Welcome / General

John Forrest

john@jforrest.com

Congratulations Hello Leeta, Mum and Dad have directed me to your commemoration homepage and I wish to congratulate you for all the research and work you have put in to have this tragic Somme engagement of WW1 recognized. It is also satisfying to see where that little bit of support and direction I gave years ago has taken you. I trust you are receiving due recognition for all this work Best wishes and kind regards John Forrest Former Federal Member for Mallee Swan Hill, Victoria Happy for email address to be included

Anthony Allam

anthony@allam.go-plus.net

I wrote to Leeta last year seeking any help she could give me on the 1st Bn Essex Regt which fought at Gueudecourt and which claimed my uncle's life on October 16th 1916. She took the time to send me two maps and some text from a book. I am indebted to her and wish her the best with her aims and dreams in establishing a memorial in Gueudecourt for the 1st Bn A.I.F fallen heroes. Keep up the good works.

Dennis Walsh

dwalsh32@aapt.net.au

Dear Leeta, when you asked for any ideas on the Memorial for France, I did a little bit of research and came up with the following. A second cousin of mine Marina Larsson wrote a book called " Shattered Anzacs " which is about the carers ( mothers ; wives ; girlfriends and daughters etc. ) at home, when the soldiers who did return with shattered bodies needed all the care they could get. She was asked recently in August of this year to speak at the unveiling of a bronze statue called " Rosie " which honours all those women. The bronze is in Victory Park in Epsom Rd., Ascot Vales in Victoria. The bronze was made in Thailand under licence to a Western Australian company. I will send you a separate e-mail via wix shoutout with the details and a suggestion I would like to offer. Good Luck Dennis Walsh, descendant of John Patrick O'Bryan who died at Gueudecourt

Joan Harley

jmharley@bigpond.com

5 Nov 1916 Hi Leeta, keep up the great work. Hope your trip goes well and look forward to reading any future research you do. Regards, Joan H

Paul C

fromelles1916@live.com

Good to see plan is still on for centenary visit. Am planning to be there and let's hope there is a god crowd to mark the occasion.

Ernie Rusdale

erniethepom@gmail.com

Congratulations on getting the website up and going again. Well done. Missed you while you've been away.

MY GO TO BOOKS

When I am researching or someone contacts me for help with discovering information about their soldier, to locate a battalion, battle, etc... that occurred on the Somme there are three books I always go straight to when someone first asks for help:

Book 1: The Somme: The Day-by-day account

Book 2: 148 Days on the Somme

Book 3: White Cross Touring Atlas of the Western Battlefields