The Troppo Tribune

During active service, army units are required to keep monthly war diaries recording their daily activities. These diaries usually consist of war diary or intelligence summary sheets, and appendices covering strength and casualty returns, routine orders, messages, reports, and other documentation. War diaries vary in detail, sometimes a reflection of the enthusiasm of the officer in charge of compiling them. They are a historical record of a unit, with details of administration, operations and activities. On occasion, unexpected items can also be found.

In between field returns and daily reports in the Second World War diaries of the 8 Australian Advanced Ordnance Depot (8 AAOD), for example, are issues of The Troppo Tribune.

The “News Mouthpiece” of 8 Australian Advanced Ordnance Depot, The Troppo Tribune was printed and self-published from December 1942 until June 1944, while it was stationed at Mataranka in the Northern Territory. The newspaper was always free (“It’s on us!”, “You Can’t buy it”, “Priceless!”), and published weekly until May 1944, when it became a fortnightly publication until the end of its run.

Volume 1, No.1 of the Tribune, published on Monday 21 December 1942, begins with a Xmas message from the commanding officer, followed by an editorial message:

“A Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to all from ‘The Troppo Tribuno’. We sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading this, the first edition of our newspaper.

“We want you to remember one thing – this is YOUR newspaper and you alone can make interesting reading for all concerned. We particularly invite contributions for the ‘Letters to the Editor’ column and ‘Camp Gossip’. No matter what it is, send it in and we’ll publish it.”

There are also notes that circulation will begin with a limited print run, and that the size of the paper would be restricted by limited paper supplies. This first issue also includes a cartoon, a summary of week’s news, sports notes, letters to the editor, and “Camp Gossip”, all of which become regular columns.

Changes in managing editor mark the evolution of the Tribune. From Sergeant Midley, the baton was passed to Vern Rule in May 1943, with the last editor (from November 1943 until the end of the publication in June 1944) listed as “Pte. F.J. Hardy”. Francis “Frank” Joseph Hardy went on to be an artist for the army journal Salt. After discharge, he continued to work in journalism and became a novelist, writer and had two unsuccessful bids at becoming a parliamentarian.

The Tribune gives insight into the daily life of those stationed with 8AAOD, sharing the happy news of the birth of “bonny bouncing” babies to members of the unit (bringing the new fathers to the “exclusive ranks of damp-diaper-debutants”), the presence of a tattoo artist in the camp (with some choices “on youthful bodies” which will “probably require some explanation later in life”), and the establishment of the “Welfare Committee” who by all accounts put on a great New Years Eve barbeque spread.

Humour can be found in every issue, with cartoons, tongue-in-cheek instructions for an air raid, a guide for deciphering “red tape”, and playful jabs at members of the depot.

On occasion, the humour perhaps went too far. An editorial note in the Monday 13 December 1943 issue advised caution: “‘Camp Gossip’ is not an open forum for mud-slinging, and should only be used to express good-natured banter or perhaps to ‘have a go’ at someone – more in humor than in anger. So, have as much fun as you like, but keep it within bounds. A joke’s a joke, but …”

This warning appeared in the Tribune’s first birthday issue, the 52nd edition to be printed and distributed in the camp. Frank Hardy’s editorial notes that the Troppo Tribune, or “T.T.T”, as it became referred to,

“has been a continual source of interest and amusement; during this period it has had its ups and downs – as a matter of fact, about six months ago it nearly went out of business due to last of contributions …

“In recent months there have been many regular contributions, and to these contributions is due a good deal of the popularity which the paper enjoys in as large a measure as ever before.

“‘T.T.T’ has been instrumental in having various improvements made and anomalies removed because of the contents of articles and letters …”

The war diaries of 8 Australian Advanced Ordnance Depot, in which copies of T.T.T. can be found, will soon be available to view on the Memorial’s website.