November 5th Website

November 5th Website
I have created a website that contains more information than this blog. It also contains a memorial page.
Click on the tab above to go directly to the website.



Wednesday, April 24, 2013

ANZAC Day 2013

Hi All,

I have been up to the local ANZAC Day service and then the gathering at the RSL afterwards. This year was the biggest gathering there has been so far in the last few years and surprisingly it was not that cold, I do have to say that since I began going to the local service, each year has seen a little more attend.

Once I returned home I set to my normal routine for ANZAC Day - undertaking research, though this year I am trying to help some other people discover information about their soldiers.

This year I didn't lay a wreath. My memorial was a personal one - I have had two (metal) dog-tags made for myself with my grandfathers and great-grandfathers war information. It is so special on different levels. I look at the tags I wear around my neck and think in some way finally they are together - unfortunately due to the First World War my grandfather grew up never knowing his father (my great-grandfather).

The left tag is for my grandfather, the right tag for my great-grandfather
The top tag is for my grandfather (I used the exact name he fought under), the bottom tag for my great-grandfather.







OTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT THE STRANGENESS OF WAR
When looking at my mum and dad's families there is are a couple of unbalanced situations between the two families with regard the wars.

On the one side, my mum's family had a large number of family members participate in various wars, however nearly all of them came home and came home without any issues.
Where on the other side, my dad's family had only a few members (about a handful) participate in World War One and Two with the majority not returning and/or returning with some serious issues (and not just physical ones).

The results of war can be strange.

A NOTE - one of the main reasons my mum's family had some many go off to war is that most of the children born into her family have been males, where with my dad's family most of the children born into to the family have been females. If I had to put a ratio on it, it would be something like for every 1 female in my mum's family born 3 or 4 males are born. Where dad's family is the opposite - 1 male to every 3 or 4 females.

Friday, April 12, 2013

The word is getting out

I received noticed a week ago that findmypast.com.au were going to included the brief summary I wrote about the research I have undertaken / the soldiers of the November 5th 1916 in their ANZAC memory bank.


 This is the image seen by all in the memory bank


When I got to their site I was totally surprised and very pleased to see that this brief overview was the third story, so everyone that visits that part of the site will see what I have found / been doing.

My main hope is that this will give the families that I have not been contact with another avenue to get in touch with me and the website.

Findmypast also put up the poems I have written (they are in another section on this blog), they are on the second page - story number 6.


This is entry for the poems. This also includes a poem found amongst my pop's World War Two items that he had.



The address to view my overview along with all the other stories and memories findmypast have included in their memory bank is: <http://www.findmypast.com.au/articles/anzac-day-stories/page-1>