THEN SUDDENLY IT'S CHRISTMAS!

I know I should have been organised enough to write a grand blog and post it ready for Christmas, but when you live on a rural property there are many things that can interrupt even the best-laid plans. Mother Nature is the usual culprit and although she can provide many beautiful and spectacular happenings, sometimes she decides to show us another side of her activities, not necessarily the right one for that particular period.

We have had a wet Spring and then a very windy, unsettled, often dry start to Summer and this has necessitated many hours outside with urgent watering drooping vegetable plants, fruit trees, and berries bad tidying up after branches have blown down off the softer wooded trees. Unfortunately, the strong wind has put paid to any heavy fruit tree crop and in fact, many trees are completely devoid of fruit this year. And then all of a sudden it's Christmas!

Thank goodness for Online shopping, as it takes away some of the stress of rushing around town on infrequent visits prior to the big day and if you have some ideas for presents, you can scan the internet looking for good bargains. And they are there, often with free delivery. Of course there is always the problem of charging it to your credit card in the hope that the family household bank teller won't question any purchases and then you have to be on guard for when the rural mail is delivered so you can grab and hide the "unusual box" that overwhelms our large rural post box. Finding somewhere safe in the packhouse or garage then becomes the next problem, because you don't want the recipient "fossicking around" looking for preserving jars or garden tools that might be hidden in close proximity. This procedure does lend an air of excitement to the Season, but as we get older it seems harder to find top class hiding places!

Then there is the card making! I personally love making my own cards and devote quite some time to finding the right graphics and verse for any particular member of the family and there is such a huge variety to choose from if you use "Auntie Google". I mean, you have to read the words and check what you already have filed on your computer to see if it is appropriate and if you have more than one computer (we have four) and you haven't been religiously organising them in the correct folder as the years go by, you wind up with duplicates aplenty! Fortunately, there is software available to sort through the computers faster than any manual option, but even then, you have to make sure you use it!( Which reminds me that I have 365 unread messages in my "Get Organised.com subscription  mail folder)

Of course one of the main highlights of Christmas is the annual "Christmas Tree erecting and decorating day" and in recent years, my Granddaughter Holly has been self-appointed director of operations. Woe betides anyone who suggests erecting the tree without her approval and I gather that this year, she even has her own mini Christmas tree at home, alongside the family tree. This reminds me of other "Rural Family Traditions" we have had to endure. Holly's Mother (at the age of 5-6) used to be our self-anointed Christmas Tree organiser and it was her custom to ask the tree feller (that's me) to take her down to our front paddock which was fronted by 85 odd, large pine trees and we would select a nice branch to use as our No1 choice. We would usually start at the Northern end of the tree line and start walking along, inspecting each and every one as we went. I would spot a nice branch and ask if this would be our choice, "Oh No" Heather would cry,, "there might be a better one further down" After 1/2 an hour or so of climbing over fences and through gates, we would invariably return to the tree of my 1st choice and I would duly cut the appropriate branch, usually quite large and well covered with pine needles. "Can you help me carry this back to the house?" I would plaintively ask, knowing the reply would be "Oh No, there are too many prickles!" Even after a quarter of a century, I can envision myself dragging the tree and my heavy chainsaw back to the house, ready for bucketing and watering. Most of the branches had a slight lean and I would have to get out some strong string and tie the tree to something solid to stop it from falling over, usually a sturdy door handle. I had a fear that just as we topped the tree with the final flourish of the Angel, the whole thing would come crashing down, probably on my head!

