Postcard #4 - Bill the Bastard and My Uncle Les

You have already met my Uncle Les in Postcard No 3 ‘A Postcard about a Postcard’, now let me introduce you to: ‘Les and Bill the Bastard’. But first a little digression and move back to the year 1066 and the Battle of Hastings. What?

Ok, William the Conqueror, lead the successful Norman Invasion of England in 1066, changed the course of British history. Indeed, the recently deceased Queen Elizabeth 2, is directly descendent from William. What is almost lost to history, is that the not so loyal Pre-Norman English, well those that survived the Battle of Hastings, preferred to call William ‘Bill the Bastard.’ Not all was wine and roses in 1067, England. Jumping forward to 1914:

1914, the Aussie subjects of George 5,  King Charles 3’s , Great Grandfather: Well, they had turned the ‘Kings English’ on its head. ‘Bastard’ had become a salute of honour, praise, and respect. Up steps ‘Bill the Bastard’!

Bill was an Australian ‘Waler,’ a War Horse. But, Troopers, like my Uncle Les, consider them mates. Bill had his origins in the English Thoroughbreds and Arabs the English Government shipped Down Under, along with an awful lot of Convicts. But this was a tough new land, no fine English blood line would cut it. After introducing some ‘mongrel’ blood from South Africa and Timor: Bill emerged. A tough new breed, just the thing for: Beating the toffs at the Local Races, pulling the wife and kids in a buggy to Sunday Mass, riding to the pub: And fighting a war!

Bill fought in and survived the Battle of Romani 1916. Bill and his rider, raced through Turkish gunfire to collect four cut off Aussie Troopers. Bill then galloped, with three on his back and one balanced in each stirrup, 1.6 Miles back though soft sand and heavy gunfire. Bill was tough, he was a ‘Ridgee didge ewe beaut Bastard!’

Bill has earned his rest. Withdrawn from combat, he worked on Gallipoli, retrieving the fallen bodies of Aussie and Turkish boys. He retired on a farm in Gallipoli, now rests in a marked grave with other fallen heroes.

So, the point of this Postcard? Well, its another ripping good yarn. It speaks further to how National Myths, Values and Ethos develop and are sustained. It certainly betrays another of my obsessions, how language changes and morphs with time and context. And,

To me it is a Leadership Lesson, about the risk of underestimating the underdog, the rough trade, low breed, back blocks stock, non-establishment types: They are often the heroes!

And, if it is just a good story, you can find ‘Bill the Bastard’ on ABE Books, for as low as $3.60, bloody good read about a real tough bastard!

PS: Did you notice Uncle Les is wearing a wristwatch? Did men wear wrist watches in 1916? Sorry, but I can feel the itch of a Post Card exploring just that issue.