Calling the current soldiers "Diggers"?

Yellow_Festiva · 03-11-2007, 09:15 PM

Don't know if it has always been the case, but soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan seem to now always be referred to as "Diggers"?

I don't think it's the right word for the modern day soldier? Can't really explain it, just doesn't seem right?

Sorta like disrespecting the real "diggers"??

Curious what others think?

JG66ME · 03-11-2007, 10:01 PM

Tommy= British soldier
Jack Tar = British Sailor
Digger= Australian soldier

Its a nick name that will go on for ever. Whats the issue?

steamin63 · 03-11-2007, 10:08 PM

i served in the regular army for 10 years and was proudly refered to as a DIGGER. all serving regular soldiers are diggers and should carry the name with pride.

3vXT · 03-11-2007, 10:11 PM

I could be wrong but... i think it only started happening in the last 5 or 10 years. I don't really think its disrespectful to anyone, but i think the current guys and girls deserve their own nicknames.

aye you · 03-11-2007, 10:20 PM

well, what do you classify as a Digger? what does one of our boys & girls need to do to be referred to as Digger in your eyes

Yellow_Festiva · 03-11-2007, 10:34 PM

Well, to me a "digger" was a person who got that name by literally digging the trenches in WWI and WWII.

I guess I have always just thought it was a name to refer to the older people who had already served.

Didn't know it was still commonly used lingo.

Thanx for that info JG66ME / steamin63, proves you learn something new every day.

Redrum · 03-11-2007, 11:25 PM

To me any Australian serving in our armed forces especially overseas is a digger and always will be.

Chippar · 03-11-2007, 11:29 PM

^^What he said and also deserves heaps of respect.^^

XRNIL8 · 04-11-2007, 12:10 AM

Having served, I can tell you as an Australian Soldier, we still dig! IET's or for the civi .... Innitial Employment Training as an Infantry Soldier at Singo .... or Singleton .... this was a basic part of our training, which included digging and building a bunker type structure ...... the soldiers pit .... using timber, cgi, sand bags and our bloodied ET's ..... Entrenching Tools ...... a little bloody shovel with a little pick on the opposite side.

I was proud to be called digger and it also allowed me the opportunity to share not only the uniform, but the name of many men before me, including my grandfather.

XR Martin · 04-11-2007, 12:14 AM

If you want to get technical the word Digger was apparently was first used by New Zealanders.

Rodp · 04-11-2007, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redrum

To me any Australian serving in our armed forces especially overseas is a digger and always will be.

Couldn't agree more. I don't see how it's disrespectful to those that fought in previous wars, they're putting their life on the line just like those that fought before them.

Outbackjack · 04-11-2007, 12:55 AM

I always thought that the name "digger" was because of all the digging that they did in france in WW1. I see it as a way of keeping all of those lost in WW1 (like my G Father) memories alive and respected.

Digger should stay. They are proud of it (our serving members) and most Australians are proud it, and of them.

V3RSAC3 · 04-11-2007, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

I guess I have always just thought it was a name to refer to the older people who had already served.

No, That's a Vetrian!

I've always known them to be Diggers and i think it's a name to be proud of!\

i see no issue in this

3vXT · 04-11-2007, 01:56 AM

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the name, but a few years ago, when someone said 'Digger', they meant a WW1 vet. Now for some reason it applies to all the Australian (and NZ according to Wikipedia) army people.
For example, i never heard of a Vietnam veteran being referred to as a Digger until recently.

I'm not suggesting any one group of soldiers are more worthy of the being called Diggers than another, but to me, it only seems like a recent thing.

AC/DC · 04-11-2007, 08:40 AM

I think they have to "dig" something...

JG66ME · 04-11-2007, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken2903

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the name, but a few years ago, when someone said 'Digger', they meant a WW1 vet. Now for some reason it applies to all the Australian (and NZ according to Wikipedia) army people.
For example, i never heard of a Vietnam veteran being referred to as a Digger until recently.

I'm not suggesting any one group of soldiers are more worthy of the being called Diggers than another, but to me, it only seems like a recent thing.

When I was in 42RQR (infantry) in 1979 they refered to us as "Diggers".

Steve

twr7cx · 04-11-2007, 09:41 AM

Last time I checked Australia is still Australia. Australian soldiers are still fighting and representing Australia, they're still dying for Australia (even if far less are these days), so they're still diggers.

3vXT · 04-11-2007, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JG66ME

When I was in 42RQR (infantry) in 1979 they refered to us as "Diggers".

Steve

Fair enough. I've got a lot of respect for anyone who serves their country, i didn't mean anything disrespectful.

Duke · 04-11-2007, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by V3RSAC3

No, That's a Vetrian!

Don't they fix sick animals?

kidding buddy.

