Lest We Forget... Rememberance Day 2020

 

Opera House Lightshow with Poppies c 2016

 It's Rememberance Day 2020 or Armistice Day if you are elsewhere. This year in particular I look back on the number of WWI veterans who are found in my tree. They include those from my side- Gadsby, Kerr, Strelley, Kelf and many from my husband's side-Ford, Cassidy, Tootill 

Here in Australia, we celebrate Armistice 102 years ago with Rosemary branches and poppies symbolic remembrances of both Gallipoli and the French fields.  Apparently the poppies didn't arrive in NZ in time to use for remembrance so they are more prevalent on ANZAC Day. It's remembering the 8 million  who served, 1.1 million lost, 526,816 missing and 800 women.

I have written about most on my blog and some are in other writings. My kids had my blog printed this year and the two volumes are dotted with stories of brave men and women.

This year my focus has been on Schweidnitz  POWs.  Alas, our lot were recaptured and ended up being transferred to Holzminden POW with solitary confinement for months. Not long after that on 11th November 1918 came the news of Armistice. After Armistice the prisoners were afforded more freedom and the Camp Commandant brought in the photographers to take propaganda shots of life in "Hellsminden" as it was affectionately known. This makes up a chunk of our photo collection. These men had to wait it out until late December or early January when they were repatriated gradually to England and then later to their home countries. 

Over the years when researching and writing about the time it took to get everyone in my or my husband's family back to their families I've felt every moment they had to wait and imagined their returns. At the start of my family history journey I didn't even think I had any soldiers or sailors. It wasn't really talked about.  Wow I've learnt so much about the waste of war, heros and heroines.

This photo is supplied courtesy Margaret Clarke from Eric Fulton's Schweidnitz photo collection. There's plenty more (photos and stories ) to come. Hop on over to my Schweidnitz POW blog and subscribe. For my family on this blog , check out the labels  WWI  or any of the family surnames.

One of the escapees Eric Fulton Second from right and others at Schweidnitz