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These are the medals of my Grandfather, from the Great War of 1914-1918.
He was there on the battlefields of Flanders, tending to and carrying the wounded on a mule-driven wagon.
We are lucky he survived to tell the tale.
Today is Anzac Day - Lest We Forget
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Little Aussie has been here this week.
When he is older I will tell him about his Great-great-grandfather.
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He is growing like a weed, this little man.
Has a keen interest in Firemen ..
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and Pirates ..
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Photography ..
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and Picnics.
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Also Cafe Society and a BubbaCcino!
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Today we hung out with Aussie's Uncle, the Rocket Scientist.
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I liked this potted plant arrangement.
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In the astonishing news department,
the Garden of Neglect has produced a host of chrysanthemums,
having survived the long hot summer from beneath the ground:
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Just in time for Mothers Day.
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Rosemary for Remembrance...
Adieu for now
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So good you still have the medals....what a story they tell. Jx
ReplyDeleteNot only the medals, but also a diary written in the trenches, near Ypres. They are very much family treasures. Hope you are well Janice. x
DeleteYour Grandsons will be proud to learn about their Great Grandfather in years to come.
ReplyDeleteSitting have a picnic in the sunshine - it strikes me that Australia has a very amenable climate.
I think the medals and diary will tell the story of the Great War, and I hope it is passed down the family.
DeleteYes, have to admit the climate here is very kind, on the whole. Picnics are best in Autumn or Spring, not too hot, cold or wet!
For the past year or so I've had an interest in reading more about the first World War; learned so much more than I knew. Seems the history of WW2 took precedence in our knowledge and many details of the Great War have been overlooked. How lucky your dad is to have survivde that horrible conflict.
ReplyDeleteLittle Aussie is such a dear. Lucky you to have his visits. That's great looking food, and I LOVE your pink chrysanthemums! Here, we look forward to peonies for Mother's Day. They are forming buds right now.
Have a great day, Patricia.
Yes, the Great War is tending to be overlooked these days, but it took a terrible toll. My grandfather was extremely lucky to survive, went to London afterwards and met and married my grandmother. They came out here to Queensland and settled on their little farm. The pink chrysanthemums are my favourites, but peonies for Mother's Day: that would be grand!
DeleteHe is such a cute little boy. Yes, you should be so proud of your Grandfather. Those medals were hard fought and hard won during a horrendous war. He was so lucky to have survived such a terrible time.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sulky, the little man is so cute now, full of new ideas and language. He counted in Spanish for me!
DeleteLike your grandfather, my great-uncle was a stretcher-bearer in Flanders in the First World War, but sadly he was killed when tending a wounded soldier. I'm always particularly moved when I think of the Australian and New Zealand troops who came halfway round the world to fight in a war in defence of the Old Country. So much suffering in both world wars.
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely photos and little Aussie is obviously growing up fast. ;-)
A fascinating connection across the years, Perpetua. I wonder if those two men ever met... we will never know! Australia was so empire-minded in those days. Much less so now. From less than 5 million population, 416,809 enlisted. 60,000 were killed and 156,000 wounded or taken prisoner. (Thanks Google).
DeletePatricia, those figures for Australia are appalling, given the small size of the population. You might like to read the post I wrote about my Great-Uncle Walter to mark Armistice Day 2011:
Deletehttp://perpetually-in-transit.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/they-shall-grow-not-old.html
Thank you Perpetua, I have read the link and it is a wonderful post. Have printed it out and will show my father on Sunday. Despite his dementia some days he has good recall of old memories, and this could bring out more stories of his father's experience. btw, Mr C had 2 great-uncles perish - same war, same area near Ypres. We visited in 2009 and found one name on the Menin Gate and one grave in a nearby cemetery. One uncle was in his teens, the other early 20s. Such sad losses.
DeleteHow heartbreaking for Mr C's family to have lost not just one boy but two. The scale of losses was colossal. My family historian sister and I are planning to visit Flanders on the 100th anniversary of Walter's death in 2016 so that I too can see his name on the Menin Gate. I find it so sad that so many families didn't even have a grave they could visit, just a name on a huge memorial.
DeleteWhat a lovely idea, to visit on the 100th anniversary. Maybe the Cardinals should consider doing something similar!
DeleteI'm actually reading my way through the first world war at the moment and it's quite an eye opener! So much unnecessary suffering. x
ReplyDeleteHi Suzy, see my comment to Perpetua for some WWI stats. It was a dreadful war, with enormous loss of life, and as you say unnecessary suffering. Think of the gassing in the trenches! But, thanks to Australians enlisting for overseas, I came to be me; as my grandfather found his wife in England, she had my father, and he had me :)
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