Beneath Hill 60 Page #4

- MAN:
Get him, boys!

- Come on, Billy!

- MAN:
Go, Billy!

- (MEN YELL)

- MAN:
I'm with you, Billy.

- Billy, go!

- Go, Streaky!

(MEN CHEER)

MAN:
Victory to

the 1st Australian Tunnellers,

six points to three.

(ALL SING) d Parlez-vous?

D Mademoiselle from Armentieres,

parlez-vous?

D They'll do it for wine,

they'll do it for rum

d They'll stick your finger

up your bum... d

(LAUGHTER)

D Hinky-dinky, parlez-vous?

D Oh, Mademoiselle from Armentieres,

parlez-vous?

D Mademoiselle

from Armentieres, parlez-vous?

D We're the boys from Townsville

and Dandenong

d We're coming for you

with our donkey dongs

d Hinky-dinky, parlez-vous?

D Oh, Mademoiselle from Armentieres,

parlez-vous?

D Mademoiselle

from Armentieres, parlez-vous?

MAN:
D She's really fat

and she's got big ears... d

- What's up, Lieutenant?

- It's Captain, actually.

Well done, sir.

Thank you, Sergeant Fraser.

- (MEN LAUGH)

- MAN:
Hey, Sarge!

As you were!

We're moving up the line.

We load up at midnight.

How come you bastards get to leave

this shithole before us?

(PLUMMY ACCENT)

Because only real soldiers

get to move up the line. (LAUGHS)

Where we heading, sir?

Belgium.

Hill 60.

Better get your gear.

Righto, you blokes. Let's go.

Keep your heads down, lads.

I nearly forgot - a present from

Fritz.

He said to say,

Thanks for all your help."

Cheers, mate.

lads.

AUSTRALIAN SOLDIER: Thanks, mate.

(DISTANT EXPLOSION)

(BABY CRIES)

(EXPLOSIONS)

Too early for the grey hen, sir?

Never too early.

(SHIVERS)

- I'm right.

- Take 'em.

You're just skin and bones.

Come on, son.

She'll send me another parcel

tomorrow, more than likely.

(EXPLOSION)

Decent fit.

My Elsa's a first-rate knitter.

When we get back, she'll have

probably knitted herself a new husband.

(LAUGHS)

Want to be a bit better-Iooking

than the old one.

(LAUGHTER)

Your boy's gonna make

a great prop forward.

Don't I know it? And he's still

growing.

You join up together?

One of them recruiting blokes

came through town.

Gets the young fella all excited

with his stories of adventure

and seeing the Pyramids

and what have you.

Never spent one bloody night

away from home

and he's quit the pits and joined up.

Elsa's nearly had bloody kittens,

hasn't she, Walt?

Yep. (CHUCKLES)

Well, you can't unjoin.

So, after Walt went to bed,

I said to Elsa,

I've looked after him all his life.

I'm not gonna stop now."

I told her if I joined up,

I could bring him back safe.

Elsa didn't know what was worse -

her boy going off to the war by

himself, or both of us going.

And she's been knitting like buggery

ever since.

(SHELL EXPLODES)

MAN:
(SHOUTS)

Douse them flaming lights!

Stay low! Stay low!

(SHELLS EXPLODE, MEN SHOUT)

Stay here!

- Where's Fosse Way?

- It's north, that way!

He said that way!

Or south to Hill 60?

Fraser! This way!

(ARTILLERY SHELL WHINES)

(SHELL EXPLODES)

FRASER:
Let's go!

Keep down!

Come on, boys!

(ARTILLERY SHELL WHISTLES)

(MAN YELLS)

You alright, Walt?

Come on, come on, get up!

Get up! Go!

(ARTILLERY SHELLS WHISTLE)

Where are the others?

(COUGHING)

FRASER:
Sir!

We left the bloody kids behind.

Who's missing?

Young Sneddon, Tiffin and Bacon.

Walter!

(SCREAMS) Walt!

(DISTANT ARTILLERY FIRE)

(DISTANT EXPLOSIONS)

- (MACHINE-GUN FIRE)

- Arggh!

(MACHINE-GUN FIRE)

(MEN YELL)

(GRUNTS)

(WALT GRUNTS AND SOBS)

(MACHINE GUN FIRES)

(WALT SCREAMS, SOBS)

How can Fritz get to us?

