Blog category - News

Celebrating Spring and new life at the Memorial

29 September 2010 by Debra Holland. No comments
News

Spring  and new life  came to the Memorial on Tuesday 21 September when our resident mother duck introduced her latest hatching of 11 ducklings to the world.

Much to the delight of staff and visitors, the baby ducklings took to the Pool of Reflection in our Commemorative Area to learn to swim, under the close eye of  their mother of course.    

By Thursday morning 23 September the ducklings had found their ‘water wings’  so mum decided it was time to take the family further afield.

This might have meant a dangerous waddle down ANZAC Parade with the threat of  impatient traffic and hungry magpies on the loose.

So Memorial staff came to the rescue.  In what became known as Operation Duck Lift, the family was carefully transported by car to safe waters on the edge of Lake Burley Griffin near Blundell’s Cottage.

Mum and her brood of 11 ducklings were last spotted splashing and quacking happily in the sunshine.

Update:  We have had other new arrivals at the Memorial!  Can anyone help identify them?  Suggestions are that they are Fairy Martins or Welcome Swallows.

Who was the Accordion Man?

24 September 2010 by Debra Holland. No comments
News

We are seeking your help to identify a former Australian prisoner of war who will appear in the next edition of our quarterly journal Wartime.

Dubbed ‘The Accordion Man’ by Memorial historians, the Digger is pictured smiling to the camera and holding a small battered accordion.

The photograph was taken 65 years ago on 24 September 1945.

We would like to find out more about this soldier; how he kept his accordion hidden from his captors; what music he played to entertain his fellow prisoners; what happened to him after he returned home; whether he had a family, and what happened to the accordion?

So what do we know already?

The photograph was taken by Lieutenant R Buchanan at the recently liberated Bicycle Camp (so called because of number of bicycles found on site when the Australians first arrived) in Batavia (Jakarta) Java, Indonesia.

The Australian Army photographers pictured in the background are documenting the state of the prison camp and the condition of the prisoners.

It is likely that ’Accordion Man’ was an infantryman from 2/40th Battalion or a supporting unit – and was among those captured by the Japanese in early 1942 while defending the Penfui airfield at Koepang in Dutch West Timor.

The 2/40^th Infantry Battalion was the only battalion in the AIF recruited almost entirely from Tasmania.  The Battalion formed the bulk of “Sparrow Force” and were rushed to Dutch West Timor at the end of 1941 to help defend against invading Japanese forces.

However, like most of the ‘bird’ forces deployed across the islands to Australia’s north, the men of “Sparrow Force” were ill equipped and undersupplied and were overwhelmed by the large numbers of invading Japanese forces.

Most men of the 2/40^th became prisoners of war and were eventually interned at the Java camp, although some members managed to escape to join  2/2^nd Independent Company, an Australian guerrilla force that had eluded captivity by hiding in the rough Timor jungle.  

The prisoners were liberated in late August and early September 1945 and repatriated home to Australia almost immediately.

Anyone with information about ‘The Accordion Man’ is invited to comment on this blog or write to us at ‘The Accordion Man’ c/- Communications and Marketing, Australian War Memorial, GPO Box 345 Canberra ACT 2601 or email to media@awm.gov.au

The next edition of Wartime Issue 52 will be on the news stands from 27 October. 

New National Service memorial fountain dedicated

12 September 2010 by Debra Holland. 4 Comments
News

Thousands of former National Servicemen and their families came together in Canberra last week to take part in the official dedication by the Governor- General on 8 September of their new memorial fountain located in the Eastern Precinct of  the  Australian War Memorial.

Beneath sunny skies old mates gathered together to laugh and shed a few tears, swap yarns and remember absent friends in what was one of the largest reunions of former ‘Nashos’ .

The  memorial fountain features a  sandstone plinth (matching the colour of the Australian War Memorial itself) which symbolises the Army;  the reflection of the sky in the black polished granite  represents the  Royal Australian Air Force and the water in the bronze bowl represents the  Royal Australian Navy. 

Designed by Richard Johnson, of Johnson Pilton Walker (who are redesigning the Opera Theatre at the world heritage listed Sydney Opera House) the memorial fountain uses recycled water and is drought resistant.

Click here for photos from the day.

