So this year on the 11/11/14

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Sun Apr 27, 2014 4:52 pm

The world ......(please choose according to which media outlet/channel/broadcaster/company you listen to)

will be commemorating/celebrating/remembering.......the 100th anniversary of WW1.

How much has your country spent on your local anniversary so far?

If our latest ANZAC day is anything to go by, it will be heaps.

So for the obligatory roll call, who's great grandfather (that you never knew and your parents hardly knew) served in WW1?

For me I'll be thinking of G-Grandfather Sutton (I'll put a pic up soon) Served at Gallipoli and later died of Gas poisoning.

Great grandfather Hill served with the british navy (Australia didn't technically have a navy at that time) (Pic soon)

That's two of many in the family which was the norm. We had a small population at that time and we lost around a third of it.

Please contribute to this thread. And if you have them, put pics up of your ancestors who served in WW1

Lets make this a Forum garden roll of Honour. By November we'll have something to look upon.

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Sun Apr 27, 2014 5:16 pm

Yes Yes I know we've all seen the footage but then we have to put on top of that the decease outbreaks afterwards, which killed many many more once these soldiers took them home. Famine, as well remember. Spanish flu, diptheria....etc. All down to what happened at that time .

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Sun Apr 27, 2014 5:25 pm

And for those who'd never seen a big explosion or what they did to the body suddenly the world had a new illness that nobody had ever seen before.

Shell shock

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Sun Apr 27, 2014 5:44 pm

And then we have the Spanish Flu of 1918 (which isn't Spanish at all of course) which we are all carriers of.

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/12/1/pdfs/05-0979.pdf

Oh yeah there is more to this WW1 than meets the eye, and we are all descendents of it.

Post by **LarsMac** » Sun Apr 27, 2014 6:37 pm

The War to end all wars.

My grandfather, Laurence joined the Eight Army Royal Engineers in 1914 and spent the duration of the war with them.

He used to tell tales of his time there, and of his adventures in France after it was over.

I am named after Mother's Uncle who survived the entire war, only to fall to the Flu on the troop transport bringing him home.

Two more of my great Uncles went to France with Pershing and the AEF, one now rest at the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery the other left an arm in bois d'Argonne.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Mon Apr 28, 2014 1:25 am

fuzzywuzzy;1452741 wrote: And for those who'd never seen a big explosion or what they did to the body suddenly the world had a new illness that nobody had ever seen before.

Shell shock

Sadly I don't need to look in history books to see that particular effect of war. I've met a couple of soldiers who have been in afghanistan and have a close relatuive that was in the royal marines that are clearly traumatized by what they have been though perhaps not to the same extent as these guys.

Don't know about australia but here the government seems to be trying to re-write history - that ww1 was actually some great noble endeavor that had to be fought and the deaths were necessary.

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Thu May 01, 2014 12:10 am

Ahhh the beauty of the 75 year secret classification......we can see for ourselves now I guess. And your friends will suffer on because we aint gunna know **** about it for another 25 to 75 years.

I would very much like to focus on WW1 though ...considering it will be a big event (if our politicians have anything to do with it )

theia · Post by **theia** » Thu May 01, 2014 12:59 pm

My great uncle died in WW1. My great grandmother, Eliza, had 3 daughters and then a son. She was, shortly after his birth, committed to an asylum. I found her in the asylum records, she was described as an "imbecile" although nowadays she would probably have had a diagnosis of severe post natal depression.

The one blessing, if there is one, is that she wouldn't have been aware that her son had died at a young age.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Thu May 01, 2014 3:07 pm

July Ist 1916, Tony Martin a British Army Medic aged 29 was shot In the head and killed by The British Army for attending a wounded German on The Somme

1916 James Byrne died after being hit by a shell aged 29 years on The Somme

The former my husbands Grandfather, the latter, my Grandfather.

How strange their Grandchildren would one day meet and marry ?

Yes, we have lots of pics to share...will try to get time to post some here.

Great thread actually Fuzzy.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Thu May 01, 2014 3:11 pm

LarsMac;1452745 wrote: The War to end all wars.

My grandfather, Laurence joined the Eight Army Royal Engineers in 1914 and spent the duration of the war with them.

He used to tell tales of his time there, and of his adventures in France after it was over.

I am named after Mother's Uncle who survived the entire war, only to fall to the Flu on the troop transport bringing him home.

Two more of my great Uncles went to France with Pershing and the AEF, one now rest at the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery the other left an arm in bois d'Argonne.

Have you ever been to the cemetery Lars ?

Post by **LarsMac** » Thu May 01, 2014 4:02 pm

Oscar Mate;1453032 wrote: Have you ever been to the cemetery Lars ?

I have not. The one time I was close, I was traveling with a co-worker from Germany. He had little interest in such things. I planned to return on my own, later. So far the opportunity has not presented itself.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Thu May 01, 2014 4:18 pm

LarsMac;1453035 wrote: I have not. The one time I was close, I was traveling with a co-worker from Germany. He had little interest in such things. I planned to return on my own, later. So far the opportunity has not presented itself.
Put It on your Bucket List. It's a humbling experience.

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Thu May 01, 2014 5:15 pm

This is Great Grandad Sutton, just before he was shipped out to Gallipoli. He had 6 kids before he went and another 5 after he came back. Spose you can't keep a good man down eh? He died early from the effects of Gas poisoning. My poor great grandmother, War is hell unless it affords you some time not to keep breeding.

