Blog Day 217 - Friday 30 October 2020

Welcome to virus free Friday.

As some of you may be aware I have more than a passing interest in The Great War (TGW), also known as the War to End all Wars and World War 1.  My interest began with me receiving 15 or so original TGW trench maps that belonged to my grandfather.  These maps covered areas in France and Belgium where the 40th Battalion Australian Imperial Force (AIF) served. As my grandfather was an 18 year old private in the 40th Btn and only served with them for a matter of months, before he was wounded, I have no idea how he ended up with these maps as he certainly wouldn't have been issued with them during his time with the battalion.

Some of these maps are in pristine condition as issued and others are well used, creased & dirty, some with hand written features on them as may have been written during a briefing prior to a battle or movement by the battalion.  Of course these maps are now over 100 years old.  Some of the maps cover major battlefields that the 40th Btn was involved in including Messines, Zonnebeke and Amiens.  Others were probably used by the battalion in moving from place to place usually by train, marching and sometimes by motor bus.

My interest was initially into the AIF's involvement on the Western Front in France and Belgium however over the years that interest has widened to include many aspects of TGW and military history generally.  Over the years I have visited many of the European battlefields of TGW including both Western and Eastern fronts including places not directly associated with the AIF such as Verdun, the scene of the great French/German battles of 1916.  I have visited a number of European World War 2 battlefields, including the beaches at Normandy and also some American Civil War battlefields including Gettysburg.

Before anybody asks, no I have not been to Gallipoli or walked the Kokoda Trail (Track?).

As you can see this ties in with my volunteering at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance.  I also belong to a U3A military and maritime history group and recently started attending some presentations by the Military History & Heritage Victoria group.

Sometimes I get asked to have a look at a soldier's military history and put a bit of flesh around the cold hard facts contained in the military file.  Recently I had a look at the file of an Australian TGW soldier who unfortunately died on the Western Front in France in August 1918.  Private John Lindner lived in the Albury area, worked as a farm labourer and enlisted in the AIF in June 1916.  He joined his battalion, the 14th, in May 1917.  In February 1918 whilst serving near Ypres in Belgium on a quiet part of the front he was gassed with mustard gas and repatriated to England for treatment and recuperation.  

In July 1918 he rejoined the 14th Battalion in France in time to take part in the Battle of Amiens, this was the battle that set up the British for victory on the Western Front and was described by the German General Ludendorff as the "dark day of the German Army".  Private Lindner survived this battle but unfortunately on 18 August 1918 he was badly wounded by artillery shrapnel and died in a casualty clearing station near the Somme River on 20 August 1918.  All of the Australians who died overseas in TGW are buried overseas and Private Lindner is buried in Daours, Picardy France.

This is a very familiar story for the men who served in the AIF in TGW.  Out of a population of about 5 million 320,000 Australians served overseas, 62,000 were killed and 150,000 were wounded. 

And if that wasn't bad enough then of course in 1918 & 1919 the Spanish Flu came along........

Back to virus stuff tomorrow, see you then.