New Second World War galleries open

06 September 2010 by Liz Holcombe. 1 Comment
News

The Second World War galleries recently opened to the public after a re-development that puts never-before-seen objects alongside some remodeled existing exhibits.

The new items include a rare Australian armoured vehicle, the Dingo scout car; a captured German Flak 38 anti-aircraft gun still in its original desert camouflage; and a unique Chevrolet lorry and Breda anti-aircraft gun combination used by Australians during the siege of Tobruk.

A new showcase emphasises the importance of the “home front” and includes a beautifully restored civilian Studebaker sedan with its producer gas unit and an Anderson shelter, which was designed to protect families in their backyards.

Returning displays include the Kokoda campaign and German Kübelwagen. The HMAS Sydney exhibit has been updated to include an audiovisual presentation.

Dr Karl James talks about the Second World War galleries

 

Come and see the galleries for yourself.

More information

• Second World War galleries
• Overview of the Second World War

New display of First World War postcards

11 May 2010 by Pen Roberts. 6 Comments
News

The postcard concept had its origins in Germany and the United States in the middle of the nineteenth century. By the outbreak of the First World War, millions of postcards were being sent across the world via postal services. The phenomenon of collecting postcards was also well and truly established.

A new display featuring images of women from the First World War postcard collection, is currently showing in the Australian War Memorial’s Reading Room.

The Memorial has a rich collection of postcards that servicemen sent to family and friends, and also those they collected for themselves. Many of these postcards depict images of women. In this display, several prominent themes are featured.

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95th Anniversary of Gallipoli Campaign

23 April 2010 by Nicholas Schmidt. 1 Comment
ANZACS online,Collection,From the collection,New acquisitions,News,Personal Stories, Gallipoli, Private Records, Research Centre

This ANZAC Day marks the 95th anniversary of the start of the Gallipoli campaign, when tens of thousands of British, French and Dominion troops landed on the Turkish coast.

To acknowledge this anniversary, the Australian War Memorial’s Research Centre is displaying previously unseen original letters and diaries relating to the campaign. The Research Centre’s collection is a rich source of records that tells the story of Gallipoli in the words of those who experience it.

The display is titled Gallipoli Landings and reminds the visitor that few of those Australians who served on the peninsula landed in that initial wave of 1,500 men from the 3rd Infantry Brigade. Many experienced their own ‘landing’ in the hours, days and months that followed, while others, including nurses, served on the ships and islands off-shore. Despite great efforts over eight months and the loss of many lives, little progress was made. The ANZACs were evacuated in December 1915. By January 1916, the last British troops had been withdrawn from their positions at Cape Helles, and the campaign abandoned. 

The varied experiences of those who served at Gallipoli can be seen in the letters, diaries and private papers from the Memorial’s Private Records collection. The Memorial began collecting wartime letters and diaries during the 1920s and continues to collect the private records today.

 

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Private Leonard Granrott in the battle at Messines

19 April 2010 by Robyn Van Dyk. 3 Comments
Family history,News,Personal Stories

In the lead up to Anzac Day on 25 April, the thoughts of many Australians  often turn to members of their own family who served during the First World War. The Australian War Memorial’s databases hold a rich source of detail for  families who may want to learn more about the service of their relative.

I was asked recently by ABC radio about what can be found online and in the Memorial’s collections to help tell us the story of someone’s military history. I was given the name Private Leonard Granrott to use as an example. The following story has been pieced togther from Private Granrott’s personal service record, the published unit history of the 38th Battalion and the Memorial’s online collections. The links to the online source material thoughout this story represent only a small cross section of the Memorial’s total online collections.  

The story of Private Leonard Granrott:

Private Leonard Granrott was 25 years of age and working as a painter in Brunswick, Victoria when he enlisted on 8 March, 1916. He was to serve with the 38 Infantry Battalion which was a Victorian unit. Although Granrott was from Melbourne the 38th was very much a country unit with its heart in the Australian bush. The men trained at the Epsom racecourse at Bendigo and Leonard would have practiced jumping in and out of trenches there and slept in one of the many white tents pitched under the gum trees.

