91 years ago the gun's went silent

[svandamme]

No trench veterans left with the memories of the horror now Harry Patch found his peace.

[Willem Fick]

May we never forget.

[Mothy]

Maybe no veterans left but plenty of memorials. Going through my Grandfathers old documents recently I came across this draft of a speech he once gave about his work just after the Great War. He was an Engineering Officer in the Australian Army. The speech was given in 1932.

This man was very influential for me - a humble and gifted gentleman.

THE 4TH DIVISION A.I.F. WAR MEMORIAL
Bellenglise, France.
By
Lieutenant C.R.Bickford, Field Engineers A.I.F.

Thinking that many who served in the 4th Division, A.I.F. would be interested in reading something of the erection of the Divisional Memorial in France, I have attempted to briefly set out the main facts associated with its construction. The site that was chosen is situated on a high ridge near the village of Bellenglise and about 7 miles north of St. Quentin and 2 miles south of Bellicourt.

It represents the point where the 4th Division made the first break in the Hindenburg Line, an operation the success of which led to the ultimate breaking down of this main German line of defence. It might be said that this phase of the attack on September 18th 1918 by the 14th Battalion, which was the first British unit to secure and keep a footing in the Hindenburg Line, was the prelude to the period of rapid retreat of the German forces that ultimately finished with the Armistice on November 11th.

It was realised that the Division had a record of fine achievements in many great battles, but it was felt that this final and remarkably successful attack was in the nature of a crowning glory, so that by placing the Memorial there the great and successful record of the Division would be remembered in its final victory.

I was given the task of erecting the Memorial and it would be too long a story to relate the various events, some humourous, some tragic, that were associated with its construction.

With the exception of the granite facing, which came from Charleroi in Belgium, the material was acquired at a total cost of nil pounds, nil shillings and nil pence. A sympathetic chief engineer of the 1st British Army at Valenciennes provided an order for the necessary cement to be supplied from the dump at Arras. Tha sand came from a fine sand pit situated some miles from the work and all went well until the rightful and wrathful owner appeared on the scene – “Allez tout de suite!!” – but we had acquired enough. The stone? Yes, good granite that had been carelessly left by someone in little heaps along the roads. Major-General Hobbs, who cast a fatherly eye on the job on a few occasions, once tactlessly inquired as to the source of supply, but realising his “faux pas,” quickly changed the subject. The total number of “Diggers” who were provided for the work was six; six motor lorries were also made available. As a consequence there was not enough labour and too much transport, so that it was necessary to barter some transport away in return for additional labour from any source available. The result was that the different types of labour used gave the job quite an international character. Chinese, Bengalis, Kaffir boys and German prisoners from the French authorities, also Belgian masons, all contributed to the carrying out of the work. In view of the fact that there was a large camp of Spanish miners nearby, who were working on the reconstruction of the Bellicourt tunnel, the locality was almost a forerunner of the League of Nations, but more peaceful, except when the Chinese moved camp or quarrelled with the Spaniards.

Owing to the shell holes and the number of trenches that intersected the area chosen for the Memorial, it was not easy to select a site where the ground had been undisturbed. A satisfactory position was finally found and a concrete raft foundation about 4 feet thick and reinforced with light railway rails was constructed upon which the Monument was built. The granite stones were quarried and dressed in Charleroi and then dispatched by rail to St. Quentin. As some of the stones weighed 3 tons each and our appliances were most primitive, it was not an easy job to transfer the stones from the railway trucks on to our lorries and once or twice, when a heavy stone was rolled onto the tail of the lorry, it showed a disposition to rear up like a frightened horse. It was difficult to avoid a slight chipping of the edges of the stones as they were not protected, but the Belgian contractor was very wrathful all the same when he viewed the damage to his handiwork.

In one of the photos it will be seen that two long spars were used as a derrick to lift the stones into position and the “acquiring” of these poles was no easy matter as good timber is scarce in that part of France. As far as I can remember they were cut out of a forest near Vadencourt, and a jinker was constructed out of parts of a pontoon wagon that were salvaged in the neighbourhood. The timber was very soft and when lifting the heavy stones the bend in the top of the derrick was enough to raise your hair at the same time as the stones.

The work was completed about September 1919, with the exception of certain bronze plaques that had to be added later, but we were all glad to be able to pack up and set out on the homeward trail as we had been very isolated and the scenery had become somewhat monotonous, despite stray dumps that blew up and cleared us out until the gas dispersed.

The photos that I have been able to find give some idea of the nature of the Monument which can be seen for many miles and will endure as a memorial to a great section of the A.I.F., long years, maybe centuries, after those who were priveleged to serve in its ranks have “over the top.”



I am sure my Grandfather would be happy to know that his memorial has endured as he hoped. None of the photo's he refers to still exist but the following is a modern photo of the memorial.



When you think about the lives we have and what went before us, you only just begin to understand the magnitude of the sacrifices which preceded us. More, we owe them a much greater honour…

We must never forget.

[svandamme]

thanks for the story Mothy, so much is said about the war itself, but the aftermath stories about the demobilisation, the rebuilding are just as interesting to read.
They often sound like stories from the "wild west"...except it was in my backyard, and it was just 75/90 years ago.

[The Gaijin]

I have my poppy on. Not too popular in the U.S., but you see a few around the city this week.

5th Avenue is closed and there will be a parade in a few hours..

[Zef]

Originally Posted by Willem Fick

May we never forget.

The way the world is turning today show well that we've forgot a lot of things...!

[Zef]

[tchanson]

Tim

[Shoepop]

[strupgolf]

The one thing that piss'es me so much these days is the lack of understanding and the so-so attitude of so many young people to the sacrifice of the generations who went before them and gave so much. It's sad and I dont know how to change it.

[Zef]

I was at a drug store this week with my 9 years old daughter...a veteran was there selling flowers...My daughter asked why he was wearing this kind of cloth..I said her that he was a war veteran and we were lucky that he fighted for us in the past so we can live the life we have today...that we should be gracefull for that....She gave small money to the man and with a big smile at touching him, she said a BIG thank you to him for what he've done for her....It was a special and magic moment for the three of us...I think it's very important that we pass this to our kids...

[1990C4S]

[mike55]

There are a lot of people that remember though. Not wearing a Poppy around this time of year to me is similar to getting into a car without using the seatbelt. It's just not right and feels uncomfortable. Lots interesting memorial services all around, big and small......

[Mothy]

Originally Posted by strupgolf

The one thing that piss'es me so much these days is the lack of understanding and the so-so attitude of so many young people to the sacrifice of the generations who went before them and gave so much. It's sad and I dont know how to change it.

Help may be on it's way.

In Australia it has become the custom for relatives to wear the medals of their deceased ancestors at memorial or rememberance days. They are worn to the right of the heart to differentiate them from those who are wearing their own.

The biggest rememberance day in Australia is ANZAC day on 25th April each year. In many many places around the country the day starts with a dawn service - and in Sydney it starts at 4:30am and attracts a crowd of 30-40,000 people. A very large (and growing) component is youth, many wearing their grandfathers medals.

As fewer veterans are alive each year it has passed to younger generations to continue the honouring of the fallen and appreciation for those who came back. It has been happening over the last 10 years and accelerated in the last 5.

Hense "We will remember them" has great meaning - we do what we can to ensure that they are not forgotten.

Tim

[Jim Bremner]

6 of my neighbors and I had our flags up today. We have 72 house's in our track.

2 of them I know served