As the years have passed Christmas Day itself has changed irrevocably for my wife Lyn and I. Not only have all of our children grown up and left the family home, but they have families of their own and obviously have their own duties and traditions to fulfill. Distance has meant that it is not feasible for us all to be together at once and in fact, our closest living family also have Mother & Father to visit, so they share the day between us. Being a lot younger it is not quite the same hassle to drop everything and drive many miles and we appreciate their efforts to make our day, just a little more special. Needless to say our phone rings from early morning as distant family send greetings and once I have played my "Favourite 25 Christmas Carols including " It came upon the midnight clear" and "Snoopy's Christmas" on a DVD player, the atmosphere of Christmas takes off in a huge burst of happiness.
Of course, Christmas is always tinged with a little sadness and memories of happy days with Family and Friends who have passed away is often in our thoughts when we get together. Golden days of Summer as a child, when a mini tent, shared with siblings was a treasure beyond belief at the time. Unfortunately, those Summer days were very hot and after a couple of hours, squashed up in a VERY WARM tent with 3 others, was no fun and after we convinced Mum & Dad it would be ok to sleep out overnight, the mozzies soon sent us inside. Christmas mornings in the 1940 &50s meant waking up early to the sounds of Dad preparing food for our roast dinner lunch and the squeals of delight as the children emptied their stockings tied to their beds. Things were pretty tight in the years after World War 2 and many food items were still unobtainable, but we always had an orange and perhaps a few wrapped lollies and some nuts in the shell. Other presents were opened all together in the upstairs lounge and the day disappeared in trying out new model planes cut out of balsa, wearing new clothes (even a cowboy outfit complete with cap gun) or a wooden truck for one of the boys. I can still remember getting my 1st teddy bear and back then plasticine was a popular gift for children. How things have changed and I am reliably informed that my youngest Grandson aged 6 was upgraded to his own TV set and a mobile phone! ( Personally, I am in awe at the speed our youngest generation pick up on the new technologies and the fact that young Aidan can text his 10 year old brother Ronan, has apparently increased his word knowledge immensely)

Like many others of my generation, Christmas songs and hymns, the decorating of trees, the look on children's faces as they open presents are the things that make Christmas so special and contact with Family and Friends (often sparse during the year) either personally, with cards or emails is always a highlight.

2016 brought one special memory for me when my Granddaughter received a card from a relative, that not only contained Christmas greetings, but a note to say that instead of a personal present, funds had been donated to a child in Africa to supply a chicken to add to their chicken run. This would enable eggs to be available for the family and would also supply food for them over a period. The difficult part was trying to explain to a five-year-old, that she wouldn't have to get a chicken personally to send (she was worried how to grab one from her Grandfathers flock) and that she wouldn't have to deliver the gift personally! A few weeks later Holly and I were sharing breakfast and she indicated she was full and wanted to get down. I suggested she come back to the table and finish her plate of cornflakes. She sat back at the table and ate one more little cornflake and said "I'm full!". I then said 'Holly we don't waste food. there will be some starving children in Africa who would love to have a nice big breakfast like yours".In a loud voice she exclaimed "I'VE GIVEN THEM A CHICKEN!!"...I sat there not knowing where to look as the laughter welled up inside...As they say, from the mouth of babes! African children are saved!

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." I hope you have a Memorable Christmas in 2018!

A TRIBUTE TO OUR LADY SHOPPERS (well OK the odd bloke too)

They say you are never too old to learn!...This was proved to me yesterday when I went into Whangarei to do our fortnightly shopping. This was the first time in about 38 years my wife wasn't with me owing to her being unwell with a viral complaint…although she had written the grocery list out in the order of the aisles (to save me having to spend time looking for the correct location) I realise now what an incredibly difficult job it can be filling a trolley with the right size, the correct brand, the freshest produce etc…

I have worked in retail (back in the days when it was counter service) and I have worked in a supermarket environment, also many years ago and I am really amazed at what a complex situation greets those who are innocent in the customer shopping stakes!...IT IS DEMANDING!

As soon as I hit the produce department just inside the turnstile, I realised this was not going to be an easy peasy joy ride…I had to almost check each individual fruit for bruising, ripeness (was it over-ripe) how many of each item, which were the specials, how to unroll a plastic bag and then tie it in a knot so the delicate fruit didn't roll around the trolley. I have terrible arthritis and without the little green plastic thingy's, it is very difficult to get it right first go. Of course when you ask the checkout operator to assist, they do it with that professional touch that you thought you already had. 

(I will remember for next time).

I read that for some of the meat items I could choose whatever I thought would be useful for future meals, bearing in mind we had someone in a delicate health situation, so lean meat and chicken were top of the list for me, but no shellfish and as our local butcher excels with fresh Flounder every Wednesday, I didn't need to worry about my favourite food type. Fortunately I am a reasonable cook and like most men who don't have to cook every day, I like experimenting with food, so we often have a menu slightly out of the ordinary but quite often meals that have proven to be favourites in the past.

