Tuesday, July 19, 2016
How does one describe today in a few short words! Well it was Confusing, it was Funny, it was Hurty for someone's leg, it was very Memorable, it was Musical, it was very Interesting, it was particually Yummy, it was really Loving, it was Historical, and it was Kind!
I don't have an Opal Card yet, I've ordered one so just waiting. Now buying a ticket from a Ticket Machine on the Railway Station is hard work, I won't go on but trust me it is just a tad confusing!
Funny...
We arranged to meet Nerys, Jack and Charlie in the second front carriage where Jack was playing Pokemon on his Mum's phone and when we sat down he found a Pokemon on David's arm, it was a two headed animal! Weird eh! Especially when David has no idea of how to play.
Hurty...
Walking up and down stairs, along long tunnels, up and down more stairs makes a person's sore leg even sorer! I took a very low dose of Endone with me just in case... it was needed!
Memorable...
The Fromelles Commemorative Service, in Hyde Park was indeed Memorable and moving.
Five Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty Three (5,533) young men lost their lives at Fromelles.
Darren Mitchell was Master of Ceremonies.
Premier Mike Baird gave an excellent speech.
Major General Gus Gilmore from the Australian Army gave a very clear and moving speech. (Are high ranking Army Officers getting younger and younger or is this just from a mature age woman... hang on a minute, Doctors are getting younger as well... and... Oh I see! I think I get it... It must be me!)
Nicolas Croizer, Consul-General of France covered WW1 and the three attacks on France in the past 18 months very movingly and of course in a very heavy french accent.
Piper Jim Braid played the Lament during the Wreath Laying Ceremony.
Several Wreaths were laid, here's L to R, Gus Gilmore, Nicolas Croizer and Mike Baird laying their wreaths.
One of the wreaths with Dame Marie Bashir on right.
The Last Post was played by Bugler Terry McCleary along with the Fire and Rescue NSW Band.
Pastor Bob Durbin gave a Prayer and Blessing.
Mr Jim Munro from Families and Friends of the First A.I.F. closed the Centenary Memorial.
Musical...
I sang the French National Anthem in La la la's and I sang the Australian National Anthem word perfect out loud and clear!
Interesting...
After the Service I stopped a man walking past and asked him if he would mind taking a photo of us all, he was not only very helpful... he suggested we move so the Sun wasn't behind us, but he was very interesting as well.
I told him we were there to Remember my second Cousin who had died at Fromelles and he told me that he was 67 years old and his father had been in WW1 when he was 18 years old! I had to think about that, I am almost 71 years old and my Father was in WW2! Both my Grandfathers were in WW1 and about the same age as this man's father.
He then told me that his father had been 50 when he was born... so that makes sense but this man, who's name I didn't get, must be quite unusual! Anyway... this is one of the photos he took.
David, Remy, Gwilym, Pennie, Charlie, Jackson and Nerys.
Yummy...
On Gwilym's advice we headed down Liverpool Street to a great Sushi Train called Yamaki, we needed 7 seats and even though this Restaurant was packed we were seated at our own table in only a couple of minutes. Nerys and Gwil and Jack and Charlie all headed to the Sushi Train and bought back plates laden with wonderful foods... David ordered a collection of cooked little nibbles, he's not comfortable eating raw foods.
Loving...
Watching Jack and Charlie looking out for Remy as we walked along footpaths full of busy lunch time crowds was a joy then lots and lots of hugs and kisses as we parted at Museum Station.
Historical...
Have you ever spent time wandering the tunnels of Museum Station, it's really wonderful and in great condition with some fun advertisements on the Platform... here's some photos I took last time we were at Museum Station it is still the same today.
Lastly to the Kind...
I don't know if you have ever seen me in action but I love to catch the eye of a stranger and have a quick chat, I did it 4 times today. The first was a man I was sitting next to at Turramurra Station waiting for our train. I laughed when I heard the announcement that the next train arriving on Platform 2 would be going to Hornsby etc. I said to this man... 'That's the 8th train heading to Hornsby since I've been sitting here and we are waiting for the second heading to Wynard', he just nodded.
The man sitting opposite me on the train opened his iPad so I asked him if he was playing Pokemon, he laughed and we had a little chat.
To the lady trying to get past us and the three boys as we headed up Liverpool St, I said... Those boys are so wonderful looking out for their younger cousin... and that started a little chat which was fun.
Then when we got to Turramurra Station, the hurty leg sat down on the Taxi Rank seats when a man beside me said, 'Are you waiting for a Taxi?' I told him no, my husband was getting our car because I had a sore leg. 'I was going to offer to share if you were,' he replied.
