Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

"The No Vote. By Corporal R. L. Burn, 42nd Battalion, France.

We've just got a cable to tell us,
The news of the vote of the war,
And, by Jove, if I thought it was gospel,
I'd never go back any more.

There must he an error or something,
Such news can never be true,
A country go hack on her soldiers,
That's more than the Germans would do.

We're here, in the muddy wet trenches,
Within a few yards of the foe,
We've learnt that Australia has answered,
Our asking for help with a "No."

We're tired, we're weary and wounded,
With death above and below.
Yet we'd sooner be here with the heroes
Than back with the crowd that said
"No." - from The Telegraph 8 Sep 1917 (nla.gov.au)