks!" "Move the platoon forward at the double." "Platoon!" "Forward at the double!" "(TENSE MUSIC)" "Sergeant, check that end of the trench." "Looks like we're stuck here." "They've got a feed on us every time we stick up our heads." "Take a party of five men and bomb back down the trench behind the enemy." "Your objective is to assist the 4th battalion to bring up the flank." "Sir." "Pudden, grab all those German bombs." "Flanagan, Kaiser, Murray, grab those bombs and follow me." "I'm with you, Martin." "You stay here and cover us." "Corporal..." "If it gets too hot, pull out." "Yes, sir." "Mr Armstrong, the enemy on the left's holding up the whole sector." "Send a party around behind them." "I have." "They're on the way." "Good man." "(BANG!" ")" "(GUNFIRE)" "(MACHINE-GUN FIRE)" "Cover." "There they are." "Bomb." "Got him." "Let's go." "Flanagan, cover front." "Pudden, cover rear." "(Soldier speaks German)" "Germans, lots of them." "Back into the next bay." "Come on, Pud." "Hold it!" "Form a bomb block here." "Come on." "Get back." "(EXPLOSION)" "(EXPLOSIONS)" "This is bloody hopeless!" "We can't get past them, and they can't touch us." "If I can make it to that machine-gunpost, I'll be able to drop bombs right on them." "Don't be stupid." "There's lead flying in all directions." "If Fritz..." "What choice have we got?" "We've gotta get over the top." "Alright, you're the boss." "Yeah." "Pud, give us a leg-up." "See anything, Blue?" "Now!" "Go!" "More bombs!" "(MACHINE-GUN FIRE)" "Kaiser!" "Kaiser!" "Keep 'em coming." "More bombs." "Marty!" "They're breaking." "The 4th are making ground, Blue." "Quiet, Pudden!" "We've done our bit." "Hope I'm not interrupting anything." "G'day, Roly." "You alright, Pud?" "You mad bugger, Barrington." "I never thought I'd see you again." "PAT:" "There you go, boys." "Share this around." "Been a long, long while between drinking holes up here." "There you go, Pud." "You deserve it." "Oh, geez!" "Barrington!" "Hey, come on, you buggers, this is no time for a booze-up yet." "We've got Fritz on the run." "Just 200 yards to the objective." "Come on!" "Gawd." "More stirring deeds what won the Empire." "(STIRRING TIN WHISTLE MUSIC)" "Dingo, the bottle." "(Man coughs)" "Let 'em be, Sarge." "Harris and I will stand sentry, sir." "The boys have earned a break." "(ETHEREAL MUSIC)" "(Sighs contentedly)" "(Sleepily) You needn't have come, Dick." "I'm doing the right thing by Kate." "At least, I would if I could tie her down." "It's all a bit academic, though, mate." "We can't get out of this alive." "(Voice echoes) You alright, Marty?" "You were talking to yourself." "Uh-huh." "Oh, yeah." "I suppose I must have been dreaming." "Ah... you dropped your cigarette." "Not mine, mate." "Don't smoke." "LAD Y ELLISON:" "Thank you, ladies, for coming today." "We have very little time to complete the packing if we're to get the billies to the boys for Christmas." "So let us..." "Uh, excuse me." "I'm Lady Ellison." "And you are?" "Mrs Baker." "From Tolangerook." "Ah, yes." "Right, take a place, we'll get started." "Try and put a little bit of everything in, eh?" "That's right, Mrs Baker." "Mrs Baker, you can't do that!" "Can't do what?" "Well... put temptation in the way of our fine young men." "Temptation?" "Strong drink is an evil thing." "It destroys homes and families." "You wowsers give me the willies." "Who are we sending all this stuff to?" "A bunch of fighting men or a pack of lily-livered bloody sissies?" "Please, ladies, please!" "Language!" "She was putting alcohol in the billies for the boys." "I've been told you both have boys in the same battalion." "Do try and be friends." "Did have." "I'm so sorry." "Baker." "Dick Baker?" "Roly said Dick Baker was the bravest man in the 8th." "He always used to mention him in his letters from Gallipoli." "Dick wasn't one for pen and paper." "Look, I've got all Roly's letters at home." "We could go back after and you could read them." "No!" "Well... you could read them to me." "He was a little bugger at times." "Come to that, he was a big bugger too." "(Sobs)" "Oh, God, I miss him." "(Sobs)" "None of this will get these billies packed." "Sorry I was a bit snappy." "It's just that we used to have a good time with a few drinks." "But you had something different." "Your husband?" "Anyway, I'm glad Roly doesn't touch the stuff." "Right, take it easy." "(EXPLOSION)" "Kaiser!" "Don't they ever run out of bloody ammunition?" "Grab some ammo." "Carrying party, sir, what's left of us." "Fritz is taking the supply line." "We're losing hundreds." "We're safer here." "(EXPLOSIONS) (Roly screams) No!" "Are we going to stay here and get blown to bits?" "That's a ranging shot, sir." "Platoon will move to the edge of the orchard now." "(Shouts) Move to the edge of the orchard now!" "Come on, Roly." "We're getting out of here, boy." "Come on." "You're OK." "Let's go." "Come on!" "Hurry." "Good evening, Mr Murdoch." "Please sit down." "It's very good of you to see me, Sir Douglas." "Now that Australian troops are committed, my Prime Minister would appreciate some account of their progress." "(Clears throat)" "As you are aware, we renewed the attack three days ago." "In the three weeks since battle was joined, there has been step-by-step progress across a wide front." "However, in the last few days, the focal point of operations has concentrated on the vital high ground here, the heights of Thiepval and Pozieres." "The first Australian division has been attacking for three days in the Pozieres sector." "And their progress?" "Good." "The Australian division is the only formation to achieve all of its objectives." "Surprisingly good in the circumstances." "General Haig is referring to the fact that the Germans also consider this vital ground." "They're concentrating their reserves and all their army group artillery." "All their artillery?" "(TENSE MUSIC)" "Hey, there's our relief." "They're walkin' right into it." "Hey, don't go near that trench!" "(MUSIC INTENSIFIES)" "Upton, NO!" "STOP!" "(SOMBRE MUSIC)" "Just like that." "Watch your front!" "Prepare for a counterattack." "If this is the orchard, where are the fruit trees?" "Get down!" "A couple of questions, Sir Douglas." "From the map, the Pozieres position looks less than a mile wide." "The concentration of artillery in that small space must be very heavy indeed." "Perhaps the heaviest of the war." "And our casualties must inevitably reflect this." "These, I notice, are yesterday's positions." "Have you any information as to our latest progress?" "Well, the whole area, of course, is covered by dust and smoke." "All the telephones are cut and our airmen can see nothing." "(EXPLOSION)" "I need some help over here!" "PAT:" "Is that you, Roly?" "You owe me a dig out." "No, Pat, it's me." "Roly's not too good." "Neither am I, Bill." "Neither am I." "Here, we'll get you up." "MURDOCH:" "Sir Douglas, as you know, my Prime Minister is determined to commit Australian manpower and resources to see this thing through to the end." "However, he will ask me, I'm sure, whether these gains of a few hundred yards are worth the blood expended on them." "Mr Murdoch, this war is not merely about gaining ground." "Far from it." "It's about bringing the German army to battle where they cannot refuse to fight." "And once having engaged them, we wear them down shell by shell and man by man." "It'll be the side with the greatest fortitude - regardless of losses - with the strongest nerve who will force the decision." "And you may assure your Prime Minister this headquarters will not be the one which lacks the necessary nerve." "(EXPLOSIONS)" "(EXPLOSIONS CONTINUE)" "Why don't the bastards attack?" "I could cope with the bombardment then." "Why should they?" "They can grind us to a pulp with artillery." "Hell of a thing to come 12,000 miles for." "I think Mr Murdoch was impressed, sir." "Perhaps those colonials will now realise that war on the Western Front is a serious business." "Perhaps after this bloodying their conduct behind the lines will improve." "Now, what's the latest from General Gough?" "Committing another corps at Thiepval, General." "(EXPLOSION)" "Come on." "Fritz is on the move again." "We'll give it one more go before daylight, then we can rest." "Come on, fellas." "Stand to!" "Stand to!" "There's blokes moving behind us as well." "Bluey, get a feed on them." "(FOREBODING MUSIC)" "Hold it." "They're our blokes." "They're relief." "Quick, tell Mr Armstrong our relief's arrived." "Did you miss your bus?" "Did you expect flags and a band?" "What's the situation here?" "The enemy is 300 yards out front." "They're apparently preparing for an attack." "We've got one posted there, there and there." "What's beyond them is anyone's guess." "Thanks very much." "Mr Armstrong says he's ready to go." "Thanks." "Got any SOS flares?" "Yeah." "Give us a minute to get clear and fire them." "Cheerio." "9th Section, move out!" "See ya, mates." "Move out quickly and be quiet." "They didn't talk about this at officer training." "I wonder if anyone's actually running this battle." "Just fire the flares, sir." "Just fire the bloody flares." "(DISTANT EXPLOSIONS)" "This is a moving occasion for any father." "My son has elected to serve his country in the great cause of freedom." "We are proud of men like these, volunteering to serve in this great struggle." "Is it true, sir, that Prime Minister Hughes is under great pressure from the British General's staff to introduce conscription on account of the enormous casualties they expect?" "Boys, you know better than to ask a question like that." "Is it true?" "Well, as a confidant of the Prime Minister," "I can assure you unequivocally that Mr Hughes will do what is right for the country," "bearing in mind the wishes of the people of this great democracy of ours." "REPORTER:" "Thank you, Mr Earnshaw." "Blah, blah, blah." "But I have a few unattributable comments to make which may be of interest to you." "Cheer up, Mum." "They'll never let me close enough to the front to muck things up." "I'll be a glorified clerk, same as always." "I wish your father hadn't forced you into this." "Has he ever been any different?" "Anyway, other blokes have gone from the library." "I would've had to go sooner or later." "We can't let other people make all the sacrifices." "I know, dear." "But it doesn't make it any easier." "Right, boys, lets have a family photo for the afternoon editions." "And let me conclude with a message to all the young men of Australia." "Great deeds are being performed in France at this very moment." "General Haig's great Somme offensive is destroying the army of Germany." "Join now and be part of this glory and build a record which will stand you in good stead after the war." "Mark my words, the battle of the Somme will mark the triumphal march to Berlin." "Here they come!" "(Soldiers sing) Pack up your troubles in your old kitbag" "And smile, smile, smile" "While you've a Lucifer to light your fags" "Smile, boys, that's the style" "What's the use in worrying?" "(Voices trail off) It never was worthwhile... (MARTIAL DRUMMING)" "(Martin) "Dear Reverend," ""we have just come from a place so terrible" ""that even a raving lunatic" ""could never imagine the horrors of the last days." ""Nothing published in the papers about it is worth a damn." ""There'll be some hair-raising stories to be told" ""when this war's over." ""I know you asked me to write nothing less than the truth," ""but I also know I have your word" ""that none of this will go to my family." ""The awful question is" ""was this great effort of our countrymen" ""directed by prudent and competent generalship?" ""Was it worth these crushing casualties?"" "(KNOCK AT DOOR)" "Don't get up, George." "It's Comforts Club working bee again today." "I told Rupert to pick me up here." "He's seeing off a parliamentary colleague." "That looks like a letter from France." "Anyone I know?" "No, Thea, I don't think you'd know him." "Forgive my appalling curiosity." "It's just that I haven't heard from Martin for some time and the last letter I received from him could've been written by a machine." ""Yes, I am well." "Yes, I am alright."" "Etc, etc." "Poor George." "You look so tired." "And here I am prattling on about myself." "Any telegrams today?" "Yes." "Five dead, five wounded." "Dear God!" "Why should the burden of delivering these tragic messages fall upon the clergy?" "I suppose it was originally proposed so that comfort could accompany the news." "It has not worked that way for me." "Nowadays if I so much as walk down the street, women are seen to run in fear." "Thea, George." "Damn rag!" "Some fellow civilian, of course, gave it to me at the station." "The "Australian Worker.'" "The whole issue is an attack on the conscription referendum." "With our men fighting in France, that thing borders on sedition." "Oh, come, Rupert." "The Labor movement has never made any secret of its views on conscription." "The time has passed for the finer points of political debate." "They're either for us or against us." "Who's "us'?" "Those who know that the future of a civilised world depends on winning this war." "That's a little colourful, isn't it?" "No!" "This war is in the balance." "Federal Cabinet have been told by London that if the reinforcement rate is not stepped up they may have to disband one of our divisions." "Perhaps instead they should think about conserving our soldiers." "Spoken like an armchair strategist." "Rupert!" "No." "My knowledge of the casualties comes painfully, at first-hand." "Anyway, what are we arguing about?" "The whole question of compulsory enlistment is going to be decided by the Australian people voting in secret, so..." "It has to be a yes victory." "The question is whether the slackers and cowards will continue to avoid their responsibilities." "Or whether we should force men to a war 12,000 miles away." "Now we see you in your real colours." "Why don't you join your friends " "The Sinn-Feiners, the Catholics and the Socialists?" "They all want to bring Britain down." "Stop it, both of you!" "You've been friends for too long." "This war changes a lot of things." "Including having to decide whether you speak as an Australian or as an imperialist." "I'll be waiting in the car, Thea." "Take the paper with you, Rupert." "It contains an interesting quotation." ""A man cannot hate to order."" "I'm not particularly proud of myself, Thea." "Poor Rupert." "I suppose he sees this business so intensely because Martin is at risk." "I am sorry, George." "The bitterness of this war is seeping through the country like a poison." "Our young men will not be the only casualties." "Pass the bottle, Sarge." "It says in the papers there'll be no more volunteers." "Conscripts - that's what we'll have next." "KAISER:" "I don't want to fight with conscripts." "Yeah?" "They can take my place any time." "Corporal Barrington, this just came through." "Congratulations, Martin." "Stone the crows!" "It's a distinguished conduct medal." "Is that good?" "Apart from the Victoria Cross it's the best there is." "Onya, son!" "Ha-hey!" "Little reward for what you did at Pozieres, Martin." "Onya, Marty." "Is that what I got it for" " Pozieres?" "Congratulations, mate." "(LOUD METALLIC CLATTERING)" "Take a look, fellas." "False alarm, fellas." "As you were." "Alright, then, instructions." "What a fine body of men." "Now, listen, Barrington, the platoon is going to attend the area concert tonight." "(All groan)" "It's been decided you'll enjoy yourselves." "Oh, yeah?" "Who says so?" "The Colonel, that's who." "Now, you'll parade the platoon at 1900, then march them to the concert hall." "You got it?" "Mmm." "I can hardly wait." "Enjoyment finishes 2130 sharp." "Now, it's going to be a fine night's entertainment, including novelty acts, recitations and female impersonations." "Ooh!" "That's what it says here, anyway." "Oh, they told me to come to Europe for culture." "Lance Corporal Cleary ... "Lance Corporal" Cleary?" "Well, I had to bribe him with something." "Anyway, he's been detailed to pick up the stage props." "(Laughs) Crikey, what did he have to say about that?" "If I was a sensitive man, I would've blushed." "But I'm not a sensitive man, am I?" "No." "No bloody fear, Sarge." "He was also told that it was a request from the assistant provo marshal, who might otherwise take a personal interest in Cleary's commercial activities." "So get the troops there on time." "Or else." "Or else what?" "You know." "Full of charm, isn't he?" "Well, go and dig them out, Lance Corporal." "Toute suite." "So, that's what they mean by "chain of command", is it?" "Gather round, you blokes." "A bit of news." "(CABARET-STYLE MUSIC)" "(All sing) You wore a tulip A sweet yellow tulip" "And I wore a big, red rose" "When you caressed me 'Twas then heaven blessed me" "What a blessing no-one knows" "You made me cheery when you called me deary" "Was out where the bluegrass grows..." "'Whizz Bangs', eh?" "Sound more like bloody drop shorts to me." "...and I wore that big, red rose..." "Roly's in the grip of the grape." "Do him good." "(Audience applauds and cheers)" "I wore a tunic A dirty, khaki tunic" "And you wore your civvy clothes" "We fought and bled at Loos while you were on the booze" "Booze that no-one here knows" "Around with the wenches while we were in the trenches" "Facing an angry foe" "You were a-slacking while we were attacking" "Up along the Pozieres road." "(Audience applauds and cheers)" "Hello, boys." "Hello, sailor!" "(All laugh)" "Have we got an entertainment-packed evening for you?" "MAN:" "Show us your muscles, then." "(Man whistles)" "Not in front of the ladies." "(All laugh)" "But before we start I have just been handed from Aussie the results of the conscription referendum." "And I'm sure you all want to hear them." "(Men yawn and laugh)" "Western Australia - yes." "Victoria - yes." "(Audience cheers enthusiastically)" "Queensland - no." "Tasmania - yes." "NSW - no." "(Audience cheer)" "South Australia - no." "Out of 2.4 million votes cast, the majority for no is 70,000." "Now, what about that?" "!" "(SILENCE)" "(All laugh and cheer)" "(GUNSHOT) (All laugh)" "Get him off!" "You get him off." "Get him off!" "You get him off." "Uh... to be at this gathering, um, here tonight, there's to be some, um, recitation." "And who better to recitate at ya than your old mate Lance Corporal Cleary?" "(All cheer and laugh)" "A bit of Australian poetry." "I'll put the right hat on." "A bit of respect." "Alright." "Um..." "'The Bastard From the Bush'." "(All laugh)" "Heard it before, have you?" "As dust was slowly settling" "Over city, town and bush" "This joker come to see us" "He wanted to join the push" "Would you let a woman keep ya?" "Would you give up work for good?" "Would I let a woman keep me?" "Get him off!" "My oath I would." "(All cheer)" "And now the 15th Brigade Football Team Chorus!" "(GUNSHOT)" "(CABARET-STYLE MUSIC)" "(All boo and jeer) Get off!" "What's this?" "What's this, a bloody poofter show, eh?" "Careful, that's Punchy Ellis." "He put two blokes in hospital last game." "That's the mug." "Punchy Ellis, yeah!" "Isn't he an ugly mug?" "Punchy Ellis." "Always reckoned you shaved your legs, mate!" "(All laugh)" "Hasn't he got an ugly mug, and an arse to match?" "Duck!" "Duck!" "Duck!" "MAN:" "Break it up!" "Break it up!" "Come on, get him." "Go on!" "Ha!" "Glad you could make it." "Let's go before the MPs arrive." "Why can't all concerts be like this?" "I'll talk to Pat about it." "SONG:" "Mademoiselle from Armentieres, parlez-vous" "Mademoiselle from Armentieres Parlez-vous" "Mademoiselle from Armentieres She hasn't been kissed for 40 years" "Inky-pinky parlez-vous" "The men from Wagga and Gundagai Parlez-vous" "From Perth, the Towers, and Boggabri" "Parlez-vous" "Sydney City and Dandenong" "Will think of you as they battle along" "Inky-pinky parlez-vous." "(JAUNTY MILITARY MUSIC)" "(MILITARY TATTOO PLAYS)" "(EXPLOSION)" "The great Somme Offensive had sputtered to a close in the last months of 1916." "Patrol's still out, sir." "It was now the new year, and the north European winter descended on the battlefield, a battlefield turned into a moonscape by a million shells." "This desolate place marked where 300,000 British soldiers fell for the gain of a few miles." "The guns were mostly silent now, except for an occasional burst of hate." "The soldiers' energies were concentrated on battling those old foes - rain and cold." "Few of us could ever forget the winter of 1916-17." "Also buried here were illusions and false hopes for a quick end to the war." "Two mighty armies faced each other over a few yards of muddy ground in a paralysing stalemate." "And while generals in warm chateaux puzzled to find an answer front-line soldiers were united in a common misery." "Old Fritz was just as badly off." "(GUNFIRE)" "(TENSE MUSIC)" "They could have killed us." "Well, you could have killed them." "Yeah, but I didn't want to." "There aren't many I want to kill, mate." "Don't let the colonel hear you say that." "Stupid!" "I was crazy to join up." "Ah, we all were, Roly." "(Voice wavers) I'm not any good at killing people." "Hey!" "You're good enough, mate." "I hate this war." "I hate the mud, and the lice." "The blokes being wounded and blown apart, killed." "But there's my mates." "The best." "What I mean is that there's times even now when I've been so happy." "I love the war." "I wouldn't have missed it for quids." "And that's got to be wrong, hasn't it, Marty?" "MAN: (Chuckles) Mother's boy, hey?" "Hey, Barrington?" "Mm-hm?" "I brought you a new chum." "New second lieuy." "(Laughs) Oh, my God." "What's up?" "He's so clean!" "Lieutenant Armstrong's platoon?" "That's right." "Take me to him, please." "Be seeing you, digger." "Yeah." "Er, this way." "(MARTIAL DRUMMING)" "G'day." "Your suggestion, Sergeant?" "Yes, Mr Armstrong." "I think if we can get through..." "What do you reckon I could charge for this, Bill?" "BILL:" "Oh, maybe 30 francs." "What's the mark-up?" "A new officer, sir." "100%." "This is Lieutenant Armstrong." "Second Lieutenant Earnshaw reporting, sir." "Glad to meet you, Mr Earnshaw." "This is Sergeant McArthur." "McARTHUR:" "Glad to have you with us." "First time to the front, Mr Earnshaw?" "Yes, sir." "You can forget the 'sir'." "I think you had better show Mr Earnshaw around, Corporal." "And put the head down." "Er, better take a look at the trench maps, sir." "Need any help?" "With what?" "That name." "Earnshaw." "He's that joker from Parliament." "That windbag politician." "Hey!" "That's right." "The 'Would To God'er." "That's him." ""Now you are going forth to war." "Would to God I could go with you."" "Yeah. "Only someone's got to stay and run the country." ""Would to God it wasn't me." (Chuckles)" "Er, perhaps we should look at the trenches now, sir." "That's my Dad, 'Would To God' Earnshaw." "Did you hear me?" "Yes, I did." "It's none of my business." "Oh, yes, it is." "Talk about me all you like but not about my father, you hear?" "And pass the word." "Yeah, I'll do that." "Meanwhile, we've got a war going on here." "One moment, Corporal." "Lance Corporal, what's happening?" "Not a lot." "Let's have a look." "I can see them!" "Well, of course you can." "Did you think they weren't there?" "(BIRDS TWITTER)" "Get back to it." "Who's on this thing?" "Huh?" "What?" "Send some bombs over on the trenches in the front." "Now, sir, that's utterly ridiculous." "You heard me." "(Yawns) Oh, God." "Fire." "Fire." "(Men exclaim in German)" "Look at the enemy, Lance Corporal." "Well?" "Up a couple of yards." "We'll give them four." "Sir, you don't understand." "The Germans..." "Four!" "And keep a good lookout." "Fire." "Dead on." "Take cover!" "Look out!" "Get down!" "What the hell's going on, Flanagan?" "They want to play it rough, sir." "We'll give them eight." "Give them nothing." "Not a bloody thing." "What's going on, Mr Earnshaw?" "We were instructed at Officer Training to be aggressive, sir." "You were, were you?" "Yes, sir." "And if the enemy fires, we fire back double." "Was ist denn los?" "What did he say, Kaiser?" "He wants to know what's going on." "Tell him we are very sorry but we have a new officer that didn't know the rules." "Entschuldigung." "Es tut uns leid, aber wir haben einen neuen Offizier und er kennt sich noch nicht aus." "This way, Mr Earnshaw." "Now, this is not the Officer's Training School, Mr Earnshaw." "This is the real war!" "We and Fritz have an arrangement." "NOBOD Y, Mr Earnshaw, nobody fires before 16:30 hours." "Now, for the past five months, we have been shot at every hour that God sends." "Now we get shot at by arrangement, Mr Earnshaw." "We rather like it that way." "We intend to keep it that way!" "Now we can all get some sleep around here, eh?" "Sorry, sir." "Yeah, well." "It's alright, Mr Earnshaw, you weren't to know." "But just take it easy." "There's a lot of Germans left." "As you were." "He's going to learn the hard way, eh?" "Don't worry." "He'll get to know the ropes." "(KNOCK AT DOOR)" "George?" "Oh." "You're busy." "No, no." "Please stay." "You're a most welcome interruption." "Not much Christian comfort here." "What do you mean?" "Oh, er, just some rather surprising responses to the letter I wrote to the paper." "Not particularly savoury reading." "Never