He said he'd booked a Taxi but it was hard to get Taxi's at this time because it was Change Over time. I asked him where he was going and he said North Turramurra, just then his Taxi arrived and we said goodbye but after a chat with the driver he came back... I asked him what had happened and he said the Taxi Driver wouldn't take him because Canberra Avenue was only a short trip and he wasn't interested in taking short trips, this is illegal but it happens often apparently and there is little the prospective passenger can do.
I offered to give him a lift and he said his mother was waiting in the Coffee shop and if I was sure he would go and get her... David arrived and along came the man with a very elderly lady using a walking stick... we introduced ourselves to Susan and Ivan who we discovered were from Armenia. We settled Susan into our car, Ivan headed to the Station and work at the Opera House but before he left he handed me this delicious loaf of Spinach, Cheese and Pine nut Bread, see below... we drove Susan, who was absolutely delightful, home to Canberra Avenue and here I am Blogging!
It's Been a FUN Outing :-)
P.S. Nerys just rang to tell me that when they were continuing to enjoy the City and walk down to Circular Quay they were amazed to discover many many many groups of adults in suits and so on playing Pokemon in Hyde Park LOL You gotta love Pokemon... then as they headed to Macquarie Street they heard sirens, Police Helicopters, saw heaps of Police and Ambulance Officers, they stopped to ask what was going on and were told it was Joe Biden :-)
Boy oh boy it was a FUN Day wasn't it!
Labels: Bishop, Food, Griffiths Family, Sydney, WW1
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
On the Eleventh hour ... of the Eleventh day ... of the Eleventh month... we will Remember them.
Twelve Handmade Poppies for Twelve Ancestors who represented Australia Overseas during WW1.
Labels: WW1
We shall remember them - not only on Rememberance Day - we remember them often.
WW1 - Family who served
Australia Overseas
for Pennie & David's
Grandchildren
Remembrance Day 11/11/2014
Frank Amphlett (3rd Great
Uncle)
D.O.B. 21/12/1876
Embarked
1st May 1916 from Sydney on ‘Benalla’ (40 years old)
Disembarked
9th July 1916 at Plymouth, EnglandMarried Ella Rose Cadell Ryrie in London 1916
Captain - 35th Battalion
Proceeded to France on 21/11/1916
Passchendaele on 12/10/1917
Killed on the first day of Action-20/10/1917 (41 years)
No body
was found, presumed blown up and buried by another Battalion.
Frank
Amphlett's name is on the Menin Gate at Ypres, Belgium.
(David never met his Great Uncle Frank.)
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William Mclean Amphlett (3rd
Great Uncle)
(no photos
available)
D.O.B.1881
New Zealand
Embarked
from Australia 'Ajana A31'
13/5/1915 (34 years old)Captain - Dental Surgeon - 5 Field Ambulance - (May-June 1915)
Arrived Gallipoli, Turkey
Returned to Australia May 1919
Died 1960 Mittagong, Australia
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Millicent Sylvia Armstrong (3rd Great Aunt)
Millicent
was touring England when WW1 started.
Enlisted
London 1916 - Scottish Women's Hospital - (28 years old)Served in Hospital Auxiliaire 301 in Northern France.
Awarded the Croix de Guerre
Returned to Australia on board the 'Osterley' in May 1919
Died in Goulburn 18/11/1973 (85 years old)
(Pennie
knew Millsie Armstrong from 'Wollogorang', she was very tall and elegant.)
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Harold Mackay Bishop (3rd Cousin)
Embarked
from Australia 'Euripides' 20/10/1914 (20 years old)
Second
Lieutenant - 3rd Battalion A.I.F
Killed in
Action. 'In the Field' France. 5/11/1916 (22 years old)
Buried in
Bancourt British Cemetery, 2 ¾ miles SS.SW of Bapaume. France.
(Pennie never met her cousin Harold.)
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Raymond Charles Bishop (3rd Cousin)
D.O.B. 1895Embarked from Australia for Alexandria - 25/2/1916 (21 years)
Private - 55th Battalion A.I.F.
Embarked from Alexandria for France - 29/5/1916
Reported Missing & Killed in Action - 20/7/1916 (21 years old)
Body found and identified using June Rosemary Rodd's DNA in 2010.
Buried at Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery, Fromelles. France. July 2010.
(Pennie never met her cousin Ray.)
(T.E.A.M.G. were at the Ceremony in Fromelles.)