Having a list written in the correct order helped immensely and as I have had experience of helping "MRS SHOPPER" with selecting the goods, it wasn't too much of a burden from then on. I will admit to grabbing a few "treat items" while I had the chance (normally I have to surreptitiously slip them in the trolley when the trolley driver is distracted elsewhere and I jokingly tell the staff at the door that I have been "sent to the car" for putting too many expensive goodies in the trolley. In actual fact, I often leave early so I can have a quick read before we drive home.

 

Then came the moment of truth, I negotiated the checkout, managed to insert the pin correctly, remembered to offer the "special in-house card"  and staggered out to the car. MAN, IT WAS HOT!!.. The car had been sweltering in the heat and I could hardly touch the bodywork…. The next performance began as I had to unload the chilly packs and fill the chilly bins with the correct items while hanging on to the trolley which had decided on taking a cruise towards the exit ( you know, the one that is actually the Entry point for cars!)..

WOW!..Thank goodness I remembered to keep a cold orange juice handy, which was demolished in 60 seconds flat!...Having safely secured everything in the back, I headed off home to negotiate my way through the hordes of Log trucks, school holiday traffic, and tourist camper vans.

In Conclusion, I want to say, "My Hat goes off to all those people, mainly Women, who do the regular shopping for the family. You have my admiration and I realise that "practice makes perfect" but having to face this experience with all the drama involved is definitely a character building exercise….(Probably why us males don't offer to do this chore on a regular basis, no matter the rewards offered!... WELL DONE!

A personal Tribute on the Battle of the Somme Centennial

The Butte de Warlencourt on the Somme,

I wrote a blog back in September 2014 regarding a couple of our Family Heroes who didn't return from WW1. Since then I have studied many more of our young men who participated in this "War to End all Wars"…some came home, others lie forever in foreign fields. During my research, I have become more aware of the terrible sacrifice these men made for their country and our democracy and of course the effect it must have had on our combined families during these memorable years

This year is the Centennial of the Battle of the Somme, which took place between 1 July and 18 November 1916 on both sides of the upper reaches of the  River Somme in France. The battle was intended to hasten a victory for the Allies and was the largest battle of the First World War on the Western Front. More than one million men were wounded or killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in human history.

The Butte de Warlencourt

On October 6th 1916 the 8th Battalion, London Post Office Rifles took part in the battle of the Somme in the area of the Butte de Warlencourt.

(The Butte de Warlencourt is an ancient burial mound off the Albert–Bapaume road, north-east of Le Sars in the Somme département of northern France.)

Our Thomas Turnbull from Selkirk in Scotland, was killed on the morning of the 7th October 1916 along with many other soldiers of the Regiment and like many others, his body was never recovered. Tom is remembered on the Thiepval Monument and in the Post Office Memorials in Scotland and high on my 'bucket list" of things to do in retirement would be to visit this wonderful Memorial to the many thousands who fell and have no known grave.

 

  Thomas was working for the Post Office in a town called Kirkcaldy  on the South East coast of Scotland, approx 27 miles from Dundee and like many other young men, answered the call for Army Volunteers and with a large number of his mates, joined the 8th London Post Office Rifles in 1915

The Allies were still fighting for control of this area over a year later with little progress.

In recent years the Butte de Warlencourt was about to be plowed under until The Western Front Association bought the site 23 years ago from a local farmer for £7,500 in a bid to preserve it for future generations and it is now a venerated War Memorial site.

In a personal sad note, one of our NZ Family Soldiers, George Henry Moje of the Canterbury Regiment was killed in 1917 just along the road from where Tom was killed.

There have been many exciting achievements over the past 100 years, however, it seems that the sacrifices these brave warriors made, still resonate down the years and will hopefully be remembered for many years to come.

 Let their sacrifice not be in vain.

We Will Remember Them. Lest We Forget.

Please read my previous post on Tom Turnbull.

http://briansbash.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/a-ww1-personal-family-tribute-for-3756.html

Expansion or the Status Quo?

