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The actual reason is lost to history, but there are several theories:
- Before World War I, the term "digger" was widely used in Australasia to mean a miner, and referring to a Kauri gum-digger in New Zealand. Renowned soldier and military historian, Captain Cyril Longmore 44th Battalion AIF, first recorded the Australian troops doing trench digging practice on Salisbury Plain prior to embarking to Turkey and being called "diggers" by their mates as the origin of the term.
- Another story for the origin of this term dates it to 25 April 1915, during the Gallipoli campaign. Following the landing at Gallipoli, General Sir Ian Hamilton wrote to General William Birdwood, the commander of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), adding in postscript: "P.S.-You have got through the difficult business, now you have only to dig, dig, dig, until you are safe." However, there is no hard evidence to suggest that Hamilton's message is the reason why digger was applied to ANZAC troops in general.
- One other theory is the fact that ANZAC troops were especially good at digging tunnels between their own trenches and the enemies, and were regarded by both sides as diggers, one being derogatory and the other more in jest. The job of digging between the trenches was very hard, especially when both sides' diggers met in the tunnels. ANZACs believed that it was a compliment to be referred to as diggers, because it indicated you were good at a very difficult job.
No matter the actual origin, the term "Digger" was first used to mean a New Zealand or Australian soldier in 1916. It appears to have become popular among New Zealand troops before being adopted by Australians. The word was not in wide use amongst soldiers until 1917. At the time that the Battle of Galipoli was going on, the term was mostly used by New Zealanders to refer to each other, while others referred to them mostly as "Kiwis". The shared trials probably went a long ways towards breaking down the distinctions and the English troops probably looked upon the Australian and New Zealand forces as being of interchangable origins - thus they were all "diggers" as far as they were concerned.
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Where did the anzac soldiers sleep?
In trenches. They also use it as a defensive shield.
Was anzac part of World War 2?
Nothey were not, ANZAC refers to the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who fought together in the 1st world war.
Where did ANZAC soldiers go after evacuation?
To England for training, then on to France and the Western Front.
What was an ANZAC button?
i dont know acording to the bbc there is no anser
How many Anzac soldiers were injured?
Australian figures were 13,855 wounded or missing, although some sources say as many as 26,000 were injured. New Zealand figures indicate that about 7,000 ANZAC soldiers were injured.
What were Australian soldiers called in the world wars?
Anzac's Or Diggers
What was the nickname given to the Australian soldiers in ww1?
Often called "diggers", their units were more politly called ANZAC.
Where are the Anzac soldiers buried?
Anzac soldiers had been buried in a special grave.
Dead anzac soldiers?
2721
How did the tradition of wearing poppies on anzac day start?
because anzac soldiers died in a poppy feild
Is Anzac day when the soldiers landed or won the war?
ANZAC Day commemorates the day, on 25 April 1915, when the ANZAC troops landed at Gallipoli.
Where did the anzac soldiers fight?
germany france turkey
What did the patches on Anzac soldiers uniforms mean?
but cheeks
Who wasn't an Anzac Legend?
The soldiers who weren't special and remembered
How NZ soldiers landed at Anzac cove?
almost a million
How can I find the names of all Anzac soldiers?
Go to the anzac war musuem ACT and yes i dont know how to spell
What were the Australian soldiers often called in the two world wars?
Diggers.