mind about that." "How have things been with you?" "Well, we've been in the city." "Rupert doing his war work." "Now we're home for a while." "I've missed you, Thea." "I promised myself I wouldn't say that." "What's that?" "Er, it's the coward's feather." "I've heard of these but I've never actually seen one." "Oh." "Have you had others?" "Yes. 1916 was a good year." "1917 promises to be even better." "Oh, don't joke about it, George." "I wish I could." "I'm front-page news in the Catholic AND the radical journals." "Yes, I've read about it." ""Anglican Priest Speaks Out Against Conscription."" ""The voice of reason in a sea of bigotry."" "You're quite a celebrity." "The Archbishop calls it notoriety." "You're ruining your career, George." "Why?" "Because the rest of the Church of England is FOR the war and I believe that MY church should be more than just Empire loyalists at prayer." "Because... because I believe in the Sermon on the Mount." "Because..." "Because I'm naive, because..." "I don't know." "George." "Most of all because this second conscription campaign has has divided the country." "It's unleashed the bigotry and the sectarianism that I thought we left behind us in the Old World." "I mean, what will become of the ideals of the new Australia - dignity, equality for all?" "George." "They've all gone." "What do you see, Pud?" "Nothing." "Hmpf!" "What do you mean, 'nothing'?" "They've all gone." "Is it over?" "For God's sake, Pudden." "Keep your head down!" "See anything?" "Nup." "He's right." "Sergeant, inform battalion I'm sending a patrol out." "Sir." "(DISTANT RUMBLING)" "See." "I told you there was no-one." "Shut up!" "Hang about." "Get back." "Now, don't touch anything, alright?" "Thank God Cleary's not here." "Anyone home?" "(RATS SQUEAL) Well?" "Nup." "Nothing but the rats." "Come on, let's get out of here." "Suits me, mate." "Come on." "Move!" "CLEARY:" "Two of us and her by herself." "(All laugh)" "How did you know it was my birthday?" "You told the bloke when you joined up, Pud." "Did I?" "Yeah." "Don't worry about it." "We've got two reasons to celebrate." "First time out of the line for months and your birthday." "Ha." "What are going to do?" "Ooh!" "Hey, that's a big surprise." "Yeah, that's sounds alright." "MAN:" "Aussie!" "Shh!" "Hey!" "Aussie, here!" "Quick!" "Down here." "(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)" "FLANAGAN:" "Hey!" "MAN:" "Oh!" "HEY!" "Ah!" "AH!" "Hey." "Hey." "Hey." "OFFICER:" "What do we have here then?" "Nosy parkers?" "Mind your own business or you'll get some of the same." "What was he doing, robbing the Bank of England?" "I asked the way to the knocking shop." "He tried to gain entrance to a blue light house." "PUDDEN:" "What's a blue light mean?" "Officer's knock shop." "Red light's for the troops." "Now, hop it." "Quick." "Listen, why don't we take him back to camp with us?" "No." "We're going to make a few examples of you Australians." "You blokes are going to start a riot." "That'll be enough, laddie, or I'll nick you too." "Now, listen..." "No mate." "No." "No, we don't want any trouble." "I'll go quietly." "Better get them out of sight." "(SNEAKY MUSIC)" "Now we're really in for it." "Are you alright, mate?" "Yeah." "Go, nick off." "Keep your head down!" "What about us, then?" "I reckon we better lay low too." "Good idea." "Hey." "Let's not forget what we came for." "Ha, ha." "Come on, birthday boy." "(French accent) I'm sorry, you cannot come in here." "Oh, that's a shame." "Oh!" "Well, perhaps." "Hey, this place is alright." "MADAM:" "Oh!" "Hey Pud." "Get this into you, mate." "PUDDEN:" "Ta." "I think perhaps we can use the private room." "Oh, this stuff tickles your nose, Pat." "MADAM:" "Mademoiselle Fifi." "Mademoiselle Collette and Mademoiselle Claudine." "Are they all for me, Pat?" "Yeah." "Happy birthday, Pud." "(Chuckles)" "(ROMANTIC FRENCH ACCORDION MUSIC)" "G'day." "(RUMBLING)" "What's up?" "FLANAGAN:" "Jesus!" "(FOREBODING MUSIC)" "What in heaven's name is that?" "It's called the Hindenburg line." "You're right." "The Germans didn't retreat." "They withdrew." "Yeah." "We'll never take that." "Never." "Not fighting the way our generals do." "Bill, my old mate." "You should have more confidence." "Of course we'll take it." "Tomorrow." "Head-on like a bull at a gate." "You're not serious." "I heard the 4th Division will get first go, and just to make it more exciting there'll be no artillery barrage beforehand." "You must be joking." "They're going to surprise them." "Just infantry and tanks." "Tanks?" "Haven't seen any of them around here." "Anyway, the bloody things haven't worked yet." "Neither have head-on infantry assaults but that doesn't seem to worry old General Gough." "It's Pozieres all over again." "Oh, no, mate." "Pozieres was just slaughter." "This lot's..." "This lot's premeditated murder." "(GUNFIRE AND EXPLOSIONS)" "See anything?" "The 4th are trying to pull out, but Fritz has the whole area covered by fire." "Another bloody stuff-up." "Righto." "Five minute warning to move." "Get your gear on." "Bloody heads." "Yeah." "Too right." "We've been in the line nine months now." "Hey, there's a rumour going round that the Frogs are telling their officers to nick off." "At gunpoint, if necessary." "Shut up, Dingo." "That's not what I had in mind." "Yeah?" "What DID you have in mind, Corporal?" "Nothing." "Come on, man." "Out with it." "In front of the platoon." "Look, none of us mind the risk." "It's just the stupidity and the bloody waste!" "I see." "You may all have your own opinions on the higher direction of this war." "I can't stop that." "But they will not interfere with your duty as soldiers or Australians." "Now, in a few weeks, it will be Anzac Day." "Two years since this battalion stepped ashore against all odds on Gallipoli." "There's scores of dead mates from this platoon who thought that worth fighting for." "Mateship." "That's what's held the AIF together throughout this BLOOD Y war." "Now there's 10,000 of our mates in another division going through bloody hell just over there." "I'll do what I can to help them and, by God, you're coming with me!" "Alright, now that that's out of the way, here's what we're going to do." "We're going out to gather all the 4th Division wounded we can from no-man's-land." "(GUNFIRE AND EXPLOSIONS INTENSIFY)" "Here!" "(Men yell) MAN:" "You'll be right." "ARMSTRONG:" "Sergeant, up front." "Flanagan, cover." "Right!" "Can't move?" "My knee." "MAN:" "More field dressings over here." "We had it won." "We got in but then, no ammo, no bombs." "MAN:" "Somebody help me with this man!" "You'll be right now we're here." "Stretcher!" "What are our orders, sir?" "The Lewis..." "The Lewis gun will..." "The Lewis gun will cover our withdrawal." "Tommy." "Tommy!" "Stretcher!" "Lhr seid umgeringt." "Ergebt euch!" "Get nicked!" "(Men yell)" "(GUNFIRE INTENSIFIES)" "It's a bastard of a war but it has its moments, doesn't it?" "Oh!" "By Jeez, they keep coming, eh?" "Just like old Johnny Turk." "We'll just keep them out of bombing range." "We'll be sweet." "Mac?" "MAC!" "Look for the others." "MAN:" "We're moving back!" "Number two's gone." "Come on, I'll get you back." "Piss off, Flanagan!" "Mac!" "I'll put you on a charge!" "You could never make it stick, now come on." "I knew it was going to be today." "Get Bluey out of here while you still can." "Go on." "Piss off, you sentimental prick!" "Thank Christ you didn't change, McArthur." "Come on, mate." "(McArthur fires machine gun)" "Bugger." "Number two's gone west, sir." "Bluey's alright, I think." "McArthur's hurt bad." "He won't be moved." "I'll take a look." "Kaiser, you're wasting your time." "Stretcher-bearers!" "I'm covering you, Kaiser!" "(BANG!" ")" "(CONSTANT GUNFIRE AND EXPLOSIONS)" "Arggh!" "Arggh!" "Arggh!" "Arggh!" "Arggh!" "Get up, Pudden." "We're leaving." "No!" "No!" "No!" "Get up, for the love of God!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "Pudden!" "Flanagan, cover Kaiser on the way in." "All accounted for, sir." "Well, Pudden" " I haven't seen him." "He's out." "I saw him run over that way." "For God's sake, let's go, then!" "(ARTILLERY EXPLOSIONS)" "Trying to write a recommendation for Tom McArthur." "Words just..." "(Sighs) Here, have some of this." "Please." "What's that?" "(Chuckles)" "Black Label at least, if I know Pat." "What would I do without you all?" "(Sighs and chuckles) It's the other way round, Harry." "You got us through, minimum casualties." "It's all madness, mate." "Why don't we just pack up and march home?" "(Chuckles) That's what I've heard some of the French have done, but then, they've always prided themselves on their logic." "But it's not an Anglo-Celtic trait." "What, then?" "Ah, you said it before - too many dead mates." "Is that sufficient reason to go on killing young Germans just like us?" "(Sighs) If you'd asked me that back in 1913 when I was still at uni," "I would have had 10,000 answers." "And now?" "None." "Oh, come on." "Oh, a faint glimmer of reason, then." "Er, America's now on the same side as Britain and France, all the great democracies." "Must be something, I suppose." "That's small comfort." "Oh, not to mention the other little ones " "Canada, New Zealand, Australia." "You expect to survive, Martin?" "No." "Do you?" "No." "You know, just before the war," "I won a bursary to take geography at university." "Oh, yeah." "Great initiation here, eh?" "(Chuckles)" "Do you know that Australia is two-thirds desert?" "Well, no, the point is that in such an unforgiving country like ours, we're going to need the very best resilient people." "So?" "Well, don't you see?" "They're the ones being shot out here." "(REFLECTIVE MUSIC)" "(RATS SQUEAK)" "I hate the bloody fat ones." "I know what they've been eating." "Oh, my God." "Hey, come on, Harry!" "It's not original." "An American Civil War general said it before." "Still, it can't be all bad." "I mean, that bastard Gough ordered the attack today." "Why, I bet he's having the time of his little life, with ours." "(Chuckles)" "Yeah. (Chuckles)" "Yep." "Well, here's to that I'm still alive, and to hell with you, Barry." "(Chuckles)" "(Sighs)" "(Sings) The bells of hell go ting-a-ling-a-ling" "For you but not for me" "(Both sing) Oh, the angels all go sing-a-ling-a-ling" "For you but not for me" "Oh, death, where is thy sting-a-ling-a-ling?" "Skipper OK?" "Yeah, Doc Barrington's in attendance." "Maybe I should send him a bill." "After all, it's my medication." "You mean 'was'." "Oh, mate, they should make you a general." "(Chuckles)" "(Sighs) I'm sorry, Thea." "That's alright, George." "I sometimes find myself going through the motions, and what's the point?" "Well, we all feel like that sometimes." "What good's it done to the thousands of mothers who've prayed in vain?" "Oh!" "The newspaper was filled with the Hindenburg battle." ""Heroic attacks by Canadians and Australians."" "After three years, one knows that heroic is just another word for heavy casualties." "That's when my imagination gets hold of me." "Martin wasn't in the last attack." "He's written to you again?" "He hardly ever writes to me." "Yes, he has written to me again, but you wouldn't want to read those letters, Thea." "In them, he... well, he tells the truth about the war." "It's his way of unburdening himself." "How is he?" "Oh, he's remarkably stable, considering the circumstances." "Circumstances which, a few years ago, would have taken an ordinary man to the brink of insanity." "How can they bear it?" "They depend upon one another." "They have a fierce brotherhood, in which each sustains the other." "It's something approaching the Christian ideal." "Ironical, isn't it, that war should produce that?" "BILL: "We can't sit here," she said, "because it prickles."" "I swear to God, I hadn't gone near her by then." "(All chuckle)" "Hello, boys." "Stay seated, lads." "Just a few announcements." "Oh, crikey, skip." "No, we are not going back on the line, Dingo." "Even the powers that be feel nine months straight is enough." "They have declared leave for the whole battalion" " Blighty leave." "ALL:" "Hooray!" "Hooray!" "Beer and English women, eh?" "(All laugh)" "Right, lads, promotion list." "Not this time, Paddy." "The colonel has recommended that Corporal Barrington be commissioned in the field." "Oh, Marty!" "Oh!" "MAN:" "Good on you, Marty!" "Until the commission comes through, you'll be Acting Platoon Sergeant." "Colonel Barrington." "Officer Barrington, eh?" "Lance Corporal Flanagan will go to Corporal." "Ah, you're slacking off, Flanagan." "Ooooh, Flanagan!" "Private Schmidt will go to Lance Corporal." "On you, Kaiser." "Oooh, Kaiser!" "There was another name on the promotions list, but it was withdrawn at the man's request." "It's a pity." "We need all the experienced NCOs we can get." "Lastly, I have the great pleasure and honour of announcing the award of the Military Medal to Lance Corporal Schmidt for his work on the Hindenburg line." "(Men cheer) Kaiser Bill, again!" "(Applauds)" "Name out of a hat, that one." "Your mum'll be proud of you, Kaiser." "Sir?" "It's about Pudden Parsons." "I've a report he's been seen on the old Somme battlefield." "Isn't that where those bludgers..." "Where the organised groups of deserters are believed to hang out." "The colonel's agreed if we find him, he'll be charged with the lesser absence without leave, not desertion in the face of the enemy." "A month in the jug rather than life?" "Exactly, Flanagan." "Now, I want you to take a party out and find him." "They say these deserters are a pretty desperate lot, so you'll go fully armed." "Suits me, sir." "I'd love a crack at those mongrel..." "Just bring Pudden back as your first priority, Flanagan." "Yes, sir." "Now, report to Company HQ in 30 minutes for details and good luck." "Mr Armstrong, er, what about you, sir?" "Oh, yes, I almost forgot." "I've been promoted to Captain, and will take charge of the company." "Good on you, skip!" "That's the way, sir!" "Thanks, Bill." "Cheers, lads." "(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)" "Wait!" "I might have known." "What's the matter - don't you reckon I can handle it?" "I just wanted to see the ruthless streak at work." "Keep moving." "(MUSIC REACHES CRESCENDO)" "(English accent) That's far enough for the moment, thank you, gentlemen, unless you'd rather we started shooting." "Who's in charge?" "Well, well, the sergeant AND the corporal." "How nice of you to drop in, but I'm afraid you're a little off course." "The Germans are over that way." "We're a... peaceable lot here, as long as we're left alone." "You've got one of our blokes." "We want him back." "Come, come, Corporal, that's no way to speak to a - what am I this week?" "A major." "High time I was a colonel, don't you think?" "High time you were in the jug, you bludger." "You're alive." "Try to be more polite, you may stay that way." "Is this the lot of you?" "So few." "You have no chance, no chance at all." "(DRAMATIC MUSIC)" "See what I mean?" "What's your name?" "Flanagan." "What's yours?" "Edward Kelly." "I see we share a common heritage, but you missed out on the charm." "I missed out on lots of things, but going back on my word wasn't one of them." "This discussion is becoming tiresome." "Go back to your silly European civil war, for that's all it is." "If they insist on wiping each other out, it's no business of Australians." "Now, listen, mate... (Sighs) Surely you can see that peace dictated by Germany would be a disaster for Australia too." "Well, the sergeant has a voice." "As to the question, it's highly theoretical, therefore boring." "Oh, and don't appeal to my altruism." "I lost it on the Somme." "Nevertheless, if they win, they wouldn't take kindly to your sort." "We've been studying practical survival." "We're very good at it." "Now, go." "Not without Pudden." "(Cocks gun)" "Goodbye." "You'll have to shoot us first." "Even then, we'll take a couple of you with us." "After that, they'll send out the battalion." "Things could get messy." "You really care about Pudden, don't you?" "He's our mate, and he needs looking after." "Well, ask him." "Come out, Pudden." "Martin?" "Your friends - or so they say." "Do you want to go back to them, to the war?" "Listen, Mr Kelly, you were real good to me when I wasn't feeling well, but..." "I really miss them." "(Sighs) Idealism is the curse of the age." "Here in Europe, that can be lethal." "On your way." "(DRAMATIC MUSIC)" "Come on, mate." "Here, Roly, give us a hand." "I remember an Australian actor named Edward Kelly." "One's public is everywhere." "He used to play English gentlemen roles" "Still does, old boy." "Still does." "(Grunts) Oh." "Um, they're not borrowed, are they?" "No, unfortunately, they're quite, quite genuine." "So, it's official, now?" "What is?" "That you're a gentleman, by act of Parliament." "Thank you very much." "Actually, er, I only did it to gain access to the nurses' mess." "Mm-hm." "Have you heard we're getting Blighty leave?" "Yes." "I don't suppose you could arrange some?" "No chance." "Damn." "But I'll tell you little secret." "Hmm?" "I'm going to be in London next week, on a gas treatment course at St Thomas's hospital." "You won't tell anyone, will you?" "(Chuckles)" "(NEWSREEL WINDS)" "(BELLS RING REPEATEDLY)" "(English accent) Remember what I told you." "I haven't forgotten." "No ladies." "I promise." "My sister knows you're coming." "She'll meet you." "Brighton's nice this time of year, and she's a great cook." "Real home from home for you." "Thanks, Bill." "I'll never forget it." "You'll be in clover, son." "She's wanted for ages to meet my Australian mates." "I couldn't send her any of this lot." "You're a real mate." "Oh, only thing is is these three little girls of hers, regular terrors, they were." "I don't mind." "I got a kid sister." "She doesn't bother me." "Oh, that's alright, then." "Off you go and enjoy yourself." "Oh, and remember what I told you - if you feel the urge coming on, go and paddle in the sea instead." "Don't worry, Bluey, she's got a nice tall friend who's dying to meet you." "See you, Bill." "Ow!" "(TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS)" "It's the blind leading the dumb." "(lmitates English accent) I'm off to my father's tailor for a uniform." "Oh." "See you, guys." "Look after yourselves." "(Chuckles) Bill." "See you." "What are you grinning at?" "Nothing." "It looks like it." "What's up, man?" "You're on leave." "Leave?" "Where do I go on leave in London with a name like Wilhelm Schmidt?" "Appledore Farm, Chislehurst, Kent - that's where you go." "Chislehurst?" "I don't know Chislehurst." "You will when we get there." "It's where my mum lives, innit?" "Do you think I'd be welcome?" "Any mate of mine'll be welcome, especially one like you that's house-trained, Bill." "Thanks, mate." "MAN:" "Look at that." "MAN:" "Hmm." "8th Battalion." "(Chuckles) Martin Barrington!" "Mr Murdoch." "How have you been since Gallipoli?" "Well, thanks." "And how's my gallant brother?" "Oh, he's coming over next week." "Here." "Thank you." "I didn't know you were a member." "My father put me up." "When this war's over, we'll get back to real soldiering." "What's up with those two?" "Some people don't like the idea of officers being promoted from the ranks." "Ah." "Well, it works for us, but then, we're getting shot at, aren't we?" "What'll it be?" "Er, scotch and soda." "Make that two, please." "Staff." "Mmm." "Too thick to be anything else." "Alright, let's have it." "(Chuckles) I tend to be rather a bore about it." "You won't bore me." "Very well." "Our men are magnificent, and in my opinion, our NCOs and junior officers are the best there are." "They have to be..." "Thank you." "Go on." "...because time and again, they're asked to lead their men into one bloody shambles after another, watch them get blown to bits or blown to bits themselves." "But they keep doing it." "Because they keep doing it, they get the lion's share of every hair-brain thrust some mad general dreams up as this week's war-winning battle." "We'd be better off if we lost one." "They'd pull us out of the line." "Believe me, Mr Murdoch, you can't break the stalemate in France by pitting flesh and blood against machine guns, despite what higher command says, and no-one's seemed to come up with a better way." "What about morale?" "Still good, so far, but it's not an inexhaustible resource." "I mean, it can't be, not if they keep making us go on like this." "It's getting to the point where we'll end up fighting the staff." "Martin, er... (Sighs) I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me." "There's some men I must see." "I'm obliged to you, Martin." "Now, you enjoy your leave, and I'll see you again." "'Bye." "Goodbye." "(POIGNANT MUSIC)" "(KNOCK AT DOOR)" "Come in, Keith." "Good evening, Prime Minister." "Good of you to be available at such short notice." "Now, you know Hankey, of course." "Mmm." "Er, General Wilson, Liaison with the French Command, Keith Murdoch." "General." "Mr Murdoch." "Make yourself at home." "There's strong drink, if the other two haven't disposed of it." "No, thank you, sir." "Well, then, I would like to start these proceedings with some pleasantries about such things as the weather, but, er, these days, even the weather has sinister overtones affecting young men's lives, so I'll come straight to the point." "I would like the Australian Prime Minister to join me in the War Cabinet as soon as possible." "Can he do it?" "Not for some months, I'm afraid, Prime Minister." "He's determined to push the second conscription referendum through." "It won't be an easy task." "Because of your losses on the Western Front?" "There are some Australians who are strongly opposed to conscripts sharing the burden that volunteers have endured." "Responsible opinion hopes he'll be successful in changing minds." "Pity, pity." "Our Commander-ln-Chief is deeply entrenched as a... as..." "WILSON:" "The Germans in the Hindenburg line." "Yes, unfortunately." "Haig wants another offensive?" "Another murderous frontal attack, like the Somme last year." "No, it's Ypres, this time, where the Germans MUST fight." "The Germans fight everywhere." "Haig must be stopped." "Another one of his victories, and there will be no young men left." "To be fair, he has good strategic grounds." "Even old Marshal Foch has said that an offensive at Ypres would be like a duck's march through a swamp." "But he wouldn't say that today." "The French Army has suffered serious mutinies." "Some 61 divisions refuse to attack." "Their generals are even worse than ours." "So far, it's the best kept secret of the war." "The French are pressing for a British attack, anywhere, lest the Germans realise they can win the war at a stroke on the French front." "The Americans are due in any moment, surely." "Oh, the Americans have magnificent raw material, but they will not be an army for some time." "How long?" "8 to 12 months." "My God!" "(ELEGANT MUSIC PLAYS)" "How do you think I'll go, Marty?" "No worries, mate." "(Man announces) Lieutenant and Mrs Barrington." "You..." "Well, I just wanted to hear what it..." "No, I wanted YOU to hear what it sounded like." "PRIME MINISTER:" "You see what they do to me, these highly-paid advisers?" "Hedge me in with verbiage, constrict my every move." "Meanwhile, in France, sits a man, Haig, who has enshrined lack of imagination into a creed." "He calls it 'attrition'." "I call it the devil's arithmetic." "Haig still has the confidence of the press lords and the man in the street, Prime Minister." "AND the Palace." "So, fate and the closed shop of the British upper class have conspired to hand Haig all the aces." "Will you have me deliver a funeral oration for the entire generation?" "If you remove him now, you risk dividing the Cabinet, and losing the support of the people." "I cannot just stand by while Haig presents another butcher's bill!" "There is... one way, Prime Minister." "You could agree to the offensive, but on conditions." "Such as?" "That each step of the offensive be a success before he can go on." "Cancelling his blank cheque." "Yes." "But supposing he continues regardless?" "His supplies, his reinforcements, his ammunition all come from Britain." "And that is under Cabinet control." "Hmm." "Good." "Even VERY good, Wilson." "(HOOF BEATS APPROACH)" "(Woman sings) When I told them how beautiful you are... (Laughs)" "(Sings) They didn't believe me" "(Both sing) They didn't believe me" "That from this great big world" "You've chosen me... (Laughs)" "Thanks, Bluey." "Thanks, Bluey." "Did you have a good leave?" "Ah." "Oh, that's good." "Hi, fellas." "How's your leave, eh?" "Get us a beer and a, er, cider, please, love." "Make that a double, boys." "I'll be paying." "ALL:" "Oooh!" "You look like a dog with two tails, sir." "He hasn't complained." "I wouldn't dare." "G'day, fellas." "Roly!" "(Men exclaim surprisedly and laugh)" "And these are my cobbers." "I just love it when he says 'cobbers'." "(TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS)" "No good asking if you had a good leave." "Oh, it was the best." "A while since you've seen your sister?" "(Clears throat) Oh, this is your Uncle Bill." "Kirsty, Fiona, Lindy." "(CHURCH BELL TOLLS)" "MARTIN:" "That's enough from you two." "Alright, fellas, drink