I started writing my blog in the hope that as my memory fades I will write about experiences we encounter on our lifestyle block. I failed miserably!... Instead, I start thinking about past adventures or items of nostalgia, some funny and some serious, but mainly episodes in my life that are meaningful to me and anyone who takes time to read my postings….Facebook just doesn't allow for extended written creations, so I type out my thoughts of personal experiences whenever I get some time to myself …(obviously not much considering the number of blogs posted)

A recent comment in our daily newspaper brought a childhood happening to mind and I want to share it with you. (John Armstrong has recently retired)

The Famous Charles Atlas

John Armstrong the NZ Herald Chief political commentator was describing a leader of a political party as being a bit of a lightweight to the Press and wrote in his weekly column this statement….

"Sure, an aura of geekiness still drips off his wiry frame and makes him the perfect modern-day version of the 44kg weakling who many moons ago inhabited the now legendary adverts for Charles Atlas' "dynamic tension" body-building regime"

Man Magazine 1950s

Well, "Many moons ago" my older brother Dennis and I were reading a purloined copy of MAN MAGAZINE which was supposedly the most racy magazine available in the 1940s-1950s…. An online HISTORICAL MAGAZINE OUTLINED THIS MAGAZINE IN AN ARTICLE…"If anybody today remembers Man magazine, it is probably as the slightly risqué girlie mag read - along with Pix and Australasian Post and several other such titles - by the clients of barber shops. Or perhaps as the rude publication that Uncle Ted kept in his toilet, where visiting nephews used to feast their eyes. Born in 1936 - the brainchild of ad-man Kenneth Murray - Man prospered against the odds through the tough years of the late 1930s and the Second World War to become the centrepiece of an astonishingly successful home-grown Australian publishing empire. In its heyday Man and its spinoffs published excellent fiction and non-fiction articles, cartoons and artwork. Some of the best of Australia’s writers and artists appeared between its covers and many careers were built on its influence" …. …Reading this magazine in 2015 would bring howls of derision as it would appear very tame compared to today's publications!

Typical Atlas Advert 1940-50s

Scary Thought!

When I was a teenager many of my friends and I were concerned about our image, especially towards the fairer sex. Like many  of my friends I was not endowed with a muscular frame and sports wise, I was more into running and swimming rather than spending every week training with weights. Although we all played Rugby on the weekends, our training schedule was fairly light compared to the intensive schedule of today's young players and the movies held more attraction than a gym. I did train with the YMCA for a short period, but this didn't appeal to me as I had to travel to the city to their Gym…..



As we continued to read the Man magazine, my brother pointed out an article featuring an advert on Charles Atlas which was accompanied by another advert featuring a special on "CHEST EXPANDERS"… Dennis said "Why don't we save some pocket money and write away to the Australian address and get a set mailed to us … We could both have a go at building up our bodies before the Summer and also get into a fitness regime" … He was about to leave home and go farming, but we shared a number of lawn mowing clients and I was also about to take over a newspaper delivery run so we thought we could manage the  18/6d it was going to cost, plus postage.

I seem to remember he was already working on the farm before we raised the necessary funds, but one glorious day, a package arrived and I just couldn't wait to unwrap this treasured item!...
Sure enough there was a long skinny box and inside was a gleaming, steel chest expander! What a thrill!....I remember thinking about the adverts that showed a skinny guy on the beach getting sand kicked in his face by a well built bloke who had a nice girl hanging off his arm. … I thought "we'll show them!".

Different Brand, but exact comparison!

I decided not to wait until Dennis came home for one of his infrequent trips (farm work included weekends, with not much time off) but he had bought a little 1936 Ford Y and this made it easier to travel from the Glenbrook area in South Auckland where he worked. .. I made sure I had no nosey brothers or sister around to watch my 1st exercise's and gently unwrapped the chest expander from it's lovely tissue paper covering. Oh how it gleamed! And the shiny red handles only added to it's lustre…. I retrieved the instruction pamphlet from the box and studied the list of exercises which started from easy to slightly harder and prepared myself for what I hoped would be the beginning of a long and happy regime of physical fitness.

