08 August 2008 by Kerrie Leech.
4 Comments
Collection, From the collection, Personal Stories, First World War, Private Records
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
12 May 2008 by Mal Booth.
1 Comment
Collection, From the collection, Personal Stories, Official records, Private Records, Technology
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 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
07 May 2008 by Kathryn Hicks.
4 Comments
From the collection, News, Personal Stories, Private Records
17 March 2008 by Amanda Rebbeck.
No comments
Aircraft 1914 - 1918, Collection, Personal Stories, First World War, Heraldry, Private Records, Training
Crashes and fires were everyday hazards for the First World War flier. Second Lieutenant Frederick Gulley suffered both when trying to land his aircraft in England on 17 October 1918. Gulley was on a cross country flight and struck a post whilst attempting to land in a field close to Tidworth Barracks, Wiltshire. In the resulting fire Gulley’s clothes, harness, face and hands were burnt. He was taken to Tidworth Hospital with superficial burns to his face, neck and both hands, including all fingers.
A piece of Second Lieutenant Gulley’s seat harness after his aircraft crashed in England on 17 October 1918. NB the burn marks from the fire are still visible. REL/15078
06 February 2008 by Amanda Rebbeck.
2 Comments
Aircraft 1914 - 1918, Collection, Private Records, The Red Baron
A posthumous photograph of Captain Baron Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron). A03158
I came across a number of first and second hand accounts of the death of Baron von Richthofen whilst I was examining various Private Record Collections in the Memorial’s Research Centre. They made for interesting reading since the events of 21 April 1918 have long been the subject of many enthusiastic debates in the history of the First World War. I have reproduced below for interest some extracts of the letters, diaries and memoirs I read. They have all been written by Australian Flying Corps personnel and describe their recollections of what happened the day the Red Baron flew his last mission. read on
27 November 2007 by Amanda Rebbeck.
No comments
Aircraft 1914 - 1918, Personal Stories, Aerial Operations, Private Records
Lieutenant A R Brown (left) and Lieutenant G Finlay (right) in a Bristol Fighter. B02078
On 27 June 1918 two Bristol F2B Fighters from No. 1 Squadron AFC, A7236 and B1149, took off on a reconnaissance mission over Kitrine. The two aircraft were piloted by Temporary Captain A. R. Brown/ Lieutenant G Finlay and Lieutenants G. V. Oxenham/L. H. Smith respectively. By the end of the mission Lieutenant Smith had been made a Prisoner of War.
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