up." "Time to go." "Here, where's Pat?" "He took an extra day." "He met an old friend." "There's trouble." "Nothing he can't pay for." "I have to go." "I know." "(ROMANTIC MUSIC)" "Take care of yourself." "(Laughs)" "Silly thing to say." "I love you." "(RUMBLING, TEA CUP CLINKS)" "(Plays relaxed piano music)" "(Chuckles)" "G'day, Pat." "G'day." "Oh." "Sorry." "What in God's name have they got to laugh about?" "Roly kicked a goal over in Blighty." "Same again, love." "Make her get a move on, Roly, or I'll tell her about you and my three nieces" " Casanova!" "Cognac." "No, no." "You blokes have had it rough." "Yeah." "North of here, 'Wipers'." "The big bloody push." "(Derisively) Ha, ha." "But I heard we were winning." "Not where we was." "Sodding General Gough." "You heard of him?" "Oh, yes, we have." "Threw us in like lambs to the slaughter, they did." "Our officers did the rest." "Led us head-on against wire and machine guns." "It's my shout." "The blues, Harry?" "The old jimjams?" "We all get them from time to time, you know." "No, Martin, it's not that." "No premonitions?" "I've had one or two and nothing happened." "Just dreams." "(Sighs) Lots of dreams." "(THUNDER BOOMS)" "A sea of mud, endless battle in the mud." "(THUNDER BOOMS)" "Sounds pretty normal, considering the circumstances." "(Chuckles) They say if we didn't dream, we'd all go off our rockers." "For all the good we're doing, we might as well call it off and march on before more of the lads cop it." "What sort of talk's that, mate?" "We're going to win this one." "When are they sending the Aussies up?" "Soon." "You poor bastards." "I know what you're thinking." "We went where we was told - time and time again." "You were looking at 10 platoons." "Just 3 of us now." "As for the staff... frigging staff!" "Shooting's too good for them." "They ought to be crucified!" "Now, just a minute, mate..." "BARRINGTON:" "Sport..." "Most of these diggers went through the Somme." "We can get the drift." "But save the rest for your memoirs, huh?" "Anyway, fellas, cheers." "(Pianist plays gentle tune)" "(THUNDER RUMBLES)" "Not good, Wilson?" "No, Prime Minister." "God in heaven!" "That makes 80,000 casualties for the first three weeks!" "Yes." "And where are we, then?" "About half a mile from where we started." "Ground was not necessarily Haig's aim." "Destruction of the enemy." "Spare me the more arid reaches of military abstractions." "I am the one who has told the people a hundred times that we must win this war." "And I'm the one who now must look them in the eye!" ""Oh, forgive me, voters and mothers." ""I didn't know that our general had a theory" ""that if there were only three Allied soldiers left on their feet" ""and one German," ""then - then - we have won the war."" "Haig must be stopped now." "I wouldn't if I were you." "All hard-riders are bound to come a cropper before long." "When?" "He has a big one planned next week." "And?" "I think the results will be the same." "Menin Road." "He's using both ANZAC Corps." "MAN:" "Oi!" "This yours?" "Bloody hell." "It's Pudden." "Seems to think it belongs to you lot." "If it can think." "Yeah, he's ours." "You're welcome to him." "Get yourself down, then." "From now on, you walk." "(Shouts) Get down, I said!" "(Howls)" "Touch him again like that and I'll break your neck." "What, in front of witnesses?" "There won't be any witnesses, pal." "I warned you!" "SERGEANT!" "MAN:" "Arseholes." "Get out of here." "Help Private Parsons down." "MAN:" "Supposed to be on our side." "Not like that!" "(TENSE MUSIC)" "Have you given up saluting?" "You're doing a great job, mate." "We'd like to buy you a beer some time." "You right, Pud?" "You'll be right, mate." "We'll clean you up." "You'll be right." "The big push for 1917 had started nearly two months ago near a place called Ypres." "Whatever the high command lacked, it wasn't guns." "The whole area was devastated." "The offensive had bogged down, with both the Tommies and Fritz taking a dreadful hiding." "Now it was our turn." "How long till the hop-over?" "About 20 minutes, Bill." "G'day, Pat." "Pud." "Fire!" "Fire!" "There were two things going for us, though." "For the first time, the Australian divisions were fighting side by side." "And secondly, we were commanded by an English general named Plumer who left nothing to chance." "Every move was rehearsed." "It was a welcome change." "Now morale was sky-high, even amongst the old hands who knew what we were in for." "(NEARB Y EXPLOSIONS)" "(WHISTLE BLOWS) Let's go, fellas." "Come on, men." "The action was a complete success." "All objectives taken, and old Fritz was left groggy on the ropes." "Some of us even thought the end might be in sight." "As we found out later, it would've been better if we'd failed." "Your report to the Prime Minister, General." "Read it." ""My dear Prime Minister," ""It gives me great pleasure to inform you of the sweeping success" ""of our latest blow struck across the Menin Road."" "It gives me even greater pleasure to imagine the expression on that Welsh conniver's face when he reads this." ""...justified the hopes"?" "He neglects to mention that this is the third bloody attempt!" "(Sighs)" "Oh, Wilson." "The wealth and blood of Britain are being poured out over a few bleak acres of Belgium." "(Sighs)" ""Our casualties have been relatively light."" "(Laughs mirthlessly) Anything under 10,000 is a pinprick to him." ""I therefore propo..." Ah, here it comes." ""...to deliver a series of blows" ""towards the ridge at Passchendaele..."" "That name has an ominous ring." ""...with the aim of cutting German communications to Belgium" ""before winter." ""I know I will have your wholehearted support."" "Oh, he does, does he?" "Where's that paper from Winston Churchill about a landing in Syria?" "I think it's too late for that, sir." "The papers are already hailing an important victory." "Editorial comment is very flattering toward Haig." "Damn." "Damn!" "They can't replace me now, Kiggell." "No, sir." "The war must be won in the West." "It can only be won in the West." "From the Palace, sir." "I think you'll like it." "So, counting the 25 reinforcements, the company will be at 80% strength." "We're still short three officers." "Have you heard anything about officer replacements?" "Has anyone seen anything of the new lads?" "Oh, they're all good blokes, but the training unit in England is still teaching them techniques we discarded last year." "How long have we got to bring them up to scratch?" "A fortnight." "Three weeks." "So if it's alright with you, sir, we'll group them with Sergeant Flanagan." "If anyone can break them in quickly, it's him." "(Sighs) Harry." "Are you alright?" "Yes, thank you, Martin." "It's just a chill." "Bit of a spell hasn't done you any good at all, has it?" "One salute." "One damn salute." "My name is Young." "Who might you be?" "Harold Armstrong." "These are lieutenants..." "I didn't expect to find you still here." "The colonel asked me to hand over personally." "Hand over?" "What in the hell's going on, Harry?" "And who are you, Lieutenant?" "Barrington." "Ah." "What battalion are you from?" "Not a battalion." "The Australian Training Unit on Salisbury Plain." "Training Unit." "Martin, Captain Young is my replacement." "You will accord him all respect." "Damn it, Harry." "You know, after all you've bloody well been through, they just can't send you away like a..." "Piece of worn machinery?" "It's a medical decision, Martin." "I've been boarded unfit." "Disturbed action of the heart." "YOUNG:" "DAH." "Erratic heartbeat, high pulse-rate, general debilitation." "It starts in the mind, they tell me." "Listen, I know what DAH is..." "Martin, please." "Just accept it." "It's final." "They don't know what causes it, and unfortunately, they can't cure it." "Hey, skipper, what's going on?" "They reckon they're going to take you away or something." "I'm afraid so, Pat." "FLANAGAN:" "Is there anything we can do, sir?" "I wish to God there was, Flanagan." "You look after yourself." "Yes, thank you." "Listen, skipper, as you're leaving, this coat of yours..." "Oh, bloody Cleary!" "Listen, let's call it quits for the time being, huh?" "Come on, fellas." "Alright." "Mr Earnshaw." "Thank you, sir." "Don't go, Martin." "Captain Young, I'll see you in half an hour." "(Sighs)" "Why didn't you tell me, Harry?" "I didn't have the courage, Martin." "The last thing I wanted to do was to leave them." "Or you." "(TENSE MUSIC)" "Oh, well." "It's for your own good." "No, Martin, it's for the company's good." "There is a very big stunt coming up, and I'd just be in the way." "I'd be a risk to your lives." "The whole bloody battlefield's a danger to our lives." "Martin, I am coming apart at the seams." "Hey!" "Take it easy, Harry." "Take it easy." "(POIGNANT PIANO MUSIC)" "(ENGINE RUNS)" "(Sighs) You're out of it, Harry." "At last you're out of it." "(MOMENTOUS MUSIC)" "Sergeant Major!" "MAN:" "Sir!" "All at company parade now." "Sir." "Discipline." "Discipline, do you hear me?" "You not only couldn't spell it, you obviously have no notion of what the word MEANS!" "Look at you!" "Well, I will tell you discipline is the thread that binds a military organisation together." "Do I make myself clear?" "I'm not impressed by old soldiers who fumble their way through a few battles." "From now on, we go by the rules, by the book, which was written by cleverer men than you, and if not, by the punishment clauses of the Army act." "Do I make myself clear?" "He'll get us all killed, Bill." "Until you are fit for me to lead you into the great battle which is about to commence, from now on, there will be no Christian names." "Your Toms, Dicks and Harrys will be Lieutenants, Sergeants and Corporals, as laid down!" "The old, sloppy ways departed in a car 10 minutes ago." "DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" "MAN:" "Oh, go tickle your arse with a feather." "(All stifle laughter)" "What did that man say?" "What did he say?" "He said, "Particularly nasty weather."" "Did you say that?" "No, I didn't say that." "I just said what he said." "Who said it, then?" "I don't know." "Someone behind me somewhere." "Who gave you permission to speak?" "You did." "You said, "What did he say?" SILENCE!" "I was just trying to say what he said." "Sergeant, charge this man." "What with, sir?" "With saying that I..." "Oh, with insolence, damn it!" "Take this rabble and give them two hours close-order drill!" "Sir!" "(MILITARY DRUMBEATS)" "SERGEANT:" "Company... form to the left." "Left... turn!" "On the left!" "Quick march." "Good one, Pat." "Left, right, left, right." "Shoulders back." "(DOOR OPENS)" "Kate." "(Sighs happily)" "(ROMANTIC MUSIC)" "(Clears throat)" "(Laughs)" "How did you get here all this way?" "Oh, I borrowed a motorbike." "Borrowed?" "Well, acquired." "Come along, Lieutenant Barrington." "Has the cat got your tongue?" "Oh, it's Harry." "The poor devil's been evacuated..." "Been evacuated with DAH." "There's not much happens in the 8th that we don't know." "I mean, he was part of us from the beginning." "To go out this... this rotten way..." "It's just as much a casualty of war as a gunshot wound." "Quiet, conscientious man - backbone of the army." "He'll be missed." "Not like some high-flyers I know." "I think an inspection of the wards might be in order." "I didn't come all this way to get..." "Shh, shh." "Come along, grump." "Lead on, Nurse Nightingale." "What about, uh, the other wards?" "Every patient that can be moved has been evacuated further back." "So... it's definitely another big one." "Yes." "(Sighs)" "Come on, love." "Ah." "What's this one used for?" "Senior officer casualties." "Generals and the like." "(Laughs)" "Lt'll never be used, then." "Oh... you never know." "(ROMANTIC MUSIC CONTINUES)" "We've got all night." "Mmm." "Yes, please." "(Chuckles) All in good time." "(Chuckles) No, not that." "I mean a cigarette." "Smoking?" "!" "Sister Baker, you are a loose, loose woman." "(Chuckles)" "Aren't you the lucky one, then?" "(Laughs)" "So how long's this been going on for?" "Oh, since you seduced me." "(Laughs) No." "The smoking." "Ever since this awful war became bloody awful." "Why?" "Is the packet marked 'For Men Only'?" "(Sighs contentedly)" "I wonder what my mother will think when the next mistress of Hereford Downs lights up a fag." "(MELANCHOLY MUSIC)" "(EXPLOSIONS)" "All platoons in position, sir." "What?" "Oh, right." "Wonder they didn't hear us in Berlin with the noise some of them made." "Yeah, it's still thirty minutes to zero..." "I know that!" "Never liked the idea of jumping off halfway across no-man's-land." "You lose the element of surprise." "What are we doing stuck out here?" "Simple, dummy." "Huns have got our trenches ranged to within a foot." "This way we survive the counterbarrage, see?" "That's really clever, isn't it?" "Did Marty think that up?" "(EXPLOSION)" "What the hell's that?" "The shells." "I know that, you fool!" "Ours or theirs?" "Keep calm, men." "Keep calm." "Runner!" "Fetch Mr Barrington." "How are you holding, son?" "It's just what me dad used to call grand-final nerves, Corporal." "Not long now." "You'll make it." "I've been looking at your boots, Pat." "They're pretty good." "Yeah, I had 'em tailor-made." "Listen, mate, when you get knocked, can I have them?" "I'll tell you what." "They cost me 100 francs." "You give me 20 francs right now and they're yours when I get killed." "Oh, OK." "Bargain." "What if you don't get killed?" "Don't be such a bloody pessimist." "Of course I'll get killed." "Seems like preparatory fire" " German." "Rubbish!" "Why doesn't the colonel call this off?" "The men can never stick this out." "They'll break!" "Break, huh?" "They bloody well won't." "Old hands will look after the new ones." "Got a new secret weapon." "If he gets near the Hun, he'll talk the buggers to death." "Just lie still, mate." "I need to field dress you." "Me leg - it's still there?" "Yeah, no worries, son." "They'll have you back here inside a fortnight." "Keep your head down." "Just lay still." "How are the boys?" "Alright." "But I reckon we've taken about 10% casualty so far, mate." "Bloody hell." "Five, four, three, two, one..." "MAN:" "Fire!" "Fire!" "Fire!" "Fire!" "You bloody beauty." "They got it right again." "Blow the whistle." "I don't think we should blow until we know..." "Just blow the bloody whistle!" "(Blows whistle)" "(UNDERSTATED MUSIC)" "Don't shoot!" "Don't shoot!" "They're Australians!" "Bullshit!" "(Soldiers howl in pain)" "Danke." "Frau Langer?" "Ja." "Naturlich." "Danke, Freund." "Ruhe mit Gott." "Tell them to keep going." "No!" "We must get a message back." "There may be other attacks." "We'll dig in here." "Captain Young, it's quite clear what's happened." "The Germans by a fluke have attacked the same time as us." "Our barrage is getting away from us." "We can't stop here!" "NO!" "I'm in command of this company!" "Simply foolhardy to risk any more movement." "Anybody disobeying will be charged with mutiny!" "Arggh!" "Anyone see that?" "See what?" "I guess you're it now, mate." "Look after the platoon." "Right." "Tim, drag this poor bloke into cover and get his maps and flares." "(Blows whistle)" "Company, advance!" "Fall in to the right!" "Need any help?" "You can have the reserves." "No, platoon can do it." "There's gaps in the wire." "We've got our work on the right." "Go!" "Head down." "Bluey, up to the right, mate." "There's a gap in the wire." "Cover when I yell." "Bill?" "Yes." "There's a gap on the left, mate." "Alright, Roly." "Cover them!" "Go!" "Go, Bill!" "Go, Blue!" "(Yells command)" "Fire!" "Stick with me, mate." "OK." "Cover me!" "Run hard." "Go, go, GO!" "Go!" "(Cries out)" "Bill!" "Bluey!" "Stay down!" "I owe you a beer for that, mate." "Couldn't leave you hanging there." "You haven't paid me for that Luger yet." "Come on, mate." "Holding up the war." "Bluey!" "Cleary!" "Come on!" "Come on, raus!" "Raus, you bastards, raus!" "Kaiser!" "Casualties." "Jones and Perkins will get back." "McGill's a goner." "Detail an escort for this bunch." "BARRINGTON:" "Flanagan!" "Check the rear." "Flanagan, you were a bloody marvel - you and the men... (GUNFIRE)" "ROLY:" "Martin!" "Stay back!" "(Cries out)" "KAISER:" "Easy, Roly, easy." "MAN:" "Kaiser!" "Martin!" "(SOLEMN MUSIC)" "Pud!" "Hell." "You mongrel bastard!" "(Germans cry out and groan)" "I'll shoot the next man who moves." "Kaiser!" "Sir?" "Get them in position." "We'll be moving in five minutes." "(Men speak softly)" "(Groans)" "Jeez!" "Come on, Roly." "Look after him!" "He's one of the originals!" "You're now Company Commander, Mr Earnshaw." "(Sighs)" "That hadn't occurred to me." "Look, the men would rather have you." "You're the only officer left." "Come on, Max." "The boys will follow you." "Very well." "Sergeant, you are now Second-ln-Command, so appoint new platoon commanders as is necessary." "Right." "(THUNDER RUMBLES)" "What are you doing, bludger?" "Get those prisoners back now!" "Move!" "You'll keep, Flanagan." "I'll be seeing you." "Say goodbye to your friends, Kaiser." "(Shouts) Up!" "Come on, you mongrels." "UP!" "Get up!" "(THUNDER ROLLS)" "FLANAGAN:" "You know, I reckon there's a chance of breaking through if the heads keep going at it." "I don't think so." "Why not?" "The Germans' old ally has arrived." "General Mud." "This whole area used to be a swamp." "They drained it during the Middle Ages, but it'll revert back to a swamp as soon as this winter rain sets in." "Oh, Christ." "First bloody time we get the edge on Fritz and the damn heads throw it away by having the Battle of the Bloody Bog, eh?" "Brains are in their arses, Max." "Sergeant." "Good on you, mate." "Your privilege, sir." "Success signal." "Two greens, isn't it?" "Two greens, Max." "(DISTANT RUMBLE)" "(RUSHING ROAR INTENSIFIES)" "MAX!" "(Groans)" "Stretcher-bearers!" "(SOLEMN MUSIC)" "I'm alright." "I must've got some mud in my eyes." "I can't see for the moment." "Easy, easy." "Take over command, Sergeant." "Sir." "(GRIM MUSIC)" "(Screams) Stretcher-bearers!" "Well, there's no question of moving him." "No." "There'd be little point." "He's coming out of the anaesthetic." "Morphine?" "It may be kinder." "And who might you be?" "Sister Baker, First Australian General Hospital." "You're a long way from home." "A friend?" "Yes, sir." "I see." "(POIGNANT MUSIC)" "Excuse me, please." "No." "No more morphine." "Sister, remember where you are." "No more morphine, ma'am." "You must understand, Sister." "Morphine is our only defence against pain." "Withdrawal of that may condemn your friend to a great deal of it." "Yes, sir, but I think that's better than him falling into a sleep that he won't wake up from." "In some cases, that may be the more merciful course." "(SOLEMN MUSIC)" "Let me try, sir." "Please." "Very well, you may stay with him." "Doctor, this is highly irregular!" "Matron, this whole damn war is highly irregular." "If we have a faint chance of saving one life by... irregularity, then we should try." "Thank you, Doctor." "Yes, well." "(SERIOUS MUSIC)" "Martin." "It's Kate." "Can you hear me?" "Martin, I want you to open your eyes and look at me." "(Coughs) Come on, Martin." "Martin, just try and open your eyes the once." "Martin, you must wake up." "Come on, Martin." "Wake up!" "Martin, wake up." "Come on." "Come on, wake up." "(Groans) Wake up." "(GENTLE MUSIC)" "And then there was the time we were bird-nesting up in that big old red gum." "You and Dick had a fight over the honeyeater's eggs." "Dick swung at you like an idiot and fell out of the tree." "Remember that?" "Broke his arm." "Never even told us about it." "Just walked home as if nothing had happened." "(ANXIOUS MUSIC)" "(Sighs)" "Martin, I know you can hear me." "Look at me!" "(Pants)" "Marty, it's me." "(Sobs) Oh, for God's sake, don't slip away from me now, please." "(Whispers) Please!" "(GENTLE PIANO MUSIC)" "(Wheezes)" "Matron." "Come and see this." "(TOUCHING MUSIC)" "(BUGLE PLAYS)" "(Choir sings) Keep the home fires burning" "While your hearts are yearning" "Though the lads are far away" "They dream of home" "There's a silver lining" "Through the dark clouds shining" "Turn the dark clouds inside out" "Till the boys come home." "(DRUMMING AND FIFE MUSIC)" "(THEME MUSIC)" "(THUNDER RUMBLES)" "I'll have a bloody question asked in Parliament, that's what." "Oh, another week of this and me souvenirs won't fetch nothing." "Man'll be ruined." "Any sign or relief yet, mate?" "No, they were due 10 hours ago." "We'll be out of here soon, boys." "(Coughs)" "You alright, Bill?" "There's this beautiful dusky maiden in a grass skirt walking up the beach from the coral reef... (Laughs) ...carrying two of the biggest trout I ever saw." "When I open my eyes, what do I see?" "Bloody Flanagan." "Hell of a time to be thinking of a fish dinner." "Who said I was thinking of a feed?" "(Laughs) You've got to look after yourself, Bill." "(Coughs) Nick off." "It only hurts when I laugh." "Did you hear?" "Canadians on our left took Passchendaele yesterday." "(Sarcastically) Hooray." "Come on, mate." "It was a bloody good effort." "What for?" "We've shot our bolt." "A blind man'd know it." "All we've done is create a bog 12 miles wide behind us." "Guns can't get up, or supplies." "No guns, no advance." "We just about had it won, hey?" "Yeah." "Fritz is laughing at us now - him in green fields and we're stuck here in the mud." "Nothing changes." "Hey, any news of Dingo?" "No." "I reckon he's shot through for good." "And I don't reckon he'd have bothered taking those German prisoners all the way back either." "Roly, you could've gone back and had that re-dressed, you know." "No, thanks, Sarge." "Probably be drowned if I tried to get back by myself." "Won't be long now, mate." "Hey, Sarge?" "Yeah?" "Is it true they're gonna bring boats in and row us out?" "Who told you that, Pud?" "Next time anyone tells you something, make sure they cross their heart first, alright?" "(ARTILLERY FIRE APPROACHES)" "Hello there." "(EXPLOSION)" "8th Australian Battalion?" "Lieutenant Arbuckle, East Lancs." "Where the hell have you been, chum?" "Where's the officer?" "I'm it." "I asked where you've been." "You're 10 hours late." "Oh, you wouldn't believe it." "This staff officer bloke says it's 1.5 hours to come up." "And I can tell you, we've been 11 hours on the go." "My lads are done up, them that got here." "Welcome aboard, Mr Arbuckle." "Name's Flanagan." "Follow me and I'll show you around." "I'll see if I can get a strong drink for you and your men." "It would be greatly appreciated." "(EXPLOSION)" "(POIGNANT MUSIC)" "(EXPLOSION)" "Well, come on, Strawb, are you with us or against us?" "Listen, mate." "I'd be alright if I could get me feet out of the flaming stirrups." "Another old joke like that and I'll shove you right back in." "(EXPLOSION)" "Who's he?" "That's General Kiggell, Chief of Staff to General Haig." "Don't get his car muddy, will you?" "(THUNDER RUMBLES)" "(DISTANT EXPLOSIONS)" "Oh, my God." "Did we send the men to fight in this?" "SHIT!" "(Men sing) The first staff officer" "Jumped right over the second staff officer's back" "The second staff officer" "Jumped right over the first staff officer's back" "The first staff officer" "Jumped right over the second staff officer's back" "The second staff officer" "Jumped right over the first staff officer's back" "They were only playing leapfrog" "They were only playing leapfrog... (Men sing) A Garden of Eden just made for two" "With nothing to mar our joy" "I would say such wonderful things to you" "There would be such wonderful things to do" "If you were the only girl in the world" "And I were the only boy." "(CROWD APPLAUDS)" "I am not happy with Marie." "Oh, it's alright." "He's a good kid." "Well, that's as may be, but he's a soldier in a war." "I do not want to see her hurt." "Madame." "Ah, bonsoir." "Pat, how's business?" "Oh, couldn't be better, me boy." "House special." "Crikey, how much do I owe you?" "No charge, mate." "I'm struck dumb, mate." "That'll be a first." "Listen, er, heard anything about a move?" "No, but they reckon it's gonna be called off, mate." "The battlefield's completely bogged." "I could use a couple of weeks to get these books into shape." "There is nothing wrong with them." "It's the French normal system." "Oh, yeah, see, but the Australian system's completely different." "How come your mathematics always come out more for you?" "!" "I hate to see lovers quarrel." "Well, you see, you don't allow..." "Since Passchendaele, they've given us light duties, warm billets, good tucker." "What's going on?" "I'm beginning to get suspicious, you know what I mean?" "Mmm." "Maybe that's what the fatted calf felt like." "PAT:" "Well, if it isn't me old mate, Sergeant Watson." "Looking for something, are you?" "Somebody." "Flanagan." "What for?" "We all know what for." "The colonel wants to see him." "Haven't seen him." "Yeah?" "Don't look now, but here comes ol' sunshine." "Uh-huh." "G'day." "G'day, Sergeant." "You want to see me?" "How'd you guess?" "The old man wants to see you right away." "Well, boys, see you in the spring." "Look after that, Pat." "Well, at least they can't shoot him." "He only knocked the officer out." "Can't we do something?" "He saves our lives and they throw the book at him." "That's the army." "There must