One hundred years ago, Australian soldiers were fighting the desperate battle for their lives near the tiny French hamlet of Fromelles. That 24 hours from the evening of the 19th July 1916 was to be the bloodiest and most disastrous day in Australia’s military history to date (and may it so remain). And yet, when … More Honouring the Fallen of Fromelles
“But the toll of missing is getting smaller. It is not quite the disaster which at first appeared. I would say we lost something between 4000 and 5000”. Such are the relatively dispassionate words entered in the diary of Australia’s military historian, Charles Bean, after the Battle of Fromelles on 19/20 July 1916.[i] However the … More Fromelles, Lt Col WEH Cass and family collections.
Dedicated geneabloggers know the joys that can come from making contact with family members through our stories. Recently I wrote about F is for Fromelles and Fleurbaix and last year the Battle of Fromelles: In Memoriam L/Cpl James Gavin KIA. In these stories I mention my husband’s great-uncle, then Lt Col WEH Cass, though the … More Brigadier Walter Edmund Hutchinson Cass
I am participating in the A to Z 2012 blog challenge throughout April. My theme is a genealogical travelogue or a travel genealogue (I’m not sure which). F is for the Fifteen Mile (Queensland) The Fifteen Mile in Queensland would be unknown to most people except locals. Part way up the road between Murphys Creek and the … More F is for the Fifteen Mile, Fromelles and Fleurbaix
It’s not just the weather in Darwin where it never rains but it pours. Over the past week we’ve had a flurry of diverse historical and genealogical talks. Today I’ll focus on the historical talks. On Saturday 18th February the Genealogical Society of the Northern Territory, with support from The Northern Territory Archives, hosted a … More Never rains but it pours: Historical talks in Darwin
Last night most of us slept peacefully in our beds, but ninety-five years ago a fierce and bloody battle was raging in France. That night Australia suffered a truly terrible loss of its young men akin to that at Gallipoli. Among the Australians readying for action on the evening of 19 July 1916 were my … More Battle of Fromelles: In Memoriam L/Cpl James Augustus Gavin KIA
Family history across the seas 