Clasping the handles in each hand as directed I lifted my arms and extended them as far as I could ,,, well actually, this wasn't very far! I tried as hard as I could to start a stretch, but the tension was too great for me to even move the springs 1/2 an inch.. How on earth was I going to get the expander to full stretch without pulling a muscle? .. I grabbed the handles tightly and tried again, but as soon as I managed to exert any type of tension my arms would flick back to the slack stage with the springs just hanging loosely in front of me. Oh God my arms started aching after 5 minutes and I was supposed to be attempting 1/2 hour sessions! …It is hard to find an adequate description of my antics as I tried desperately to extend the nice shiny springs, but a "Whirling Dervish" will give some indication … I staggered around the room grunting and desperately trying to maintain some balance …. I pulled as hard as I could but the tension was just too strong! … Even Dennis had a tough time, but at least he managed to get the expander extended past his chest!...

After 1/2 an hour I was absolutely exhausted and my arms felt as if they were going to drop off… I gently put the expander back into it's case and decided I would wait a week before having another attempt…over a period of 6 months I tried all manner of ways to extend the springs out to full arms length without success… I even tried one of the exercises where you place one foot into the handle (like a stirrup) and pull the expander up in front of your body as high as you can … I managed to get just past my belt!

After another 3 months of valiant effort I decided that perhaps I would just stay skinny … it was much safer for my body and I kept the expander in it's box and placed it under my bed where it stayed until I too left home…. I seem to remember finding the box many years later, but by this time the springs had rusted up and the 1st time I tried to use the expander, the springs came away from the handles … it wound up in the dump!

My Treasured Morris 8 Convertible

The lesson : I attracted more interest from the fairer sex with my Morris 8 Convertible than I ever did by flashing my pectoral muscles … Brian vs Brawn will win every day!

A Gala to Remember ...But it pays to be prepared!

The Waipu Gala 2015

Easter Weekend in Waipu has become renowned for the Waipu Primary School Festival. Most schools in the Bream Bay District run annual Gala Days, (mainly to raise the necessary funds that the Government do not provide), such as swimming pools and their upkeep , special classrooms for computers or special needs children etc. It is always a battle to come up with exciting ideas that will attract family members and residents of the area to part with the necessary funds required to  facilitate any improvements.

School Annual Festival.

"Early Birds" Setting up.

The Waipu Primary School have come up with a prize winning  formula that just seems to get better each year and here in their own words is how that came about …..

"Not so long ago, the Waipu Primary School PTA held various fundraising events throughout the year. Then it was decided, enough's enough! Let's stop mucking around raising lots of little bits, how about one BIG fundraiser?? So in 2009, the first annual Waipu Easter Carnival was held. The Carnival was a great success and has now become a major community event for Waipu as well as a fantastic fundraiser for the school.

Granddaughter Holly AKA Madam Butterfly

There are a huge range of fun things to participate in and the community and visitors enjoy the day immensly.
Among other things, proceeds from the past have helped fund the new adventure playground, the new sandpit area and surrounds, new computers for the computer room, plants and trees for the school property, sports equipment and ipads and other resources for all the classrooms.

 ALL proceeds go back to the School

 A Memorable Gala Day

During the 1990s I was a proud member of the Waipu Primary School PTA…(Parent Teachers Association) as my youngest daughter Heather was a pupil and I liked to idea of helping the parent Volunteers in this group in their fund raising efforts. I was already on the Waipu Caledonian Society Committee and therefore I could assist and liase in arranging the  annual programme owing to the fact that the Festival is traditionally held on the Caledonian Park.

One year our PTA group included a couple of local entrepreneurs who had a reputation for successful original ideas on fund raising and they formed the nucleus of the Festival programme. One evening we had a brain storming session and ideas came thick and fast and our programme was set with volunteers allocated the numerous activities.

A mini Ferris Wheel (similar)

 I was awarded the "Ferris Wheel" and on the day I dutifully arrived and helped erect what was actually a mini version of the usual fairground wheel.

It looked quite flimsy, but I was assured that it passed all the safety checks and was "ready to roll". Well "roll" it certainly did! Once I had seated the first lot of children and started the motor, the whole structure started a crazy wobble and began to rock from side to side. The entire 1st load of passengers started screaming and yelling and asked to be let off. Unfortunately when I applied the brake, nothing happened and the wheel did another couple of circuits before I could pull the power cord. Once all the children had been lifted out of their seats, the majority ran off looking for their parents. Needless to say the queue of future passengers had disappeared, possibly scared out of their wits in anticipation! … I wrote a large sign saying closed for repairs and set out to see if I could help elsewhere.