be something." "Mum's the word, just like we've been doing." "Captain Young states in his report that someone - most probably you - struck him unconscious in an unprovoked attack during the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge." "What have you to say?" "It was dark, sir, and a lot was happening." "I know what it was like." "Have you anything to add?" "No, sir." "The Regimental Sergeant Major questioned a score of soldiers who would have been in plain view of the incident." "Not one of them saw anything." "Do you find that amusing, Flanagan?" "No, sir." "Captain Young, it now remains for me to decide what action to take in regard to Sergeant Flanagan." "Please withdraw to the Adjutant's office." "Certainly, sir." "(THUNDER RUMBLES)" "You know that the maintenance of discipline must always be a paramount aim of the army?" "Yes, sir." "And relations between officers and other ranks is the key concern of military law, and breaches of this law attract the harshest penalties?" "Do you know why this should be so, Sergeant?" "I hope you do." "Without these constraints, an army would only be an armed rabble." "It is not mere theory, Sergeant." "There have been reports of unarmed German prisoners apparently shot dead behind Australian lines." "I understand, sir." "Then why?" "I did what I thought was right at the time." "I still think it was, sir." "I have here a recommendation for an award for gallantry signed by the Adjutant." "It concerns your attack on Pillbox Emma and your steadiness in consolidating the company on its final objective." "There can be no thought of forwarding it now." "Get out." "Sergeant, you know and I know that you should be court-martialled, but that's impossible." "You got brains, Flanagan." "You know why." "Firstly, you could call 50 of the best soldiers as witnesses to testify for you." "Captain Young could call none." "Secondly, it would appear that the authorities had brought over to France a man incompetent to command men in battle." "There'd be no way of suppressing a scandal." "Now, go before I change my mind." "Since there's no black mark on your conduct sheet, you may as well have these." "If you ever come before me again, I'll cut off the crown jewels." "(JAUNTY MUSIC)" "Well?" "Is the old man gonna court-martial you?" "No, mate, worse than that." "Maybe we can buy your way out of it, mate." "What they did was make me an officer." "(All laugh)" "They are scraping the bottom of the barrel." "Just as well we've got a navy." "Ha-ha." "(Men sing) Why was he born so beautiful?" "Why was he born at all?" "He's no bloody good to anyone" "He's no bloody use at all." "(Sighs) Thanks again for everything." "They said I wouldn't have pulled through without you." "(Man coughs)" "I'm going to miss you." "Come on, love." "Be a sport." "I only want to get you to..." "I know precisely what you want!" "And this behaviour must stop forthwith!" "Don't get off your bike, missus." "Missus?" "Return at once to your ward or I'll put you in charge of the military police." "Well, blimey, I've never been in charge of anything in me life." "Oh, since they arrived, this hospital's been sheer bedlam, and it's getting worse." "Absolutely reprehensible..." "Well, Sister Baker, I didn't expect to see YOU here again." "We don't seem to have much trouble with them, ma'am." "No?" "Ah, but then you're..." "Australian too, aren't you?" "In any case, visiting hours are over." "The hospital boat-train leaves in 10 minutes." "Out!" "Please go out!" "Out you go!" "Alright, hang on, leave this to me, boys." "The Cleary charm." "Er, excuse us, um, mum... missus, er... (All laugh)" "Ma'am." "Oh, ma'am." "I know it's after visiting hours, but we wanted to see our mate and you like a bit of a sport." "Oh!" "(All laugh)" "Colonel!" "COLONEL!" "What's wrong with her?" "My stitches." "If I survive you blokes, I'm bound to beat the guys in England." "It's the nurses, I'd be worried about." "Yeah." "Any word on Max?" "He's fine, mate." "It's just a bit of eye trouble." "Yeah." "Yeah, no worries." "Mate, congratulations." "Well, er, thanks, mate." "Bit of big brass with us now." "He's learning how to eat with a knife and fork." "Shut up, Cleary." "You can tell by the pockmarks around his mouth." "Well, begging your pardon, sir, we'd best be going." "The matron seems a bit upset." "Yeah, well, um..." "We'd just like a... a minute or so with our mate." "(Laughs) Oh, the originals." "The class of 1914." "Uh-uh, not me, remember." "I was a Gallipoli reinforcement." "Oh, yes, a bloody new chum." "That's right." "Well, see you back in Aussie, buddy." "Oh, I don't know, I might get this old wing back together in England." "Oh, we've talked about that." "You can go home now." "You've earned it." "You go dust off the red carpet for when we come visiting when this nonsense is over." "Yeah, all together." "Yeah, that's right." "Alright, sir?" "(Quietly) Yeah." "Cough medicine." "(Laughs)" "Don't drink it all at once." "Wait for me at home, Marty." "Do what you're bloody well told for a change." "(POIGNANT MUSIC)" "We know what you did for him, love." "I'll miss him like blazes." "But I want him to go." "(THUNDER RUMBLES)" "Don't you ever lose?" "No point in losing, mate." "Anyway, I've got all of Dingo's debts to make up." "Yeah, well, we won't be seeing him again." "I'd like to see him." "I don't care so much about him deserting." "It's the five prisoners he shot." "Yeah." "Right, who's in, then?" "Up." "Now, this is what I call a war." "Me too." "Keep it like this and I'm in for life." "Boys." "Morning, Skip." "You alright, Pud?" "Yeah." "Why's he working?" "Oh, he's skint." "And we're paying him sixpence an hour." "Sixpence?" "!" "Alright then, ninepence." "Anyway, it's the... chain of command." "Oh." "Bet he hasn't even had a drink." "Neither have I, for that matter." "Oi." "Your worse than the bloody overseers." "Anyway, you're an officer." "Very true, Lance Corporal, and by all rights" "I should be putting you to work." "Oh." "Ta." "I thought you were going to an officer's training course at Amiens." "So I am." "After we finish the water bottle, that is." "Any more?" "No, thanks." "Nope." "Pay 20s." "PAY ME!" "About bleeding time!" "Why's it all so peaceful, do you think?" "Maybe Fritz has run out of ideas." "That'll be the day." "I wonder if he's up to something." "They're keeping very quiet about it if they are." "Rate our generals are going, it'll take six months to put the British Army together again after Passchendaele." "Better to keep it this way - play cards and wait for our pension." "Yeah, we were saying that in Gallipoli three bloody years ago." "Mmm, long time away from home." "Shh!" "What is it?" "Hey, listen." "(BIRD SINGS)" "Up there." "Oh, yep." "Now, this is what I call a war." "MRS BAKER:" "Reverend!" "I got a letter today from Kate." "Stand, Sugar." "Come on over in the shade." ""Dear Mum, thank you for your letter..."" "Oh, I got me neighbour to write it for me." ""What you're asking is just not possible." ""I've got my duty here." ""Men are hurt every day - dreadfully hurt " ""and I can do something for them." ""There aren't many women in Australia who have the chance," ""but I have." ""I've got personal reasons too." ""Maybe one day I'll have some good news for you - wonderful news " ""but there are times when I doubt it." ""But, either way, leave me alone, Mum." ""I miss Dick too, but he is dead," ""and my business is with the living before they die too." ""Say a prayer for me, Mum, or have a drink, or both." ""Your loving daughter, Kate."" "I don't think I quite understand, Mrs Baker." "What did you say in your letter?" "I asked her to come home." "But why?" "Because my husband's dead, so's my boy Dick, and Kate's all I got left." "And I want her." "I need her, Vicar." "The wounded need her too." ""Honour thy father and thy mother." That's one of yours, isn't it?" "Well, it's one of God the Father's anyway." ""Love thy neighbour as thyself."" "That's one of God the Son's." "I reckon that's what she's doing." "Good news one day, she hopes, only there's times when she doubts it." "Sounds exactly like loving your neighbour to me." "(Laughs nervously)" "(CHURCH BELL RINGS)" "Ah!" "(Laughs)" "Surprise." "I wangled a weekend leave." "Good, good." "How is it?" "Oh, it'll be alright." "(Sighs)" "I just had to see you before you sailed." "Colonel Leg says he could have you on a boat home in three weeks." "Yeah... (Clears throat) ...well, I've, er..." "I'm not going to Australia." "What?" "I'm seeing Keith Murdoch about a staff job." "You promised me you'd go home." "You promised me." "Yeah, I know, but when I thought about it..." "I'm not in bad shape." "I could manage a staff job." "You're a liar." "You're a bloody liar." "You've got a chance to go home." "A lot of men would envy you that." "Love, I can't go back." "Not till this is over." "You know, it's only my arm out of action, not my brain." "I can be of some use here." "You really want to be with the boys, don't you?" "Yeah, of course I do." "I don't know a damn thing about you anymore." "How can you say that?" "Well, when I came here, you didn't kiss me." "You didn't even say hello." "What are you talking about?" "We've got to finish the war first." "Why 'we'?" "You mean 'you'." "Personally." "Maybe I do." "I mean, I don't know anymore." "I've been fighting for 3.5 years now." "Just like me." "Kate, I've got to go back." "I've got to see this through." "Go, then." "Shove off and play soldiers." "Go to hell, Marty." "(UPBEAT MUSIC)" "(Sings) Apres la guerre est finie" "Tous les soldats sont partis" "Estaminet avec vin ordinaire" "Apres la guerre est finie... (Chat indistinctly)" "Apres la guerre est finie" "Tous les soldats sont partis" "Estaminet avec vin ordinaire" "Apres la guerre est finie." "Very good." "Waiter!" "Ta." "You're asking a hell of a lot, you know?" "Well, I think I deserve it." "I signed on for the duration, after all." "Well, I'm going to need a damn good reason." "If there's one thing that the troops hate more than Fritz and the weather, it's the staff." "Not your divisional men, but those champagne-sippers up at high headquarters." "The troops see their greatest threat as coming from these incompetent base officers who understand nothing of the fighting man's needs." "Now, if I was to become a staff officer," "I mightn't be able to change much as a junior but I could sure as hell protest against schemes which are downright bloody murder." "I mean, believe me, the situation's beyond a joke." "Some British units have openly stated that they'd rather shoot at the staff than Fritz." "In the French Army, the staff officers are no longer game to wear their armbands." "I see what you mean." "Look, I'm going to tell you something." "And this is most confidential." "The five Australian divisions are to be unified." "Finally." "Under their own command." "Really?" "Mm." "We've been arguing with Haig for two years for this, for the right to fight alongside our own." "So who gets command?" "Hopefully White." "Maybe Birdwood." "And Monash has his supporters." "Well, I don't suppose you could get me a posting with one?" "Oh, Monash, perhaps." "His third division's taken some pretty heavy knocks." "I mean, the man's a good enough administrator." "Or so I hear." "That might be the best I can do for you." "(GENTLE FRENCH MUSIC)" "Hey, soldier." "Fancy a girl?" "What's wrong?" "You've been at the war, mate." "(TENSE MUSIC)" "You've got a choice - firing squad or we finish it now, mate." "Yeah." "Come on, Flanagan." "(Groans)" "(DOGS BARK)" "(Grunts)" "(WHISTLE BLOWS)" "It's alright." "Martin isn't coming home." "Yet." "What do you mean?" "Of course he is." "He had his medical board, they said he was unfit for active service." "They told him." "He's managed to get himself a staff appointment." "Oh, I see." "Well, that isn't so bad, is it?" "Yes..." "I mean, it isn't dangerous." "He used to write and tell us in his letters the staff never went near the front." "Miles back in some chateau, drinking champagne and eating pheasant." "It isn't so bad, is it?" "Thea, please, listen." "Martin's letter is in many ways a remarkable document." "The work of a Christian man." "If I may say so." "He's done enough!" "(POIGNANT MUSIC)" "Mrs Baker wants her daughter back and I want my son." "You know, there was a time when I thought that Martin might marry Kate Baker." "And I wouldn't have minded anything, as long as he came back to me." "Rupert might have, but he'd have come round." "Nothing's too good for the returning hero." "How is Rupert?" "You must ask him when you see him." "I don't." "See him, I mean." "He's always away on war work." "And when he's home we... quarrel." "What about?" "Oh patriotism." "Conscription." "How vile is the Hun." "God's will." "It's so much better when he isn't here." "Excuse me, George, I I don't mean to embarrass you." "Martin and Kate Baker." "Now, there's a marriage to look forward to, Thea." "(Whispers) Yes." "But I'm so afraid he only thinks of death." "That's why he can't leave the place where death is so busy." "(SOMBRE MUSIC)" "(Sobs)" "To the Prime Minister." "As you are aware, our request for reinforcements for 1918 was 600,000 men." "To date, we have received no more than 100,000 Class A men." "I have to inform you that this is placing a great strain on the fighting capacity of our infantry." "Whatever you or your advisers regard as a decisive front in this world war," "I am bound to say that the Germans regard it as here in France." "My intelligence sources have already identified some additional 60 German divisions in movement to France from the east following Russia's collapse." "The odds have swung dangerously in Germany's favour." "It's obvious they intend to go for a knockout blow at an early date." "I trust that whatever the future holds, we will both be able to say we did all in our power to guard against a catastrophe." "Trying to scare me, is he?" "Well, if so, he's failed." "He has more men in khaki now than he had this time last year." "The military Moloch's appetite is unabated." "But remember, Prime Minister, they're mostly support troops, not infantry." "Well, I will not endure" "Haig's profligate use of manpower any longer and that's that." "In any case, Hankey, the army would be on the defensive most of this year." "We are waiting for the Americans." "That may be longer than you think." "At this moment, not 10 months since they joined the war, the Americans have fewer than seven divisions formed." "And remember, Prime Minister, we and the French have to supply all their artillery and most of their aeroplanes." "Yes, but their numbers." "There are immense numbers, certainly." "But they're raw and untrained." "Well, let's go back to the possibility of opening up a second front in the Balkans." "(ARTILLERY BLASTS)" "There's no need to do a moonlight flit." "We've paid the rent." "The Boches." "The Germans are miles away." "Not anymore." "Here, Pat, is this place selling grog or not?" "It certainly is, Bill." "What do you want?" "Three cognacs." "Non!" "Don't be silly." "Here." "Help yourself." "You're panicking over nothing." "There's no need to go walkabout." "I am not playing, Pat, believe me." "The Boches are coming, and I am not waiting to say hello." "Here, this is your share." "Up to last night." "I still reckon old Field Marshall Haig ought to put her on the payroll." "She's got a spy network on the other side." "Oh, certainement." "This is not necessary." "The Hun's been a good boy for weeks." "Ha!" "(EXPLOSIONS)" "Those aren't our guns." "Oh, they're miles away." "(EXPLOSIONS)" "Wherever it is, mate, it's on for young and old." "(EXPLOSIONS)" "(EXPLOSIONS BECOME LOUDER)" "(MELLOW MUSIC)" "Just in case." "G'day." "Thought you was a looter, sir." "Or Fritz, sir." "Germans that close, are they?" "They're all over the place, sir." "Looks like it could be the big breakthrough this time." "Amiens could go any time." "Know where the Australian divisions are?" "Afraid not, sir." "I'll ask inside." "Sir, place is empty, officers have gone." "Where are you going?" "Back to Calais base HQ, sir." "We could give you a lift if you like." "No, thanks." "I'm going the other way." "Get that junk out of the car." "Don't you obey orders in the British Army?" "Cheer up, lads." "It's not your fault." "That's not what the colonel will say." "I'll tell you what I'll give you a receipt for the car and for one bottle of brandy." "Thank you very much, sir." "That'll do nicely." "Very hot on paperwork is the colonel, sir." "Very hot." "Captain Barrington, sir." "Oh, Barrington." "Yes." "You're the fellow that Keith Murdoch had foisted onto me." "You're a little early, Captain." "Yes, sir." "I thought I'd better get here quickly." "No-one seems to know what they're doing in Amiens." "No-one seems to know what they're doing along the entire Somme front." "The British Third and Fifth Armies appear to have disintegrated." "Sir, we have a line now." "It's a bloody nightmare." "Jerry's advanced so fast that all our communications are overrun." "We can't find the British Corps headquarters." "Our division's moving fast but I don't think it'll get here in time." "We must have detailed information on the German positions." "Well, I know this part of the country very well, sir." "Do you, now?" "Yes, sir." "Oh, an original 8th Battalion man." "Yes, sir." "And a DCM." "Commissioned in the field?" "Yes, sir." "And you know this country, you say?" "Yes, sir." "I could go forward and find out where the Germans are." "Right, quick as you can." "Search along the Villers-Bretonneux road here." "Yes, sir." "SOLDIER:" "Come on, lads." "Put your backs into it." "You two blokes over here." "Engineers?" "Yes, sir." "Where's your officer?" "We were tunnelling, sir." "Mr Ryecroft hurt himself in an accident." "We sent him by ambulance a few hours ago." "We've been on the move ever since, sir." "Fritz is pretty close, huh?" "Pretty close, sir." "About two or three miles." "So, er, what are you doing now?" "We've been on the run since yesterday and we've come far enough, so we're digging in." "Good men." "(Yells) Good men!" "You wouldn't care to stay with us, sir." "Be a pleasure and an honour, Sergeant." "Keep digging." "Sir." "Right!" "You heard the officer." "We're staying here, so get dug in." "General Monash as quick as you can." "Tell him I'm making myself useful here until he decides otherwise." "Dig this in much deeper." "Yes, sir." "I couldn't help noticing that you were on the staff." "I wondered if this was a planned resistance." "I think my chaps are a little tired, but there's still a lot of fight in them." "Follow me." "Come along, chaps." "MacDonald, that's not the way to dig!" "Had a pretty tough time, huh?" "Yes, rather." "The whole front-line company was wiped out in the bombardment." "Then Jerry worked his way behind us." "Specially trained men called storm troops." "Better add a bit of depth in." "Dig it in all the way along here." "(MOTOR HUMS IN DISTANCE)" "MAN:" "Tank!" "Down, men!" "Come on, get down!" "(DRAMATIC MUSIC)" "A tank!" "(Laughs)" "It's alright, it's only a tractor." "Keep digging." "(Men chat and laugh)" "I saved this from the Boches." "I saved this from the Boches." "Where are they?" "You have a little time still." "They are about 3km behind." "Merci." "Come in, Keith bach, come in." "Very cheerful, sir." "No, I'm not." "Sit down." "Bad news?" "The worst." "The very worst." "Then why so cheerful?" "Pas devant les domestiques." "Ah, not before the servants." "It sounds better in French, even my French." "Oh, I must stop making these stupid jokes." "God knows I've got nothing to joke about." "What's happened, sir?" "I rather think I got my wish." "It looks as if I may have reason to get rid of Haig." "But at rather too high a price." "What price would that be, sir?" "It is all too possible that we may lose this war." "The Germans have broken through on two fronts now." "A breakthrough, you say?" "And no amount of military persiflage will persuade me otherwise." "What about the French strategic reserve formed by you and Clemenceau?" "Are they committed?" "Hah!" "As his commanding general says," ""All I have is the pennant on my car."" "And as for the rest of our military experts," "Foch is making heroic speeches to himself in the mirror," "Petain is catatonic and wants to surrender, and General Wilson is proposing battle plans as long as he doesn't have to take the responsibility for carrying them out." "And Field Marshall Haig?" "Haig has lapsed into a silence, unusual even for him." "Can it be that he is actually on the brink of admitting that he may have made a mistake?" "Is there any reserve, sir?" "Yes." "The five Australian divisions." "The Canadians, and a few battered English ones." "What are you thinking?" "That the heartless British are about to throw your Australians back into the breach again?" "(MILITARISTIC MUSIC)" "There doesn't seem to be much choice, does there?" "A note from Captain Barrington, sir." ""The Germans are advancing along the Corbie Road in strength."" "Position approximately here." "Well, why didn't he report in person?" "He says he found a few fellows with guts enough to dig in, so he thought he should dig in too." "Really?" "What are staff officers coming to?" "SOLDIER:" "Hurry up, lads." "We haven't got all day." "Mind if we join you, sir?" "Looks like you've had enough for the time being." "The truth is, sir, we can't walk much further." "And we'd rather fight than wait for Jerry with our hands up." "Any of you drive a car?" "I can, sir." "Could you drive this car?" "Would be a pleasure, sir." "Come on, dig, lads." "Jerry won't wait for us." "Drive to the nearest advance dressing station, use the chit for the MO that explains how you got the car." "Oh, cor." "Thank you very much, sir." "Thank you for the offer." "Good luck." "Cheers, sir." "Hop in." "Mind the clutch." "I'll give it a start." "Right!" "ROLY:" "You get used to a lot of waiting about in the army." "But this was different." "We'd read of the German breakthrough near Amiens, the loss of the towns that had cost us so much blood and sweat." "Bullecourt, Bapaume, Pozieres, even Albert." "The mood among the boys was changing from amazement to anger." "Our division was the only one that hadn't been put in against the Germans down south." "We couldn't understand why." "By all accounts, Fritz was very close at that moment to winning the war." "(TRAIN SHUNTS, WHISTLE BLOWS)" "About bloody time!" "Come on, boys." "Kip's over." "Wonder where they're going to take us now, Pat." "Get your gear together!" "Move it!" "(DISTANT RUMBLING)" "Keep it up, men." "Uh, monsieur, could you please try and?" "Soon you will have company, monsieur." "They are very close now." "And my people are very tired." "Would you please try and get your people near the road edge?" "You are asking too much, Capitaine." "They are not soldiers." "We cannot sacrifice our families." "Surely you realise that." "Well, our soldiers are coming." "I hope so." "You are not many to hold back the German army." "But they will come." "Believe me." "Which soldiers?" "Your countrymen?" "That's right." "Very soon." "Very soon!" "II dit que les Australiens arrivent tout de suite!" "(All shout gladly)" "Les Australiens!" "(Irish accent) Is that right, sir?" "Your blokes are coming?" "God help me if I'm wrong." "Sir, could you inspect the gun emplacement we've set up?" "(All continue shouting) (RUMBLING CONTINUES)" "Come on, men." "Get your weapons ready." "The Germans are coming." "(DISTANT MARCHING BAND MUSIC)" "'Pompey' bloody Elliott!" "(MARCHING MUSIC CONTINUES)" "(All cheer and speak excitedly)" "MAN:" "Bravo I'Australie!" "MAN:" "Bravo I'Australie!" "You beauty!" "Bravo!" "(Whistles)" "(All cheer)" "I was saying to monsieur le cure we do not worry now." "It is safe to go home." "Ah!" "We know you Australians from 1916." "You will stand and fight." "Is that not so?" "Oui, monsieur." "Oui." "MAN:" "En avance!" "En avance!" "Where did you come from?" "Far side of Amiens, miss." "Well." "You believe in travelling in style, don't you?" "It was an Aussie officer gave us the car, miss." "Which Aussie officer?" "He was digging in, up on a hillside." "Him and a lot of our lads." "All sorts, there was." "Uh, Royal Engineers, East Kents," "Durham Light Infantry, Gordons - all sorts." "Funny, though - he was the only Australian." "I'll tell you something else was funny and all." "You do that." "I could use a good laugh." "Well, this officer." "He was on staff." "Red armband, all of that." "Except he didn't act like he was on staff, did he?" "No, he acted like he knew what he was doing." "Not like he was on staff at all." "What was he like?" "Very nice to us, miss." "A proper gent." "Did you get his name?" "No, miss." "Yes, we did." "He gave us a chit on account of the car." "(Sighs) Martin Barrington." "Captain." "Might have known." "(SOLEMN MUSIC) Come on." "(TRAIN RUMBLES)" "So where are we this time, Kaiser?" "Hazebrouck." "Hazebrouck?" "!" "But that's where we started from yesterday." "It's a bloody stuff-up again." "Oh, no, it's alright." "How many of you blokes have been in the army for four years and still don't get the army's sense of humour?" "What?" "What are you blithering about?" "Well, it's logical, isn't it?" "It's two weeks past 1 April, right?" "Uh-huh." "Staff's always two weeks behind with everything." "This is an April Fool's Day joke." "Drive us round in circles." "You got it?" "(Men groan)" "The officers are getting down for a stretch." "I suppose they need to." "Must have stiff backsides." "Riding round all day on them big fat cushions, hey?" "There's a Pommy officer coming to speak to them." "Brass hat." "OFFICER:" "Gentlemen, I am instructed to inform you that the expected German attack in the north has commenced." "Bloody hell." "Flanagan was right." "Yeah, he's always bloody right when he says we'll get shot at." "Armentieres has already fallen." "The enemy are pushing hard against Calais and Dieppe." "If they succeed, we will be cut off from Great Britain." "I am further instructed to inform you that the First Australian Division is the only formed body of troops between here and the Channel ports." "So it's all up to you." "Good luck!" "(Sighs) We bloody need it, mate." "That's for sure." "MAN:" "OK, everybody out!" "Alright." "Roll up!" "Roll up!" "It's on again." "Seems funny going off to fight without Marty, doesn't it?" "(Scoffs) Nah, he's better off where he is, Roly." "Where is Marty, anyway?" "Where the staff always are." "Tucked up in some chateau with a bottle of champagne for a nightcap." "How's it going up this end?" "Making life difficult for the Germans at 1,700 yards, sir." "Good!" "Much activity?" "Oh, targets are a bit sparse." "I think they've changed their minds." "Men!" "Keep the ammunition up to this end!" "MAN:" "Bring up more ammunition." "MAN:" "I'm looking for a Captain Barrington." "Yes." "Ah." "Driscoll. 