Out of Nowhere

[CINDERS]

This little place is off the beaten track that I was told about on a new road we have found for our motor cycle riding on weekends.
It is next to a small wooden hall on the Thompsonsbrook road which meanders through small farming areas that dot the landscape like 000's of others across Australia.
In the shade of a very large oak tree my wife and I took a pause to pay our respects to those of this area that did not return to this peaceful setting we stood in.

When WWI erupted there were just under 5 million souls in Australia and this little community answered that call like so many across our country.
Now as a stark reminder these eternal names etched into these memorials dot our countryside’s across Australia in far away areas not often frequented but never forgotten.
At the end of hostilities there were very few families that the tragedy of this war did not touch whether KIA or wounded or shell shocked.

416,809 men enlisted, of which over 60,000 were killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed, or taken prisoner. The latest figure for those killed is given as 62,000.(23.12.2020)
During the period 4 August 1914 to 11 November 1918, there were 59,357 deaths. On average, 38 members of the Australian armed forces died per day during the 1,560 days of the war. At 64.8%, the Australian casualty rate (proportionate to total embarkations) was among the highest of the war. The AIF members were all vollunteers.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Sorry but I included our bikes so Ovidio could gaze at one of Italy's proudest exports.

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[Surpmil]

This little place is off the beaten track that I was told about on a new road we have found for our motor cycle riding on weekends.
It is next to a small wooden hall on the Thompsonsbrook road which meanders through small farming areas that dot the landscape like 000's of others across Australia.
In the shade of a very large oak tree my wife and I took a pause to pay our respects to those of this area that did not return to this peaceful setting we stood in.

When WWI erupted there were just under 5 million souls in Australia and this little community answered that call like so many across our country.
Now as a stark reminder these eternal names etched into these memorials dot our countryside’s across Australia in far away areas not often frequented but never forgotten.
At the end of hostilities there were very few families that the tragedy of this war did not touch whether KIA or wounded or shell shocked.

416,809 men enlisted, of which over 60,000 were killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed, or taken prisoner. The latest figure for those killed is given as 62,000.(23.12.2020)
During the period 4 August 1914 to 11 November 1918, there were 59,357 deaths. On average, 38 members of the Australian armed forces died per day during the 1,560 days of the war. At 64.8%, the Australian casualty rate (proportionate to total embarkations) was among the highest of the war. The AIF members were all volunteers.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Sorry but I included our bikes so Ovidio could gaze at one of Italy's proudest exports.

And that 60,000 probably represents a million or more citizens you don't have today. Canada had just a few thousand more deaths, though we did finally wise up and introduce conscription in late 1917, none of them saw France till mid 1918.

[Ovidio]

Appalling numbers...
And sexy bike!

[champ0608]

I grew up in the Midwest of the US. Every little town seems to have it own little war memorial. Some simple plaques, some statues, some cannons, some tanks, all there to catch your eye and allow you a moment of silent reflection. In my opinion, an essential part of any small town, just as important as a post office, diner, or church. As I just posted in another thread, its nice to know these memorials still exist. Those men earned the right to not be forgotten.

[CINDERS]

I had another look at this memorial and discovered some interesting things that you may not have noticed and its to do with 2 wars and 2 generations if you look at the 1914-18 war you will see the names H.M Cain and C.Cain also L.O Padman I think the two Cains may be brothers or even father son perhaps.

Then in the 1939-45 war we again see H.D Cain and L.W Cain along with D.H Padman, this is a very small farming area and some of the farmers here are generational could be 3rd or 4th gen who knows but those names are intertwined family members.
It may be the case that the mother has been left with no husband or children to carry on the legacy in that community this is the knock on effect of those terrible conflicts and the meaning it had to small isolated farming communities across our land.

I know other allied countries have the same in their area but just the isolated solitude of this memorial on a backroad to no where and what those conflicts did and meant to the men and women of those era's I cannot but not wonder at the cold stark fingers of reality touched those poor souls left behind when they got the notifications.
Every day is special to me because those I have never met or will meet gave it all for us to have our freedom may they rest in peace with their fellow brothers in arms.

[30Three]

Every village in France has a memorial like that. The same family names appearing as the boy's signed up together; or the younger ones followed big brother into trenches.
I see in your 1st WW list: Clifford, Lyon, and Rudd also lost two family members. Devaststing for such a small community!

[Ovidio]

Same here.
I am always extremely emotional when I go to our town of origin, where our family lived for 1000 years and see the name of my Grandpa's older brother: Ovidio Gentiloni, fallen at 19 years on the Piave front.
It always strikes me...
I owe him my name.