Peter Barnes | Artist
Peter Barnes
Phone: +61 418 827 756
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23.01.2022 The photograph is of a very young soldier cleaning in the trenches in WW1. They were expected to fight as hard as adult soldiers. In 1914, the British Army had 700,000 available men. However, Germany’s army was around 3.7 million. Many thousands volunteered and answered the call to fight, and so did 250,000 boys and young men under the age of 19, who lied about their age.... Official government policy was 18 to sign up and 19 to fight overseas. It was easy to lie about your age back then because a lot of people didn’t have birth certificates. Around half of those underage soldiers who fought on the front line were wounded, died, or taken prisoner. Recruitment officers were paid two shillings and sixpence for each new recruit, and would often turn a blind eye to any concern they had about age. At the early stages of the war, many recruitment officers would have assumed the war would be over before any of the young soldiers were ready to go overseas. Lest We Forget.
22.01.2022 A truly great Australian war hero, who carried 12 wounded American soldiers to safety down the slopes of Mount Tambu, New Guinea, during the Wau - Salamaua campaign, in WW2. Corporal Leslie ‘Bull’ Allen MM, a stretcher bearer in the 2/5th Australian Infantry Battalion, was awarded the US Silver Star for his bravery. The highest honour possible for a non-American. First lady Eleanor Roosevelt was one of many to write him a letter of gratitude. During the American assault agai...nst the Japanese on Mount Tambu, more than 50 American soldiers were wounded. Two medics were killed trying to retrieve them. What is truly extraordinary, Australians were not supposed to be involved in the fighting, but Corporal Allen, who became aware of the many American casualties, was determined to do what he could. He decided to go up and start carrying men out one at a time over his shoulder through the rough terrain, facing enemy machine guns, snipers and mortar fire. I have read that witnesses told his family that he saved 18 American soldiers who were wounded that day, more than the 12 officially recorded. Corporal Allen was born in my hometown of Ballarat, Victoria, and the incredible photograph on this post was taken on the 30th of July 1943, of him carrying a wounded American soldier. This very brave soldier previously received a Military Medal (MM) for a similar act of bravery involving Australian wounded on the 7th of February 1943, at Crystal Creek, Wau. Corporal Allen had earlier served in the Middle East. He had come to notice there for determination and bravery as a stretcher bearer, recovering wounded men during battles in Libya and Syria. He was revered by the men he served alongside. He was said to be one of the very few who never showed fear. Later though, he became so traumatised by the experience of war that he retreated to an uncle's farm, having lost his power of speech, and took many months to start to recover. He had a tough childhood. He and his sister were raised in an orphanage, and at about the age of 12, he had to start earning a living. He died in Ballarat in 1982, aged 63 years. Being a Ballarat boy myself (born and raised there from the early 1950s), our paths would have crossed. It is sad that the focus for young school children, like myself, in the 50s and 60s, was not on great hometown war heroes like Corporal Allen. I think that during these trying and uncertain times, we should remember people like Corporal Allen and focus on our wonderful heritage of determination, courage, and mateship. I did a very large painting of the photograph on this post in 2015, being the 100th anniversary year of the landing at Gallipoli. It was great to paint such a brave home town war hero and I will put a photograph of the painting in a comment below. Lest We Forget. Photograph came from the Australian War Memorial. Image file number AWM 015515.
22.01.2022 A captivating photograph of the cat mascot of the light cruiser HMAS Encounter, peering from the muzzle of a 6 inch gun during WW1. Lest We Forget. Information and photograph came from the Australian War Memorial. Image file number AWM 304910.
21.01.2022 Great relief and joy felt by the loved ones of a returned soldier from WW2. Photograph taken on the 19th of November, 1944, is of Private Albert George Denovan, of Sydney, NSW, 2/3 Pioneer Battalion, a former prisoner of war (POW), being reunited with relatives. Private Denovan is kissing and holding his son Albert George Denovan in the centre, his wife Mrs Rosetta Denovan is on his right and his mother and brother are to his left.... Lest We Forget. Information and photograph came from the Australian War Memorial. Image file number AWM 083286.