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Harrie Cleveland Cobcroft (2nd Great Grandfather)
D.O.B. 6/7/1897
Embarked from Melbourne,
Australia 'Aeneas' 2/10/1916 (19 years old)
Disembarked Plymouth,
England 19/11/1916
Gunner 2nd Battery, 1st
Australian Field Artillery Brigade.
Awarded the Military
Medal and then a Bar to Military Medal.
For... 'Bravery and
devotion to duty during the operation at Mont de Merris, near Strazeele on the
night of 2nd/3rd of June, 1918.
'Gunner Cobcroft
accompanied the F.O.O. during the attack and in spite of the heavy shelling he
performed valuable work mending telephone wires and maintaining communication
with forward Wireless Station from which information regarding the attack was
being passed to Brigades.'
Later in
1918 Harrie was awarded a Bar to the Military Medal for a similar action.
Embarked
for Australia 'Ormonde' 16/6/1919
Died
22/1/1955 Strathfield, Sydney (58
years old)
(Pennie
remembers her Grandfather Harrie with a lot of love, he loved to do magic and not so magic tricks for us.)
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Alexander William Griffiths (3rd Great Grandfather)
(waiting for more information)
Service
Number: 1950
Rank: PrivateRoll title: 13 Infantry Battalion - 1 to 8 Reinforcements (December 1914 - August 1915)
Conflict: First World War, 1914-1918
Date of embarkation: 13 April 1915
Place of embarkation: Sydney
Ship embarked on: HMAT Kyarra A55
(David remembers his Grandfather as a quiet man.)
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James Hadden Hogarth (3rd Great Uncle by marriage)
Enlisted
Sydney 23/6/1917 (32 years old)
Embarked
Sydney for England on board 'Runic' 23/3/191829/6/1918 Proceeded to France.
Private B Company, Driver
On duty with the War Graves Services Villers Brettonneux, France.
Embarked for Australia 'Baradine' 1922
Last Digger home.
Died Windsor, NSW 24/5/1953
(Photo is of Jim Hogarth speaking to King George V in France)
(Pennie
remembers Uncle Jim who was married to Great Aunt Carol and lived at 'Glenroy', Windsor. He grew vegetables, and drove a funny little car with a Dicky seat that I loved sitting in.)
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Samuel Alexander Long (3rd Great Grandfather)
D.O.B.
31/8/1866
Boer War
29/4/1902 (21 years old)
Embarked
Sydney 'Euripides' 2/11/1915 (49 years old)
Arrived
Suez 29/11/1915
Captain
& Adjutant Quarter Master Transport Officer
Embarked
for Australia on 'Runic' 14/5/1916
Died in
Sydney 1/6/1940 (74 years old)
(Pennie never met her Great Grandfather Alex, but she would have loved to, he sounds like he was an amazing man.)
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Brent Burnell Rodd (3rd Great Uncle)
D.O.B.
28/3/1879 (37 years)
Embarked
from Sydney, Australia -
'Binalla' - 1/5/1916Disembarked Plymouth, England - 9/7/1916
Proceeded to France 21/11/1916
Major 35th Battalion - 20/1/1918 transferred to 36th Battalion
Wounded in Action in the chest 6/4/1918
Returned to Australia 13/8/1918
Died in Newcastle 22/5/1976 (97 years old)
(Pennie
remembers Great Uncle Brent with a lot of love, he was always such great fun and the life of any party.)
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Clements Ripley Rodd (2nd Great Grandfather)
D.O.B.
30/4/1889Enlisted 7/10/1915 (26 years old)
Embarked Sydney 'Persie' 30/5/1916
Proceeded to France 21/11/1916
Corporal later Sergeant 35th Battalion
Wounded in left hand in action at Abbeville 30/10/1917
Transferred to hospital at Harefield in England
Discharged 8/4/1918
Disembarked in Australia from the ‘Corinthia’ on 8/4/1818
Died Haberfield, Sydney 1961 (72 years old)
(Pennie
remembers her Grandfather with a lot of love,
he was a happy smiling chatty Grandfather who had chickens in the back garden.)
he was a happy smiling chatty Grandfather who had chickens in the back garden.)
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Ella Janet Rodd (3rd Great Aunt)
D.O.B.
8/2/1881
I cannot
find anything online about Ella's Nursing Career.Ella would have been 33 years old at the start of WW1.
Died Sydney 22/5/1967 (86 years old)
(Pennie
remembers Great Aunt Ella with a lot of love, she had a wonderful garden right on the water at Drummoyne, she loved to show us her garden and the shells she had collected.)
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