Monday, April 25, 2011

ANZAC Day

For me (and everyone else I know) not a glorification of war but a day of remembrance and respect for those men and women, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters who suffered trauma no people should have to suffer in order that we are among the lucky people of the world who have the right to complain about things like the "glorification of war" on social media such as twitter and facebook.

While I am standing in the chill and lifting-dark of early morning at the Dawn Service I am thinking about how cold, dirty, sick, hungry, lonely, sore and scared the majority of soldiers were in that transitional time between night duties and day duties on front lines.
I also often think about the agonising unbearable unknowingness that people at home must have felt in a time before skype, satellites and high speed internet.
Not my idea of glory, that's for sure.

Thank you to those people I know of in my family who were changed immeasurably and in some cases lost their lives and futures as a consequence of war.

I do my best to remember you, especially today.


Uncle Bob Silcock  1917 - 1999
WW2 #296993
4th Brigade 20th Battalion 2nd NZEF 1939 - 1945


Uncle Bob Papps 1922 -
WW2 Navy

Uncle Les Papps 1923 - 2006
WW2 reg# 618429. 
Compulsory military training. He was called to service overseas including Egypt and Japan. 
 
Uncle Richard Papps 1931 -
Served in army in Malaysia

Uncle Jack Park 1926 -

Great Uncle Edgar Noble Papps 1908 - 1998

Great Uncle Charlie Papps 1883 - 1943

Great Uncle Henry (Harry) Papps 1878 - 1958



Great Uncle George Samuel Papps 1874 - 1948


Great Uncle Arthur Papps 1888 - 1977
WW1 #33149 Lieutenant New Zealand Rifle Brigade


Great Uncle Herman Wendleborn 1896 - 1962
WW1 #7/1160 & WW2

Upon enlisting in 1915, Herman stated his year of birth as 1894 to appear older and therefore be eligible for service. After being wounded at Gallipoli (head wound) and spending some time recovering in Egypt, Herman was sent home to New Zealand on 11 February 1916.

At the outbreak of WWII, Herman re-enlisted for duty with the Home Guard. He again changed his date of birth, this time to make himself seem younger (40 instead of 43). He served at Papakura Military Camp, Waiouru Military Camp, and HMNZS Devonport until his discharge on 2 January 1944.


Great Uncle Laurence Wendelborn 1893-1918
WW1 #7/291 Corporal

Laurence served in Egypt, Gallipoli and Western Europe.
His military awards included the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
He was wounded in action at Gallipoli on around the 7th August 1915 and admitted to hospital on the 9th. He was discharged back to base and readmitted to hospital a few times throughout August, through September and into Dec 1915. On 13 Nov 1918 he was admitted to the Featherston Military Camp Hospital in Wellington and died on 15 November 1918, age 25.

Great Uncle Darkie Wendelborn 1884 - 1952


Clifford Wendelborn 1914-1995
WW2

Lance Corporal Clifford Laurence Wendelborn - serial number 16215. Clifford served as an infantryman, despatch rider, tankman and driver during WWII. He repeatedly refused promotion. 


Ron Wendelborn
 WW2 Reg #: 21111 NZ Army Corp 1939/1945 

He returned to New Zealand on 23 January 1946. During the trip back, Ronald requested a demotion from Sergeant back to Corporal.

Jack Leslie Friend 1920 - 25 May 1941

WW2 reg #8378
Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF), 1st Echelon 20 Canterbury and Otago Battalion
Died of his battle wounds in Crete

Stanley James Wendelborn 1919 - 1945
WW2 Gunner, New Zealand Artillery, 4 Field Regiment
Died at war - Cassino, Italy

Henry (Harry) John Windleborn 1910 - 1988

WW2 Chief Petty Officer Airman
Military awards include  the 1939-45 Star, the Africa Star, the Pacific Star (Burma clasp), War Medal 1939-45 and the New Zealand War Service Medal.

Percy Herbert Windleburn 1885 – 1945
WW1

New Zealand Mounted Rifles, Reserve Battalion. # 80399. When he enlisted in 1918, Percy gave his birth year as 1890 rather than 1885, making it appear that he was only 28. 



Lawerence (Lon) CF Windleburn 1897 – 1974
WW1 New Zealand Expeditionary Force 42nd Reinforcements D Company

Philip Edward (Tulip) Windleborn 1920 - 1990
WW2 Korean War reg # 72279 & 207892
New Zealand Field Artillery, 29 Light Anti Aircraft Battery: Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF) & Kayforce.

Military Awards
  • 1939-45 Star
  • Pacific Star
  • Italy Star
  • Defence Medal
  • War Medal 1939-45
  • New Zealand War Service Medal
  • Korea Medal 1950-53
  • The United Nations Medal (Korea)
Henry Charles Schroder 1895 - 1971
WW1 reg #: 26461 New Zealand Expeditionary Force, 14th Reinforcements New Zealand Engineers

Percival August Edward Schroder 1896 -
WW1 Reg # 35501  NZ Rifle Brigade 11th Reinforcements 4th Battalion, (H Company )

Albert Charles SCHRODER 1874 - 1929
WW1 reg# 72861. New Zealand Expeditionary Force 37th Reinforcements C Company

Bernard Austin Schroder 1897 - 1956
WW1 reg# 25/570. NZ Rifle Brigade 3rd Battalion, C Company

Cecil Lawerence Schroder 1883 - 1968
WW1 reg# 59463 New Zealand Expeditionary Force, 31st Reinforcements Auckland Infantry Regiment, A Company

Henry James Schroder 1881 - ?
WW1 reg#25/144   New Zealand Expeditionary Force 3rd Battalion, B Company

Arthur Charles Schwass 1905 - 1982
WW1 reg#74550  New Zealand Expeditionary Force 40th Reinforcements E Company


Leo Philip Schwass 1897 - 1918
WW1 reg#48413  New Zealand Expeditionary Force 26th Reinforcements Canterbury Infantry Regiment, C Company killed in action 15 July 1918 Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France


Sidney Charles Schwass
WW1 Reg# 29307 New Zealand Expeditionary Force 18th Reinforcements Canterbury Infantry Battalion, C Company

      Lewis Henry Windleborn 1893 – 1917
       WW1, Canterbury Infantry Regiment, 2 Battalion, 13 Company

      Polygon Wood (Polygoneveld, or Bois de Polygone), named for its shape, was a large wood near the Ypres-Menin road at Veldhoekn (north east of Ypres), Belgium.
      A prominent artificial mound in the wood, called the Butte, had been used by the Belgian army as a shooting range prior to 1914. Fought over during the First Battle of Ypres in October/November 1914, it thereafter remained in German hands until Third Battle of Ypres (aka The Battle of Passchendaele) in 1917.


      The NZ Division went to Polygon Wood during the winter of 1917-1918 (about October). It was a very cold winter. NZ suffered about 3000 losses during that winter in Polygon Wood. They carried out the attack on Polderhoek Chateau on the right hand side of Polygon Wood on 3 December.
       On the 13 December Lewis was killed in action here.
      At the end of February 1918 the NZ Division were relieved from their post.




      Lest We Forget 
      .