Steve (NO1 Entrepreneur) suggested I could either look after the "Horse Square" or the 'Horizontal Bungy". I was advised the horse event involved a horse penned in a large grassed square that had been marked out evenly in white paint squares … patrons paid a gold coin to guess what square the horse would poop into next! … Fascinating idea, but I felt I would be better suited to something less demanding, so I chose the "Horizontal Bungee"

Bungee Cord

This involved a marked lane with hay bales at one end and a length of thick bungee cord. This was tied around a child's waist and they would then run from the start line, down the lane and grab a can of coke that was placed on the middle hay bale. The cord was just long enough that they had to stretch out and grab the can before the cord pulled them back towards the start line. It never dawned on me that although it had been set-up according to instructions, nobody had actually tried it out to see if it worked!...My first daring daredevil was a young Maori boy, aged about 11 years who looked as if he should be the 1st competitor. I tied the bungee cord around his waist and said "GO!" The young lad took off and before I realised what had happened, he reached the can with ease and just plucked the coke off the bale and walked back to the start! .. THE CORD WAS TOO LONG!!

You get the drift?

Just then Steve arrived and explained that he hadn't yet checked the length of the cord and would move the bales to match the length of the bungee cord. By this stage my audience had grown along with a queue of eager coke fanciers. I replaced a new can of coke and tied the cord around the next willing waist and shouted 'GO!" .. The well built lad ran as fast as he could towards the hay bales when all of a sudden he reached the end of the cord and was instantly hurtling backwards towards me .. I jumped out of the road and he roared past me and crashed into the door of a car that was slowly driving past heading for the car park!... There was immediate silence all around as the boy lay where he had landed … the driver  leapt out of the car and surveyed the rear door that had suddenly gained a large dent in the middle … We both rushed to gather around the young fellow who was still wrapped in the bungee cord and hoped that no physical damage had been done … we obviously breed tough blokes in this region because after apologising to the car owner for the damaged door, he enquired if he thought he deserved a free can of coke! … 

I decided to call it quits at this stage and headed for a quiet cup of strong coffee! .. We never did hear from the car owner or their insurance company.

It Pays to try it out FIRST!

FOOTNOTE:

Today I met Steve and reminisced about our days with the Waipu PTA….We had a good laugh and he told me that one enterprising parent suggested we could have a "Mashed Potato Sculpture Event" … bet that would have been fun!

World War 1 Family Heroes .. 201276 Lance Corporal. Peter Turnbull K.O.S.B

Port Said Memorial Cemetery

My second family posting from World War 1 is dedicated to 201276 Corporal Peter Turnbull 1st/4th Btn Kings Own Scottish Borderers aged 34, who died on the 9th July 1917 in Egypt. Peter was the 2nd son of Richard and Sophia Turnbull of Selkirk to be killed in World War 1 and was one of my Grandmothers older brothers

He is buried in the Port Said Memorial Cemetery, Port Said, Egypt.

Peter was a Don R (nickname for a motorcycle despatch rider)
He apparently did not hear the sentry challenge and unfortunately was shot while returning to camp on a motor bike and he died of his wounds. Such a sad waste of life and extremely sad for his parents in Selkirk who had already lost their youngest son Tom in Oct 1916

------------------------------------------

THE REGIMENT 

The Kings Own Scottish Borderers

KOSB Badges

A Detachment of the 4th KOSB.

The Empress of Britain.

 Peter sailed on the Empress of Britain with the Regiment firstly to Gallipoli where they landed on Y Beach at Cape Helles on the 25th April 1915. Fierce fighting ensured many casualties and the KOSB were held up in a defile close to the beach named "Gully Ravine"

After the Regiment was withdrawn from battle they went to Mudros Island for R&R and then down to Egypt where they fought in the Gaza area. This was during the time of Lawrence of Arabia's famous exploits and Allenbys entry into Jerusalem. Peter was killed just after the 1st battle of Gaza.

