Archive for the ‘From the collection’ Category

Can’t see the tree for the wood… part II : The Baumbeobachter

18 September 2008 by Di Rutherford. 5 Comments
Exhibitions, From the collection, News,

An example of an observation post disguised as a tree. This one was used by Australian troops during the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917 at Hill 63.An example of an observation post disguised as a tree. This one was used by Australian troops during the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917 at Hill 63. 

Since first blogging about the Memorial’s German observation post camouflage tree  (called a “Baumbeobachter” by the Germans, literally meaning “tree observer”) I have had a chance to take some photographs of parts of the tree I thought I would share, especially as some features may not be visible once the tree is fully assembled and on display. read on

Making a Silk Postcard

03 September 2008 by Annette Gaykema. 1 Comment
Collection, From the collection, ,

Embroidered silk postcards were first made in 1900 with popularity peaking during the First World War. Cards were generally embroidered on strips of silk mesh by French women. They were then cut and mounted on postcards.

Since the completion of a project to get the silk postcard images (all 700+) onto the database, I have been interested in seeing how well the process could be replicated. Having some experience in cross-stitch, I decided to have a go at creating a pattern from the database image, embroidering it and mounting it. First step was deciding on a design (feeling quite patriotic after the Olympics I chose one of the Australian ones):

 Original Silk PostcardOriginal Silk Postcard SC00186

read on

Recent acquisitions: To points unknown…

20 August 2008 by Mel Hunt. No comments
Collection, From the collection, New acquisitions,


‘To points unknown: the First Al Muthanna Task Group’ is a striking example of the type of modern unit history which is being produced by Australian soldiers. It is a largely pictorial record of the tour to Iraq by the 1st Al Muthanna Task Group from April to November 2005. Lt. Col. Roger Noble, Commanding Officer of Al Muthanna Task group One, notes in the introduction that the aim was to ‘record our tour as it was, with an emphasis on the human, lighter, everyday side of the tour’.

The Memorial’s Research Centre holds an extensive collection of published ‘unit histories’ across the range of conflicts in which Australians have served from the South African War to current peacekeeping operations.

read on

Tourist souvenirs - Crested China and the First World War

20 August 2008 by Di Rutherford. 2 Comments
Collection, From the collection,

Most people like to bring home a souvenir from their travels and soldiers in the First World War were no exceptions. The First World War led to great movements of people across the world, but especially through Europe. Many of these people ended up in Great Britain at one time or another. Despite difficulties in wartime, British companies still managed to produce a myriad of souvenirs for the visitors as reminders of their time in Britain, or as a gift for a loved one.

read on

Charging Home

19 August 2008 by Ann Penhallow. 3 Comments
Collection, From the collection, , ,

This week the Research Centre received a call from a fan of Sandy, Major General Sir William Throsby Bridges’ favourite charger.  November this year sees the 90th anniversary of Sandy’s return to Australia, after a tour of duty which included the coast of Gallipoli, Egypt and France.  Sandy’s fan wished to confirm the information the Research Centre has about this much-loved animal in preparation for a ceremony to mark the anniversary.

Although General Bridges had the use of three horses, Sandy was believed to be his favourite.  This impressive portrait in the Memorial’s photographs collection clearly acknowledges the General’s feelings, as he allows his charger’s head to obscure his own!

 Major General Sir William Throsby Bridges holding the bridle of his favourite charger, Sandy. P05290.001Major General Sir William Throsby Bridges holding the bridle of his favourite charger, Sandy. P05290.001

General Bridges died in May 1915 from a wound sustained at Gallipoli and Sandy, who was presumed to be offshore at the time, was eventually shipped back to Egypt.  Nearly a year later he was transported to France.

In October 1917, the Minister for Defence, Senator George Pearce, called for Sandy to be returned to Australia.  Copies of the ensuing letters, cables, minutes and memos between the organising parties comprise an official record held in the Memorial archives.  This record AWM13 7026/2/31 can be viewed in the Memorial’s Research Centre Reading Room.

Sandy sailed from Liverpool in September 1918, arriving in Melbourne in November.  As the official record says, he was “pensioned off”, or turned out to graze at the Central Remount Depot in Maribyrnong.  Blind and unwell, Sandy was put down in 1923.

Sandy’s claim to fame is not just as the favourite horse of General Bridges, but that, of 136,000 Australian horses sent away to the First World War, Sandy was the sole horse brought back.