We're behind the line, ain't we?

He's got the high ground.

(WALT WEEPS)

(FLARE HISSES)

JIM:
(YELLS) Walter!

Over here!

Oh, f***!

We've missed it.

(WALT SOBS)

Sap's over to the right. About 25

yards.

You ready?

(MACHINE-GUN FIRE)

(SCREAMS AND CRIES)

Walt, we can't stay here, mate.

(WEEPS CONTINUOUSLY)

Tell you what,

I'll go to the left and draw crabs.

Soon as you hear that MG open up,

you run like buggery.

Don't bloody stop

until you get to the sap!

(WHISPERS) No.

I'm twice as fast as you blokes.

Probably make it before youse do.

Come on, Walt!

- (MACHINE GUN FIRES)

- (WALT YELPS)

(REPEATED MACHINE-GUN FIRE)

(MACHINE-GUN FIRE)

- Stay low!

- Tiffin!

Walt!

Over here, mate!

Come on.

TIFFIN:
Streaky's still out there!

Billy!

Billy Bacon!

Streaky!

BACON:
(IN DISTANCE)

Did they get home?!

They're home!

- Streaky!

- Streaky!

- Run!

- (MACHINE-GUN FIRE)

- Billy!

- Go on, Billy!

- Billy!

- Come on, Billy!

- (MACHINE-GUN FIRE)

- Come on, Streaky!

- Run, Billy!

- Come on!

Arggh!

(MOANS)

Stretcher!

Stretcher bearers!

Streaky?

Oh, this is God's

flamin' handiwork, is it?

Grab his disc and pay book.

We'll bury him in the morning.

Come on, Frank.

(MAN YELLS IN DISTANCE)

MAN:
(YELLS) Gas masks on now!

(BANGS TIN)

Captain Woodward.

- McBride!

- Captain McBride, actually.

Where you been?

Been waiting for hours.

(GUNFIRE)

Hell of a place, eh?

Your men can bunk down in there.

Stow your kits.

Get a couple of hours' sleep.

Couple of hours?

Gee, sir. They'll turn soft on you.

Come on!

Have you seen the tunnels?

You've got a big surprise

in store for you.

Come on.

Officers' dugout's down this way.

I might just bunk down here

for the time being.

TIFFIN:
Wetter in here

than it is out there.

WALT:
More rats than in frickin'

France.

FRASER:
At least they're Belgian

rats.

Change is as good as a holiday.

WOODWARD:
Keep your gas bags

within reach.

At least we're back underground.

(EXPLOSION)

And we'll be staying underground.

One way or another.

What's that supposed to mean?

This is how it goes from now on.

We'll be dodging shells and shrapnel

and out of the blue,

you cop a bullet in the guts

like poor old Streaky.

And it's no game of skill

down here, neither.

Get eaten by rats,

get murdered by Fritz in the dark,

or buried alive

for our f***ing troubles.

Well, that cheered us all up.

(KNOCKS ON DOOR)

Mr Waddell.

Oliver.

When do you set off?

About three weeks.

Right, well... you'd better come in,

then.

Actually...

...I'd like to ask you something.

I would like your permission to write

to Marjorie while I'm overseas.

And...

...I'd like to spend some time with

her before I leave.

- I know.

- Damn it.

(SIGHS) Oh.

- Emma.

- What?

I'm gonna take my walk now,

if you'd care to come.

Your walk?

Aye.

If you'd care to come?

Oh... of course.

They've never taken

a walk together in their lives.

When I get back...

...I'll take you walking every day.

(SPEAKS GERMAN)

Ja.

SOLDIER:
Can't see it.

(FIRES GUN)

Keep going.

Mate, can I have a bo-peep?

- Yeah, help yourself.

- Thanks.

Hey, Pull Through.

Hill 60 - take a look.

(GUNSHOT)

Is that it?

What were you expecting, Morris?

The f***in' Matterhorn?

(GUNSHOT)

I was expecting something bigger

than a railway cuttin'.

(BOTH LAUGH)

(FIRES GUN)

(FIRES MACHINE GUN)

(WATER SLOSHES)

WOODWARD:
So, why Berlin Sap'?

McBRIDE:
It goes so deep

under German lines,

they reckon it almost reaches Berlin.

WOODWARD:
It's just mud and slurry.

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