KOSB at Gallipoli

In the ravine the 1st Battalion, Border Regiment did not advance as far as those troops on the spur since Ottomans there were somewhat sheltered from the deadly bombardment from the sea. Their final position was fortified with rocks and boulders and became known as "Border Barricade".
The KOSB is of course a famous Scottish Regiment and participated in many other memorable battles in World War 1 including the Western Front in France.

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PERSONAL DETAILS
Peter was engaged to be married and his fiancee apparently never re-married, however Peter's Father was presented with his medals after the War and he invited this lass to Selkirk and presented them to her as a keepsake. She kept the medals for over 40 years and then decided they should be returned to Selkirk, She gave them to the Selkirk Borders Museum where they are still kept. Recently I communicated with her relative who lives in Portsmouth and she suggested I get the Border museum to photograph the collection for me, which they kindly agreed to do.

 The collection also includes a decorative brass tin sent by Princess Mary to members of the British, Colonial and Indian Armed Forces for Christmas 1914. Over 426,000 of these tins were distributed to those serving on Christmas Day 1914. The tins were filled with various items including tobacco, confectionary, spices, pencils, a Christmas card and a picture of the Princess.

Click Here for a pdf of the Museum Collection.

Modern Egyptian "Garry"

 When my Grandmother and Mother emigrated to New Zealand in the 1920s, they were able to briefly leave the ship Orsova  at the Suez Canal and visited Peters Grave. Apparently they took a "garry" to the cemetery and my Mother was constantly touched by Arab children who had not seen a young girl with such white skin! It must have been quite an experience!



One interesting document I have, is the official CWGC handwritten requests for the next of kin to request an inscription on the grave stone and Richard Turnbull asked for the following sentence to be thus inscribed. "Faithful Unto Death"

CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL

#Note The history of these inscriptions is inconsistent. The inscriptions were originally limited to 66 characters (including spaces between words). Cost was 3 1/2d per letter. At some stage the British Govt capitulated and made the payment voluntary. There is evidence some were asked 3d per letter. One epitaph runs for 400 characters  -  a considerable excess to the alleged 66 character limitation. The proportion of headstones with inscriptions is higher for Officers, which may well indicate that payment was a factor and wealthier families could afford the cost more easily than some poorer families.It was very controversial. The Canadian Govt paid for the Canadian inscriptions.The New Zealand Govt banned inscriptions on the basis that some might not be able to afford it (although some do exist) 

At the Going Down of the Sun

and in the Morning.

We will Remember Them.

LEST WE FORGET

                                               Click Here for CWGC Memorial at Port Said

A tribute to Peter's brother Tom
http://briansbash.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/a-ww1-personal-family-tribute-for-3756.html

A WW1 Personal Family Tribute for 3756 L/Cpl Tom Turnbull. London Post Office Rifles

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
(Lieut Colonel John McRae, Poet)

I have started writing this tribute, 100 years to the day that World War 1 was declared. In recent years my wife Lyn and I have spent many hours researching our Family members who served in this "War to End all Wars" and over the past months we both have agreed that our knowledge of this conflict has not only been a time of reflection, but also a time of admiration for these relatives who interrupted their normal lives to travel overseas, some as volunteers and some as conscripts.

Of course there were exceptions to serving overseas. One of my New Zealand Grandfathers was relegated as "unfit" owing to his age and the fact that the family had seven young children to care for!

Post Office Uniform

My main interest at this stage revolves around 4x Family members that I have researched.
Tom Turnbull from Selkirk and his brother Peter Turnbull also from Selkirk, who both gave their lives, Andrew O'Brien (aka Bishop as he was adopted out as a child) and my Grandfather, Edmund Joseph Ramsey (aka Ramsbottom) who both survived and returned home.

My 1st chosen Family Member is Thomas George Turnbull from Selkirk in Scotland. Tom, was the youngest Son of Richard and Sophia Turnbull (Binnie)  Tom was born in 1894 and the family included older siblings William (b.1887), Jane Hogg Binnie (b1879) Richard (b1886) Peter (b1884) and Mary Stoddart Turnbull (My Grandmother b 1896) who was the youngest.