Information resources about Sandy:

Australian War Memorial Encyclopedia

Australian War Memorial Collection Databases

Coulthard-Clark, Chris “One came home” Wartime: official magazine of the Australian War Memorial 19 (2002):37-39.

National Archives of Australia Recordsearch
AWM13 7026/2/31

Olympian digger

08 August 2008 by Kerrie Leech. 4 Comments
Collection, From the collection, Personal Stories, ,

Studio portrait of Tom Richards in 1917 (from Gold, mud 'n' guts by Greg Growden).Studio portrait of Tom Richards in 1917 (from Gold, mud 'n' guts by Greg Growden).

With Olympics fever upon us, I was prompted to look through the Memorial’s collection to see what material we held on Olympians.  One collection in the Private Records area caught my eye.  It was created by Lieutenant Thomas James Richards, MC who won a gold medal for rugby at the 1908 London Olympics.  Before joining the Army, Richards played rugby first in Queensland, then in South Africa and England.  read on

Can’t see the tree for the wood…

03 June 2008 by Di Rutherford. 4 Comments
Collection, From the collection,

One of my favourite items at the Memorial is a tall steel and iron German camouflage tree from the First World War. During the First World War fake trees were one method used for disguising observation posts on the Western Front. This tree is from Oosttaverne Wood (also sometimes spelt Oostaverne Wood), near Messines in Belgium. We don’t know when the tree was erected in the wood, but it could have been used by the Germans up until 7 June 1917, when the Oosttaverne area was captured by the British during the Battle of Messines.

February 1918. Two Australian officers inspecting a German camouflage tree. The entrance is at the base of the tree.February 1918. Two Australian officers inspecting a German camouflage tree. The entrance is at the base of the tree. E04548

read on

The battles of Coral & Balmoral: May-June 1968

12 May 2008 by Mal Booth. 1 Comment
Collection, From the collection, Personal Stories, , ,

Forty years ago, in May/June 1968 Australian soldiers fought their largest, most sustained and arguably most hazardous battles of the Vietnam War. Units of the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) confronted regimental-sized formations of the North Vietnamese regular army in fierce actions around Fire Support Patrol Bases (FSPB) Coral and Balmoral in what was then known as Bien Hoa province. The location of FSPBs Coral and Balmoral are marked by blue symbols on this satellite map.

Representatives of the units involved in the battles have established the National 40th Coral and Balmoral Anniversary Committee, which is coordinating commemorative events in Canberra and Townsville starting on 12 May 2008. More information can be found on the DVA website.

The first of the battles occurred at FSPB Coral when massed enemy units attacked the base in the early hours of 13 May 1968. Australian units withstood heavy enemy attacks during which a mortar platoon and two gun positions were partly over-run. The Australians drove off the enemy after fierce close-quarter actions. The battle lasted over two hours. The task force suffered 11 killed in action and 28 wounded. In one mortar platoon five soldiers were killed and eight were wounded from a total strength of 18 men. One howitzer and two mortars were damaged. The enemy left 52 dead strewn throughout and around the fire support base.

One of 102 Field Batteryâs six 105 mm M2A2 howitzers which was overrun by the enemy and then re-taken by Australian troops. It is shown here on display in the Memorialâs âConflicts 1945 to todayâ galleries.One of 102 Field Battery’s six 105 mm M2A2 howitzers which was overrun by the enemy and then re-taken by Australian troops. It is shown here on display in the Memorial’s “Conflicts 1945 to today” galleries. REL26769

read on

Mother’s day message from a crew member of HMAS Sydney

07 May 2008 by Kathryn Hicks. 4 Comments
From the collection, News, Personal Stories,

Telegram From A.B. R. Cooper to his motherTelegram From A.B. R. Cooper to his mother PR01950

When searching through the Memorial’s Private Records collection this item was found. read on

The Memorial’s Digitisation Programs

08 April 2008 by Mal Booth. No comments
From the collection

Slideshare logoSlideshare logoLast week I prersented a workshop on digitisation for library managers in Sydney. The slides from that presentation are now available on Slideshare. The presentation may be of some interest to those who would like to know more about why, what and how we create, manage and provide access to our digitised collections.

Keep in mind that there are 38 slides, but they were originally used over an entire day, so there is a lot of discussion you are missing. The slides are best read in concert with the Slideshow Transcript that appears at the bottom of the Slideshare screen - a feature often missed by new users. Also, Slideshare appears not to have been able to pick up all of the embedded hyperlinks used in some slides. Again, they are included in the Slideshow Transcript at the bottom of the screen. Happy viewing!