Thread: Easo's battle field tour, with pics.

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Thanks Easo for the pics - its important that people keep up these pilgrimages.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
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.
Lest we forget.

We will remember them!

Brian - I think that many soldiers and sappers didn't make old bones. My grandfather 9th Field Engineers, was frequently sent out into no mans land at night to dig jumping off saps etc, and while he rarely spoke of the war his lungs were never any good after his return. My father had to give him adrenaline injections when he couldn't breath and eventually my grandfather succumbed to respiratory failure at 44 years, the rest of the family have all lived until their 90's.

Diana

Yes, indeed. My grandfather told me that his Digger mates died off like flies in the 1920's and 1930's from the effects of gas, exposure (they lived mostly in the open through two North Europe winters), wounds, disease, diet. The 49Bn. had its last official reunion in 1950 when most of the survivors would have only been aged from 55 to 70. There were too few remaining, and most of those in poor health, so the remnant decided not to have another reunion. The long term effects of the military gases apparently were responsible for a multitude of deaths and much long term illness amongst the diggers even if not noticed at the time of exposure.

My grandfather fortunately enjoyed mostly good health until his seventies and eventually succumbed to a combination of heart disease and age at 86. Uncle Karl suffered poor health from his war time experiences and received a Vets. pension from the early 1920's. He died in his sixties from "weakness of the heart as a result of military service" per his death certificate.

That's very interesting. Our family story is that my English great grand-dad was gassed but had experimental surgery that put stainless steel into his esophagus. Anyway, he lived until the '50s, which wasn't too bad compared to some of these stories.

Thanks heaps for the photos - I'd love to get over there for a look - and let's just pray that it never happens again.