This edition published by ETT Imprint, Exile Bay 2018
Compiled by Tom Thompson from texts, photographs and captions by James Moody as presented to Ion Idriess to create Horrie the Wog Dog.
This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Inquiries should be addressed to the publishers:
ETT IMPRINT
PO Box R1906
Royal Exchange NSW 1225
Australia
Copyright Idriess Enterprises Pty Ltd, 2018
ISBN 978-1-925706-58-1 (paper)
ISBN 978-1-925706-59-8 (ebook)
Design by Hanna Gotlieb
Cover: Horrie sings to the accompaniment of a mouth organ, Palestine 1941, hand-coloured by James Moody
INTRODUCTION
Private James Bell Moody (VX13091) was a stalwart member of the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion. While serving in Egypt he found a local dog which the unit named Horrie served for eighteen months as a willing mascot for the unit, known as the Rebels, in Egypt, Greece, Crete, Palestine and Syria. Horrie survived aerial bombardment and the sinking of their transport ship Costa Rica.
All that despite Routine Orders in June 1941 that stated: The practise of keeping dogs and other pets is to cease. Commanders will ensure that personnel who already have pets dispose of them forthwith. The Rebels were very determined to bring Horrie home and on April 1st 1942, Moody brought home his dog Horrie from war inside his army pack on the transport USS West Point, and moved in with his father at 28 Meadow Street, East St Kilda.
After serving together surviving the sinking of their transport ship Costa Rica, Moody decided to tell Horries story with his mates of the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion for possible publication, using his waterlogged diaries as a starting point. However, he was soon frustrated with the quiet life in the Victoria Barracks, and went Absent Without Leave, with his friend Don Gill, who both embarked for service in New Guinea with the 2/7th Australian Infantry Battalion on 2nd November 1942.
Meanwhile the rest of the Machine Gun company arrived in New Guinea by January 1943. It was while serving in the army in New Guinea that Moody began his first Tale, an 18,000 word manuscript; and rejoined his old unit from illegal absence on January 10 1943. He went AWL again from April 15 through to the 28th, and was punished with a loss of pay. Undeterred, and keen for action, Moody and Gill left Duntroon on May 4 to Brisbane, where they were interviewed by Smiths Weekly and then on to Port Moresby, where they rejoined the 2/7th Infantry. On May 25 1943, Moody was fined 100/- for boarding a Transport without permission.
As Smiths Weekly noted:
Tired of sitting and waiting, they decided to go out in search of the enemy. So they walked out of camp and made their way to Brisbane. Instead of having a stolen holiday however, they walked into a Brisbane Camp and attached themselves to a unit that was soon to leave for New Guinea. On sailing day they boarded the transport as numbers of a fatigue party and secreted themselves on the ship until well out to sea and then reported to the O.C. (Officer in Command).
The Colonel, at a loss as to what to do with them, decided to take them temporarily on strength, until he could communicate with their own commander. Result was the men saw service at Milne Bay and on duty with jungle patrols...
On June 11 Moody applied to Major Dunkley for a transfer to the 2/7th, and was advised that the application must be submitted to the parent unit. Captain Reginald Dixon wrote to Moody on that day stating that he does recall having two stowaways on his hands for disposal. However, we would be most happy to have you back with the unit this time for keeps only wish you could have been with us during the flap. Im sure you would have enjoyed it.
Dixon and Dunkley was only too happy to take Moody on, but his old Unit felt otherwise, and Moody sent his Tale to Angus and Robertson, with several photographs of Horrie in action.
At Angus & Robertson publishers in Sydney, Ion Idriess was a constant visitor, having completed five of the six book Australian Guerrilla Series, all published in 1942. His classics like The Cattle King, Drums of Mer, Flynn of the Inland, Forty Fathoms Deep, Gold Dust and Ashes and Lasseters Last Ride, Men of the Jungle, and Over the Range all reprinted that year. In 1943, most of these also reprinted, as well as his1941 title The Great Boomerang. While Idriess was working on The Scout, Walter Cousins of Angus and Robertson gave the Moody manuscript to Idriess, as he had been a Light Horseman in the Middle East in 1917. That month, Idriess wrote to Moody suggesting a collaboration to make a book of it:
There undoubtedly is partial material for a good dog book in the M.S. Unfortunately the material is not sufficient for a real book... our problem is to find material for a further 40,000 concentrated words at least. I have endeavoured to solve this by writing you a host of questions... By the time youve got to the end youll be surprised at how much more you know of Horrie than you previously thought you did. Then go over the questions again, and write the answers out fully for me.
Moody agreed and Idriess wrote up the 63 Questions herein to help make the book take shape. Your questions have simplified my task very considerably, Moody wrote back to Idriess on July 5 from New Guinea, adding Perhaps I had better explain why this MS appears so disjointed and incomplete. I collected a very considerable set of photos whilst away from Aussie with this unit, and as so many included Horrie taken in various countries, I picked out roughly about 50 and connected them up more or less with the MS.
He mentioned how censorship at the time, and a lack of permissions forced him to leave out names, including ship names, and preferred not to mention his recent drama to the noted author: Horrie is at my Dads home in Melbourne, 28 Meadow Street, St Kilda... I am sorry I am not home & able to take him to you in Sydney... Cheerio and thanks for the confidence.
Thus Moodys first Tale herein closes with these lines:
After some eighteen months service with the A.I.F., the little wog-dog has been honourably discharged and today he enjoys he comfort and happiness of a well-cared for suburban dog. He has grown fat in his new found home and spends many hours lazing and sleeping in the sun...
In July, Idriess received a letter from Moodys father noting that Jack had now all the photos he required, while Moodys own post to Idriess, dated July 27: I am forwarding the enclosed 124 pages on the instalment plan, it being rather inconvenient for me to keep it until I have answered all your questions.
By August 10, Moody writes to Jack: I trust you will be able to extract a little more meat from this final instalment. I have kept a duplicate of the 364 pages posted to you in case they go astray in transit. He also notes that more photographs are with his father.
Moody Snr wrote to Jack on August 27 saying that he had now received his sons Horrie notes in 2 parcels, as he had to lighten his pack of everything not wanted on the voyage... the little dog is A.1 & anxiously waiting for me to post this letter, he usually carries Smiths Weekly which I post regularly to Jim I have tried him with letters but the effort is not so good, especially if he meets any of his doggie friends enroute.
