G/DAY PETER
YOU HAVE BROUGHT BACK SOME MEMORIES AND STORIES THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT MY GRANPA JACK...
HE WAS WITH THE 3rd BRIDGADE AIF (australian infantry forces), 9th LIGHT HORSE REGIMENT, IN WW1..
WW1 WAS DECLARED AUGUST 1914, HE ENLISTED SEPTEMBER 1914, ( must have enlisted as soon as he got word of it) RODE HIS HORSE 100 MILES TO ADELAIDE, AND ENLISTED AT MORPHETTVILLE RACECOURSE. WENT TO EYGPT FOR TRAINING, THEN GALLIPOLLI. MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES TWICE IN THAT CAMPAIGN..
REST OF WWI HE WAS FIGHTING IN PALESTINE AND THE SINAI DESERT..MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES AGAIN THERE AND ALSO WON THE M.M. (military medal) THERE.
RETURNED TO AUSTRALIA IN APRIL 1919.
I CONSIDER MYSELF EXTREME FORTUNATE IN THAT I HAVE MANY THINGS THAT HE BROUGHT BACK FROM THOSE 5 YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.... SUCH AS--
HIS PHOTO ALBUM, DAIRY, SPURS, WAR BAG (with every major horse charge battle he was in, the last name is Beerasheba), LEGGINGS, COUPLE OF OLD BAYANETS (1 TURKISH, 1 GERMAN) AND OF COURSE I HAVE HIS MEDALS...
MY AUNTY WAS A PLANK PILOT FOR AWHILE, AND SHE TOOK OLD JACK AND I FOR A FLY WHEN I WAS ABOUT 10 YO...I ASKED OLD JACK IF HE HAD BEEN IN A PLANE BEFORE, ( this was my first time), HIS REPLY WAS " A LONG TIME AGO",, AFTER THE FLIGHT I ASKED WHERE HE HAD BEEN IN A PLANE BEFORE...TURNED OUT BECAUSE HE WAS A SMALL AND LIGHT MAN, HE WAS OFTEN USED AS A BOMBER IN THE DESERT.... THROWING BOMBS OUT OF A OPEN COCKPIT, INTO THE TURK POSITIONS WHILE A PILOT WAS FLYING.. IMAGINE,,,GUTSY PILOTS....
ANYWAY THATS MY TWO BOBS WORTH
R