Thursday, March 26, 2009

The Adventure Continues (some more)




















So far (in order of visiting) I have been to:
Japan
Germany
Malaysia
France
United Kingdom
Singapore
The Netherlands
Switzerland
Belgium
Thailand
United Arab Emirates
Iran
Niue
New Zealand
Canada
Austria
Spain

(I've also seen Poland from the German side of the border, but don't count it as visited!)


Still in the medium future:
South America (more specific when we get closer!)

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The Story of Timothy Cornelius Keneally

Timothy was born in Gordon and worked the family farm when he enlisted on 16 March 1916. He had a brother John who enlisted as a driver and survived the war, returning to Australia in May 1919. Timothy had at least one other brother, but his father had died earlier. His mother was ill in Adelaide for many years.

Almost four months later on 12 July he embarked on the “Seeang Bee” at Outer Harbour and a little less than two months after that he disembarked in Plymouth.
The day after disembarkation, 10 September he was taken on strength by the 12th Training Battalion.
During his period in training, Timothy was admitted to Fargo Hospital with bronchitis in September. Four days after Christmas 1916 he found himself in Codford Hospital for almost a fortnight. He was discharged and shortly afterwards was re-admitted, spending another 26 days in hospital during January/February 1917 then another fortnight there in February/March.
After these multiple periods of hospitalisation Timothy finally embarked from Folkestone for France on 22 May 1917. He spent 17 days at Etaples before being taken on strength by 48 Battalion in mid June.
There is no further direct records of Timothy until he is noted as wounded and missing on 12 October, 1917.
No further information regarding Timothy was heard of by early 1918 and in February a court of enquiry found that Timothy had been killed.

-----ooOOoo------
Keneally was in my platoon. He was fair, about 30 years old, came from S. Australia. We went over at Passchendale on October 12th at about 5.30 a.m. I did not see him again but 2 days later I was told by Pte Arthur Williamson, who was in the same L/G team and Keneally, that he had been with Keneally when he got wounded. A sniper bullet entered his left ear and came out at the bottom of his spine. They were in a shell hole and Williamson had to leave him there after doing what he could for him. We failed to take our objective and Keneally was not seen again although S/Bs were there. Bosches came over that ground later.
Pte H.J.Talbot 4606, St. Johns Hospital, Etaples
21.12.17

[Henry Talbot was in hospital with an inflamed knee. A few days later he was transfered to England where he spent the next 9 months in a training camp, before returning to France just before the Armistice. He survived the war.]
[S/B, stretcher bearer]
-----ooOOoo------
Wounded and Missing 12.10.1917
Was in D. Coy, 16th Pltn, Lewis Gun Section, came from S. Australia. I saw him wounded by a sniper. The bullet went in the back of the ear and came out the small of the back. It happened during the hop over at Ypres, on Oct 12th. We had to retire owing to Fritz counter attacking, and he was left there, and would be taken prisoner if he lived, which I thinkis doubtful. We “Went over” together, and were just getting into a shell hole when he got knocked.
T Harvey 3112,
11.2.1918

[Ex school teacher Tom Harvey gave his statement on furlough in England after leaving France. He remained in a training role in England till May 1918 before returning to France. He also survived the war.]
-----ooOOoo------
I know that T.C. Keneally (48. D. XVI) was killed in an advanced position, before we had to retire, on October 12th at Passchendale. He was very badly wounded and was lying just outside the shell hole where I was – I think he was hit in the head as far as I remember. He was quite out of our reach, and it was impossible to get to him. He died before we retired and was not found. S/B Robinson (48 A) attended to him and bandaged him up. He has since been taken prisoner). Ground was lost.
5302 Sergt. Tom London, 3rd Southern General Hospital, Oxford.
23/5/18

[Tom was in hospital in England with a gunshot wound which had fractured his shoulder. He would recover and be discharged from hospital two months later. He never returned to France.
Also recorded as Loudon.]

The Story of William Joh(n) Finlay Larwood.


The enlistment patterns of these 40 men from Quorn follow an interesting pattern. Most of the men enlisted in the first few years of the war. While some other Quorn survivors enlisted later in the war none of the soldiers who eventually died enrolled after late 1916. William, along with John Hawes and Sydney Mills, was one of these later enlistment soldiers.

---ooOoo---
Extract from the 32 Battalion Diary, 30/9/1917
Strength 47 Officers 971 Other Ranks
At 3 am grenadiers and Stokes mortars bombarded Cameron Covert and dispersed enemy. At 5am Cameron Covert again shelled and patrols penetrated to 150 yards but found all clear. A number of enemy dead were seen some distance out. Enemy shelled heavily for 5 minutes at 10am. Sniping was brisk during the day. At 9.30pm the battalion was relieved by the 9th Liecester Regiment and marched back to Dickebush. No casualties occurred during the relief. Lt Johnson wounded. 13 O/R killed, 30 O/R wounded in action.

---ooOoo---
William came from Boolcunda East. Like many of the soldiers from Quorn, he was a farmer. He enlisted in October 1916 and embarked on the Berrima at Adelaide in mid December. During his time in training in Adelaide he was admonished with 2 days loss of pay, as he had absconded from the Mitcham training camp for a short while.
Before arriving in Davenport, England he spent about 16 days in the ships hospital with measles.
On the 18th of February 1917 he marched into Hurdcott for training and left there in early July to go overseas.
He was taken on strength by 32 Battalion on the first day of August and was killed on the last day of September near Polygon Wood.
Tyne Cot cemetery was originally a site of some German bunkers. After being captured, the Australians turned one into a dressing station. The first graves were placed there around the end of 1917. The site changed hands a number of times during the war and afterwards a number of smaller cemeteries and lone graves were “bought in”.
In 1921 William was bought in to Tyne Cot cemetery. His body appears to have been identified by a clothing label still held in the Australian archives.
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Thursday, March 19, 2009

Erdaepfelkaese

500 Gram Kartoffeln - Potatos
2 Zwiebel - Onions
125 Gram Sauerrahm - Sour Cream
125 Gram süsse Sahne - Normal (sweet) Cream
Salz - Salt
Pfeffer - Pepper
1 Bunch Schnittlauch - Chives

Peel and boil the potatoes in very small pieces. Peel and chop the onions then mix them with the potatoes. Add salt, pepper, sweet and sour cream gradually and garnish with chives.

Eaten either as a bread spread or side dish