20.01.2022 The photograph was taken in December 1916, of an artillery horse used for transporting ammunition to the guns and its unidentified Australian driver on a duckboard track between Mametz and Montauban, on the Western Front. The military used horses in WW1 mainly for logistical support; they were better than mechanized vehicles at traveling through deep mud and over rough terrain. Horses were used for reconnaissance and for carrying messengers well as for pulling artillery, ambu...lances, and supply wagons. The presence of horses often increased morale among the soldiers at the front. The value of horses and the increasing difficulty of replacing them were such that by 1917, some troops were told that the loss of a horse was of greater tactical concern than the loss of a human soldier. By the end of the war, even the well-supplied US Army was short of horses. Lest We Forget. Photograph came from the Australian War Memorial. Image file number AWM E00002. Most of the information came from Wikipedia.
20.01.2022 I came across this endearing photograph today. The photograph is of a Lewis gunner of the 6th Battalion, the York and Lancaster Regiment with the Regiment's cat mascot, in a trench near Cambrin, 6th of February 1918. Lest We Forget.... Information and photograph came from the Imperial War Museums. Image file number IWM Q 8463.
19.01.2022 Four soldiers of the 1st Light Horse Regiment seated on camels in front of the Great Pyramid and Sphinx. Left to right, seated on the standing camels, are: Corporal Martin Hussey.... Lieutenant Garnet Edmund Iles Tinson, died of wounds on the 9th of August 1915. Trooper Austin Keane, killed in action on the 4th of August 1916. Seated on the kneeling camel is Trooper Colin Lawrence Robinson. Lest We Forget. Information and photograph came from the Australian War Memorial. Image file number AWM P12049.003.
17.01.2022 A great photograph of Sergeant John Whittle VC DCM (12th Battalion AIF) shaking hands with Corporal George Howell VC MM (1st Battalion AIF), presumably after their decoration ceremony. Sergeant Whittle was born at Huon Island in Tasmania and was decorated with the Victoria Cross following two separate actions against German forces during their retreat to the Hindenburg Line in 1917. In the latter action, he attacked a machine gun crew, killing the group and seizing the gun. D...uring an attack on the village of La Barque, Sergeant Whittle rushed a German trench and forced the men from the position; he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal as a result. Discharged from the military in December 1918, he later moved to Sydney. In 1934, he was presented with a Certificate of Merit after saving a drowning boy. He died in 1946 at the age of 63. Corporal Howell was born in the Sydney suburb of Enfield, New South Wales and was decorated with the Victoria Cross following his actions during the Second Battle of Bullecourt, in which he ran along the parapet of a trench bombing the German forces attacking his position through the use of grenades, and thus driving them back. During an attack on a German held village, he led a rifle bombing section and was awarded the Military Medal for his actions. Severely wounded in his Victoria Cross action, Corporal Howell underwent a prolonged hospitalisation period before returning to Australia. Promoted to sergeant, George Howell returned to Australia on the 31st of October, 1917. Having not adequately recovered from his wounds, he was discharged from the Australian Imperial Force on the 5th of June 1918 on medical grounds. Following the outbreak of WW2, George Howell served with the Australian Eastern Command Headquarters but soon sought his discharge and enlisted with the United States Sea Transport Service and participated in the invasion of Leyte at the commencement of the Philippines campaign. He died in 1964 at the age of 71. Lest We Forget. Photograph came from the Imperial War Museums. Image file number IWM Q 70209. Most of the information on this post came from Wikipedia.
13.01.2022 The memorable photograph taken near Merris, France, on the 13th of April 1918, is of a wounded British soldier being helped back during the Battle of Hazebrouck (12th15th April, 1918) in WW1. I find photographs like this to be very compelling. In a shocking war of death and destruction, images like this, taken over 100 years ago, have an incredible humanity. On the 12th of April, 1918, the German Sixth Army renewed its attack towards the important supply centre of Hazebrou...ck. The Germans advanced some 24 kilometres and captured Merville. On the 13th of April they were stopped by the First Australian Division, which had been transferred to the area. The British Fourth Division defended Hinges Ridge, the Fifth Division held Nieppe Forest and the 33rd Division was also involved. Lest We Forget. Most of the information came from Wikipedia. Some information and photograph came from the Imperial War Museums. Image file number IWM Q 10293.