10th Brigade." "Martin Barrington." "The word from on high." "You can knock this foreign legion off." "Sir, we're only meant..." "You've shaken Fritz, so the brigade's moving forward." "You're being stood down - with many thanks." "Oh, there's a verbal message too." "Uh, a certain general wants a certain captain back on his staff again." "Toot sweet!" "Back to being a staff officer." "You can tell your kids what you did in the Great War!" "What about you?" "Oh, don't worry about me, sir." "I'm regular." "I'm here because..." "I'm here, as they say, sir." "Good luck." "Thanks." "Thanks, sir." "Wish I was going with you." "Off you go." "I'll look after them." "There's a stragglers collection point further down the road." "They're not stragglers." "They're some of the best men I've fought with..." "Sorry." "I'll look after them, right?" "(FOOTSTEPS APPROACH)" "Sir." "Gentlemen, the dress standards of this headquarters are declining." "I must speak to the chief of staff." "The British are already convinced we're all bushrangers and I hear you've been running a private army of Tommies." "How were they?" "Good men, sir." "Only some of their top brass were..." "Well, there's a quotation from Napoleon that covers it." ""There's no such thing as a bad soldier, only bad officers," eh?" "Yes, sir." "Yes, a pity about the British." "The draw their officers from a narrow social class." "Oh, some of them are good." "But in a war like this, there's not enough of those to go round." "It's cost them dearly." "Now, Barrington." "You were sold to me on the basis of your brains." "It's about time we put that to the test." "Now, look here." "We've given the Germans a bloody nose right there." "Temporarily." "They still outnumber us four to one, but if we can keep them unsettled for, say, 48 hours, there'll be time to bring up the extra Australian divisions." "I intend to do this with a series of local counterattacks." "I want you to do a study of the ground where we can achieve the greatest success at the smallest cost." "Have the appreciation in front of me in three hours." "Sir." "(Men talk indistinctly) ...where the Germans are and what we can do about it." "Same again, mate." "CLEARY:" "Same again - it's always up to the brass hats, Roly." "Yeah." "(British accent) Good God." "Corporal Wallace." "You're wrong, mate." "Don't call me 'mate'." "Your name is Wallace." "As a matter of fact, it's Harris." "Corporal Wallace, West Kents." "No, mate." "Corporal Harris, 8th Battalion, 1 st Divvy, AIF." "You killed your officer and deserted your regiment in Afghanistan." "This would be a stupid place for a deserter to be, wouldn't you say?" "You're under arrest, Wallace." "(DRAMATIC MUSIC)" "(English accent) You're taking a bit of a chance, aren't you?" "I mean, just suppose you're right?" "Just for the sake of argument." "Here's me with a rifle." "There's you." "No-one else about." "You won't get away with it." "I'll report you for this." "(MENACING MUSIC)" "(BIRDS AND INSECTS CHIRP)" "There's a place like this between Ballarat and Daylesford." "There's bugger-all between Ballarat and Daylesford." "There's a place just like this up on the Wimmera." "Yeah, I know the place." "It's near Natimuk." "This is exactly the same!" "Yeah, only the Wimmera's full of gum trees and dust." "There's not much grass there, and the air's chocka with parakeets and galahs." "And all you can hear are cicadas." "And the smell's different." "The light's different, 'cause here, the sun's a big orange bastard." "Takes about 1.5 hours to set." "And, of course, you don't have Germans charging through your fence every 20 or 30 years." "Yeah, but aside from that, Pat, you gotta admit it's bloody like the Wimmera!" "(Scoffs)" "Captain Hayden and the company ser' major have been sent to form a nucleus." "You are now Acting Company Commmander." "Hell of a bloody time to spring this on me." "Couldn't you have run a raffle or something?" "You'll deploy your men in defence of the Nieppe Forest area here, to the south-east." "You are to hold this line here." "From there to there?" "Correct." "(Whistles)" "Any friendlies in front?" "The Guards Brigade." "Last heard of surrounded, but fighting'." "So do we know how Fritz is operating?" "Yeah." "They've worked out new tactics." "A combination of artillery and this flying wedge arrangement instead of a mass attack." "The machine-gunners and bombers in front, general advance behind 'em." "When did they start all this?" "Two days ago." "They'll be buggered." "Our blokes are fresh." "I wouldn't think they'd be too buggered, mate." "They've hardly been opposed since day one." "No, they're well-trained." "Well-supplied, reinforced and confident." "We're in for a bit of a stoush, I'm afraid." "We'd better get on with it, then." "The orders are that you're to hold your position at all costs." "If necessary, down to the last man." "Good luck, eh?" "Well, sir, if the men break position, it won't be to go back that way." "Good man." "Bill!" "Skipper." "You've just been promoted Acting Company Ser' Major." "But I don't want..." "We'll use that farmhouse up there until we get organised, alright?" "(MILITARY TATTOO PLAYS)" "Kaiser." "Right." "So that will be our line." "A series of posts." "Got the picture, then, Bill?" "Couldn't be simpler." "We're on a battalion front, need 600 men, easy." "We're going to defend it with a company." "And after the knocks we've taken, the company consists of exactly 97 blokes who can still walk." "Like I said, it's easy." "Ah, but then you're smart." "I must be." "I'm one of the 97." "We can do it, you know." "We've got to do it." "(Shouts orders to the men)" "Beautiful, isn't it, Smithy?" "Not a sign of wire or mud." "Do me, mate." "Yeah, I feel like a kid on me first Sunday school picnic." "What?" "You're not worried about what might happen?" "Worried?" "Paying me six bob a day for this." "They make all me decisions, provide free transport to the appointed place and throw in three meals a day." "No, you compare this to humping a swag around the outback, under the blazing sun, 100 miles between pubs, nothing but the crows for track mates." "Gawd, I miss it." "(Chuckles)" "You got a good field of fire?" "Got fields of fire to burn." "Never seen so many fields of fire." "All we need's a few guns to fire, mate." "Ser' Major to you." "Want to watch this one - he's a stickler for the rules." "Still a bit of Pom in him." "Right." "See these branches - I want them laid on top so none of this fresh soil shows." "Now, the secret of this sort of scatter defence..." "Camouflage and concealment." "That's right." "Now, Bluey's post is over there." "Where abouts, Bill?" "I can't see it, mate." "You're not supposed to see it." "Neither is Fritz." "Now, Bluey can cover your front and you can cover his, if need be." "OK?" "It's called..." "Mutual support." "What the hell's happened, Cleary?" "You pinched somebody's field manual?" "Nah." "I'd never admit to being a pro, but some of it rubs off on you." "You know, like a lump of sh..." "Don't say it!" "Just dig." "Hey." "You were a baitlayer in your time, weren't you?" "Oh, yeah" " I'm not a bragger, but I was voted best shearers' cook at Big Willandra and Cudjingie." "Good." "Once you're dug in, you can report to company headquarters." "You've just officially become chief spud barber." "(Laughs)" "Never trust the bastards once they get a bit of rank." "More branches on the left flank." "MAN:" "Major, Major!" "Where do you think you're going?" "Come here!" "Into that line." "MOVE!" "Straggler collection point over there." "Now, the only thing back there is the English Channel." "We're staying here." "Move, son!" "More earth on that parapet, Perkins!" "More cover here." "Sergeant Major, can we be part of this?" "The Guards." "Certainly you can, son." "Everybody's invited." "Where's the Guards now?" "Mostly dead where they stood, sir." "Help dig in over there, lads." "How's the digging on your flank, Bill?" "Oh, coming along nicely." "Message from Battalion reckons we can expect them in 2-3 hours." "Put your head down for a couple of hours." "You might be glad of it later." "Yeah, I will." "Wake me in an hour." "Right." "Off you go." "Company's on 50% stand-to." "(FOOTSTEPS APPROACH)" "Oi." "Thought you were spud-bashing." "Oh, I hired an assistant." "Hey, look what I found." "So what?" "Now, if they had something in them, well..." "Mate, they're silk." "You beauty, Pat!" "(Laughs)" "That's your colour, Blue." "MAN:" "Better get a postcard and send it back to them, Bill." "(All laugh) (GRAMOPHONE PLAYS)" "It's a bit of a funny time for playing dress-ups, isn't it?" "(Whistles) Get into 'em, dopey." "They're silk." "The only thing lice won't live in." "You're right!" "He had a ton of stuff up there." "Must have had a harem, that bloke!" "Yeah, and a dirty old bugger as well." "(Men snigger) Look at this!" "(British accent) Who's in charge here?" "Skipper." "I am, sir." "(GRAMOPHONE PLAYS OPERA)" "You going to make a fight of it, lad?" "Yes, sir." "Good man." "Get me a rifle." "Sir, you can't go into the line." "You haven't got time to argue with me, Lieutenant." "Pat, get the colonel a rifle and show him your position." "STAND TO!" "STAND TO!" "Move!" "(ARTILLERY FIRE)" "In there, mate... uh, sir." "(GRAMOPHONE PLAYS IN DISTANCE)" "You ripper!" "Now, pick your targets, lads." "If Bluey gets into trouble, cover him." "If this goes right, you're on a stripe." "As fast as you can, Tom." "(ARTILLERY CONTINUES)" "(DISTANT RUMBLING)" "(RUMBLING CONTINUES)" "(MILITARY TATTOO PLAYS)" "(DRAMATIC MUSIC)" "(Horse neighs)" "(GUNSHOTS)" "(DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES)" "Haskins." "Flanagan." "Care to join our picnic?" "Jolly good." "Rest will be here any moment." "Welcome aboard." "(OMINOUS MUSIC)" "(Men in distance laugh)" "(Men speak in German)" "(MUSIC INTENSIFIES)" "Cease firing!" "Cease fire." "(SILENCE)" "Kommt ihr." "Vorwarts." "(HEAVY ARTILLERY AND RIFLE FIRE RESUMES)" "Cease fire!" "Stay where you are!" "Come back!" "Bill, detail a party and collect whatever weapons you can find." "Get the wounded to the rear quickly." "The rest of you stay put." "Phew!" "End of round one." "MAN:" "Aha!" "We've beaten the buggers!" "In a pig's ear we have, mate!" "That was just the warm-up!" "It will take them half a day getting the guns up for the main event!" "I say, would you care for a mouthful of brandy?" "That's, uh, very civil of you, mate... uh, Colonel." "Yes." "Thank you." "Cheerio, old chap." "Jolly pleased to have met you." "Thanks for the help." "Drop in any time." "(Shouts) Good work, boys." "Time for a brew." "Colonel." "Jensen!" "Oh, bless my soul!" "Have you been in this, sir?" "Yes, sir." "Best day's work in a long march, eh?" "Nice to make a stand of it." "It appears some of our chaps are still hard at it off to the east." "Well, we'd best go and join them." "Can't let these colonial chappies do all the work." "Lance Corporal, tell your commanding officer that the first battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers fought to the last man." "Lead on, Jensen." "(REFLECTIVE MUSIC)" "(EXPLOSIONS)" "Ranging shots." "Right, this is the main event." "You all know what the story is." "We're here to stay." "Now, every individual position must hold." "We lose one, we lose the lot." "If one post gets into trouble, the other post fires in assistance." "And as last resort, I'll commit company reserve, alright?" "Who's got the Tommies?" "I have." "How are they?" "They'll do." "Right, you keep an eye on the Lewis gun positions." "If they get knocked, we're stuffed." "Tom, phone line through yet?" "Wasn't two minutes ago, but they're working like buggery." "Alright, to your positions." "Keep your heads down." "If you can't find me when the line's through, get it to Bill." "Until we get artillery support, we can only hold." "How long can we do that?" "Till we get artillery support." "You are now the company reserve." "Stop fiddling with that rifle there, man!" "(TENSE MUSIC)" "Mr Flanagan's last hope." "The plan is we're going to stay here." "It's a perfectly good plan, and we won't have the Germans bugger it up." "So make every shot count." "Wonder which bloody way they'll come this time." "I don't know." "But they won't hit the same place." "(EXPLOSION)" "Just answered my question - back door." "Good luck." "(TENSE MUSIC)" "(Shouts commands in German)" "Where'd they go?" "(FOREBODING MUSIC)" "They're using their brains this time." "Bill!" "Sir!" "The left flank!" "Get the reserve up now!" "Sir!" "On your feet!" "Go on, at the double!" "(HEAVY MACHINE-GUN FIRE)" "Now they've got us pinned here." "Hold on." "Wait till he gets settled." "(Thoughts echo) Go!" "More stirring deeds are what won the Empire." "Bluey's game!" "What about the rest of ya?" "Come on!" "(TENSE MUSIC)" "G'day, Blue, ol' mate." "As union rep, I gotta warn you about taking this war on by yourself." "(FOREBODING MUSIC)" "Wait for it." "Phone's through." "About bloody time." "Guns" " SOS, sector 12, 1416!" "That's our position!" "You've given them our position!" "Where do you think the Hun are?" "(Shouts) Take cover!" "(TREE CREAKS AND FALLS)" "Whose artillery is that?" "!" "It's ours." "Innit lovely?" "Up 100 and rip into 'em!" "Hold onto your hat, mate." "(BOMBS WHISTLE)" "(GUNFIRE SLOWS THEN CEASES)" "(SILENCE)" "How are you doing, Roly?" "Fine, Kaiser." "I could do with a drink." "Fat chance of that round here, mate." "Good on you, Tom." "Buy you a beer for that, mate." "You're on." "Special award from General Cleary." "VC... and bar." "Thanks, Pat." "Get it into ya." "Thanks, Pat." "Treat him gentle when you take him back to the aid post." "Sergeant Major..." "Harris?" "(DRAMATIC MUSIC)" "I'll report to my colonel that today I saw an Australian sergeant major in action who would've been a credit to the Buffs themselves." "Good luck, Harris." "Good luck to you, sir." "(UPLIFTING MUSIC)" "I'll notify HQ that we've been successful." "Right, and another number two for Bluey." "Good job, boys." "G'day." "Got any tucker to spare, you blokes?" "You buggers get outta here." "We'll look after the food." "We fight and you eat." "That's a piss-poor arrangement." "Where are the rations?" "There should be rations in here." "Hey, Roly." "Come and have a look at this." "What's it say, mate?" "(Shouts) Hey, listen to this." "What is it, Roly?" ""Order of the day - 11 April, 1918." ""From the Commander in Chief, Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig."" "Hear?" "It's from Haig." ""There is no other course open to us but to fight it out." ""With our backs to the wall" ""and believing in the justice of our cause," ""each one of us must fight to the end."" "Backs against the bloody wall?" "That's bullshit!" "Been livin' in chateaus too long." "What are you doin' bringing' us this stuff?" "(COMICAL MUSIC) (Laughs) Onya, Pat!" "God, they'll put him on a charge." "Well, Ser' Major..." "Well, skipper." "You did alright out there today." "I've done it before, haven't I?" "Have you?" "You know I have." "It's none of my business." "Stone the crows." "Everyone's been after my secret for the last four years." "Now I want to tell it, you don't want to listen." "Come on then, get on with it." "I joined the British Army back in 1900." "Boy soldier." "Boer War." "All that." "What regiment?" "The Buffs." "Royal East Kents to you." "Struth!" "You and Kaiser were taking a chance going back to Kent on leave." "Most of the blokes I knew were dead." "Killed at Mans before you and me even got to Gallipoli." "Besides, I've been taking..." "a bit of a chance ever since I shot my platoon commander." "You what?" "!" "You've done a bit in that line yourself, ain't ya?" "Captain Young back at Broodseinde?" "That's right." "Well, I didn't kill him, mate." "Are you saying you wouldn't have?" "If he'd gone on getting us all killed like mine did?" "Where'd all this happen?" "North-West Frontier." "1907." "He led us into a Pathan ambush." "Tried to run away, leave us to it." "I'd just been made up to sergeant." "I was a good soldier." "Keen." "I was gonna be Company Sergeant Major." "But you're Company Ser' Major now, mate." "If they catch me I'll hang." "I reckon shooting' your officer's the cause of that." "Makes the others a bit..." "touchy, you know?" "Yeah." "Just remember one thing, Bill." "You belong to us now, mate, and we're not gonna let you go." "An Anzac hath joined together, let no Pom put asunder, mate." "Come on, let's go and join the party." "(Whispers) Yeah." "Yar!" "Oh, must you?" "!" "Is that all the welcome I get?" "How long have you got?" "Till tomorrow." "I can arrange it." "Matron owes me a favour." "Just give me five minutes to get changed." "Mm-hm, and then the long lunch." "It's a French custom, among other things." "Anyway, that's enough of my repetitive hospital routine." "Tell me what you've been doing these last weeks." "Uh, you know." "Usual stuff, officer stuff." "How many sets of underwear does the Buff unit need, per man, per day..." "Liar." "I said liar." "Alright, I heard you." "A group of wounded Tommies turned up in a car with a chit signed by Captain Barrington." "Oh, did they?" "And furthermore, they told me about this Australian officer who was digging in for some mad last-ditch stand." "Oh, what are you?" "A perpetual school boy?" "Kate, I only tried to help..." "When you pulled strings to stay in France, you said you were going to be safe... on staff." "You're frightening the daylights out of me by being right up..." "Just stop it." "(SENTIMENTAL MUSIC)" "Kate, in amongst the shambles of that retreat were some men who hadn't lost their self-respect." "Men who were looking for someone to focus their courage." "Now, what?" "Would you expect me to walk out on that?" "Bloody hell." "There's gonna be more unprincipled men left alive at the end of this war than the other kind." "So?" "So why should my man be one of?" "Oh, yours, huh?" "Yes, mine." "Until a more cynical generation comes along." "Thank you very, very much." "So help me, I think I'm stuck in the old-fashioned kind." "(GENTLE PIANO MUSIC)" "C'est la guerre." "C'est I'affaire." "(ROMANTIC STRING MUSIC)" "Anyway, it's all arranged." "The boss is being promoted, and I have to go with him." "The boss?" "Mm-hm." "He's now commander of the whole Australian Corps." "Ah!" "Monash?" "Yes, I went up to Corps headquarters - you can't even hear the guns from there." "That's marvellous." "Oh, yes, isn't it?" "Probably end up giving out blankets and long johns." "Oh, glory be!" "(Quietly) Ou est la cle?" "Ah." "Numero 11." "You had this all planned." "Mm-hm." "Well, I'm planning to be a staff officer and, like the boss says," ""Reconnaissance, forethought, planning."" "Number 11 is a lovely room." "God help me, Matron." "I'm being seduced." "Fate worse than death, Sister." "(Giggles)" "(ROMANTIC MUSIC)" "Bill!" "Smoko, mate." "(Men mutter indistinctly)" "Where do you reckon we're headin'?" "I dunno - it's a question I gave up asking the army years ago for my peace of mind." "Jeez, this countryside." "Yeah, I know." "It's like the bloody Wimmera." "What happened to you?" "Drop two bob and find sixpence?" "And your mate." "Mr Flanagan." "Mm." "Tell this youngster where you think we're going so we can all get some peace." "The best furphy I've got is that we're headed south for the Somme." "There, you happy now?" "What's the matter, mate?" "Uh, I don't know." "It's the weather." "I don't suppose it would be the whereabouts of the estaminet's stocks and profits, would it?" "Picked it in one." "Oh, mate, it was a gold mine." "Yeah, it was." "Yeah, and beside that, bit worried about the girls too." "I don't reckon they'll be that far behind us, mate." "How do you figure that out?" "Well, this is the first time all the Aussie divisions are going to be together in one camp." "So?" "Will Madame stay north with the shilling-a-day Tommies, or will she follow the six-bob-a-day warriors south?" "She's no dummy." "That's right." "I'm back in business." "You bet." "You were slipping' there for a minute, Pat." "Must be your old age, mate." "Oh, senility." "I feel great." "Hey, Bluey?" "Give us a bit of a song, mate." "Uh, bugger it." "I'll sing one meself." "(Clears throat) Oh, God." "(All sing) Up to me waist in water Up to your eyes in slush" "Using the kind of language that makes the sergeant blush" "Who wouldn't join the army?" "That's what we all inquire" "And don't we pity the poor civilian sitting by the fire" "Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war" "Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war" "Who wouldn't be a soldier, eh?" "Oh, it's a shame to take the pay" "As soon as reveille has gone" "We feel just as heavy as lead" "But we never get up" "Till the sergeant brings" "Our breakfast up to bed" "Oh, oh, oh, it's a lovely war" "What do we want with eggs and ham" "When we've got plum and apple jam?" "Form fours, right turn" "How shall we spend" "The money we earn?" "Oh, oh, oh, what a lovely war." "(MILITARISTIC DRUMMING)" "(THEME MUSIC)" "Nah, I'm out." "What have you got?" "Good luck, fellas." "It's up to you." "Do we have to play with him?" "(Men laugh)" "He's using the same currency we're using, isn't he?" "Right." "I'll see ya." "I've got five picture cards." "Is that any good, Pat?" "Five kings!" "(Men laugh)" "Bloody..." "God's sake!" "Jesus!" "Sh... (Groans)" "What are you doing?" "!" "MAN:" "Get out!" "(COMMOTION)" "Get out!" "(PLAYFUL MUSIC)" "(Laughs)" "(Groans)" "Is this number four section?" "It was till you got here!" "Oh." "Uh, I'm the new reinforcement." "(Laughs) (Sarcastically) Oh, great!" "You've done more damage in one hit than Fritz did in four weeks." "(Nervously) Oh, well, I'll fix it for youse." "Here." "Don't touch anything." "Just... just walk through." "OK." "(WOOD CLATTERS)" "(Roly laughs) Just walk up there to laughing boy." "Right out of the way." "Right, mate?" "Yeah, fine." "Uh, my name's Carter." "Yeah, Cyclone Carter." "Yeah, I'm the new replacement on the Lewis gun, the new number two." "(SOLEMN MUSIC)" "Hmm." "Did I say something wrong?" "Nah, of course not, mate." "Bluey over there's always looked after his number twos, haven't you, mate?" "There's been a few, has there?" "Mmm." "Oh, I see." "Well, maybe I'm the one to break the mozz, eh?" "(Laughs) Yeah, you're lucky enough." "Is all that money mine, Pat?" "I want a chance to win it back." "What was all the racket about?" "You throwing a party?" "(Bangs tin) Yeah, a friend just dropped in." "(Laughs mirthlessly) I'd bury that stew if I were you." "I'm Carter, mate." "How you going?" "Welcome aboard." "Mate." "See anything, Sharkey?" "Yes, Mr Flanagan." "Two blackbirds having a naughty and something that looks like a half-starved magpie." "Don't youse blokes like that Mr Flanagan or something?" "Why do you say that?" "Well... well, why were you laughing and?" "Oh, it doesn't pay to let officers get ahead of themselves, mate." "Oh, I see." "(Laughs)" "Yeah, I suppose not, eh?" "(Men laugh)" "(GENERAL CHATTER)" "MAN:" "Get me a beer, man." "Stone the bloody crows!" "These Yanks have only just got here!" "They look as if they've bought the place." "I'm feeling lucky." "Got the dice?" "Got them right here." "AMERICAN SOLDIER:" "Let's go." "OK, guys, who wants some action, huh?" "(MELLOW PIANO MUSIC PLAYS IN BAR)" "AMERICAN SOLDIER:" "Come on!" "Six!" "(Groans excitedly)" "(Men whoop and holler)" "AMERICAN SOLDIER: 800,000!" "AUSTRALIAN SOLDIER:" "Language everybody understands, huh?" "Here we go." "Come on." "Come, 7." "Come, 11." "7!" "Ha!" "Come on." "Come on." "What are you fellas playing?" "Craps." "Ah, 11!" "Come on." "Is that a gambling