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Jo’s Monday Walk

Week-25

Merricourt Cemetery

Like some other War Grave Cemeteries,

Merricourt War Grave cemetery

is an extension of the

local communal cemetery.

And like all other cemeteries

it is immaculately cared for

and extremely peaceful.

It did not take long to find

Private Patterson’s grave.

Another twenty-two year old life cut short.

The same family contribution to the headstone.

 

So far graves belonging to the

Patterson family have been marked

by a flower in bloom or one nearby.

In this case it was an in bloom iris…

 

which made the grave easily identifiable…

 

in some contextual shots.

All to soon it was time to be on our way again

and ponder the meaningless

and utter waste of life.

 I thought what we had seen was bad…

however, in my opinion the worst

was yet to come.

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Jo’s Monday Walk

Jo’s-Monday-Walk-Wk24

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Jo’s Monday Walk

Week-24

Heath Cemetery

While I traveled along the Chunnel to Lille two weeks ago

I struck up a conversation with

my wife’s cousin on Facebook.

She  sent me names of three of her uncles

who perished during World War 1.
Our first stop was Heath Cemetery.

It is nice to know the French people have donated

land for War Grave Cemeteries.

However it is also sad to think that so much land

has been donated to remember the fallen.

I thought it would take all of us all day

walking around looking at headstones.

However it is far easier to find a grave than I thought and I mention that in a later post.

It took about two minutes to find

Sergeant Major Patterson’s grave.

On each grave is the soldier’s

service number, rank, name, unit,

date of their death and their age.

Sergeant Major at age 23, in this case.

 I had to darken the photo to read the text.

The rose to my right makes a good

identifying marker in later shots.

Three rows back and the rose is clearly visible.

 

Near top right hand corner the rose is still visible

even if Sergeant Major Patterson’s grave

is just out of shot.

The verse at the bottom of each headstone is verse which each family decided to place on their relatives grave.

Looking back to the gate upon which we entered.  Three rows back….

 As we drove away there was still a feeling of

sadness even though I was not

related to any of them.

Such an utter waste of life.

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Jo’s Monday Walk

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Jo’s Monday Walk

Wk-20

Vienna-2

Some more…

from our walk…

around Vienna.

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It seemed like every other tourist was also trying for his shot.

 We did have a similar sight in Melbourne…

advertising Coca-Cola, of all things.

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Jo’s Monday Walk

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Jo’s Monday Walk

Week-20

Vienna

I am running so late with this post, this week…

that I will restrict commentary to the bare minimum.

We had some free time and were…

able to wander around enjoying the sites

as we happened upon them.

I still marvel at the workmanship involved in…

creating the statues and fountains of Europe.

 

Fortunately we were able to find a place

to sit, rest and have a quiet coffee when required.

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Jo’s Monday Walk

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Jo’s Monday Walk

Wk-19

Salzburg – 2

A Few shots from our walk around Salzburg.
 This sign announcing Salzburg University

looked like a work of art.

And the dates, like this, on buildings are

never seen in Australia.

1360…over four hundred years

before Australia was settled.

 

Craftmanship of this door.

Love the workmanship in all the fountains…

although this horse does look like it is pain.

By the time we sighted these blokes my feet

were voting to hire one of them.

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Jo’s Monday Walk

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Jo’s Monday Walk

Wk-18

ANZAC DAY 2017

Ballarat  

Although ANZAC Day was last week I felt two shorter posts more appropriate, if for no other reason than last week we were in the centre of Ballarat.  

This week, on the outer edges, or at least away from the CBD and with a different focus…slightly.

Last week we finished our walk…

with a long shot of Ballarat’s Arch of Victory

which is the beginning of the Avenue of Honour.

A roundabout situated just in front of the Arch

makes for an ideal place to take a shot of Sturt Street.

Ballarat’s Central Business District is

several kilometres distant.

Just to the left of this image is…

the Roll of Honour where all those who enlisted from…

the Ballarat area have their name inscribed on the wall

or on the plinth under the Dome.

I suspect that it is World War I Service men and women

names listed on the plinth.

Just across the road from the Roll of Honour is the new…

Garden of the Grieving Mother.

This was to be opened to the public the day after my visit.

commences where I thought it ended…

at the Arch of Victory.

 

Some of the latter photos appear to contain a purplish tinge

which I have tried to remove.  

I must learn not to fiddle with settings too much! 

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Jo’s Monday Walk

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Jo’s Monday Walk

Wk-17

ANZAC DAY 2017

Ballarat

 
Ballarat, although never being much more, or less,

than an hours drive from where I have lived

is not a city I have visited very often.

This is despite the fact that it is steeped in history

as a centre of the gold rush days of the 1800s

through to its contribution and commemoration to

world conflicts in which Australia has participated.

When I think of Ballarat I think of

Sturt Streets Avenue of Honour

which I have only discovered today

commences where I thought it ended…

at the Arch of Victory.

My first image is of a statue of

Major General Harold Edward “Pompey” Elliott,

who was a senior officer in the Australian Army

during the First World War.

After the war he served as a Senator for Victoria

in the Australian parliament. (Source: Wikipedia)

Sir Albert Coates, born in Ballarat, was

an Australian surgeon and soldier.

He served as a medical orderly

in World War I serving on Gallipoli,

and as a senior surgeon for

the Australian Army Medical Corps

in World War II in Malaya. (Source: Wikipedia)

Further along is a memorial to all those conscripted…

and ordered to serve in Wars closer to home.

Although I was declared unfit to join the army,

being conscripted was one of the few ‘raffles’

I have won in my lifetime.

With the lack of respect of many of today’s younger generation

I think twelve month compulsory conscription

would not be a bad thing.

However, this does not mean every conscript

would be automatically ordered to war.

My God son has recently enlisted and apart from

a few ups and downs is enjoying his basic training,

according to his family.

Various Wars close to Australasia.

World War II is also remembered with its…

own memorial.

Double click this image to enlarge and read inscription.

However, I am not sure what his WW II monument

is supposed to symbolise.

 Around this time of year Ballarat is known

for its Begonia Festival.

These red begonias are planted especially for ANZAC Day…

and are usually in full bloom this week

according to the gardener fertilising them.

A few kilometres drive further along Sturt Street

and you will come across

Ballarat’s Arch of Victory.

When conducting some research for this post I discovered that

this is the beginning of The Avenue of Honour.

The Ballarat Avenue of Honour is famous for being the

 first avenue of its kind in Australia (perhaps in the world)

and the longest of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

It is acknowledged, however, that there were other

Avenues of Honour which preceded Ballarat’s,

but none are as long.

It incorporates the Ballarat Arch of Victory and extends for

approximately 22 kilometres along the Western Highweay.

In total, the trees represent 3912 Ballarat and district men and

women who served in World War One – 528 of whom

were killed in battle or died of wounds or disease.

The trees were planted in order of the soldiers enlistment

along the Western Highway, consisting of 3,771 trees.

(Source: Ballarat Avenue of Honour)

With an Avenue of Honour that long

it is unlikely that we will forget.

At the time of my visit, mid February,

just left of the Arch of Victory is another

memorial to those who suffered

as a consequence of War.

Read on….

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Jo’s Monday Walk