13.01.2022 The photograph is of Private Charles Oakley Erwood (later Corporal), 11th Battalion, and his nieces Olive, Elsie and Emily, of Kerang, Victoria. A contractor prior to enlistment, he embarked from Fremantle, WA, with the 6th Reinforcements aboard HMAT Geelong (A2) on the 6th of June 1915. He was awarded the Military Medal in France. He died of wounds on the 11th of August 1918. He was 38 years of age.... Lest We Forget. Information and photograph came from the Australian War Memorial. Image file number AWM P09762.001.
13.01.2022 I painted the painting titled ‘DAVE’ in 2015... in the 100th year anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli. The painting was donated to Dave (the subject of the painting), who is an Australian Vietnam War veteran, for his service to our country in Vietnam, and later, for his service to his local community. My sister Denise, who lives in Queensland, told me Dave’s story and asked me if I could paint Dave and it would be presented to him. I was very happy to do the painting and... sent it up to Queensland and Denise and others presented it to a surprised Dave. My sister recently told me it now hangs in Dave’s local RSL. My sister Denise has a very kind heart. About 15 years ago, I was speaking to a Vietnam War veteran and he told me he never marched on ANZAC Day, because the way he was treated when he came home from the war. I have never forgotten that. There would have been regular Army soldiers fighting in Vietnam my age at the end of the war for Australia... they would have been 18 or 19 years old. One of the most unforgettable times in my life was when I was invited to a Vietnam Veterans Day commemoration service in Adelaide where the song ‘Can You Hear Australia’s Heroes Marching?’, which I authored nearly 20 years ago, was played. It was an incredible experience. A helicopter flew over during the commemoration service and I got to eat with the veterans later. By the time the last Australian personnel were withdrawn, the Vietnam War had become Australia's longest war, and was only surpassed by Australia's long-term commitment of combat forces to the War in Afghanistan. It remains Australia's largest force contribution to a foreign conflict since WW2. By the 11th of January 1973, Australian involvement in hostilities in Vietnam had ceased. Nevertheless, Australian troops from the Australian Embassy Platoon remained deployed in the country until the 1st of July 1973, and Australian forces were deployed briefly in April 1975, during the Fall of Saigon, to evacuate personnel from the Australian embassy. Approximately 60,000 Australians served in the war, 521 died and more than 3,000 were wounded. I will put a photograph of Dave with his painting in a comment below. Lest We Forget. Some information came from Wikipedia.
12.01.2022 One of the most unforgettable images that captures the incredible bond between soldiers and their horses. The loyal and courageous horses of two fallen light horsemen stand behind their graves. Both men were killed when they were ambushed by Turkish soldiers on the 29th of September 1918. The fallen light horsemen were Sergeant Louis Shannon Brook MM, of Pimpinio, Victoria, and Trooper Clarence William Radburn, of Neville, New South Wales, both of the 1st Australian Light Hor...se Regiment. Despite detailed notes and maps on the location of the graves on Trooper Radburn's service record, they were never found by grave registration units in 1922. The Australian Light Horse holds a proud and revered place in the hearts and minds of Australians. The Waler horses carried their men to victory during WW1 and were regarded as amongst the finest cavalry horses in the world. The Australian light horse regiments were devastated to learn that their beloved horses would not be coming home with them at the end of the war. Horses of the Desert Mounted Corps Memorial has these words... They suffered wounds, thirst, hunger and weariness almost beyond endurance. But never failed. They did not come home. We will never forget them. The memorial is located on the South West external wall of the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. Lest We Forget. Some information and photograph comes from the Australian War Memorial. Image file number AWM P12049.008.
12.01.2022 For Remembrance Day I have chosen one of my favorite photographs of Australian infantry soldiers (AIF) marching in London, England, on the 3rd of May 1919, in the Victory March through the city. The Australian flag is attached to the soldier’s rifle. I don’t think there is another photograph like it. Lest We Forget.... Information and photograph came from the Australian War Memorial. Image file number H12117.