game?" "Yep." "For money?" "Do you think this is grapefruit?" "(GROANING)" "Can I play?" "You got any money?" "Oh, I got a bit." "(Excitedly) Sir!" "(Hollers excitedly)" "You are surely welcome!" "Thank you very much." "Pat'll fix them." "Dead right, Pudden." "And when he's taken all their money, they'll have to go home, won't they?" "AMERICAN SOLDIER:" "Here!" "Seven!" "Come on!" "(Gleefully) 11!" "Come on." "Come on." "MEN:" "Eight!" "MAN:" "I win!" "(Men whoop and holler)" "How'd you go, Pat?" "Oh, not too good." "You mean, you lost?" "Yeah." "How much?" "The lot." "(Yelps) (GLASS BREAKS)" "Craps - stupid bloody game, anyway." "(HOLLERING) Let's go." "See anything, Carter?" "Oh, yeah, I seen three blackbirds and they were..." "Forget the wildlife, mate!" "I'm talking about Germans - the ones with the funny helmets." "Uh, no, never seen any of them, sir." "Well, keep looking." "Yes, sir." "Keeping the company going with laughs and smiles, Pat?" "What's up with Cleary?" "Did he lose his rabbit's foot?" "No, the Yanks cleaned him right out at craps." "Whoo-hoo!" "Now we do have a morale problem, hey?" "Thanks, skipper." "What do you make of it, Bill?" "Never been this quiet." "I reckon Fritz has just about shot his bolt." "I don't know." "There's still about 200 divvies of them out there." "Hmm." "Maybe." "Kaiser was talking to a German prisoner the other day." "The German front-line soldier is now more worried about his folks starving back home." "It's time we should end it, then." "You're that keen?" "No, mate." "I just want to go home." "Sort us some of them grenades there, will you, Pud?" "As my old grandad said," ""Worry never made the family fortune."" "What did your dad say?" "I don't know." "Like you, I never met him." "(Men laugh)" "Where are you going?" "Just going to have a look around." "The Germans are over that way, Pat." "So are the souvenirs, mate." "Souvenirs mean money." "Yeah, but Fritz'll get..." "I've got to get a bankroll if I'm going to win back that money I lost." "Listen, Pat, if Bill finds out about..." "Shh!" "Anyone dobs me in, they're on 10% interest." "(Cocks gun)" "(MEN SPEAK IN GERMAN)" "(BOTTLES CLINK)" "(Stamps foot)" "A bit early in the day for getting stuck into the slops, isn't it, boys?" "No." "(PLAYFUL MUSIC)" "Always a pleasure to deal with old soldiers." "They know the score." "Does anyone speak English?" "Ja." "A little." "Good." "Do you blokes always start out the day with a champagne breakfast?" "Breakfast?" "We're lucky to get dinner!" "We have come here from the field kitchen." "Our cook... (Laughs dismissively) ...our cook has nothing but black bread - such bread..." "Hey!" "Slowly, Fritz." "Hans." "OK." "Hans." "It's half-timber..." "Nein..." "Saw..." "Sawdust?" "Ja." "(Sniffs) Eugh!" "What else is in it?" "(Men laugh)" "Anyway, where you blokes are going, there's lots of tucker." "Er, food." "Have you bully beef?" "Crikey, you must be starving!" "Yeah, tons of it." "Hey, Fleisch." "Essen." "Bully beef!" "Anyway, let's get going." "Uh, hang on, no point in leaving the plonk." "Grab four bottles each." "Vier Flaschen." "Alle!" "(BIRDS TWITTER)" "(LAUGHTER)" "Roly." "Roly!" "(MILITARISTIC DRUMMING)" "What is it, mate?" "There's something out there." "Hang on." "(Men laugh and cheer)" "Good on ya, Pat!" "(German soldiers sing 'lt's a Long Way to Tipperary')" "(Men sing) It's a long way to Tipperary..." "Yes, sir, I do agree that would be the best course." "They're going to throw the book at him?" "No." "As a matter of fact, the colonel commends his initiative." "He also said that if things are like Pat reckons, it's time to stir Fritz up." "Pat's sortie was a fluke!" "Agreed." "But sooner or later, the brass hats will demand identification of German units opposite, and when they do, they'll insist on the old trench raid, 1916-style." "Crikey, the boys will jack up." "They were murder!" "I reckon." "That's why we're going to do it our way." "Half-platoon stunt for a start." "He wants us to approach from the east." "We want Kaiser, Bluey and Pudden... (DRAMATIC MUSIC)" "Bleib still." "Gebe auf!" "Es ist hoffnungslos." "Die Australians sind uberall." "Raus!" "Good work, boys." "Ah!" "Guten Abend!" "(Speaks German)" "Das ist ja kein Krieg." "Genug." "Unglaublich!" "Genug!" "(Speaks German)" "Pat?" "Any more?" "All clear, mate." "('DAS LIED DER DEUTSCHEN' PLAYS)" "Cleary!" "Go on, get out of here." "The rest of you, likewise." "Up!" "Come on!" "Raus!" "Kaiser, notify Battalion," ""New company position 500 yards forward."" "And add, "Operation 'Peaceful Penetration' successful."" "ROLY:" "The appointment of a new general at Corps headquarters doesn't usually generate much excitement in the front-line digger." "But General Monash - a part-timer, not a regular - was an interesting choice." "Change was very definitely in the air." "Gentlemen, the Corps commander, Lieutenant General Monash." "Sit down, gentlemen." "From today, the five Australian divisions will be grouped into one army corps with an Australian commander." "This has taken nearly four years to achieve." "From now on, we fight side by side." "One more point before we move on to the agenda." "During the wild emergencies of last month, when we and the New Zealanders and the Canadians played the larger part in stopping the German offensive and when, at one time, the Australians held over 30% of the British front," "there was no mention of our role in official communiques." "I have informed GHQ that Australians are a nation of sportsmen." "They like to see the scores go up on the board." "MEN:" "Hear, hear!" "This will be our policy from now on." "We have 54 items on the agenda." "Let us begin, Blamey." "Item one, the training of all brigades in close cooperation with tanks." "AMERICAN SOLDIER:" "Alright, move your asses, boneheads!" "You walk like your old mother!" "Hurry up!" "Hurry up!" "Don't you know your left foot from your right, mister?" "(PLAYFUL MUSIC)" "Left, left." "Left, right, left." "Left..." "Hey, Pat!" "(Laughs)" "Hey, Marty!" "Hey, how are you, mate?" "Good." "Hang on a second." "Hey!" "Get out!" "Bludger's been shunting me up and down the paddock all day." "When'd you get down here?" "Uh, yesterday." "A whole mob of us come down to train these Yanks." "They're keen as mustard too." "Remind me of myself in 1914." "(Laughs) You?" "Oh, well, the others, then." "Hey, something big in the wind?" "Yeah, yeah." "Big enough." "Every time I've heard that these last three years, we've ended up the well-known creek in a barbed-wire canoe." "Not this time." "In any case, you blokes won't be in it." "Music to my ears." "When are you coming to see us?" "As soon as the boss lets me." "MONASH:" "Captain Barrington?" "Who's that?" "The boss." "Crikey!" "I better be off." "Good to see you, Pat." "Come on!" "Come on, you bastard!" "Right, now this is the arrowhead formation." "Very handy in advancing across open country while still affording some flank protection." "Now, the Lewis gun is placed on the open flank, or high ground." "Look at him!" "He looks like a staff officer too." "Marty!" "(Laughs)" "Kaiser, Pud, how are you?" "Strike me, eh?" "Flash Jack from Gundagai." "Flanagan." "Stand fast." "Carry on, Lieutenant." "I'm not used to seeing my staff officers greeted so affectionately." "My old platoon, sir." "Obviously haven't forgotten you." "No, sir." "I don't suppose I could just?" "We're too busy, Barrington." "Yes, sir." "You have timings for the tank night march to the start line?" "Yes." "Also a schedule of flights to cover noise." "I want you to go over every inch of their route, recheck all timings and have it on General Blamey's desk tomorrow." "Yes, sir." "If things go to plan " "I can't imagine them not, seeing what a stickler for detail he is - we could have a cheap win." "In turn, that could mark the way for the future." "Marty?" "Hmm?" "Is that offer still open?" "What?" "Marriage?" "Hey?" "Love, why don't you ask them to send you home now?" "Then I could hand in my resignation." "Maybe we could even travel back together." "We could be out of this in weeks." "(Sighs) Love, it sounds wonderful, but I can't." "Why?" "After four years, you just can't walk out." "I mean, there's too many..." "Look, we're getting near the end." "We can finish it soon, I know." "Who's 'we'?" "The AIF, the Corps, the battalion." "I can't leave while they're still here." "Hey?" "Are you OK?" "I'm fine." "Won't be long, love." "No." "BLAMEY:" "The batteries are in place - 640 guns in all." "The infantry brigades are moving up into the concealed positions." "There's been no enemy reaction so far." "This one must go perfectly, Blamey, to show there is another way." "(BELL CHIMES)" "Well, Blamey?" "The US commander-in-chief has withdrawn authority to use his troops in the attack on Hamel." "Damn it!" "At the eleventh hour!" "General Pershing has his President's authority that the US Army will only be committedto battle under its own commanders." "I wish we'd had that authority in 1916!" "This has been discussed for weeks." "Why now?" "!" "The plan's unworkable without them." "There's no chance of getting extra Australian troops up in time." "From one side of France to the other is about 700 miles, right?" "And one side of Australia is about... (MELLOW PIANO MUSIC PLAYS IN BAR)" "Here, you blokes." "Hey, Roly?" "Mind that for me, will you?" "Saving up for your wedding present." "We ain't coming." "We've been three weeks training with you guys " "'Black Jack' leaves it to the home turn to pull out." "Yeah, American Independence Day, and we're going to look yellow." "Goddamn!" "Never thought I'd be ashamed of the United States uniform." "I've even written to my folks, saying, "We'll be with the Aussies."" "Yeah, and my grandaddy was second man up on Missionary Ridge." "I mean, what the hell would he be thinking now?" "Go ahead anyway." "Yeah!" "That's what he'd say!" "But we'd stand out like a pimple on a goddamn pumpkin." "I could fix that for you." "Say, that's great!" "How many more you reckon you'll want?" "About 15." "Do that easy." "Hey, gee, how can we ever thank you?" "Oh, well, there'll be a small handling fee to cover my costs." "Yeah, sure, sure." "And there's a condition." "If you're going to wear Aussie uniforms, you can't play that game of craps anymore." "You'll have to play two-up." "Two what?" "Up." "What's that?" "Some kind of soda pop?" "(Laughs) No, it's a game of chance." "It involves throwing two pennies in the air." "(Laughs) Sounds like kids' stuff." "Yeah." "Pretty straightforward." "Anyway, as soon as you get the uniforms on, we'll whip outside and get started on the two-up." "Make you look like authentic Aussies, you know?" "Righto." "Righto." "Come in spinner." "Come on, tails." "Heads." "Heads." "What will you do when you are home in Australia?" "I don't know, really." "You will make boots?" "(Laughs)" "No, I could never go back to that again." "I thought I might be a writer." "Oh, you'll make a good writer." "Why will I be a good writer?" "Pat thinks you're a good writer." "He says you are a bloody marvellous writer." "Well, I'd better give it a go, then when we get back." "You are going back with Pat?" "(Sighs) Marie, I don't really care what Pat does." "I thought you and me might go back to Australia together... (HOLLERING) ...if you wanted to." "That's what I thought." "I don't know what you think." "Obviously, there's a lot to consider." "You don't just pack up and take off for another country without a lot of thought and..." "Damn stupid game." "You're just starting to get the hang of it." "Back tails this time." "Heads." "Who wants a head?" "(Sarcastically) Yeah." "(ENGINE RUMBLES AND SQUEAKS)" "All my little beauties made it up with five minutes to spare." "OK, men." "Line up on the white tape." "And, er, what part of Australia does he come from?" "Oh, I think it's a little place called Chicago - some place in Tasmania." "Five, four, three, two, one." "(AIRCRAFT ENGINES RUMBLE)" "Alright, guys." "This is it." "(WHISTLE BLOWS)" "(TANK ENGINE REVS)" "Cheerio, old man." "Oh, no, it's not cheerio." "I'm coming with you." "Wouldn't miss it for quids." "Good luck." "Do sit down, Blamey." "I can't concentrate." "Have we left anything to chance?" "(Sighs) Not that I can think of." "Well, then." "Coffee?" "(THUNDEROUS RUMBLING)" "(Sings 'La Marseillaise' tune)" "Shouldn't that be an Australian flag?" "Or at least American?" "No, mate." "It's to let Fritz know that Hamel is once more part of France." "Permanently." "Did you lose your way, Captain?" "Corps HQ is miles that way." "I wondered what all the noise was about." "(Laughs) How did it go?" "Like clockwork." "Makes a nice change, doesn't it?" "Doesn't it?" "Like a lift, old man?" "Willie!" "Come for a ride." "How you been?" "Oh, good." "And you?" "Barrington!" "Send him in." "Barrington?" "He's been missing since zero hour." "I ordered him brought up as soon as he surfaced." "Where the hell have you been?" "Carrying out your directives, sir." "My what?" "Well, your instructions were, to quote you, sir," ""Observe the operation of tanks" ""and be prepared to recommend improvements in techniques."" "I did not mean involving yourself in the thick of battle." "Sir, if I was to comply with your instructions," "I had to be where the tanks were." "Don't be impertinent with me!" "Captain Barrington." "Do you think you could share with us the benefits of your close observations?" "Well, there were a few problems, sir." "It was too dark at zero hour to see much." "We need a better system of target indication." "But in daylight hours they were first-rate." "Thank you, Captain." "Sir." "Oh, Barrington." "A glass of brandy to celebrate the fact that you're still with us." "Thank you, sir." "And to fortify you for the job ahead." "I've submitted plans to General Rawlinson for a much bigger attack - the whole Corps this time." "Well, I look forward to the detailed planning, sir." "After which, may I be permitted to resubmit my application?" "Hmm?" "His weekly request to be posted back to his old battalion." "(POIGNANT CHORD)" "(Shouts) Step up the pace!" "Stone the bloody crows." "What are we?" "Packhorses or racehorses?" "There's not too many thoroughbreds around here, Pat." "Not in front of me, there ain't." "You'll keep." "ROLY:" "We were finally in open country." "The trenches and the mud were left far behind us." "This suited the diggers down to the ground and they went at it with all their might." "It soon became clear that we'd dealt old Fritz a knockout blow." "A lot of them surrendered, but some, particularly the machine-gunners, fought to the last." "Later we heard that the German Chief Ludendorff declared that this battle was the black day of the German Army the day in which they lost the war." "How far to the front, digger?" "Another five miles." "Five miles?" "Went through Fritz like a packet of salts." "Five miles in one day." "What's this war coming to?" "Yeah, and to think it took nearly six months to take Passchendaele." "You didn't have to run five miles to buy into a fight then." "Put the muzzle cover on." "You'll need all your breath." "Come on the 8th." "Mates in the Pup Battalion are getting knocked about." "What's he mean, Pup Battalion?" "They were formed out of us after Gallipoli." "The 8th gave pups and they produced the 60th Battalion." "Got yourself a Blighty leave, have you?" "Crikey!" "Are you still alive, Cleary?" "Still got that double-headed penny?" "(PLANE BUZZES)" "(WHISTLE BLOWS)" "(MAJESTIC MUSIC)" "(WHISTLE BLOWS)" "(TENSE MUSIC)" "(EXPLOSIONS)" "(MUSIC BUILDS)" "I'll catch you up." "Where's the artillery?" "We outran 'em." "What about the tanks?" "They all got bent yesterday." "(EXPLOSIONS CONTINUE)" "(GUNSHOTS)" "(MUSIC INTENSIFIES)" "Get on the ground!" "You bloody mongrels!" "What they've done, they don't get away with that!" "Just cover 'em!" "This NCO's been bashed from behind." "Easy, mate." "(Speaks German)" "They wanted to surrender but the corporal kept shooting." "They had to stop him, OK?" "Alright." "(Yells) Move on!" "Haut ab!" "Schnell!" "(EXPLOSIONS)" "Bloody counterattack!" "(Shouts) Forward at the double!" "We won't be going anywhere with those buggers up there, mate." "We'll have to knock 'em." "Going to be expensive." "Taken 20% casualties already." "That's what we get paid for, mate." "I reckon the two old stagers should lead this one." "If you insist." "(Shouts) Carter, go left!" "Stay down!" "Is yours right, Bill?" "Right." "(MACHINERY CHURNS)" "(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)" "Don't leave me, Mother!" "(Shouts) Cover!" "(Speaks German)" "Hey!" "It's noisy up there, isn't it?" "Get in." "Tell Willie what you want." "He'll do the rest." "(Muffled shout) Now move!" "Fire away!" "(Screams) Ahhh!" "(All cheer quietly)" "Good on you, mate." "That last one was game, eh?" "Yeah." "He nearly took my head off." "You rode up?" "Yeah." "Did you expect me to walk all this way to take command of the company?" "Congratulations, mate." "(Shouts) Martin!" "Roly, how are you?" "The old hands OK, huh?" "So far." "The company's all yours, sir." "Thank you." "Carry on, Mr Flanagan." "And look after that platoon of reprobates!" "(GENERAL CHATTER)" "What's going on?" "The Great War, mate." "It's in all the papers." "Thanks." "(Shouts) Gas!" "Get the masks on." "(Yelps)" "(Coughs)" "Ahhh!" "My eyes!" "(Continues coughing)" "(Man shouts) Stretcher-bearer!" "Any news on the 1 st Division?" "Oh, very little, sir." "We've advanced 10 miles." "So fast, in fact, we've outrun communications." "We'll put every available unit on to it." "I have, sir." "There are a few messages I think you should hear, sir." "Hmm?" "The army commander will visit the HQ tomorrow." "Good." "We can talk about communications." "Followed by the commander-in-chief, Field Marshal Haig." "Also the Chief of the lmperial General Staff will be coming from London with Winston Churchill and the Prince of Wales." "Good Lord, man, have we got enough..." "Ah." "There's more, sir." "Congratulations from all the prime ministers and the American President." "Generalissimo Marshal Foch is also coming, and the Premier of France, Monsieur Clemenceau, has expressed a wish to visit you personally." "I'm sorry, Blamey." "It's a little sudden." "It's a great honour they pay you, sir." "Not to me." "To the men who are still fighting out there." "The... er..." "lucky last, sir." "A message from the Palace." "King George will arrive in two days to knight you in the field." "Well done, sir." "Hiya, sweetheart." "Roly?" "Kate?" "Yes." "I only just found out." "Oh, it's only a mouthful of that blue cross gas." "But I must say, it's been a nice week's rest." "If only I could see to write up my diary." "Well, I could come next week and give you a hand." "That's real nice, Kate." "But I gotta be getting back." "Besides, I'll be fine by then." "We could organise you a week's convalescence by the sea." "Thanks, Kate, but I gotta be getting back." "Why in God's name do you all feel the need to rush back?" "!" "Because the platoon's down to 15 blokes." "But that's not your concern." "You've done your share." "Yeah, but I have to look at myself in the mirror." "Martin's going real well." "What?" "He's our company commander now." "He turned up on this tank and captured a machine-gun post." "Well, he's been in the thick of it ever since." "He says that the Germans are just about done for." "And if we keep on pushing hard the whole thing could be over in a few weeks." "Oh, you'd be real proud of him, Kate." "(SAD MUSIC)" "Ta, mate." "Bloody hell." "What a waste of a break!" "What are you going crook about?" "You're on 5%." "You said 10% last night." "Alright, 10%." "I didn't want to miss this opportunity, mate." "I'm overstocked with Lugers and this bloke here at the 60th, he's overstocked with helmets." "You're a worry sometimes, Cleary." "Free enterprise, mate." "It's called free enterprise." "(GENERAL CHATTER)" "Righto, Snow, that's good." "But we're going to need these returns in triplicate from now on, alright?" "Listen, Frank, make out another requisition order form for rations and send it in, even if the bastards aren't taking any notice of it." "Hope it's good news, sir." "The order stands." "The battalion must be broken up." "Sir, we'll obey every order except that one." "We won't see the end of the 60th." "You're aware that reinforcements from Australia are drying up, that we can't build all the battalions up to strength?" "Military common sense dictates that some battalions must be broken up to strengthen the others." "Sir, you've always taught us that loyalty to the battalion is our first duty." "Well, a lot of good men have died believing that." "To all of us here, particularly the originals, the battalion is the only home we've got after four years away." "It's what we fight for." "You realise there could be serious consequences?" "Doesn't seem much compared to losing the battalion and all its memories." "Sir, the men here have talked about it." "We're agreed on this course of action." "We've elected our company commanders, guards and pickets will be maintained and the battalion administration will carry on as normal." "(SOLEMN MUSIC)" "Uh, just one more thing, sir." "The boys have asked to be put into the hottest spot in the coming attacks so either there won't be a battalion left or our reputation will be so bloody good they won't dare break us up." "The good old 60th, eh?" "That's a real jack up." "Yeah, fine point of law, Pat." "In the British Army they'd call that a mutiny." "Bill, you Pommy bastard." "You still don't understand us, do you?" "I'll explain to you, lad." "I mean, you didn't expect me not to go back, did you?" "No." "But I hoped." "(POP!" ")" "Madame." "Je vous felicite, mes enfants." "Merci." "The best?" "Of course." "It goes with this." "(ROMANTIC MUSIC)" "It won't bite." "(MUSIC SWELLS)" "Er, it goes on the left hand." "Damn you, Martin." "(Sighs) It wasn't supposed to be like this." "Not here, not..." "Love, the war's almost over." "Another push, the Germans will be..." "Shhh." "Oh, Kaiser, old mate." "Make yourself comfortable." "Must be very tiring for you watching men work like this." "I haven't seen you go so hard since we dug in at Pozieres." "It's for the 60th, mate." "The brass have cut off their supplies." "Oh, the jack up?" "Yeah." "So all of the battalions are 'losing' some of their supplies." "We pick them up here and sneak them in the back way." "The other five battalions, are they still out?" "Oh, yeah, they're all good union men." "Alright, who's in charge of this bunfight?" "G'day, Pat." "What have you got for us?" "Oh, real gourmet stuff, Huddo." "Bully beef, anzac wafers." "You'll need the usual sledgehammers and false teeth with them, though." "Unload it, you lot." "Quick, before he decides to flog it to the French." "I suppose you're eating in the officers' mess these days." "Yeah, that'll be the day." "Acting colonel." "How are the boys holding up?" "Oh, they're rock-solid." "It's a bad do, Pat." "Here we've got the best battalion in the AIF." "Hey!" "Except for the 8th." "Yeah?" "Who stopped the Germans at Villers-Bretonneux?" "Who stopped them at Hazebrouck?" "Fritz is on the run because he won't stand up to Aussie battalions." "Why break up the 60th in the last minutes of the final quarter?" "Makes no bloody sense." "Yeah." "What has in the last four years?" "The battalion officers are with us." "They come over for a yarn but don't make any impression higher up." "I am looking for the individual who's in command, in charge of this battalion." "You're looking at him, sir." "The battalion will parade immediately." "Who says?" "Brigadier General Elliott." "Pompey." "That makes a difference." "Pompey himself." "What do you blokes reckon?" "He's a real fighting man, Jimmy." "Wouldn't be here for nothing." "If we parade, it's the end of the battalion." "We'll listen to what he has to say." "Tell the brigadier general there'll be a battalion parade in 15 minutes." "Men of the 60th." "You know me and I know most of you." "In the ranks I see a few faces pathetically few of the men who fought their way up the gullies of Anzac with the old 8th." "I see men who were carried from the ditches at Fromelles who refused to give up even when the battalion was almost wiped out." "I see others who survived the terrible storm of fire on the Somme and at Bullecourt." "But most of all," "I see the battalion that was one of the victors of Villers-Bretonneux when, in the darkest days of the war, you snatched victory out of defeat and fostered hope in the face of despair." "You're an example to all the Allied armies." "You are a living history of the deeds of the Anzacs." "You put Australia's name before the world." "In a moment I'm going to give you an order." "And I want you to think carefully what you are going to do." "Now, you all know me well enough to know that I have never begged anything of you." "I will not do so now." "But I will ask you to think of Australia and the Anzacs." "Our name is feared and respected on both sides of the line." "You must do nothing to tarnish it now." "The war is approaching its climax." "The end is in sight." "Let's finish it together." "Battalion... dismissed!" "(TENSE MUSIC)" "(DISTANT EXPLOSIONS ECHO)" "(FOREBODING MUSIC)" "Move!" "(ACTION MUSIC)" "(MILITARY