On a recent European cruise, we stopped at Zeebrugge, and the ship offered an excursion to Ypres, Belgium, the site of three First World War battles. My husband and I booked the visit as I have a person in my family history, Andrew Petrie Porter, who remains missing after the Third Battle of Ypres, Belgium. I often research and write about Andy as he was known, as he is one of the favourites from my family history. The first battle … Continue reading
Horace Archibald Davies was born to Moses and Catherine on 3 April 1895 in Normanton, north Queensland, Australia.[1] This little town boomed briefly as a port following the discovery of gold nearby at Croydon in the 1880s, but by 1911 the population was down to about 541 people and falling.[2] Normanton is a long way from anywhere. Horace was the eldest child of his family, with a sister and three brothers. He was nine years younger than his cousin, my … Continue reading
Originally published as GSQ Blog on 23 Oct 2016 One hundred years ago the world was engulfed in conflict. Men and women from every nation were conscripted or volunteered to fight when hostilities broke out in Europe in August 1914. Some 416,809 Australian men and women enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF), the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army. By the end of the war, over 60,000 Australians had been killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed or taken … Continue reading
Readers may recall I introduced my grandfather Len in my story of 14 November, this is a continuation of Len’s tale after he returned from World War One. In 2014, I came across a website called Adopt a Digger, a centenary project to map returned soldiers from the Sunshine Coast area, particularly those who had taken up land at the Beerburrum Soldier Settlement.[1] Here I also discovered a photograph of my grandfather. It was taken at the camp in Enoggera … Continue reading
Anzac Day is an opportunity to reflect on the violence and futility of wars, and the waste of human lives that result from war. We do not seem to learn from history. The following brief investigation into the impact that Gallipoli had on my family demonstrates our desire for peace. Gallipoli was a tragedy. It originated with a plan devised by Sir Winston Churchill. His objective was to seize Turkey, thus weakening the German Allied forces and securing the Suez Canal. The AIF … Continue reading