11.01.2022 Frequently I get messages on this Facebook Page asking for information about me. This post is a link to my website which has information about me. The website also has links to my songs on my YouTube Channel and links to my paintings and drawings. I have recently created a webpage where Coffee Mugs can be purchased that feature my paintings and drawings.... My website also has links to other websites I have done like ‘ANZAC Day’ and ‘Australian War Heroes’. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has taken an interest in this Facebook Page over the years. Take care everyone. Peter Barnes http://www.peterbarnes.net.au/
10.01.2022 On the Remembrance Day webpage on the Australian War Heroes website you can download the words to ‘Can You Hear Australia’s Heroes Marching?’ and also there is a link to download the original 3 minute version of the song for free. You can also download a longer 4 minute version of the song for free on the download page on the website. The song has touched many people’s hearts over the past 19 years.... https://www.australianwarheroes.com.au/remembrance-day
09.01.2022 I have posted this story before, but I believe this Australian soldier should be known widely. It is one of the saddest stories I have come across. It is important to read this post to the end, to know the effect this Australian soldier had in shaping how Australia's war dead were treated. A wounded Australian soldier, who lost both hands, writing a letter by using the stumps of his wrists to hold the pen, most likely at No.1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, Englan...d. Most likely he was writing home. The photograph is of Private John Francis Naughton (6 October 1885 - 18 November 1916). A high school history teacher 3 years ago helped identify Private Naughton as the soldier in the photograph over a hundred years after the photograph was taken. Private Naughton of Charters Towers, Queensland, was a baker prior to enlistment. He embarked with the 3rd Battalion in September 1914 and served on Gallipoli, where he was wounded on the 14th of August 1915, when a bomb exploded in his hands, also injuring his right thigh and knee. He was evacuated to a hospital ship via Mudros, and from there to England, spending time at King George Hospital, Harefield, Roehampton Hospital, St Mary's Convalescent Hospital, and ultimately to Fulham Hospital. During his stay in hospital, Private Naughton fell in love and was going to marry his sweetheart, a nurse who looked after him. He was waiting for his hands to be fitted. His incredible toughness and resilience got him walking a little without crutches, even though he had a serious thigh injury. Private Naughton died from kidney issues due to his wounds. Initially, he was buried in an open grave, because at the time they couldn’t keep pace with the number of men dying in the hospitals. They were still burying soldiers en masse up until 1917. Individual graves were for officers and nurses, who were honorary officers. The other soldiers were often buried in pits. Private Naughton's body was left exposed at Kensal Green Cemetery in London for weeks. The grave was only covered after protests from Australian expatriates. Private Naughton's body was exhumed in 1921 and placed in a separate plot for Australian soldiers. Australian anger over the undignified treatment that Private Naughton received in death led to better burial practices for the fallen. So in death, Private Naughton played an important role in shaping how Australia's war dead were treated. Rest In Peace Private Naughton. Lest We Forget. Photograph and some information came from the Australian War Memorial. Image file number AWM H16947.
08.01.2022 Just being in the military can be dangerous. You don’t need to be engaging an enemy, or even be in a war zone, to lose your life. The photograph is of Chief Petty Officer Jonathan Rogers, GC, DSM (16 September 1920 10 February 1964). He was posthumously awarded the George Cross (GC) for the heroism he displayed on the night of the 10th of February 1964, during the sinking of HMAS Voyager. Chief Petty Officer Rogers was born in Llangollen, Wales. He joined the Royal Navy at ...the age of 18 and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) for the ‘coolness and leadership’ he showed while serving as coxswain of Motor Torpedo Boat 698 in action in May 1944, during WW2. He emigrated to Australia after the war and joined the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), serving in the Korean War. He was serving aboard the destroyer HMAS Voyager when, during exercises, it was struck and sliced in half by the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne. Chief Petty Officer Rogers, along with more than 50 other men, was trapped in the sinking forward part of the stricken destroyer. Making no attempt to save himself, he helped as many men as possible escape through a small escape hatch, and, as the compartment sank ten minutes later, was heard leading his trapped shipmates in a prayer and hymn as they met their fate, as his citation said, with 'dignity and honour'. He left behind a wife, son, and three daughters. I have read that his wife said of him: 'It was typical of him - he never thought of himself'. The sinking of HMAS Voyager with the loss of 82 of the 314 crew aboard, was the largest loss of Australian military personnel in peacetime. On the 3rd of June 1969, HMAS Melbourne also collided with the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans of the United States Navy (USN). The two ships were participating in SEATO exercise Sea Spirit in the South China Sea. Around 3:00 am, when ordered to a new escort station, USS Frank E. Evans sailed under the bow of HMAS Melbourne, where the destroyer was cut in two. 74 American crew members aboard the destroyer were killed. Lest We Forget. Information came from Wikipedia. Photograph came from the Australian War Memorial. Image file number AWM 135436. Her or His Majesty's Australian Ship (HMAS) is a ship prefix used for commissioned units of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Every effort was made to research the accuracy of the content on this post, but information can vary from different sources.