DRUMBEATS)" "Bloody hell!" "It's Marty and Company HQ." "They're walkin' right into it." "(GUNFIRE)" "Open up on 'em." "(RAPID GUNFIRE)" "(HEROIC MUSIC)" "Now!" "Cover that flank!" "Argh!" "Sit down, mate." "You're not goin' anywhere." "(OMINOUS MUSIC)" "Luck of the Irish." "That's extraordinary, mate." "That was exactly how I planned to do it." "If they ever have that event in the Olympics," "I'm backin' you for the gold medal." "He deserves better than that." "Well done, mate." "You were a bit close." "If I wasn't, I wouldn't have seen it to believe it." "Hey, go easy!" "Runner!" "Thank you, Pud." "Exceptional work, mate." "The nights are gettin' chilly again." "(Sighs)" "(Chuckles) How many jumping-off tapes, huh?" "How many zero hours?" "Too bloody many, mate." "Ah, there won't be many more." "I hope so, or there won't be many more Anzacs." "It'll be over in a few weeks." "Where have I heard that before?" "(Laughs)" "So, how are the boys?" "Just about buggered." "(SHELLS EXPLODE)" "(Blows whistle)" "(TENSE MUSIC)" "Keep your head down, buddy." "Yeah." "(MUSIC SWELLS)" "(GUNFIRE)" "After them." "Don't let up the pressure." "And the diehards in the houses?" "I'll take care of those with the reserve." "Right." "Kaiser!" "Righto, lads." "Time for the rat hunt." "(Fires gun repeatedly)" "Bill!" "Sir?" "Bill!" "Take the rest of the men to the edge of the village." "Sounds like they need you." "There's a few houses left yet." "Pud and I will take care of those." "Well, go on!" "Private Parsons, make sure you take care of the captain." "Lads!" "Follow me!" "(TENSE MUSIC)" "Let's go, Pud." "Martin!" "(GUNSHOT)" "You bastard!" "(GUNSHOT)" "(GUNSHOT)" "(DISTANT EXPLOSIONS ECHO)" "Ah, shit!" "MARTIN.' " Lieutenant Flanagan." ""Recommendation for the Victoria Cross." ""On the morning of 3 October." ""A concealed German machine - gun unit vVhich vVas disposed... (VOICE FADES)" "(DISTANT EXPLOSIONS ECHO)" "(Cries)" "(Writes)" "(COUGHING)" "Kate?" "Mmm?" "There's an officer out there asking for you." "Can you relieve me for five minutes?" "Of course." "(MELANCHOLY MUSIC)" "It's Martin." "Do you want to hear about it?" "He wasn't even fit." "And he should have been home in Australia." "It was his decision." "Oh, yes." "He had to get back to the battalion." "You'd be the same way, wouldn't you?" "Maybe." "Bloody men." "The stupid 2nd!" "(Sobs)" "(Sighs)" "I've been expecting it." "But as the weeks got on I began to hope." "Hope?" "!" "That's for foolish young girls." "Nothing ever changes." "Sometimes." "(Sighs)" "(BIRDSONG)" "George!" "(Gasps for breath)" "Martin!" "(Continues to breathe rapidly)" "No!" "No!" "You know, yesterday was the fourth anniversary of my enlistment, Kaiser." "Sometimes it seems like a week, other times, half a bloody century." "What about you, mate?" "How long you been in?" "How long?" "Let me see." "1,034 days." "Ah, you're a methodical bugger, aren't you?" "Goes with a name like Schmidt." "Crikey!" "An Aussie German, eh?" "What a mixture!" "What about your relations on the other side?" "Do you reckon they'll chuck in the towel?" "There's stories of famine and revolution in Germany." "But they are stubborn people." "If we strike fresh troops with a half-strength battalion..." "We'll deal with it, mate." "Bill, fall 'em out, mate." "Fall out!" "Break out the rations!" "(MOTORC YCLE CHUGS)" "Let's see what we've got for breakfast today." "Bully beef... bully beef bully." "What have you got, Bill?" "Bully." "Oh, good." "Wouldn't want 'em to spoil us and soften us by giving us fancy tucker like baked beans and stew." "Das sind die Australians." "Sie sind animals." "Hey, Kaiser, what are those kids sayin'?" "They are saying that we're Australians." "They've heard about us." "They say that we're like animals in battle." "Oh, that's not very nice." "Mind you, I know a few blokes who turn into animals in the boozer." "I can't tell if they mean it as a compliment." "Wann habt ihr zuletzt gegessen?" "Seit 14 Tagen nichts ist durchgekommen." "They haven't had proper rations in a fortnight." "Well, it's either that or eat behind a tree." "(Soldier shouts in German)" "Fur ein paar bisschen Fleisch, leckt ihr den Feind am Arsch." "So ein Gesindel." "Mit so was kann man kein Krieg gewinnen." "What was that all about, Kais?" "He calls them "snivelling cowards"." ""No wonder they lost the war." ""They'd suck up to the enemy for a can of corned beef."" "I'll snot the bastard." "Take it easy, Pat." "He's just doing his job, mate." "Doing his job?" "Well, if that's what rank does to a man you can stick it." "Your war is finished, pal." "Nein." "Wir kommen wieder." "Darauf konnt ihr euch verlassen." "Aber erstmals mussen wir die Bolsheviken fertig machen die uns in Rucken gestochen haben." "Kaiser?" "He says, "We will be back." ""But first we will attend to the Bolsheviks and profiteers back home" ""who have stabbed Germany in the back."" "Ask him if he'll accept a tin of bully from me." "Ja." "MAN:" "All officers to headquarters!" "SECOND MAN:" "Oh, shit!" "Here we go again." "Alright, I'll be the mug." "What's happening?" "Boys you've all just lost your jobs." "As of 1100 tomorrow, an armistice." "All fini." "(JO YFUL MUSIC BUILDS)" "It's over." "(All chatter excitedly)" "(Laughs)" "(All cheer and laugh)" "(All whoop and holler)" "(POIGNANT MUSIC)" "(Sobs)" "And that's an end to it." "No more tears." "Not even for him?" "No." "Nor for all the others who drove themselves back to the battalion." "I don't think you understand, Kate." "(Shouts weepily) Of course I don't bloody understand!" "I wouldn't be tearing myself apart like this if I understood." "He wanted me." "I wanted him." "He could have gone home..." "honourably and waited for me." "Can I read you something?" "(Reads) "In bitter safety I awake, unfriended" ""And while the dawn begins with slashing rain" ""I think of the Battalion in the mud." ""'When are you going out with them again?" ""'Are they still not your brothers through our blood?"'" "(EMOTIVE MUSIC)" "Did you write that?" "I wish I had." "You see, it was nearly four years, Kate." "If he'd gone home, he would have been well, a stranger." "Not to me." "I don't know." "(Sighs)" "The whole thing was a stupid, useless mess." "All those lives just thrown away." "He died for nothing." "I honestly don't think you're right, Kate." "Well, what were you fighting for, then?" "Your precious battalion?" "That'll be a great comfort to the orphans and the widows." "300,000 of us volunteered from a tiny country." "Are we all fools?" "Who knows with Australian men?" "It would have been wrong for us to back away from it." "We'd sorta have been agreeing with the right of Germany to solve their problems by force." "I think most of us saw it as a fight against war." "Was it worth all this?" "And what about you?" "(Sighs)" "(Reads) "They ask me where I've been," ""And what I've done and seen." ""But what can I reply" ""Who knows it wasn't I," ""But someone just like me," ""Who went across the sea" ""And with my head and hands" ""Killed men in foreign lands" ""Though I must bear the blame" ""Because he bore my name."" "Oh!" "Oh, poor, lonely Roly." "(MELANCHOLY MUSIC)" "(JAZZ MUSIC)" "(Band sings) How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm" "After they've seen Paree?" "How you gonna keep 'em away from Broadway?" "Jazzin' around, painting the town" "How you gonna keep 'em..." "Hey." "Pat!" "Oh, mon Dieu, you are back." "Oh, you are back." "Oh, oui." "Hello." "Vive la France." "Vive la France." "Oui!" "Ah, Captain." "Ah, monsieur." "Hello, hello." "Hello, hello." "Where is Roly?" "He's coming." "Ah, oui." "How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm" "After they've seen Paree?" "How you gonna keep 'em away from Broadway?" "Jazzin' around, painting the town" "How you gonna keep 'em away from Broadway?" "That's the mystery" "They'll never wanna see a rake or a plough" "And who the deuce can parlez-vous a cow?" "How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm" "After they've seen Paree?" "(APPLAUSE)" "SONG:" "Mademoiselle from Armentieres, parlez-vous?" "Mademoiselle from Armentieres She hasn't been kissed for 40 years" "Inky-pinky parlez-vous... (SONG CONTINUES)" "(Both speak inaudibly)" "Sydney City and Dandenong" "We'll think of you as they battle along" "Inky-pinky parlez-vous..." "Cheers." "Cheers." "Glad you could make it." "Figured out what you're gonna do when you get back home?" "Yeah." "I'm gonna set up a specialised machinery business." "How about you?" "Staying with nursing?" "Uh-uh." "Back to the bush, then?" "Anywhere but." "You, uh, ever been in business?" "No." "But I could learn." "I bet you could." "I'd know where to get some capital." "Exactly what I was thinking partner." "(ORCHESTRA PLAYS 'LA MARSEILLAISE')" "(ORCHESTRA PLAYS 'RULE BRITANNIA')" "(ORCHESTRA PLAYS TARANTELLA)" "(ORCHESTRA PLAYS 'STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER')" "(ORCHESTRA PLAYS 'WALTZING MATILDA')" "You seen the routine orders?" "You've been running the company well enough without me, mate." "Alright, but keep it short." "For a start, it details the shipping arrangements." "It seems the AIF is priority Z." "So the 1914 men are to go home first followed by the 1915s and so on, as shipping becomes available." "So the old battalions will just fade away in dribs and drabs, eh?" "No heroes' march down the main street?" "And the folks back home will never see them as they really were." "No." "Maybe just as well." "Then there's a whole lot of details - timings, movement..." "Hey!" "Your department, Bill." "Then we come to part two - awards and decorations." "11-73, Captain R. Flanagan." "8th Australian Infantry Battalion." ""On the morning of 3 October 1918," ""Lieutenant Flanagan's company" ""came upon a well-sighted German machine-gun position" ""which was disposed to inflict heavy casualties on the unit." ""With complete disregard for his personal safety," ""Lieutenant Flanagan..."" "Stop!" "It's the Victoria Cross." "Martin." "He's here." "I tore..." "How the bloody hell?" "!" "I tore that out!" "Easy, mate." "Easy." "He sent the top copy back by runner." "Anyway, there were other witnesses." "Two signals." "Congrats from General Monash and arrangements for the investiture at Buckingham Palace." "Not bad for an amateur, Flanagan." "(Softly) Oh, God." "ROLY:" "Way off the coast of WA, a few of the diggers reckoned they could smell the gum trees and wild flowers." "It was a tradition among homeward-bound Aussies, like seeing who was the first to sight the Southern Cross." "The question I most dread from the family is "What was it like?"" "I wouldn't know what to say." "And not being able to talk means that us and our families will live with a four-year gap for the rest of our lives." "It's not that Australia's changed, we have." "A lot of us beyond recognition." "Not all, though." "Some never do." "(HARMONICA PLAYS)" "Something wrong, Mr Earnshaw?" "I've been waiting for you, Conductor." "Do you hear that?" "What's wrong?" "It's a tramp or swagman next door." "He's even got the cheek to kick up a row." "No wonder the railways are running at a loss." "You mean Mr Cleary, sir?" "Mr Cleary?" "!" "Democracy's run riot in this country." "Well, Mr Cleary has a valid first-class ticket, sir." "Then why the devil..." "(HARMONICA PLAYS)" "G'day." "I thought I'd drop in and see if you've got any requests." "That could only be Pat." "Hey, Max." "Glad you made it, mate." "Hey, you'd be Captain Max Earnshaw, wouldn't you, sir?" "Yes." "We heard about you up at Broodseinde Ridge." "I was in the 7th, you know?" "Were you?" "There was a day." "A sergeant said a minute up there was like a lifetime elsewhere." "Yes, yes." "Well, that will be all." "Uh, I think I'll open the bar next door, Max." "These blasted war memorials." "Every town in the entire electorate thinks it must have one." "Max?" "It's Roly, isn't it?" "Yes." "It's good to see you, Max." "I'm sorry." "Oh, that's alright." "How are you?" "Good." "I'm glad you could make it." "How have you been?" "Very well." "Come on, a bit more." "Press the pedal, the clutch." "Change it into second, into second." "Into second, into second." "I did. (Honks horn)" "MAN:" "Sometimes it was alright, sometimes it would still be bad..." "Well, Dad was a bit miffed." "He wanted me to pay my respects to Sir Rupert, but three hours with Dad is enough." "Anyway, it's not every day I get to see you blokes." "So, what are you doing now, sir?" "Er, Max?" "Well, it's really good." "I'm in charge of the State braille library." "We're getting new titles all the time and there's plans for expansion." "I'm glad you're doing well, Max, 'cause it's your shout, mate." "Sorry, talking about myself again." "Bluey always said you got short arms and deep pockets." "Oh." "(HORN HONKS)" "I'll line you up a beer." "So thoughtful, Bob." "(SENTIMENTAL MUSIC)" "Kate." "Kate." "Come on, Katie, your beer's getting flat." "Lady Barrington, Mr Flanagan." "Oh, I've heard so much about you." "Myself likewise." "Marty often spoke of you." "Shall we say dinner at the house tonight?" "That would be a pleasure, thank you." "Till then." "Take it easy, love." "We expected the ghost." "Come on." "(Men chatter)" "Yes, I always thought there was more to it, Pat." "Oh, no, it was strictly business." "Well, no offence meant, of course." "Well, no..." "Mr Armstrong?" "You got here, sir." "Roly Collins." "Roly." "It's good to see you, sir." "Pat, Bill." "It's the old skipper." "Skipper." "Mr Armstrong." "Bill." "Mr Armstrong." "Harold?" "I heard you were still in hospital." "They let me out for the weekend." "Skipper." "Pat." "Mr Armstrong." "Flanagan." "I'd like you to meet Dick Baker's sister, Kate." "Miss Baker." "How do you do?" "Kaiser." "Good to see you, Bluey." "(SENTIMENTAL MUSIC)" "(Clears throat)" "If we're gonna treat this like a bloody funeral, why don't we make it a fair dinkum Irish wake?" "Like the time my grandad passed away." "Spare us, digger." "Not that one, Pat." "Oh, alright." "Fill 'em up, landlord." "Doubles all round." "Easy on, Pat." "Don't get rash, mate." "You'll be dipping into our company's profits." "Good point." "Uh, put 'em on Mr Flanagan's personal account." "Hey, fair go." "He hasn't changed, has he, Mr Armstrong?" "Hey, fair go, mate." "(All chatter)" "So, have you landed anything yet, mate?" "I must've written to just about every newspaper in this country." "And?" "Nothing." "There's someone I want you to meet." "His brother was in the 8th." "Marty knew him." "Mr Flanagan." "Mr Murdoch." "My financial editor informs me your company's been well subscribed at the stock exchange." "You'll have to talk to my backer about that." "Mr Murdoch, I'd like you to meet one of the survivors, one of the originals, Mr Roly Collins." "Pleased to meet you." "Mr Collins." "Roly wants to be a writer." "When he was wounded back in '17, I took a look at his diaries, and I think he has the knack." "I left those with Pat." "Martin Barrington thought so too." "Do you know where my offices are, Mr Collins?" "Yes, sir." "10 o'clock Monday." "(Clears throat) Yes, yes, yes." "Look, the Government wants your full support on this repatriation bill." "(TRUMPET PLAYS)" "Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, we are here today to commemorate..." "(SOMBRE MUSIC)" "We're here today to commemorate the fact that a significant proportion of the young men of this country chose to volunteer for a war some 12,000 miles away." "It is also true that in spite of their numbers, they greatly affected the outcome of that war - affected it by the qualities they brought to it." "Initiative, courage, mateship and humour." "And in particular, we come to remember one battalion - the 8th - which suffered some 2,000 deaths in performance of its duties." "The numbers in every small town in this country are equally horrendous." "And only the future will determine what effect this will have on our young country." "Of those who came through the ordeal," "I can do no better than to repeat the words of our Prime Minister." ""These men have crossed a gap" ""which none of us who were not there with them" ""can understand" ""and that they themselves can never retreat from."" "It has been widely acclaimed that the sacrifice of our boldest and finest is justified on the grounds that this has been a war to end wars." "This, then, truly is the time for prayer both for the past and for the future." "Almighty God blessed be the memory of the men from this district who gave their lives in the Great War." "We humbly pray that the magnitude of their sacrifice will grant us that peace first promised us by Jesus Christ, your only son." "We pray too for the survivors, their dependants and loved ones, who in the years to come will live with the memory of pain and suffering." "And we ask that the wounds and scars of this great conflict be healed, not only here, but in every land so that the universal brotherhood of mankind will not remain forever a distant dream." "We ask this, O Lord, for thy son, our saviour Jesus Christ's sake." "Amen." "ALL:" "Amen." "Private Roly Collins will now read the ode." ""They shall not grow old" ""as we that are left will grow old." ""Age will not weary them or the years condemn." ""At the going down of the sun..." ""...and in the morning..." ""...we will remember them."" "ALL:" "We will remember them." "(POIGNANT MUSIC)" "(TRUMPET PLAYS 'THE LAST POST')" "(MILITARISTIC DRUMMING)" "(THEME MUSIC)" "(THEME MUSIC)" "(LIVELY MILITARY MUSIC)" "The 'ANZACS' is a television first in Australia." "It will take 400,000 feet of film and nearly three years for the Burrowes Dixon Company to complete the series." "The story will trace the lives of a group of soldiers in the 8th Battalion from the time they left Australia to the time the survivors returned home." "It's a penetrating account of Australian soldiers in war." "It will span five years of unforgettable history, 70 years after the event took place." "Do any of you blokes know anything about music?" "Well, uh... (Clears throat) ...I've studied a little, sir." "Good." "You and your mate - shift that piano into the officer's mess." "Get on your way!" "First lesson - never volunteer for anything." "Well, 'ANZACS' is uniquely relevant to modern-day Australians for two reasons." "It tells us so much of what we were, and indicates, therefore, what we have become." "It is a story about ALL Australians, about ordinary Australians, called upon to do extraordinary things." "This is the story of everyman, not the story of a couple of self-selecting heroes - those one or two people destined by history to perform great feats." "This is the exact opposite." "This is you and me." "It's everyman." "Performing under impossible odds, against... circumstances which should've driven sane men crazy." "Ladies and gentlemen, Great Britain has declared war on Germany." "MAN:" "Not before time either, Rupert." "Australia, New Zealand and Canada have announced they will be raising forces immediately." "NARRATOR:" "At the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, there were many who expected Australia to raise a ragtag and bobtailed army not fit for anything other than garrison duties." "There's going to be a war!" "I will not have a Barrington skulking in the outback while the mother country's in peril!" "By 1918 the critics were either silent or openly expressing their amazement that such a small force could have had so dramatic an impact on the war in Europe." "It had been said that Australians lacked discipline, and therefore could not make good soldiers." "I don't need to be reminded that Australians are in France." "There are already reports of theft, disorder." "It's South Africa all over again." "South Africa?" "Yes, the colonial hooligans." "Lf, by discipline, they meant the outward trappings so beloved of European generals, then the critics were right." "The volunteer Aussie was openly sceptical about things like saluting for the sake of it." "He reserved this for people he respected." "And that didn't include the major part of the British officer class." "You two men - stand fast there!" "Don't you salute in your army?" "!" "Not a lot." "We used to, but we're trying to give it up." "(COMICAL TUBA MUSIC)" "(GUNFIRE) Fire!" "They did have another sort of discipline which was far more effective - never let your mates down." "Cover me!" "This meant that in the shock of battle, and shock is the right word applied to World War I, they stuck close together, and were hard to break." "Other armies were just as courageous, but none had the degree of confidence and cohesion that comes from knowing that you can count on your mates." "Bluey!" "Add one other thing." "Leaders were selected from men who had already proved themselves, regardless of social background, for Australians would follow no other sort." "Of course, the Anzacs never considered themselves anything other than civilians in uniform." "The British High Command never understood the Australian attitude until 1918, when they started to," "A - stop the Germans from winning the war, and B - won the decisive battle." "And they only, at the last moment, realised that the best battle discipline on the whole of the Western Front was... were the Australians." "These characters who created problems behind the lines, who, uh... were seen to, uh..." "not stamp up and down the place, and yet in battle they were totally cohesive." "These qualities came directly from Australian society and marked the AIF as distinct among all other groups in Europe." "At the end, when they had suffered the highest casualty rate of any British contingent, they were able to strike a series of blows which led to the collapse of the German Army." "(DRAMATIC MUSIC)" "(JOVIAL ACCORDION MUSIC)" "(Sings) Apres la guerre est finie" "Tous les soldats sont partis" "Estaminet avec vin ordinaire" "Apres la guerre..." "The casting of 'ANZACS' presented problems on two levels." "First, to find a supply of young actors capable of carrying so many roles." "To our joy, that proved easy." "Second, and much more important, finding a cross-section of types capable of portraying all of the variety of the men of the 1 st AIF." "Men as different as, for example, the character of Martin Barrington, the son of a western district squatter." "Very upper-class." "And then all the way to Roly Collins - urban, Catholic, working class - a boot mender." "Probably the most difficult character, though, was that of the quintessential Australian larrikin." "That one type of Australian that seems to represent to all of us what we would like to be." "There is, of course, a type in existence" " Paul Hogan." "When John was writing 'ANZACS', he had Paul Hogan in mind for Pat Cleary, but in those early days, we didn't dare think that we could get him." "Well, as events turned out, we did." "And in landing Paul for the role of Pat Cleary," "I think we breathed a truth into the characterisation of the first AIF that would have been rather appalling had we not achieved it." "(Men shout)" "Bad luck for the kid, and Dale, he's a big winner." "I'm not playing a German general, I'm playing Pat Cleary, and he's a typical Aussie larrikin." "He's the kinda bloke that organised the two-up and the chook raffles and the sly grog." "And got supplies to the front that the blokes couldn't get through the normal channels, and never treated the war seriously at any stage." "Therefore, he's an important character because all those World War I diggers, and II, and Vietnam, and anywhere else, weren't all serious, dedicated, kill-or-be-killed soldiers." "Who said it then?" "I dunno." "Someone behind me somewhere." "Who gave you permission to speak?" "You did." "You said, "What did he say?"" "Silence!" "And it was that attitude that carried them through a lot of unbelievable conditions." "They refused to take it seriously, and the Pat Clearys of that era were the ones that made the Australians different to the rest of the troops of the Empire." "And they stamped the Aussie digger on, you know, world warfare anyway, and on Europe, as a unique sort of character." "Loot!" "Here!" "Loot?" "No, we're minding it for General Haig." "See, his name's on the bottle." "How you say?" "Bull!" "(MILITARY MARCHING DRUM PLAYS)" "One of the first departments to be employed on a television series is the art department." "They are responsible for the look of the series." "For the research, we spent lots of time in the War Memorial in Canberra." "All of the art department, wardrobe and costume people went down there, went there for a fortnight." "And I think we looked at about 100,000 various stills down there to find various points we were looking for." "For example, a field phone, a French village - before and after a barrage of artillery." "So we bought lots of those back, then pieced them all together to give us a basic idea of what we needed." "(MARCHING MUSIC)" "A battlefield resembles nothing so much as a garbage dump." "So the art department raided the local tips to collect a fascinating pile of junk." "As the Great War was the first motorised war, it was necessary to reconstruct a fleet of vintage cars and trucks from the ground up." "One of these trucks actually made its appearance on the Somme in 1916." "More and more, the countryside began to