Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia 1942

By: Bodleian Library Staff

Book Overview

"Unlike cricket, which is a polite game, Australian Rules Football creates a desire on the part of the crowd to tear someone apart, usually the referee." This is only one of the entertaining and astute observations the U.S. military provided in the pocket guides distributed to the nearly one million American soldiers who landed on the shores of Australia between 1942 and 1945. Although the Land Down Under felt more familiar than many of their assignments abroad, American GIs still needed help navigating the distinctly different Aussie culture, and coming to their rescue was Instruction for American Servicemen in Australia, 1942 . The newest entry in the Bodleian Library's bestselling series of vintage pocket guides, this pamphlet is filled with pithy notes on Australian customs, language, and other cultural facts the military deemed necessary for every American soldier. From the native wildlife--a land of "funny animals"--to the nation's colonial history to the general characteristics of Australians--"an outdoors sort of people, breezy and very democratic"-- Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia gives a concise yet amazingly informative overview of the island nation. Regarding Aussie slang, it notes that "the Australian has few equals in the world at swearing. . . . The commonest swear words are 'bastard' (pronounced 'barstud'), 'bugger, ' and 'bloody, ' and the Australians have a genius for using the latter nearly every other word." The pamphlet also contains a humorous explanation of the country's musical traditions--including an annotated text of "Waltzing Matilda"--as well as amusing passages on sports, politics, and the Aussies' attitudes toward Yanks and Brits. A fascinating look at a neglected Allied front in the Southern hemisphere, Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia, 1942 follows its successful predecessors as a captivating historical document of a pivotal era in history.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 185124395X
• ISBN13: 9781851243952
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Bodleian Library
• Length: 54 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.0" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

There's no use beefing about it

Over a million Americans passed through Australia between 1942 and 1945, and the U.S. military distributed this little volume to describe what they would find there. The U.S. Army's Special Service Division did what they could to acclimate the troops: "Australians eat and drink too." "The Australian has few equals in the world at swearing." "Housewives 'down under' are supposed to make coffee with a pinch of salt and a dash of mustard, but that's probably just another Axis propaganda story." "The worst thing an Australian can say about anyone is: "He let his mates down". A man can be a "dag" (a cutup) or "rough as bags" (a tough guy), but if he sticks with the mob, he's all right." "Of course, the best thing any Australian can say about you is that you're a "bloody fine barstud"." "You'll find that the Digger is a rapid, sharp and unsparing kidder, able to hold his own with Americans or anyone else. He doesn't miss a chance to spar back and forth and he enjoys it all the more if the competition is tough." "Another thing, the Digger is instantaneously sociable. Riding on the same train with American troops, a mob of Aussies are likely to descend on the Yanks, investigate their equipment, ask every kind of personal question, find out if there's any liquor to be had, and within five minutes be showing pictures of their girls and families." "There's one thing you'll run into - Australian's know as little about our country as we do about theirs. To them, all American soldiers are "Yanks" - and always will be." This beautifully produced guide includes charts and illustrations. It touches briefly on geography, history and culture, and it emphasizes similarities between Americans and Australians. To promote unity, the guide advises that if one encounters a cultural inconvenience, "There's no use beefing about it - it's their country." This is a very quick and amusing read, and makes a great present for any Australian friend if you are lucky enough to visit the country. Robert C. Ross 2008

Interesting glimpse into WWII attitudes

It is a warm and friendly guide to Australia and the Australians at a critical period in our efforts to build allies. A marvelous gift to send to all your Auzzie friends.