07.01.2022 Just love this photograph of a soldier and donkey during WW2. The photograph was taken at Khiam in the Middle East on the 12th of June 1941, of an Australian soldier, Private D. W. Jones, C Company, 2/33 Battalion, with a donkey. Private Jones was one of the men responsible for running the donkey team supply column to scattered units. He came from Carlton N.S.W.... In early 1941, and after a period of garrison duty in the Western Desert, the 2/33 Battalion fought against the Vichy French in the invasion of Syria and Lebanon. In a short-lived campaign, from early June until mid-July, the 2/33rd Battalion took part in the fighting around Merdjayoun attacking Fort Khiam in the early stages of the campaign and Jezzine, fighting mainly in disparate company groups. Following the French capitulation, the 2/33rd Battalion undertook garrison duties in Lebanon as part of the Allied occupation force established there to defend against a possible German invasion through Turkey. Lest We Forget. Information came from the Australian War Memorial and Wikipedia. Photograph came from the Australian War Memorial. Image file number AWM 008196.
05.01.2022 The tragic story of the fallen Sullivan brothers, which shocked the United States during WW2. The five Sullivan brothers were WW2 sailors serving together on the light cruiser USS Juneau. The five brothers, the sons of Thomas (18831965) and Alleta Sullivan (18951972) of Waterloo, Iowa, were:... George Thomas Sullivan, 27 (born December 14, 1914), Gunner's Mate Second Class. Francis Henry "Frank" Sullivan, 26 (born February 18, 1916), Coxswain. Joseph Eugene "Joe" Sullivan, 24 (born August 28, 1918), Seaman Second Class. Madison Abel "Matt" Sullivan, 23 (born November 8, 1919), Seaman Second Class. Albert Leo "Al" Sullivan, 20 (born July 8, 1922), Seaman Second Class. The Sullivans enlisted in the US Navy on January 3, 1942, with the stipulation that they serve together. The Navy had a policy of separating siblings, but this was not strictly enforced. George and Frank had served in the Navy before, but their brothers had not. All five were assigned to the light cruiser USS Juneau. Juneau participated in a number of naval engagements during the months-long Guadalcanal Campaign beginning in August 1942. Early in the morning of November 14, 1942, during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Juneau was struck by a Japanese torpedo and forced to withdraw. Later that day, as it was leaving the Solomon Islands' area for the Allied rear-area base at Espiritu Santo with other surviving US warships from battle, the Juneau was struck again, this time by a torpedo from the Japanese submarine I-26. The torpedo likely hit the thinly armored light cruiser at or near the ammunition magazines and the ship exploded and quickly sank. Eight days after the sinking, ten survivors were found by a PBY Catalina search aircraft and retrieved from the water. The survivors reported that Frank, Joe and Matt died instantly, Al drowned the next day, and George survived for four or five days, before suffering from delirium as a result of hypernatremia (though some sources describe him being "driven insane with grief" at the loss of his brothers); he went over the side of the raft he occupied. He was never seen or heard from again. The Navy named two destroyers The Sullivans to honor the brothers: USS The Sullivans (DD-537) and USS The Sullivans (DDG-68). DD-537 was the first American Navy ship ever named after more than one person. The motto for both ships was/is "We stick together." Lest We Forget. Information and photograph came from Wikipedia.
