THE DIGGERS
| BY THE SAME AUTHOR | |
| CHILDREN OF THE DEAD END | Seventh Printing |
| THE RAT-PIT | Sixth Printing |
| THE GREAT PUSH | 45th Thousand |
| SOLDIER SONGS | Second Printing |
| THE RED HORIZON | Third Printing |
| GLENMORNAN | Second Printing |
| THE BROWN BRETHREN | Second Printing |
| THE AMATEUR ARMY | Fourth Printing |
THE
DIGGERS
THE AUSTRALIANS IN FRANCE
BY
PATRICK
MACGILL
With an Introduction by
THE RT. HON. W. M. HUGHES
HERBERT JENKINS LIMITED
3 YORK STREET, SAINT JAMES'S
LONDON S.W.1 MCMXIX
Printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner Frome and London
TO
W. P.
FOREWORD
By the Rt. Hon. W. M. Hughes
My dear Mr. MacGill,—
From the day on which The Childrenof the Dead End came intomy hands, I have been amongst the mostdevoted of your worshippers. In this andin your later books, your genius has wonworld-wide recognition, and no words of mineare needed to commend to your very widecircle of readers this story of the achievementsof the Australian soldiers in France.
The imperishable deeds of Australia'sglorious soldiers have carved for themselvesa deep niche in the topmost towers of theTemple of the Immortals. The story of theirvalour will live throughout the ages, andfuture generations of Australians will speakof them as we do of all the heroic figures ofantiquity, and strive to mould their livesupon the sublime spirit of self-sacrifice and[8]love of country and liberty which animatedthem. Their valour has covered Australiawith a lustre that shines throughout theworld, so that her name, which but yesterdaywas almost unknown, is now a householdword in the mouths of all the peoples of theearth.
The war has made of Australia—a youngcommunity without traditions—a nation,acutely and proudly conscious of its nationality,its record in this war, and the greatfuture which awaits it. Upon that day somefour years gone, when in the grey of earlydawn the Australian soldier leapt upon anunknown shore and in the face of a murderousfire scaled the heights of Gaba Tepe—a featof arms almost unparalleled in the historyof war—the young Australian Commonwealthput on the toga of manhood, and at onestride entered on a footing of equality thefamily of free nations of the earth. Gallipoli—sceneof that most glorious attempt whichthough falling short of success lost nothingof its gr