Taken in Cairo, Egypt in 1916, this photo shows Australian, New Zealand and British troops mingling together at the ANZAC Hostel as they mark the very first ANZAC Day. The Gallipoli campaign had ended three months before. I wonder how many of these unknown soldiers were veterans of that battlefield. Perhaps the ANZACs were new arrivals on their way to the Somme. I also wonder if any of my ancestors were in that crowd.
If you have pondered where or when your ANZAC or British ancestors served, our Discussion Circle sessions in late April and throughout May, may give you a chance to find or share the answer. Five of our Discussion Circle sessions will examine resources for exploring military service or offer opportunities to share about our ancestors who served. The convenors of each of these sessions encourage members to volunteer to share their ancestors’ service stories and the lessons we learned while researching them.
To find out more about any of the sessions below and to learn how to volunteer, visit the GSV Events page at www.gsv.org.au/current-and-upcoming-events.
24 April:
10:30am London and South-East Counties Discussion Circle: Clare Claydon will share about her maternal grandfather’s service in northern Greece in WW1 and attendees are invited to share as well.
7:30pm VicTas Discussion Circle: Share stories and remember our wartime VicTas ancestors
2 May: Early English Discussion Circle: Researching English and Welsh Pre 1800s military service
9 May: England and Wales Discussion Circle: Researching English and Welsh 19th Century Military service
27 May: England and Wales Discussion Circle: Researching English and Welsh 20th Century Military service
Rebecca Landy