World War I

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Cee-BW-Challenge-Landscapes

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Cee’s

Black and White Challenge.

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Geelong sunset.

Beachscape

A landscape or the result of landscaping?

Many South West Victorian farms have

changed their landscape from one

which grazed sheep and cattle to one

which grows trees and is far less intensive.

A little over 100 years ago this idyllic

French landscape would have appeared

anything but idyllic as Villers Bretonneux

was in the middle of some of the

heaviest fighting of World War I.

As the sun goes down…

…near Geelong.

Yearling Herefords

Spring sown canola crop on its way to maturity.

Canola in flower

 

Saint Kilda Pier

 

Moorabool Valley eucalypts.

In the distance are

The Grampians.

The southern end of

The Great Dividing Range.

Moorabool Valley

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Cees-BW-Photo-Challenge: Landscapes

Black_White

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FOWChallenge-Upper

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upper

*  situated above another part.
*  situated on higher ground
****

The Upper part of a shoe is tht part which surrounds the sides and ttop of one’s foot

At the Battle of Bullecourt allied armies

had to attack the German army which

was situated on the higher (upper) ground.

There was little or no way for allied soldiers to

gain any protection from German bullets

on these open fields.

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Fandango’s One Word Challenge:..Upper

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Pic-and-Word-Challenge_Wk254-Nightmare

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nightmare

a frightening or unpleasant dream.
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We often complain or are

frightened by a nightmare.

But many of our defence personnel

along with many civilians

have lived the nightmare

from which there was

no awakening.

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Pic-and-Word-Challenge_Wk254-Nightmare

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Pic-and-Word-Challenge_Wk161-Remembrance-Day-2018

 

My own Remembrance Day post

along with some Canadian Memories for you Patrick.

Although I must confess they are

memorialising a New Foundland Regiment.

and not a BC regiment.

As we walked the trenches my thoughts were that there

was not enough cover and I would be wanting to

dig down another foot or so if someone was shooting at me.

If anyone recognises this young lady

and she would like a full copy of the photo I will oblige.

I don’t like posting photos

if have not asked the subject.

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Remembrance Day 2018

Before visiting the Western Front Battlefields in June 2017,

I had heard that Flanders poppies grew like weeds

on the Somme battlefields. 

While this photo was taken in a cemetery,

the second image was a typical farm sight.

The photo below however, was not 


And was an unexpected sight… 

On this day,

the eleventh day

of the eleventh month

at the eleventh hour

World War I ended

in 1918. 

Today is Remembrance Day

 

“We will remember them.”

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Pic-and-Word-Challenge_Wk161_Rememberance-Day-2018

November 2018 WitsEnd Inspirations: Unexpected

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Remembrance-Day-2018

 

Remembrance Day 2018

Before visiting the Western Front Battlefields in June 2017,

I had heard that Flanders poppies grew like weeds

on the Somme battlefields. 

While this photo was taken in a cemetery,

the second image was a typical farm sight.

The photo below however, was not 


And was an unexpected sight… 

On this day,

the eleventh day

of the eleventh month

at the eleventh hour

World War I ended

in 1918. 

Today is Remembrance Day

 

“We will remember them.”

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November 2018 WitsEnd Inspirations: Unexpected

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Daily Prompt-Ceremony

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On August 5, 1914, my Grandfather was part of a gun crew

which fired the first allied shot of what was

to become known as The Great War.

At the time he was stationed at Point Nepean which

is situated on the eastern side of the entrance to Port Phillip Bay.

The cannon on the right was the one used for the task.

The barrel on the left was used to fire the first shot

of World War II.

One hundred years later, August 5, 2014,

on bright sunny day in winter

a ceremony was conducted to commemorate that event.

 

All the ceremony the military could muster

was included to mark  the occasion.

 

We had mixed messages about who could lay the wreath,

so as my Grandfather did we took things into our own hands

and I and my two Aunties, Dad’s sisters,

to lay our wreath.

My Auntie, on the right, has since passed.

Just before 1245 a freighter came into view as it did in 1914.

 

Then at precisely 1245 a ceremonial shot

was fired from Point Nepean,

to mark the centenary of firing of the

First Shot of World War I.

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Daily Prompt: Ceremony

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ANZAC-Day-2018

ANZAC-Day-2018

 

Today, ANZAC Day 2018 the

Prime Minister of Australia…

Mr. Malcolm Turnbull…

is visiting the co-located

Australian National Memorial

and the

Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery

located just outside of Villers-Brettonneux

on The Somme Battlefields of France,

to open the Sir John Monash Centre.

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The Sir John Monash Centre was…

 

 

under construction when

I visited early in June, 2017…

and is situated behind the Central Tower…

 

from which the views are stunning. 

 

It was extremely difficult to imagine

all the lives lost…

 

and bloodshed in

this idyllic farming land.

 

 There are wing walls flanking the central tower…

 

upon which are engraved the names of

10,732 Australian casualties who died in France…

and who have no known grave.

 

Used as an observation post by

the French in World War II…

 

the Memorial was extensively damaged by

German aircraft and ground fire.  

During the repair process it was decided to

retain some of the scarring.


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Lest We Forget

 

 

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Black and White Tuesday18-0424_ANZAC

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Black and White Tuesday

ANZAC Week 2018

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Some ANZAC Day related posts this week.The Ayette, Indian and Chinese Cemetery.

I just could not get over how care goes

into maintaining these cemeteries.

 

 Headstones sitting shoulder to shoulder

indicate that all these lives were lost in one battle

and I think on the same day.

The age of most was 18-23 years.

No wonder my Grandfather was known as ‘old’

at the ripe old age of 28.

The Thiepval Memorial to

the French and British

missing on the Somme.

 My first look at how much these sites mean

to people of all ages from all parts

of the world.

 

 Children or Churches

remembering ancestors.

MY Grandfather survived World War I

however, he now has his own

small memorial in France.

Lest We Forget.

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brandy-pup_1-1

Hope you enjoyed.

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DISCOVER CHALLENGE17_0112_Transcript

Transcript

 

In April 2013 around ANZAC Day (April 25) I

transcribed this diary extract about my

Grandfather during World War I.

The entire post may be found HERE

One day of routine manning I left Carlin and another at the tap in with instructions that if the line went we’d mend it at our end as it always got out about 150 yards from the O.P. the Hun strafing that point every day for no reason whatever and doing no damage except to a few telephone lines.   Sure enough the Hun had his strafe and the line went.  Harper was with me and another man, probably Davis.  Of course they wanted to go out and mend it, but as the line was of no great importance at the moment told them to wait till the strafe stopped – we could see and hear shells bursting.  Next thing Harper got a buzz on the phone showing it was through and a little later old Carlin’s head appeared at the parade, beaded with sweat and much wind up.  I strafed him for coming out when he was told to stay in.  His reply was, “I saw the O.P. was getting it and thought someone might be hit.”  That did not prevent him stopping to mend the line amongst the S. 9.

 I have always said that “Windy Bill Carlin” is the bravest man I have met and one of the windiest. The man who is not windy cannot be brave, but the man who does his job at all times and under all conditions and with the wind up all the time, is the man I admire.

It is one of the few pieces of memorabilia

I have of either of my Grandfathers,

and even though I think the conflict was abhorrent,

I am still proud of their efforts during that time.

My Grandfather was awarded a

Distinguished Conduct Medal

for this and other action while serving in

France and Belgium.

Bill_2

There are some typos or spelling errors and

are included to maintain faithfulness

 to the original copy. 

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DP_Discover Challenge: Transcript