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Thu May 01, 2014 5:22 pm

And this is old Charlie. Who served at that time with the Royal navy

And you can see in this pic his younger brother leonard who was cavalry

Post by **LarsMac** » Sat May 31, 2014 1:10 pm

Some other perspectives on WWI, the War to end all Wars, should be considered, I think.

With that in mind, I offer the following:

Peace Train: Though he opposed war a century ago, Eugene Debs still matters - Colorado Daily

World War I started 100 years ago in August 1914. That war resulted in more than 16 million deaths and more than 20 million wounded. Today it is almost universally regarded as an avoidable and unmitigated disaster. The famous American diplomat and scholar George Kennan called World War I "the great seminal catastrophe of this century."

When thinking about this sanguinary and unnecessary conflict, it is well to remember that strong opposition to the war existed in every country. The United States entered World War I in April 1917, almost three years after it started. Socialists, civil libertarians, many labor unions and pacifists (among others) fervently opposed U.S. involvement in the European bloodletting.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Sat May 31, 2014 1:26 pm

LarsMac;1456046 wrote: Some other perspectives on WWI, the War to end all Wars, should be considered, I think.

With that in mind, I offer the following:

Peace Train: Though he opposed war a century ago, Eugene Debs still matters - Colorado Daily That's a very Interesting article. As I always understood It, the US Initial Involvement was more a peace keeping operation In the South Pacific. It was Pearl Harbour that begrudgingly saw them take a more active role.

Post by **LarsMac** » Sat May 31, 2014 1:35 pm

Oscar Farage;1456049 wrote: That's a very Interesting article. As I always understood It, the US Initial Involvement was more a peace keeping operation In the South Pacific. It was Pearl Harbour that begrudgingly saw them take a more active role.

What you say is true, regarding the early years of WWII 1939 - 1941.

But this is about the First "War to end all Wars"

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Sat May 31, 2014 1:39 pm

LarsMac;1456050 wrote: What you say is true, regarding the early years of WWII 1939 - 1941.

But this is about the First "War to end all Wars" Ahhh Yes, sorry, my mind was elsewhere. Given the millions of loss of life, It really does make you ponder how we could have gone down that same route so soon after.

Post by **LarsMac** » Sat May 31, 2014 1:44 pm

Oscar Farage;1456052 wrote: Ahhh Yes, sorry, my mind was elsewhere. Given the millions of loss of life, It really does make you ponder how we could have gone down that same route so soon after.

Indeed. Though it was the mess that was left behind from WWI that lead to the second one.

In the relatively distant future, assuming humanity lives that long, history books will likely show the two world wars and the "Cold War" as one long conflict that all but consumed the Twentieth Century.

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Sat May 31, 2014 5:47 pm

LarsMac;1456053 wrote: Indeed. Though it was the mess that was left behind from WWI that lead to the second one.

In the relatively distant future, assuming humanity lives that long, history books will likely show the two world wars and the "Cold War" as one long conflict that all but consumed the Twentieth Century.

Many historians trace the origins of the "Cold War" to the blindside invasion of Russia by the US and GB immediately following WWI, while we were allies. People tend to hold a grudge when their country is invaded by a foreign power, no matter how many times the politicians say that they will throw roses at the feet of the invaders.

Post by **LarsMac** » Sat May 31, 2014 7:49 pm

Wandrin;1456074 wrote: Many historians trace the origins of the "Cold War" to the blindside invasion of Russia by the US and GB immediately following WWI, while we were allies. People tend to hold a grudge when their country is invaded by a foreign power, no matter how many times the politicians say that they will throw roses at the feet of the invaders.

The US and GB invaded Russia after WWI?

I don't recall hearing about that. Can you point me to some doc?

whup. Found it. Well a start, anyway.

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Sat May 31, 2014 8:17 pm

LarsMac;1456080 wrote: The US and GB invaded Russia after WWI?

I don't recall hearing about that. Can you point me to some doc?

whup. Found it. Well a start, anyway.

It gets really interesting. I read a book or two about it. Google should provide plenty of links.

Most Americans had no idea what he was talking about when Khrushchev said in 1959, "We remember the grim days when American soldiers went to our soil, headed by their generals, to help the White Guard strangle the new revolution."

Post by **LarsMac** » Sat May 31, 2014 8:26 pm

Wandrin;1456082 wrote: It gets really interesting. I read a book or two about it. Google should provide plenty of links.

Most Americans had no idea what he was talking about when Khrushchev said in 1959, "We remember the grim days when American soldiers went to our soil, headed by their generals, to help the White Guard strangle the new revolution."

Yuppers. found a few references. Thanks for bringing that up. I love that kind of stuff.

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Wed Jun 04, 2014 1:46 pm

If you'd like an introduction to contemporary Russian writers here's something to look at first. Just dont' tell your government you're reading them.

Or if you're interested in Chinese history read

Jung Chang and Jon Halliday, Madame Sun Yat-Sen: Soong Ching-Ling (London, 1986); Penguin, ISBN 0-14-008455-X

Jung Chang, Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (London, 1992); 2004 Harper Perennial ed. ISBN 0-00-717615-5

Jung Chang, Lynn Pan and Henry Zhao (edited by Jessie Lim and Li Yan), Another province: new Chinese writing from London (London, 1994); Lambeth Chinese Community Association, ISBN 0-9522973-0-2.

Jung Chang and Jon Halliday, Mao: The Unknown Story (London, 2005); Jonathan Cape, ISBN 0-679-42271-4

Jung Chang, Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China (Alfred A. Knopf, 2013), ISBN 0224087436

The last one about Cixi will give you a new perspective on China.