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Fromelles: identifying the fallen

19 March 2010 by Aaron Pegram. 6 Comments
News,Wartime

 

Earlier this week the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Allan Griffin announced the results of the first Joint Identification Board held to identify the remains of 250 Australian and British soldiers killed during the battle of Fromelles on the night of 19/20 July 1916. The remains were recovered from a recently discovered mass grave at Pheasant Wood where 203 were identified as Australians, and through DNA testing, 75 were identified by name. News of the results bought closure for the families of the men who had been officially missing for nearly 94 years and have now been reinterred in the newly-created Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery. A final burial will take place during a ceremony to mark the 94th anniversary of the battle on 19 July 2010.

In December 2008, the Memorial’s official magazine Wartime ran several feature articles on the discovery of the mass grave at Pheasant Wood by key researchers involved in the project: Lambis Engelzos, a retired Victorian school teacher, wrote of his research which ultimately led to the discovery of the mass grave at Pheasant Wood; Dr Tony Pollard, the Director of Battlefield Archaeology at the University of Glasgow, wrote the story of the archaeological excavation conducted in May 2008; and Peter Barton wrote of his research in the archives of the Bavarian Kriegsarchiv in Munich, Germany. Memorial historians Ashley Ekins, Nigel Steel and Peter Pedersen gave accounts of the battle itself.

Due to the high level of public interest, copies of Issue 44 of Wartime are no longer available, but the magazine can be accessed here in digital form free of charge.

It is intended that the Joint Identification Board will continue DNA testing until 2014. People who believe their relative may be buried at Fromelles and have not already registered should do so at http://army.gov.au/Our-work/Unrecovered-War-Casualties/Fromelles/The-Australian-Fromelles-Relatives-Database or by calling the Australian Fromelles Project Group on 1800 019 090.

Australian War Memorial Fromelles tour, 2010

19 February 2010 by Peter Burness. 7 Comments
Battlefield Tours,News, cemetery, ceremony, Flanders, Fromelles, Pheasant Wood

A  unique and remarkable ceremony of Australian national significance will be conducted in France on 19 July 2010.  It will be the culmination of the long search for those killed, and whose bodies were never recovered, in the disastrous Battle of Fromelles in French Flanders 94 years ago.  Now discovered, 250 bodies are finally being laid to rest in the specially constructed Fromelles Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery. 

The first burials of these Australian and British soldiers commenced on 30 January this year. After the fighting in 1916, the Germans had gathered the bodies into pits.  Now, these soldiers have been reinterred through February, one by one, with each subsequent day’s burials conducted as a formal military funeral with a bearer party and padre in attendance. 

Evidence has been taken from each of the bodies which may lead to some of them being identified.  From April permanent headstones will be placed over the graves, and it is expected that some of them will bear soldiers’ names. 

The main concluding ceremony in July will commemorate the battle, honour all those who took part, and formally mark the completion of the archaeological excavations and the reinterment of all those whose bodies which were found on the outskirts of Pheasant Wood at the edge of the small village of Fromelles.  A large attendance of dignitaries, families, locals, and public is expected. British, French and Australian media will cover the event. 

I will have the privilege of attending the ceremony accompanying a battlefield tour group arranged by the Australian War Memorial, and Boronia Travel Centre.  Anyone can join the party, and you are encouraged to sign up early by contacting the agent ph. +61 (03) 9762 2111) or the Memorial ph. +61 (02) 62434 3243). 

The occasion will have special meaning for me.  I have made the journey to the Western Front more than 20 times and have seen numerous battlefields.  But the Fromelles ceremony will be a unique event.  The war cemeteries adjoining battlefields are always deeply moving.  Sometimes I have had the honour of being in the company of veterans or those whose father or a relative fought there. Looking at the surviving evidence, after considering the battles that were waged and the lives that were lost, one also sees the immense effort that occupied a generation of workers to ensure that those killed were remembered.  The cemeteries are still meticulously maintained.  The new Pheasant Wood cemetery is a revival of that activity; it is the first Commonwealth War Graves Commission First World War cemetery constructed since the immediate post war years.  

Travelling in an Australian battlefield group is sometimes emotional, often fun, and always fulfilling.  Joining a group with a common interest and mutual sense of pride creates strong bonds.  I will accompany the group in my familiar role as historian-guide.  Our agent, the most experienced in the field, is there to provide personal attention and to ensure a high standard of accommodation, meals, and travel.  It is reassuring to know that things will go right. 