resemble parts of France." "A group of farmhouses received the final touch of instant ageing." "This is called 'dressing the battlefield'." "The art department became experts in selecting the right piece of debris." "Likewise, the iron men of the construction department." "And so the fields of despair were built up." "This is a reconstruction of the area around Passchendaele in Flanders after the winter rains had set in, in 1917." "500,000 British and dominion troops fell in the great push, only to be denied victory as the battlefield reverted to the swamp it had once been." "(TENSE MUSIC)" "Well, it's my opinion that by a number of circumstances - some accidental, some perhaps intellectual, fashionably intellectual - that we've been robbed of a large part of our heritage." "Uh, every nation could be proud of what the first AIF did." "In fact, it is a saga." "A saga that deserves the status of a legend in anybody's history." "Yet, who knows about it in Australia?" "It somehow got lost in the '30s with the war weariness." "There were other factors - the diggers themselves never talked about France." "But I do blame historians, school teachers, for robbing us." "I think... it's a strong word, but I say robbing us of this heritage." "It is hard to avoid superlatives when looking at the 1 st AIF." "Marshall Foch certainly didn't." "FOCH:" "Although our task was never easy, it was made less difficult by the patriotism and passionate valour of the Australians, which serve as an example to the whole world." "You saved Amiens." "You saved France." "When I saw the battlefield, um... several things struck me." "Above all, what I realised was that I'd carried an Australian sense of distance to the battlefields." "That to us, driving 100, 200, 300 kilometres is just nothing." "And what struck me, driving out of Amiens towards Villers-Bretonneux was... just how short that distance was." "It was... only a few kilometres, and I suddenly realised that, in fact, how many people had died but yet, what a very, very small area, um, the whole war occurred in." "Kate, in amongst the shambles of that retreat, were some men who hadn't lost their self respect." "Men who were looking for someone to focus their courage." "Now, what?" "Would you expect me to walk out on that?" "Bloody hell." "There's gonna be more unprincipled men left alive at the end of this war than the other kind." "So?" "So why should my man be one of?" "Oh, yours, huh?" "Yes." "Mine." "(LIVELY MILITARY MUSIC)" "NARRATOR:" "Someone once said that war was nine-tenths boredom and one-tenth sheer fright." "Well, film making is a bit like that." "Except that, mercifully, the fright is mostly replaced by intense activity." "There are long periods when setting up takes place - when everything, people and objects, all have to be in the right spot." "In 'ANZACS', we rarely shot with only one camera." "Our record was nine." "So here we are on a nice summer's day in July 1916." "The boys, in high spirits, are about to leave their friendly village to march south to the Somme, where fate awaits them." "In 1984, however, Murphy's law prevails." "A horse rears from the noise of our melodic troops." "The animal is quickly soothed by our producer, and the scene continues." "(Soldiers sing) Who's the little girlie by your side?" "I've seen you with a girl or two..." "So much of 'ANZACS' involves not just simply the battles." "In fact, I suppose that one could say that no more than 10% of each episode concerns a particular battle." "What it is more about is the men, and the women behind the men, in France, in England, and at home here in Australia." "We see their friends and relatives, their wives and lovers." "We're concerned to know what motivates the men, what they have left, and what, hopefully, they will come home to." "And we need to know also what sacrifices were made at home by people left behind." "How can they bear it?" "They depend upon one another." "They have a fierce brotherhood in which each sustains the other." "It's something approaching the Christian ideal." "Ironical, isn't it, that war should produce that?" "(SNAPPY OLD-TIME MUSIC)" "(Soldiers sing) Mademoiselle from Armentieres, parlez-vous?" "Mademoiselle from Armentieres Parlez-vous?" "Mademoiselle from Armentieres She hasn't been kissed for 40 years" "Inky-dinky, parlez-vous?" "Is this number four section?" "It was till you got here." "No, I was a real McCoy soldier." "I never fired a shot in anger." "I was on, like, third line reserves to go to Vietnam, so I know all about..." "well, not all about, but I'm an old digger, myself." "I'm in sympathy, and, uh..." "and that was useful in this series, because I was never a stranger to the weapons or the uniform, or the discipline, or the boredom, which goes on with the army, except when you're being shot at." "Don't shoot!" "Don't shoot!" "They're Australians!" "Bullshit." "I cannot just stand by while Haig presents another butcher's bill!" "NARRATOR:" "It is a cruel and wasteful business." "The diggers knew that at first hand." "But they also knew it had to be fought." "But on conditions." "Such as?" "That each step of the offensive be a success before he can go on." "(TENSE MUSIC)" ""They died in vain,"" "cried the intellectuals from their studies after the war." "In fact, they're still saying it." "Commonsense is often a quality lost in the process of higher education and the commonsense of the average digger told him clearly he was defending a society quite different to the one the German generals had in mind." "(Whispers) You disgraceful woman!" "You know Martin would've done anything for Dick." "Anything." "And where do you think Martin is now?" "In some safe place behind the lines?" "(PIANO PLAYS)" "The variety of music in 'ANZACS' was quite amazing." "Things ranging from ballroom music and sort of Australian country aristocracy, if you like, to elegant dinner parties involved, to English clubs." "To, uh..." "Gallipoli, where you've got lots of I've tried to add quite a few Turkish overtones, which sort of tell you roughly where you are, to obvious war themes." "There's three different love themes, there's three romantic interests." "A hell of a range." "In creating the music, it comes from different areas." "I tend to try and go on location a lot, talk to actors, actresses, as far as how they feel about a character, which helps me as far as putting their musical feeling into perspective." "Obviously looking at the pictures are the most inspiring, because you have something to work with, as far as sight and sound and feeling of how the scene is... is meant to go." "It's then up to you as a composer to try and work out how you can enhance it, or how, if necessary, sometimes you may want to completely change the direction of the scene, musically." "(Sings) I wore a tunic A dirty khaki tunic" "And you wore your civvy clothes" "We fought and bled at Loos while you were on the booze" "Booze that no-one here knows" "You were out with the wenches while we were in the trenches..." "WOMAN:" "Mademoiselle Fifi, Mademoiselle Colette, et Mademoiselle Claudine." "While we were attacking up along the Pozieres Road." "(CROWD CHEERS)" "Are they all for me, Pat?" "Yeah, happy birthday, Pud." "(Chuckles)" "(SEDUCTIVE MUSIC)" "G'day." "Well, the main difference between 'ANZACS' and most mini-series that I've done is it's just enormous." "The fact that there's a huge cast and crew - double unit for most of the 15 weeks." "It just meant transporting people and recreating the First World War is not easy through special effects - it's just enormous." "Being a film about the First World War, of course, there was quite a few battles in there ranging from as many as 800 people in one scene, storming across a hill to where a battle had taken place," "and following it on five miles ahead were, of course, hard." "We covered areas of trench warfare, as in Lone Pine, where the Australians stormed Lone Pine, only to find Turks looking up at them." "And they took that Lone Pine." "It was one of the greatest military achievements of the time." "We did sections like Lone Pine too in the mud, and that was extremely difficult, because you always had a lot of people to control and a lot of special effects, 'cause of the bombs and things." "And placing those was very hard." "(PENNY WHISTLE MELOD Y PLAYS)" "Quick!" "We're going to run in here!" "Come on!" "Two section - how many here?" "!" "Got heaps of your boys - they're over this side." "AMENTA:" "The hours that we worked were very long, so it required a lot of discipline from the cast and crew." "When you're putting in 12 to 14 hours a day in the rain and the mud, you all have to keep together." "Of course, there's three directors doing it, and the crew had to adjust for each director." "(MILITARY MUSIC)" "BURROWES:" "The story of 'ANZACS', insofar as Gallipoli is concerned, is easily understood." "It was a small, contained campaign involving a pretty insignificant number of people, compared to the Western Front." "I think it's almost a national laziness that enables us to deal with Gallipoli." "But the Western Front is altogether different." "(EXPLOSIONS, TENSE MUSIC)" "(DISTANT EXPLOSIONS CONTINUE)" "How are we gonna go in this?" "I don't know." "Not a gang of Abduls, Flanagan." "It's the bloody German Army out there." "I don't see how they can be better than Johnny Turks." "Course they bloody are." "This line hasn't advanced in a year and a half." "BURROWES:" "The battles in France and Belgium involved millions and millions of men - armies from all over the world, professional armies." "The Australians had only 300,000 over there, yet they were as significant as any other national force in forcing the final victory." "But the path to that victory has defied historians, pretty well of all nations." "NARRATOR:" "By the time the Anzacs arrived there in 1916, millions of men were entrenched from the North Sea to the Swiss border, and the enemies faced each other across a narrow gap called no-man's-land." "Not short of guns here, Sarge." "The side who could work out how to cross this space, then break through, would win the war." "This war is in the balance." "The Federal Cabinet have been told by London that if the reinforcement rate is not stepped up they may have to disband one of our divisions." "Perhaps instead they should think about conserving our soldiers." "Spoken like an armchair strategist." "Rupert!" "No!" "My knowledge of the casualties comes painfully, at first hand." "Anyway, what are we arguing about?" "This war changes a lot of things." "A couple of questions, Sir Douglas." "From the map, the Pozieres position looks less than a mile wide." "The concentration of artillery in that small space must be very heavy indeed." "Perhaps the heaviest of the war." "And our casualties must inevitably reflect this." "In 1916, the British threw 500,000 partly trained men against the Germans on the Somme into a storm of artillery fire not equalled since." "In a narrow space of a few miles, battalions were pulverised by a million shells, and the gain was only two or three miles." "It is all too possible that we may lose this war." "The Germans have broken through on two fronts now." "Breakthrough, you say?" "The German generals had planned for 30 years to knock out France with a sweep through Belgium to Paris." "They almost succeeded." "But they had overlooked the development of modern weapons - the magazine rifle, the machine gun and the high explosive shell." "These weapons gave enormous power to the defenders." "That, gentlemen, is why there's a continuous trench from the North Sea to the Swiss border." "As long as the machine gun's intact, neither side can cross no-man's-land." "Our enemy, the German Army, is extremely skilful in their use of it." "Their gunners are hand-picked." "And they use them like this." "(GENTLE MUSIC)" "Mmm." "Yes, please." "(Laughs) All in good time." "(Chuckles) No, not that." "I mean a cigarette." "Smoking?" "Sister Baker, you are a loose, loose woman." "(Laughs)" "Aren't you the lucky one, then?" "(Laughs)" "So how long's this been going on for?" "Oh, since you seduced me." "In the 'ANZACS', the basic weapons were the Mauser rifle, the Lee Enfield rifle, uh, belonging to the two major warring factions, plus their associated machine guns." "Uh, on set at any one time we probably had 300 Lee Enfields, 45 Mauser rifles, some 8 machine guns, a dozen pistols, all of which were firing." "The major problem, of course, was keeping them clean, functioning, had to go any time for any scene." "Unload." "Basically, with the machine guns, there was no difference whether they were regular soldiers or actors." "They still needed instruction." "The regs are just not used to those type of weapons." "They handle the latest ones fine." "The working action of the Maxims, the Lewis guns, had to be explained." "They know the basics, they've got the best grounding, but just that little bit of work was required." "(Cries softly)" "And I was so close." "If only I'd looked around." "No, no." "No, I've seen as much death as you have." "It did change a lot for women, the war, because for the first time they were asked to go to the battlefields to actually work with the soldiers." "And they were about, you know, at times, 20 miles away from the guns and the fighting." "So that put a large responsibility on the women to be a lot tougher." "Nothing's gonna be the same after all this." "May as well face up to it now." "MEGAN WILLIAMS:" "Well, I think the biggest challenge in playing Kate was the fact that..." "I mean, I'm not a 1914 woman, and she had to be, and yet she had to be stronger than most 1914 ladies really were to make her a viable character for us." "And that was the challenge - keeping her in period but keeping her much stronger than possibly somebody would have been in that time." "(TENDER MUSIC)" "Uh, it goes on the left hand." "Oh!" "Damn you, Martin." "It wasn't supposed to be like this." "Not here, not..." "Luv, the war's almost over." "Another push, the Germans will be..." "Shh." "(LIVELY MUSIC AND APPLAUSE)" "SONG:" "How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm?" "After they've seen Paree?" "How you gonna keep 'em away from Broadway?" "Jazzin' around and painting' the town..." "Hey!" "Pat!" "Oh!" "PAUL HOGAN:" "The biggest impression I got is there's not enough of a legend of the Anzacs." "All we ever heard about World War I was Gallipoli." "That's all we've ever made films on and all you learnt about at school, and that's where the boys got beat." "There's another four years of the war after that where the true Anzac legend was born." "Bloody counterattack." "(Shouts) Forward at the double!" "The filming of 'ANZACS' presented special effects problems both old and new." "Uh, the old ones - producing large numbers of explosions close to actors, a lot of actors, a lot of extras." "Sometimes as many as 300 people on the set, plus crew, plus observers coming in from time to time." "Lots of people on set who weren't familiar with explosions and with working near them." "This required an approach that, uh, would ensure safety without slowing down the filming of the project." "We were filming 10 hours of war for television in the amount of time that would normally be taken for about 90 minutes of feature film." "And therefore we had to work fast and efficiently and still take no chances with people's safety." "The biggest challenge for me was becoming a soldier for the series." "But luckily, before the shooting commenced we had a two-week workshop period which was basically a military reorientation exercise so that all the actors could become familiar with the weapons involved, military etiquette, how to give and take an order," "battle formations, etc." "And also we were given lectures on how specific battle scenes that the series deals with were staged both geographically and strategically." "So I was very lucky, as all the actors were, to have that period to become adjusted to the life of a soldier." "MAN:" "Spread out!" "(GUNFIRE AND EXPLOSIONS)" "Keep the line!" "(MILITARY PARADE MUSIC)" "NARRATOR:" "In 1917, the British went over to the attack again, this time in Ypres." "It became another murderous artillery battle, and just when it seemed to bog down, the Anzacs' divisions went in and won a series of brilliant victories." "The Germans, it seemed, were at the end of their tether." "But it was too late in the season." "The rains came down and the whole area, churned up by shellfire, reverted to the bog it had once been." "Men drowned in flooded shell holes." "I have a lot of empathy now with what those guys went through." "I never really thought about it before." "I've never done World War I history." "But now..." "We only went through a minor amount of the action that those guys went through, and we had blankets to wrap around ourselves after each take, whereas those guys had to stay out in the cold and the mud and the crap." "I don't know how they did it." "I don't know how those men survived." "I don't know a damn thing about you anymore." "How can you say that?" "Well... when I came here you didn't kiss me." "You didn't even say hello." "That's for after the war." "We've got to finish it first." "Why 'we'?" "You mean 'you', personally." "Maybe I do." "I mean..." "Just like me." "Go to hell, Marty." "Mrs Baker, you can't do that!" "Can't do what?" "Well, put temptation in the way of our fine young men." "Temptation?" "Strong liquor's an evil thing." "It destroys homes and families." "You wowsers give me the willies." "Who are we sending all this stuff to?" "A bunch of fighting men or a pack of lily-livered bloody sissies?" "(LIVELY MUSIC)" "SONG:" "Hello, hello Who's your lady friend?" "Who's the little girlie by your side?" "I've seen you with a girl or two" "Oh, oh, oh, I am surprised at you" "Hello, hello Stop your little games" "Don't you think your ways you ought to mend?" "It isn't the girl I saw you with at Brighton" "Who, who, who's your lady friend?" "My job as stunt co-ordinator on this series was to break down the... break down the scenes that required the action, put the right bodies in there who could do the action, look after the artists at all times" "to make sure they were comfortable and safe when they were hurling themselves from trench holes from trenches to shell holes, etc, and across the barbed wire." "Make sure that the whole shoot worked safely, the action worked convincingly." "It has to look realistic." "Even though it's a fantasy, it still has to look realistic, because the public buy realism." "And basically my position was to put this action onto the screen with the director." "When training stuntmen and SAPs - these are stunt action personnel who are apprentice stuntmen - one has to get involved with them and show them how it is done." "They have to act, especially when it comes to hand-to-hand fighting or using props, i.e. Rifles or missiles, anything like this." "They've got to know how to, as we say in the business, wear them." "So if I was to hit anybody with a prop, with an instrument, they have to know how to sell it." "And it's showing them how to sell it." "And with new people, when you teach them stuntwork, you get an experienced stuntman to get stuck into, say, myself with fists and boots." "You sell it and then look at their faces." "NARRATOR:" "In 1918, the Germans were able to bring back their army from the Russian front following the Revolution." "These fresh troops faced a French Army slowly recovering and a British Army bled white at Ypres." "The Germans saw their chance and took it." "They struck on the Somme, where tired divisions were resting." "The British front lines disappeared under a storm of shells, and the German storm troops skilfully worked their way to the rear." "The front trembled and broke up." "The Germans were heading for Amiens and victory." "The odds have swung dangerously in Germany's favour." "It's obvious they intend to go for a knockout blow at an early date." "I trust that whatever the future holds we will both be able to say we did all in our power to guard against a catastrophe." "In the wild emergencies of the German offensive in March and April 1918, when the Germans came within an ace of winning the war, the five Australian divisions, which consisted of only 10% of the British forces," "held over 30% of the line." "And they stabilised it, particularly at a place called Hazebrouck - who's heard of that?" " and a place called Villers-Bretonneux." "Some people have heard of that." "And they stopped the Germans winning the war." "The war had yet to be won, but that was another story." "NARRATOR:" "Australians marched up through a broken army and roads clogged with refugees." "On seeing them, many of the French civilians turned around and went home, for they remembered les Australiens from 1916." "We do not worry now." "It is safe to go home." "The diggers met the German spearhead in open country near the village of Villers-Bretonneux." "In a series of swirling engagements the enemy was stopped and then sent reeling." "The crisis of the war was over." "France was saved." "Then, at last, the Australian divisions were grouped together under the command of General Monash." "Monash was described by a British historian as "a first-class general in charge of first-class troops"." "From today, the five Australian divisions will be grouped into one army corps with an Australian commander." "This has taken nearly four years to achieve." "From now on, we fight side by side." "NARRATOR:" "The combination was irresistible." "He struck first at Hamel, and broke a German division in 90 minutes." "Then, a month later, with the whole corps, he repeated the exercise at Amiens." "Monash combined, as no other, his men, planes, tanks and guns with the aim of both winning, and conserving soldiers." "Amiens was the greatest victory of that war." "The Australians and their Canadian neighbours broke through for five miles on the first day." "The beleaguered Allies took heart at this stunning turn in the fortunes of war." "A general advance began and the Germans sued for peace in October." "DIX ON:" "It was said by the Germans themselves that this was the black day of the German Army." "Now, this was something extraordinary from a small force of the 1 st AIF, particularly in the sense of the casualties they'd already taken." "It's another little-known fact that they had the highest casualty rate of any of the British contingents in the First World War." "Yet, right at the end, they were able to strike a decisive blow, and from that day, the German Army didn't stop retreating." "(SOLEMN MUSIC)" "The 'ANZACS' is about the ordinary Australian who, when called upon, did extraordinary things." "He should not have been forgotten for so long, but then, he didn't write books about himself." "He disappeared thankfully back into civilian life, for he was always a civvy in uniform, even though, paradoxically, one of the best soldiers ever seen." "He rarely spoke about that terrible war, and only emerged once a year on Anzac Day." "Even for this he was often criticised, as if meeting your surviving mates and remembering your dead ones was somehow being pro-war." "He mostly shrugged, knowing that fools have as much right to exist as any other in the society he defended." "In 1978, a small group of old men, all veterans of the AIF, approached Amiens Cathedral on the 60th anniversary of the end of the Great War." "As they entered this huge place, they were touched to find the cathedral packed in their honour." "If Australians forget, the French don't." "The archbishop quoted from an address their mates had heard over half a century ago." ""We bow to messieurs les Australiens" ""for the magnificent deeds you did" ""in those days now happily at an end." ""The soil of France is transformed" ""to a new divinity by your sacrifices." ""In the whole of history," ""we cannot find an army more marvellous in its bravery." ""And in the war, there were none who contributed more nobly" ""to the final triumph."" "When armies to the right and left of them crumbled, as they did in 1918, somehow this depleted band forged a decision for that war." "And... we should be told of it." "These guys, the original Anzacs, the World War I fellas, they were the... they had the spirit and the courage that we all think we've got." "If 'ANZACS' has one clear task, it is to make Australians feel immensely proud of themselves." "It is to see themselves in a new light, in a confident light." "In a triumphant light, but not in a bragging or tub-thumping light." "Just think of it." "A few thousand Australians travelled 12,000 miles across to another continent and decisively affected the outcome of the struggle over there." "But more important than that, they brought to it the qualities of the land that had bred them." "And these were, and I still believe are, unique, and this is what Australians should be reminded of." "'ANZACS', I hope, will also cause all of us to never again look at the diggers marching on Anzac Day and fail to understand." "I hope like hell that the next time anyone out there sees the diggers that they will know these men and that they will love these men for what they did, for what they were, and for what they still are." "(LIVELY MARCHING MUSIC)"