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WW1 Digger History Podcast

WWI Digger Stories Podcast reproduces the diaires, memoirs and letters of the real participants in the war that changed the course of the 20th Century. What was it like to be in the trenches, on the ships or behind the big guns where death stalked in infinite ways and it was impossible to make friends unless you were prepared to lose tham at any moment.

This podcast is formatted with each diairy or memoir forming a series, usually taking the listener through the war from beginning to end, from raw recruit to returning veteran, as it was experienced by the soldier and in his (or her, when I include Nurses stories) own words.

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  2. Episode 1.3 Definitions

Episode 1.3 Definitions

Mar 31, 2016

PLM: is the Paris Lyon Mediterrannee Railway;

QM: means Quartermaster;

Backshee: means false;

PH: is a kind of hooded gas mask. I am not sure what “PH” stands for;

Nick: means steal;

Fromelles: refers to the front line sector south of Armentieres. The Battle of Fromelles took place on 19th July, 1916;

Shaking: means stealing;

‘Whizz-Bangs’: are a high explosive shell which has a curious sound caused by the fast moving shell outpacing the sound of the gun being fired.

‘Babblers’ or ‘Babbling Brooks’: is rhyming slang meaning a cook. Babbling Brook is often just shortened to Babbler.

‘Hun’, ‘Fritz’, ‘Jerry’ and ‘Heiny’: are names applied to the German soldiers. Hun and Fritz were most often used by the Australians. Jerry was used by the tommys and Heiny by the Canadians.

Annette Kellerman: was a well known Australian diver. The statue of Mary and child on the steeple of the Albert Basilica were damaged by artillery early in the war. The statute was almost toppled and resembled a diver leaping from the diving board.

‘Hows’: is shorted from howitzer.

‘Dixies’: are metal containers used to convey food to the front line trenches.