Fromelles, and the unique ceremony there, is the special focus for this tour.  However it is important to remember that this was just one of many major battles fought by the Australian Imperial Force on the Western Front.  Most were longer and in many the total casualties were higher.  Places such as Pozieres, Bullecourt, Ypres, Zonnebeke, Passchendaele, Amiens, Villers-Bretonneux, Peronne, and Mont St Quentin are among those of similar importance to Fromelles.  They too will be remembered. 

The battlefield tour runs from 5 – 22 July.  It will go to all the First World War places of major importance to Australians.  We will visit the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux and participate in the Last Post ceremony at the historic Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres.  I will be there to provide historical background, an explanation of each place visited and to introduce you to our friends in France.  There will also be time to see Paris and go to Verdun and the famous Champagne region.

 Battle of Fromelles in brief:

Australians were thrilled by the stories of their troops’ exploits on Gallipoli in 1915. The next year, in early 1916, the Australian divisions finally joined the British army in France and Belgium.  At last they had arrived in the war’s main battle theatre.  Here, on the Western Front, they met a new form of fighting. 

At first the Australians were in a relatively quiet sector in France.  Still, there were periods of stiff fighting, shelling, and some heavy raids; by the end of June over 600 men had been killed.  But by now the British main efforts had shifted to the Somme 100 kilometres away to the south.  Resulting from heavy British losses, the Australians were soon drawn in.

While three divisions went to the Somme, the most recently arrived division, the 5^th, remained in French Flanders.  There it went into the trenches opposite the shattered village of Fromelles which sat on commanding ground behind the German front line. 

British troops had fought around Fromelles in 1915, with heavy losses, but the village would soon give its name to a fresh disaster.  On the evening of 19 July the Australian 5^th Division and the British 61^st Division attacked the Fromelles ridge in a diversionary attack intended to draw German attention from the allies’ Somme operations. 

The two divisions chosen for this battle were both new to the sector and lacked local battle experience.  The men had to assault over open fields criss-crossed with drainage ditches and in the face of heavy machine-gun and artillery fire.  Many fell, while others were overwhelmed by German counter-attacks.  The attack failed, with 5500 Australian casualties, and no ground was taken.  It was a cruel introduction to major combat, one from which the 5^th Division was a long time recovering. 

Brigadier General H.E. “Pompey” Elliott, a veteran officer who commanded the 15^th Brigade in the battle, later said:

“Practically all my best officers, the ANZAC men who helped build up my brigade, are dead.  I presume there was some plan at the back of the attack but it is difficult to know what it was”.

 Extract from: Peter Burness, ANZACs in France, 1916. (2006).

Peter Burness is Senior Historian at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra

More information:

• Peter Burness’ post from 2009 called Fromelles’s missing
•  The  Fromelles section of the Australian Army website
• Issue 44 of Wartime, the Memorial’s official magazine, contains many articles about Fromelles

Love Letter Update for Valentine’s Day

13 February 2010 by Nicholas Schmidt. 6 Comments
Collection,From the collection,News,Of love and war,Personal Stories, Exhibition, Of Love and War, People, Private Records

It has been a year since the first blog entry went up about Marthe Gylbert and her letter. In this time, with the help of some very generous people, I have been able to discover much about Marthe and her wonderful love letter. If you have not seen the previous blog entries, they can be found here and here.

Marthe‘s nephew Jean Marc Gylbert has been very helpful and interested. He has provided much information about his family and his aunt although some part of the story remains a mystery even to him. This blog is based on information Jean Marc Gylbert has provided.

Marthe was born on the 24th April 1901 to Louis and Marie Louise Gylbert. She was the fourth child in the family of six children, two of whom died while very young. The family came originally from Nieppe, a village about 3 km from Armentières, on the left bank of the Lys River. Jean Marc Gylbert describes the family as ‘very poor’ with Marthe’s father working as a farm labourer and her mother employed as a servant.

Marthe met her Australian sweetheart in Armentières not Saint-Sulpice-les-Feuilles as I said before in my previous update. Armentières had been briefly occupied by the Germans, in October 1914, but was taken back by the British, who occupied the village until the 10th April 1918. Amongst the troops in Armentières were Australians and this is when Marthe appears to met her ‘Darling Little Sweetheart’.

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