Diggers: Coming home 50 years on
By Erwin Edel Adapted by Frank Morris 
It’s moments like these. Erwin Eel’s victorious homecoming and the fact the he still faces “the most embarrassing moment” of his life. It happened a long time ago, but Erwin still gets a kick of retelling it.
Well, the war is over. Who says so?
We're here in Wewack, New Guinea and the Japs are up in the hills with their guns and they haven’t said so!
True, since the Emperor surrendered, they have not shelled us. But here we still are, not sure that the Japs will peacefully surrender.
We still have to stand guard at night even though the war is supposed to be over. But boredom is worse than ever.
Yes, our tents are now better and we do not get wet every night. We have a bit more food and perhaps a bit more variety. My mate George and I got fresh meat - the first in twelve months.
We were doing a job for the Yanks and got the meat as payment. Otherwise, we are making souvenirs in the workshop, and giving lectures to the battalions signals on electronics.
October 1945
Now the big news. General Adachi (The Governor General of Australia, he thought) and the remaining force of about 9000 of a total of 245,000 have surrendered.
He handed over his sword and the men their weapons. But the war has been over for a while and we are still stuck in the jungle. When, oh when, are we going home?
November, December 1945
Some small number of men is going home. But what about us?
Well, it does not seem likely we will be home before Christmas. We just got the news that about 2000 of us will go shortly. But I don’t know if I am going or not. I’ll just wait and hope.
Well, what excitement when we are told that we’re going home. Eventually, the day comes when we pack our things including our souvenirs and get on the truck, drive a short distance to the barge and steam out to a large aircraft carrier. What a sight!
We’re not sorry to leave the island which certainly was not a tropical paradise.
The aircraft carrier is off; the next day the amplifier throughout the carrier is calling for Sergeant Edel to report to Cabin 15 on C deck. Well, what have I done? I go to the cabin.
The Captain greets me in a very friendly manner and informs me that when he was in Sydney at a party, I and my mates taught him to play two-up. Well, the world is certainly small.
After a nice chat, he asks me if I would like my wife to be told that I am on my way home. I didn’t hesitate to say yes.
After a smooth trip in beautiful weather, glorious Sydney Harbour came into sight. A fleet of aircraft escorted the carrier.
At the wharf the bands played and a bevy of Generals is waiting for us.
After a while, somebody calls out: “There are some sheilas on the wharf!” There was a sea of turning heads. After all, we hadn’t seen any women for two years.
But to my horror, I see that there are only two sheilas there – one is my wife, Una; and the other, her sister-in-law. It was the most embarrassing moment in my life when, with my gear and rifle, I walked down the gangplank and embraced my wife to the enjoyment of 2000 cheering voices.
It was embarrassing, but nice. Now the war is really over, I thought.
It’s June, 1993 -- fifty years on. I am still married to the same sheila! The grandchildren have grown up, and at 80, after a grand life, I have retired.
We have our own unit. We have security and are very happy here.
(Written for the company’s newsletter, LifeStyle, 1993.)
* * *
Norman Brookes -- Australia’s first Davis Cup player
Adapted by Frank Morris
The first Australian tennis player to take part in a Davis Cup competition was Norman E. (later Sir Norman) Brookes in 1905. He was a member of an Australasian team (Australia and New Zealand), which consisted of Brookes, Anthony Wilding and Alfred Dunlop. They were eliminated by the United States in the second round, and in the following year Australasia – without Brookes, this time – also failed. Then began a series of successes, which brought the Cup to Australasia for all but two of the years between 1907 and 1914. There were no competitions during World War I, but in 1919 Brookes, with Gerald Patterson and James Anderson won the Challenge Round again and retained the trophy. Australia came back into the picture in 1939. Dwight F. Davis (who died in 1945) made his own views clear when he originated the trophy. It was, he said, for “bona fide amateurs only.” Soon after, professional players were permitted to play the Davis Cup. (Chateau Tanunda Historical Firsts; Published December, 1961. The column can be read in interstate newspapers at national libraries.)
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