Duke · 04-11-2007, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken2903

Fair enough. I've got a lot of respect for anyone who serves their country, i didn't mean anything disrespectful.

Ken, the question is innocent enough but as the name is so highly regarded by us (Aussies) that the mere suggestion the term NOT be used for our current serving forces, could be offensive to some.

JG66ME · 04-11-2007, 11:12 AM

I tend to think the un-informed media have missused it and now the term is wrongly used by most. It seems now "Digger" is used to describe any Autralian service person where realy it shold only be used for Army and more particularly Infantry.

Going back to my original post, if you look at the UK,

Tommy Atkins or Tommy is army

Jolly Jack Tar or Tar is navy

Ginger is Airforce

Bootneck is royal Marine.

In the US

GI army

Jar head or leather neck is USMC.

So the Airforce and Navy need names of thier own. I mean, you dont exacly dig a trench in the air or at sea do you?

So, in my view, whilst not an insult to anyone, a true "Digger" is a member of the Australian Corp of Infantry but can be used to describe any member, past or present, of the Australian Army. Other corps have nick names of thier own but are not in common usage.

Steve

Yellow_Festiva · 04-11-2007, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OpTrader

Ken, the question is innocent enough but as the name is so highly regarded by us (Aussies) that the mere suggestion the term NOT be used for our current serving forces, could be offensive to some.

Well, I can now consider myself better informed on the term "Digger".

I have the utmost respect for any person serving their country in such a way (both now and in the past).

I did not have the pleasure of knowing my grandfather, as he never returned from the the battlefield.

Thank you for all your responses.

Jason

mad machs · 04-11-2007, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JG66ME

Ginger is Airforce

If I may be so bold,

Here in the UK, airforce types are refered to by the Navy as "Crabs"

Airforce call the Navy "Matlots" or "Fish heads"

We refer to the Army as "Pongos"

Really think your guys being called "diggers" is a tone of endearment, be a shame to lose it.

twr7cx · 04-11-2007, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mad machs

If I may be so bold,

Here in the UK, airforce types are refered to by the Navy as "Crabs"

Airforce call the Navy "Matlots" or "Fish heads"

We refer to the Army as "Pongos"

Really think your guys being called "diggers" is a tone of endearment, be a shame to lose it.

RAAF get called gutter rats.
RAN are puses (spelling?).
And Army get AJ.

JG66ME · 04-11-2007, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mad machs

If I may be so bold,

Here in the UK, airforce types are refered to by the Navy as "Crabs"

Airforce call the Navy "Matlots" or "Fish heads"

We refer to the Army as "Pongos"

Really think your guys being called "diggers" is a tone of endearment, be a shame to lose it.

Heard those names to. I was trying to think of Matlot but it escaped me. What are you in?

I think the Marines named the army Pongos, Paras in particular. They belive they dont wash often enough.

The story of how the Marines conned that Paras into taking lower berths on the Canberra when of to the Falklands is funny. Told them the ship roll was less obvious lower down. They, the Marines, scored the luxury upper berths.

Steve

JG66ME · 04-11-2007, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twr7cx

RAAF get called gutter rats.
RAN are puses (spelling?).
And Army get AJ.

I think it "Pusser" and that is a Royal Navy term as well.

Steve

WPN XR6T · 04-11-2007, 01:08 PM

The term Digger is still commonly used in the Army. It is a term used to describe PTE equivilent soldiers and subsiquently all enlisted rank soldiers (who have obviously been PTE equivilent soldiers prior to promotion).

There is other nicknames for indirvidual Corps within Army and I will list some of the more common ones, remembering that all these terms are terms of endearment and are in common use.

Infantry - Grunts

Engineers - Gingerbeers

Armored Corps - Blackhats

Medics - Scablifters

Transport - Steerers

Artillary - Dropshorts

Ordnance - Blanketfolders

This list is by no means exhustive and contains only a few Corps and some of the less offencive nicknames between Corps, Regiments and indirvidual trades.

T_Terror · 04-11-2007, 02:57 PM

How did the name start?

I thought it was because back in WWI the Aus soldiers dug a lot of trenches, hence why i didnt think it was a good name for a modern soldier.

Am i wrong?

bowsaw · 04-11-2007, 02:57 PM

Always thought Armoured were bucketheads? When i was in Pussers, Army was Pongoes, RAAF was Penguins ( because only 1 in 10 000 can fly).

WPN XR6T · 04-11-2007, 03:28 PM

Buckethead is now a term reserved for M113 crewman, seeing that now Armored Corps has multiple Vehicles and roles. Navy still refer to to AJ's as pongos, but I'm not sure that RAAF have any other nickname other than RAAF'ies, more to the point do they even rate a nickname?