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THE :TERM,
"1IGGER"
Origin ; Explained
One of the most interest
ing personalities at the an
nual reunion and "smoko"
of the 7th Ligltt .IHrse
Regiment. .on Saturday
night was Mr. Jonathan
Williams.
Mr. Williams, a Boer War vet
eran, wore the uniform of the
6tth Imperial Bushmeli of New
South Wales, , which consisted
of the Light Horse Regiment of
that war.
Colonel McKay, Mr. Williams
said...wa' the Commanding Of
ficer 'of.the regiment.
In 1900, Mr. Wiliams was one
of .the meimbe'rs of Squadron
P. of.the regiment, which was
chosen to form a bodyguard
and escort for Lord Matthew
in South Africa.
H.THE TERM '"DIGGER"
Incidentally, Mr. Williams
claims that the term "Digger"
originated during the Boer War.
He said that when some Aus
tralian soldiers wanted to' go
down a,mine in Kimberley, the
man in charge asked them if
they were diggers.
One of them replied that he
was a digger from New Sotuth
Wales.' u,
"That's all righlt,' .'said the
man in charge, "we have, a dig
ger here from Victoria:"
British soldiers, ,Mr. Williams
said, were not allowed .to go
down the mines.
'The uniformin which Mr. W1i
liains wore at Saturday night's
function is 48 years old.
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