18 September 2008 by Di Rutherford.
Exhibitions, From the collection, News, Technology
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
19 August 2008 by Amanda Rebbeck.
Aircraft 1914 - 1918, Exhibitions, News
A new permanent exhibition, Over the Front: the Great War in the air, will open on 28 November 2008 at the eastern end of ANZAC Hall. The story of military flight and aerial combat during the First World War will be brought to life through the Memorial’s collection of five original and extraordinary aircraft and an exciting sound-and-light show.
Australians played a distinct part in aviation’s remarkable advances during the war. Four squadrons of the Australian Flying Corps flew above the Western Front in France and Belgium and over the Middle East. Training squadrons operated in Britain.
The exhibition will continue the Memorial’s tradition of presenting dramatic and instructive displays. It will pay tribute to the young men who fought in flimsy machines of wood, fabric and wire, risking their lives for dominance of the skies and in support of the ground operations below.
Two Bristol Fighters of the Australian Flying Corps c. 1918 B02209
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15 August 2008 by Libby Stewart.
News, Battle of Long Tan, Vietnam
Vietnam Veterans Day is commemorated on 18 August every year. The day was originally known as Long Tan Day, chosen to commemorate the men of D Company, 6RAR who fought in the battle of Long Tan in 1966. On that day, 108 Australian and New Zealand soldiers fought a pitched battle against over 2,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops in a rubber plantation not far from the small village of Long Tan. The Australians prevailed, but only after fighting in torrential rain for four hours. They were nearly overrun, but were saved by a timely ammunition resupply, accurate artillery fire from the nearby Australian base, and the arrival of reinforcements by armoured personnel carrier. Eighteen Australians lost their lives and 24 were wounded, the largest number of casualties in one operation since the Australian task force had arrived a few months earlier. After the battle the bodies of 245 enemy soldiers were found, but there was evidence that many more bodies had been carried away. read on
18 July 2008 by Peter Burness.
News
The tragedy of the missing at Fromelles resonates once more 90 years after the battle. In June 2008 a further search for bodies began. It was initiated by a Melbourne school-teacher, Lambis Englezos. He was one in a group who became increasingly convinced that there were Australian and British bodies that had been buried by the Germans in mass graves who had not been recovered and re-interred after the war. Such claims needed to be backed up by careful research and this took some years to complete. It was hard to imagine how a large number of casualties could have been missed during post-war searches. However, Englezos eventually compiled such a weight of evidence that an official investigation was launched. read on
18 July 2008 by Peter Burness.
News
From March 1916 Australian divisions began arriving in France. Initially the troops found a pleasant land and a welcome change from sea voyages, the cliffs of Gallipoli, and the training camps of Egypt. There were four divisions, each about 20,000 men, and they were sent to French Flanders close to the Belgian border. Now, for the first time, the AIF was at the main theatre of the war.
Informal outdoors group portrait of soldiers and officers from a battalion of the 6th Brigade who were newly arrived in Flanders from Egypt. EZ0002
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15 July 2008 by Aaron Pegram.
News, Photographs, Roll of Honour
Over the past few months the Memorial has been increasing its efforts to acquire photographs of men and women who died on active service whilst serving in the Australian military forces. 102,000 names appear on the Roll of Honour, and where possible, the Memorial has been trying to put faces to names by acquiring photographs of these men and women to link to their online Roll of Honour records. Over the past three months, the Memorial’s Photographs section has received over 2,000 public inquiries regarding the Roll of Honour project, resulting in the offer of 1,800 photographs.
Recent acquisitions over the past few months have uncovered some incredible stories of Australians during wartime, and tell the true nature of loss and sacrifice througout Australia’s military history. Many recent donations have been photographs of those who died on active service during the First World War. Either forgotten over the years, not known at the time, or far too distressing to inform bereaving loved ones, revealing these personal stories involves a thorough examination of the historical record, and goes far to extend the commemoration of the fallen to beyond the bare minimum record of a rank, name, unit and date of death. read on
06 June 2008 by Craig Berelle.
New acquisitions, News, Official records
Series AWM347 is a recently acquired collection of historical records of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI). Accumulated from 1927 to 1984, these records afford a detailed and often fascinating look into the thinking that characterised Australian and Allied intelligence doctrine for over half a century.
![Monthly Intelligence Report for November 1950. AWM347, [172].](http://blog.awm.gov.au/awm/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/mir-custom.jpg "Monthly Intelligence Report for November 1950. AWM347, [172].")
Monthly Intelligence Report for November 1950. AWM347, [172].
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27 May 2008 by Pen Roberts.
Collection, News, Ephemera
The Memorial holds a small collection of paper napkin souvenirs from the era of the First World War. Printed on crepe paper from Japan, their fragility defies their survival for over 90 years.
Here is a napkin printed for the wedding of Lieutenant Colonel Athelstan Markham Martyn DSO, RAE (Royal Australian Engineers) to Miss Stella Swifte at St Mary Abbot’s Church in Kensington, London, on 21 October 1916.
Lt Col Markham served at Gallipoli and the Western Front. By the end of the First World War his many awards included a Distinguished Service Order, the French Croix de Guerre, five Mentioned in Despatches and a Companion of the Order of St Michael & St George. This napkin was collected by Lt Cyril Lawrence RAE. (Souvenirs collection 23/6/1)
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16 May 2008 by Robyn Van Dyk.
Battlefield Tours, News, Western Front
Villers-Bretonneux and Bullecourt are two towns on the Western Front that continue to have an ongoing connection with Australia. Due to the warmth and hospitality of the locals in receiving us, the battlefield tour will also not easily forget these towns.
The tiny town of Bullecourt includes a pub called Le Canberra and one of the finest private museums in Northern France. The Bullecourt Musée contains a jumble of rare and interesting collection items found in the local fields. It was started by the Mayor of Bullecourt, Jean Letaille in the 1980’s and was greatly expanded following his retirement. The tour joined Jean and some of the locals of Bullecourt for a lunch at the town hall. read on
14 May 2008 by Karl James.
News
Today is the 63rd anniversary of the sinking of the 2/3rd Australian Hospital Ship (AHS) Centaur. On 14 May 1943 Centaur was en route from Sydney to Cairns when she was sunk by a Japanese submarine south of Moreton Island, off the Queensland coast. From the 332 people on board, only 64 survived.
SYDNEY, NSW. 1943. PORT SIDE VIEW OF THE HOSPITAL SHIP CENTAUR. NOTE THE PROMINENT RED CROSSES AND GREEN LINES ON HER HULL. RED CROSSES ARE ALSO ATTACHED TO HER FUNNEL AND STERN WITH ANOTHER LYING HORIZONTALLY ON THE AFTER DECKHOUSE. THE CENTAUR WAS TORPEDOED AND SUNK WITH HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE BY A JAPANESE SUBMARINE ON 1943-05-14. (NAVAL HISTORICAL COLLECTION) 302796
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