THE "BOSS DIGGER"

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 151, 21 March 1919, Page 5

THE "BOSS DIGGER"

BIRDWOOD'S FAREWELL TO THE » ANZACS i ; . . ' f MOVING SCENE IN FRANCE 1 An interesting account of how the , Australians said, farewell to General Bird- , wood on the occasion of his promotion , has .been forwarded by Sergeant W. L. , Brewster, of the Australian School of j Musketry, Tidworth, England, and formerly of Sandringham. Sergeant Brewster, writing: just after the signing of the armistice, says:—"l do hope that lam spared to take home some of the messages to the parents of some of our boys. They have behaved splendidly. They have special characteristics of their own. Shall I tell you how they said farewell to General Birdwood when he received promotion. If anyone had told me that it would bo possible for the 'Aussies' to love a man as they did, I would have laughed at them. They worshipped the ground he walked on. News came through that he had been promoted, and before leaving tho boys lie would like to say farewell to them. Somo of the regiments had to march several miles to .the gathering place. But little they cared for that. When they arrived at their destination there were all sortb of 'brass hats' there. The boys werfe formed up into what is known as.a hollow square, with the platform in tho centre. • It was right dress and left dress for goodness knows how long. . The lads were sick and tired of all this drilling and messing around. At last the sound of the motor was heard. 'He has arrived/ is passed around from rank to rank. But not a move; they are disciplined now. A little back everybody would have been craning his neck to get a view, but to-day they stand steady and immovable, for they have come to do him honour. Ho is a great man, but with his usual simplicity Incomes alone, unattended by tho usual staff. This is a great tribute to the boys, and they appreciate it. The general salute is given to him, and he mounts the dais. 'Come nearer, boys,' he says, and there is a general stampede to. get the nearest to him. Where are the straight ranks now? Finished is the right and left | dress. Drill movements are cut out, for it is Digger now to Digger; every eye is upturned, and you could have heard a i pin drop as, in a few words, he said good-bye. He told them of their fighting history, their brave deeds, the valour, of how he loved them, of IISW sorry | lie was to part with them j but he, too, j like them, had to obey order?. _ Then, ! with the tears streaming down his face, lie said farewell to the gamest soldiers lie had over had the privilege of leading into action. Then pandominium brolf loose. A barrage was set up of solid cheers, the like of which I do not had ever been heard before—certainly nnt in Prance, Then he started to move off; but the 'Aussies' would not fieo him walk. No, he is seized and carried, hands high, every soldier vieing with the .other to have the honour of carrying him to his car. "When that car is reached the boys want souvenirs; some try to take the staff flag from the front of his ear; others tried to get tho silver badge from ■ his hat. But ho has been there before and to their chagrin they found that everything was securely fastened, and there was no Jhopo. He is placed on the car, and lie moves off to the sounds of Australian- honours, but the greatest One of all is on the back of . his car. It is chalked on, and it. reads like this — ' 'Good-bye, Digger—the boss Digger.'"