The Family had a number of addresses in Selkirk including Fuschia Cottage Tower Street in 1881, 4a Bleachfield Rd, 12 Dunsdale Haugh in 1901 and at 48 Ettrick Terrace in 1914.

London Regt. Badge

Tom left home and joined the Post Office and in 1915 along with other Postal workers he was recruited into the Territorial Force under its new title '8th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Post Office Rifles).

His Army number was 3756 and his date of enlistment was 6th February 1915 into 1st /8th Btn Post Office Rifles where he rose to the rank of Lance Corporal. The 1st Battalion embarked from Southampton on 17 March 1915 and after a period of training and acclimatisation, entered the trenches to fight in the battle for Festubert on 11 May that year.

The regiment saw further action at Loos in the same year and in 1916, POR battalions were involved in some of the worst carnage of the war at the Battle of the Somme. For their part, the PORs entered the hostilities late in the battle (October) but still sustained forty dead, 160 wounded and some 200 missing.


I have a booklet that I purchased from the UK  recently and it gives an outline of that particular day. It was during this period on Saturday 7th October, Tom was killed at the battle for the BUTTE De WARLENCOURT..... The official records state "The Battalion made a somewhat disasterous attack on the Butte De Warlencourt,  a mound that bristled with un-suspected machine guns. Two companies were completely wiped out, only seven men returning. On the 9th October the remnants were removed to Albert and from there to Ypres". Tom's body was never found.


The Post Office Rifles received 145 awards for gallantry including one Victoria Cross for Sgt. A.J. Knight.

At this stage of my research I don't know all the details of Tom's involvement before this battle, however it is apparent that his Regiment was totally involved in a number of major battles immediatley prior to The Butte de Warlencourt, including LOOS and VIMY RIDGE

CWGC Memorial

Tom is remembered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commision and his name is engraved on the famous Thiepval Memorial, which commemorates the 72,085 men who were killed on the Somme. 

There are numerous Post Office Memorials in London and in Scotland and Tom is remembered on these  also. (I hope to Visit Theipval in the next year or so to pay my respects to this brave lad.)

Red Spot marks where Tom was killed

The Map on the right, outlines the area where the

battle of the Butte De Warlencourt was fought.

Many of the wounded were taken to the nearby town of

Albert. The red marking highlights the area where

Tom Turnbull was killed.

Thiepval Engraving for L/Cpl Tom Turnbull

This is the plaque from the Thiepval Memorial with Tom's name engraved. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is responsible for the upkeep of these Memorials in perpetuity and it
is quite a moving experience to view the Memorials and the surrounding Gardens.

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Further Research on Tom Turnbull

Kirkcaldy Post Office Memorial

During my research on Tom, I came across a number of Memorials to the Fallen in Post Offices throughout Scotland. When I found the Kirkcaldy Memorial with his name I wondered how he was associated with this Post Office, which is situated in the Fife Region, North of Selkirk.

I read that Post Office employess could be transferred to other regions and obviously, Tom was working in the area.



Tom was my Nana's favourite Brother and when an Aunt passed away in 2011, I was given a box of family memorabilia to sort through including a box with letters and cards sent to Mary. In 1912 Tom was working in the Burntilsand area, which is on the coast near the Firth of Forth and this explains his association with Kirkcaldy, which is close by! He wrote to Mary on a couple of Valentines post cards (a popular way of communicating in those days) and these treasures, written in pencil are still legible and in good condition.

A card to Mary

Rear of Card to Mary

To Mary from Tom

8th Btn Regimental Flag

The Recruiting Poster for the London Regiment

8th Btn Regimental Parade

Thank you for visiting my Blog and I invite you to return for a follow-up

blog on other Family members who were involved in World War 1

We are very proud of these Family Heroes and it is my fervent wish that they will never be forgotten.

In this Centenary Year of the beginning of this terrible tragedy it is appropriate to spend a quiet moment of reflection for these young men and women who paid the Ultimate Sacrifice and for those who returned home, forever scarred by the experience.

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.

Please use this link to read my Tribute to Tom's Brother Peter Turnbull who died in Egypt 9th July 1918
https://briansbash.blogspot.com/2014/09/world-war-1-family-heroes-201276-lance.html