04.01.2022 I am someone who doesn’t like confined and tight spaces couldn’t imagine doing what some soldiers did in Vietnam. Photograph taken on the 25th of June 1966, of a torchlight search by Sapper Raymond Bellinger, of Melbourne, Victoria, as he crawls along a Viet Cong tunnel during Operation Enoggera. Sapper Bellinger was one of a team of engineers who searched hundreds of yards of Viet Cong tunnels after the 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), had occupied a Com...munist village. During the Vietnam War, ‘tunnel rat’ became an unofficial specialty for volunteer combat engineers and infantrymen from Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, who cleared and destroyed enemy tunnel complexes. Typically, a tunnel rat was equipped with only a standard issue M1911 pistol or M1917 revolver, a bayonet, a flashlight, and explosives. Besides enemy combatants, the tunnels themselves presented many potential dangers to tunnel rats. Sometimes they were poorly constructed and they would simply collapse. Tunnels were often booby trapped with hand grenades, anti-personnel mines, and punji sticks. The Viet Cong would even use venomous snakes (placed as living booby traps). Rats, spiders, scorpions and ants also posed threats to tunnel rats. Tunnel construction occasionally included anti-intruder features, such as U-bends that could be flooded quickly to trap and drown the tunnel rat. Sometimes poison gases were used. In the years since the Vietnam War ended, tunnel rats have suffered from a high percentage of Agent Orange injuries and diseases, due to their exposure to the chemicals on the ground, or that leeched from topsoil into the tunnel environment. While in the tunnels, soldiers were breathing air heavily saturated with Agent Orange. Lest We Forget. Information came from the Australian War Memorial and Wikipedia. Photograph came from the Australian War Memorial. Photographer: William Cunneen. Image file number AWM CUN/66/0523/VN
04.01.2022 We are going into extreme lockdown here in South Australia from midnight, because of COVID-19. The state will shutdown, and to show how far it is shutting down, we have been told there will not be any funerals or weddings at all during this time. This virus has greatly affected people worldwide and 2020 will not be forgotten for a long time. We have seen great courage and care from those on the frontline, like nurses, doctors and paramedics, in caring for those who have beco...me very sick from this virus. They are our heroes, as those like them a 100 years ago. The photograph taken in 1919, is of a returned Australian soldier who was wounded and who is also suffering from influenza. He is with two Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurses, M. M. (Brooksie) Brooks and Smithy, outside the 'flu ward at the Randwick Military Hospital in Sydney (It later became known as the Prince of Wales Hospital). The VADs are wearing masks over most of their faces to protect themselves against the Spanish Influenza virus. The returned soldier is on crutches and has a heavily bandaged right foot and looks like he also has a bandage on his head. Lest We Forget. Information and photograph came from the Australian War Memorial. Image file number AWM P02789.002.
03.01.2022 This unforgettable photograph of two British soldiers was taken at No.4 London General Hospital, during WW1. They are wearing the 'Hospital Blue' uniform. When I first saw this photograph some time ago, I was really captivated by the smiles on the soldiers’ faces. Shocking war injuries but what incredible smiles. I read an article after seeing this photograph that highlighted that WW1 army doctors were helpless in relieving the pain soldiers suffered who had lost limbs.... Because surgery had to be done quickly, many amputations were performed by guillotine amputation. The guillotine amputation would involve a sharp object very quickly cutting of a limb between the area where the bones meet. As horrible as this process may sound, guillotine amputation saved the lives of many men, as it often prevented infection. In WW1, the scale of the conflict and the weapons used resulted in incredible numbers of amputees. Of the seven million British soldiers deployed during the war, 41,000 were surviving amputees. Even today, as improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have made the loss of limbs a not uncommon military casualty, prosthetic technology has improved greatly, but apparently, there is still a lack of effective pain treatments for pain felt in the phantom limb. A phantom limb is the sensation that an amputated or missing limb is still attached. Up to 80% of individuals with an amputation experience phantom sensations in their amputated limb, and the majority of the sensations are painful. Lest We Forget. Photograph came from the Imperial War Museums. Image file number IWM Q 27815.
