Remembering World War I

@JudyEv (346648)
Rockingham, Australia
April 4, 2016 11:10am CST
Recently we visited the National ANZAC Centre in Albany on Western Australia's south coast. As part of our visit, we were each given a small card with personal details of a particular soldier who fought in World War I. By placing the card on scanners/pedestals through the building, manilla files came up on a screen. You could tap on the file to find out more about 'your' soldier. I had a New Zealand man who saw action as part of the Light Horse troop. He was wounded and invalided back to NZ but died at 41 as a result of his war injuries. The displays were interesting and meant much more to Vince and I after our trip last year through some of the battle fields of France and Germany. I particularly liked the metal statue of the soldier watering his horse from his hat.
20 people like this
20 responses
• United States
4 Apr 16
I think that statue would have made me cry. Sounds like an interesting place.
4 people like this
• United States
5 Apr 16
@JudyEv I can understand why.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Apr 16
It has only recently been opened but is proving very popular.
2 people like this
• United States
5 Apr 16
Me also. Something about animals and humans suffering and bonding gets me every time.
2 people like this
@CRK109 (14556)
• United States
4 Apr 16
wow, that is SO beautiful! It reminds me of "War Horse". Oh how I'd love to see that in person. Thanks for sharing it with us! :)
2 people like this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Apr 16
I haven't seen that film yet but must do so one day. Australia sent 136,000 horses overseas during WWI.
1 person likes this
@CRK109 (14556)
• United States
5 Apr 16
@JudyEv My gosh that's so amazing. There is so much about Australia that we've never learned and it sounds like we should. So many countries have done wonderful things and they mosty go unnoticed. Sad.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
4 Apr 16
World War I was a particularly harsh and grim conflict. Life in the trenches in those days must have been the worst possible environment for any human being, with hunger and disease being a bigger threat than the enemy.
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@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
5 Apr 16
@JudyEv Yet in most case the people at home only ever the documentaries that depicted a more favourable lifestyle or the troops.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
6 Apr 16
@JudyEv We have all seen many of those old documentary films that were shown to the homeland audience, which are a long way from the reality of life in the war. The First World War was probably the most horrific conflict over the past few centuries.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Apr 16
@Asylum That's very true. Even the letters had to go through censors. It seems strange seeing some of the old war documentaries now - the newsreel ones that would be seen before films at a cinema.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
5 Apr 16
That statue is very moving, and I like the idea of you being able to learn about a particular soldier. I have my own tales of a soldier from WW1 - my grandfather told them to me personally. He survived fortunately.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Apr 16
I've commented that it was good that your grandfather told you stories. It affected so many people, mostly badly.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
5 Apr 16
There was a Denver goth band called Caustic Soul. Their second album was based on the singers grandfather's WWI experience.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Apr 16
Eric Bogle has done some great anti-war songs too and one about soldiers choosing to shoot their horses at the end of the war rather than leave them in the hands of the locals.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Apr 16
@teamfreak16 We love his music - a great folk-singing and tackles the hard topics - child-slaughter in Brazil, the Chernobyl disaster. Probably his most famous is 'The Green Fields of France' also called 'No-Man's Land'.
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
5 Apr 16
@JudyEv - I'll have to check him out.
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (19897)
• London, England
4 Apr 16
Yes, I liked that statue, a fitting reminder that not just people are involved in war
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Apr 16
There is a lovely tribute to animals in war in Hyde Park in London. Many of them had a terrible life on the battle-fields.
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (19897)
• London, England
5 Apr 16
@JudyEv There's another by Park Lane which features mules
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@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Apr 16
@Ronrybs Are these the mules? Maybe I had the location wrong.
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Apr 16
That sounds like a very good historical display Judy. l dont know much about WW1, but would love that place there to learn.
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Apr 16
@JudyEv Oh so lovely..look at those beautiful sculptures. Thanks for sharing it Judy.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Apr 16
It is relatively new but is proving very popular. Here is another tribute to soldiers and horses which is in a city square in Vienna.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
5 Apr 16
horses in war make me even sadder than just war. I cant imagine, even if their riders did what they could, it was a good place for them to be
1 person likes this
• Centralia, Missouri
5 Apr 16
@JudyEv it makes me ill just thinking about it. Id not function well during war, and I cannot see animals either being well at it
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17713)
• South Africa
5 Apr 16
quite a remarkable Art work. My granddad was in WWI but he never shared any stories
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Apr 16
I think it was all too much for many of the soldiers and they just wanted to forget about the horrors of it all.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
6 Apr 16
I would love to visit there. I also like the photo of the horse and soldier. I would probably cry through he whole place hearing about one soldiers experiences. His dying at 41 brought tears to my eyes here...
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Apr 16
It is hard not to be affected by these sorts of experiences.
1 person likes this
@KnehKnah (3584)
• Philippines
6 Apr 16
I pray for the soul of "your" soldier, Ms. Judy. He was too young to die.
1 person likes this
@KnehKnah (3584)
• Philippines
6 Apr 16
@JudyEv It's really very sad. Especially when those young soldiers were healthy & full of dreams of a happy tomorrow.
1 person likes this
• Eugene, Oregon
6 Apr 16
What a touching statue that is and a very personal way to tour a museum as well.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Apr 16
It made it much more real somehow. My soldier went home and married but succumbed relatively early in life.
1 person likes this
@shshiju (10342)
• Cochin, India
5 Apr 16
Beautiful art. No pain but love.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Apr 16
The soldiers really depended on their horses and took care of them as best they could.
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@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
4 Apr 16
That sounds like a very interesting place to visit. I like that statue.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Apr 16
It is well-done isn't it? I thought it was lovely. It was hard to photograph with the light coming in from the window behind.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Apr 16
@AnneEJ Thanks :)
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
6 Apr 16
@JudyEv You did a good job on the picture.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61225)
• United States
5 Apr 16
I have been to similar museums and I love it, it makes it so much more real to see it through the eyes of an actual soldier. I love any type of history museum.
@xFiacre (13218)
• Ireland
4 Apr 16
@judyev my grandfather road a horse in WW1. He also fought at the Somme. He was very annoyed at being too old for WW2 !
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Apr 16
I'm sure there were many who put their age up or down so they could go off to fight. I'm sure a few regretted their decision too. My Dad was not allowed to enlist as farming was seen as a vital occupation - not sure of the precise term but something like that.
@Lucky15 (37374)
• Philippines
5 Apr 16
This is nice piece ma'am. It was an act of.being human to the horse :)
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Apr 16
Australians have always loved their horses. Many of the soldiers took their own horses with them to the war.
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@Dena91 (16827)
• United States
4 Apr 16
I like memorials to help us remember, hopefully to teach us something. What a beautiful tribute to a solider and his horse. Have a blessed day
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Apr 16
There is another memorial in the same town to the Light Horse men. It is high on a hill - the last hill the men would have seen as they sailed to the war.
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Apr 16
It is easy to forget or not even realize what happens during wars and how much human and animal suffering occurs.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (346648)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Apr 16
Reading some of the letters and diary entries was a bit challenging. Mentions of the incessant noise, the stench and discomfort made a real impression on me.
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
4 Apr 16
The metal statue is impressive. Finding more about individual soldiers would make the trip through the memorial so much more meaningful.
1 person likes this