author
Oliver Hogue
1880–1919
A vivid Australian war writer who turned frontline experience into sharp, memorable prose, he is best known for writing as “Trooper Bluegum.” Journalist, poet, and soldier all at once, he left behind a body of work shaped by adventure, humor, and the realities of World War I.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Sydney in 1880, Oliver Hogue grew up in a large family and became known early on for his love of sport, riding, and the outdoors. Before the First World War he worked as a journalist with The Sydney Morning Herald, building the lively, direct style that would later make his wartime writing stand out.
He enlisted in 1914 and served with the Australian light horse, seeing action at Gallipoli and in the Middle East, eventually rising to the rank of major. Writing under the pen name “Trooper Bluegum,” he became widely read for his letters, verse, and books about army life, including Trooper Bluegum at the Dardanelles and The Horses Stay Behind, which mixed wit, observation, and deep feeling for the men and animals caught up in war.
Hogue died in London in 1919 during the influenza pandemic, at just 38. Though his life was short, his work remains a vivid window into Australia’s experience of the war and into the voice of a writer who could be both spirited and moving.