02.01.2022 'Mateship meant everything'. Mateship is a concept that can be traced back to early colonial times. The harsh environment in Australia, which convicts and new settlers found themselves, meant that men and women closely relied on each other for all sorts of help. When I visit Ballarat in Victoria, where I was born and raised, I go to the New Cemetery to visit my loved ones who have passed away, and occasionally, I will go to the Old Cemetery some distance away to visit ancestr...al relatives, some who passed away in the 1800s. At one of my ancestors grave sites is adults buried with 3 children under two who died in the 1800s. Our country was built on blood, sweat and tears. In Australia, a 'mate' is more than just a friend and is a term that implies a sense of shared experience, mutual respect and unconditional assistance. During war our country was secured by great struggle and sacrifice. For Australians fighting in war, mateship meant everything. I painted the iconic photograph of an Australian soldier carrying a wounded comrade to a medical aid post for treatment during the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. The painting was created in 2015, in the 100th year anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli. The painting is titled ‘Mateship’ and is painted with acrylic on canvas. It is a large painting with the size being 1 Metre x 1 Metre. 4 years ago the painting went to an Afghanistan War veteran. I have recently read that the soldier carrying the wounded comrade is Private Frederick J Schenscher, 27th Battalion, from Saddleworth, South Australia. He was a stretcher bearer and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for his bravery in rescuing wounded in France in 1917. The stress on Fred’s body from the hard work and danger of being a stretcher bearer right through WW1, meant he suffered physically and mentally. After the war, Fred never married and his body was found floating in the Port River in 1957, where he had drowned during a fishing boat trip. He is buried in the West Terrace AIF Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia. Whatever we are going through today, Australians in the past have faced it, and a whole lot more. One thing we have is great imagery and stories how they faced really hard times and overcame. Mostly, they looked after each other. I will put the photograph in a comment below. Lest We Forget.
02.01.2022 The face of an angel. The photograph on this post is of Sister Elaine Balfour-Ogilvy, 2/4th Casualty Clearing Station. She was the daughter of Harry and Jane Balfour-Ogilvy, from Renmark, South Australia.... Elaine was killed in the Banka Island massacre in WW2. She was among the last group of 65 Australian nurses to leave Singapore on the merchant vessel Vyner Brooke on the 12th of February, 1942. The ship was sunk by Japanese aircraft in Banka Strait. 22 nurses came ashore on Banka Island and when they were discovered by the Japanese on the 16th of February, 1942, the nurses, including Elaine, were ordered to walk into the water and were shot by machine gun. Sister Bullwinkel was the only nurse to survive the massacre and gave evidence of the massacre at a war crimes trial in Tokyo in 1947. Lest We Forget. Photograph and information comes from the Australian War Memorial. Image file number AWM P01021.001.
02.01.2022 The photograph is of men of Company E, 16th Infantry Regiment, US 1st Infantry Division, wading ashore on Omaha Beach on the morning of the 6th of June 1944. American soldiers encountered the newly formed German 352nd Division when landing. During the initial landing, two-thirds of Company E became casualties. The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, the 6th of June 1944, of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation O...verlord during WW2. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D-Day, it was the largest seaborne invasion in history. The operation began the liberation of German-occupied France (and later western Europe) and laid the foundations of the Allied victory on the Western Front. Around 156,000 American, British and Canadian troops crossed the English Channel that day. More than 13,000 aircraft and 5,000 ships supported the operation. The amphibious landings were preceded by extensive aerial and naval bombardment and an airborne assault. The target 50-mile (80 km) stretch of the Normandy coast was divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. German casualties on D-Day have been estimated at 4,000 to 9,000 men. Allied casualties were at least 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead. Lest We Forget. Information and photograph came from Wikipedia.
01.01.2022 Going over the top. A rare photograph that shows the moment when the first men go over the top during a raid near Arras, France, on the 24th of March 1917. An officer of the 10th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), leads the way out of a sap (short trench). Shells are bursting in the distance.... Short trenches (saps) were dug towards the enemy trenches and enabled troops to move forward in a way that limited their exposure to enemy fire. Lieutenant John Warwick Brooke, the official British photographer, followed them in the sap, into which a shell fell short killing seven men. Life in the front line always carried an element of danger. The threat could be from snipers, shellfire or from taking part in a trench raid or a major offensive. Lest We Forget. Information and photograph came from Imperial War Museums. Image file number IWM Q 5100.
