exhibit: 100 years anniv of Aust men rounded up for Eurowar

[LaraOnline]

Sorry about the convoluted title.

It is 100 years ago today that the first of Australian convoys set sail to Europe's WW1.
337,000 young men and 27,000 horses from Australia to the war in Europe.
From such a sparsely populated country, it was a goodly take.

The first convoy which set off on November 1 included 28 ships from the Australian Imperial Force plus 10 ships from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. While the ships were still anchored in Albany, the Maoris aboard the Kiwi ships performed war dances resembling the haka on deck. The Aussies replied with loud calls of "cooee".

For any wartime history buffs out there.
What an awful waste of good men, good ships and good horses!!!

http://media.news.com.au/nnd/war-diaries/convoys-to-hell/#

 

[LaraOnline]

Re: exhibit: 100 years anniv of Aust men rounded up for Euro

... and in the spriit of the occasion...

these youtube videos represent two of the more important musical contributions to Australian cultural perspectives on war...

This is a slightly modernised cover of Eric Bogle's famous song 'Green Fields of France'.
There are so many nice versions of this song.
My favourite is actually from an Australian singer - perhaps Redgum (a band associated with John Schumann) - but I can't find the version on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITK1fqPCyvU

Here is another hugely important song for the Australian memory of war experience.
This is the live version, which I prefer, but the original film clip (released under Schumann's band Redgum) is excellent as well.
"I was only 19"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSsAgsbTM4Y

 

[GlamMosher]

Re: exhibit: 100 years anniv of Aust men rounded up for Euro

Thanks for this post LaraOnline. My great grandfather was a lighthorseman and although he wasn't at Gallipoli, he did fight in many of the great battles in Egypt and that area (like Beersheba). Luckily he returned.

 

[LaraOnline]

Re: exhibit: 100 years anniv of Aust men rounded up for Euro

Here is a report from the commemorative service from the site in Albany, Western Australia, where Australian and New Zealand men first set sail.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/ww1-anniversary/albany-swells-with-pride-at-place-in-anzac-history/story-fnocd9mw-1227109348709

Glammosher, thank goodness your grandfather returned.

My own grandfather was one of the lucky few to survive years of internment when singapore fell in WW2.
He remained a shadow of himself until he died.
Many of his friends literally exploded with beri-beri
A horrible and undignified way to die.

 

[GlamMosher]

Re: exhibit: 100 years anniv of Aust men rounded up for Euro

Oh Lara, may your GF now rest in peace, how awful to have gone through that. It would have been brutal. Have you seen the movie Railway Man?

Mine was my GREAT grandfather (I know I am old, but not that old... )

 

[ksinger]

Re: exhibit: 100 years anniv of Aust men rounded up for Euro

Thanks Lara! 100 years. Hard to believe at times. I confess I am woefully ignorant of this area, but my husband (the history teacher) uses Galipoli (the film) in his US class quite often. He said it gives an excellent depiction of life in the trenches and just how bloody it all was.

 

[LaraOnline]

Re: exhibit: 100 years anniv of Aust men rounded up for Euro

Mine was my GREAT grandfather (I know I am old, but not that old... )

Eep sorry bout that, was in a rush, my friend was knocking at the door lol..
My hubbie is a history buff and will watch anything about the Russian experience in WW2.

I will have to ask him about 'Railway Man' or keep an eye out for it on Foxtel! (cable)

 

[movie zombie]

Re: exhibit: 100 years anniv of Aust men rounded up for Euro

I have been to Albany, AU and it is a beautiful place.
my FIL, however, explained the significance and it is also a sad place.
yes, a very big sacrifice from such a sparsely populated country, especially at that time before immigration was encouraged as it was after WWII.