Spent a pleasant time at Peaceful Bay near Denmark here in West Au very quiet part of the world among the Tuart & Jarrah forrests.
We did a quick run to Albany to viewe the new ANZAC tour there and I am very impressed with the whole affair and urge any West Aussies or Easterners to visit if your going past.
They have some unique items including C E W Beans fountain pen no doubt used correlating his 23 year effort recording and writing the AIF forces from 1914-1918.
It is an interactive display with lots of information and artifacts on loan from various places around Aus & N.Z, a very nice N.Z stamped Hooked Quilion there.
It is pretty reaching some of the information presented when you get to the Somme, Frommelles, Posieres sections with finally the tombstone of an unknown Australian soldier.
One piece that I recall was the enlistment requirements for personnel;
Initially the volunteers were to be ~ Aged 20 - 30 y/o no taller than 5' 2" weigh no more than 12 stone (76 kilo's) and single.
Of course the rules were relaxed after the attrition rates saw the need for more replacements as fast as the recruiting/training could turn them out.
Finally you get a grand view of where the first fleet sailed out of Albany harbour and for some it would be the last of Aus they saw.
Sadly for the horses or "Walers" (Whalers) 11,000 of them across WWI only 1 came back to Aus (Sandy) another 5 returned to their N.Z shore all the others were given away or shot by their riders.
This broke the hearts of the troops having to do this to their steeds that carried them across the deserts during that campaign. "Australia in Palestine" 1919 .ed
The Waler horse was chosen as it could go long distances in searing heat on little water allowing our troops to outflank the Turks in the desert.
It is still a touching part of our history just how much the troops cared for their horses and what a heartbreaking thing it was to have to shoot them.......Information
Warning: This is a relatively older thread
This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.