The New Zealand Part of the ANZAC Forces

This year, I was chosen to be a Shrine of Remembrance Youth Ambassador. As a youth ambassador, I am expected to inform both my community and my school of the happenings of World War One and Two as well as continuing on the legacy of the ANZAC Forces.

This school holidays, I was asked to help run a program called ‘Dogs, Dolphins and Donkeys’ for children aged 4-10. This program is about learning what animals did in the theatres of war.

When I ran the first workshop, I got into conversation with a mum (who was from New Zealand) who had brought her two sons to the program. We got talking and she shared with me two amazing stories of her great-grandfather and her grandfather who fought in WW1 and WW2.

The first story she told me was about her great-grandfather who fought at Gallipoli. He was apart of the ANZACs and he had a donkey. He was a stretcher bearer who also used a donkey to transport wounded ANZAC’s to hospital ships. He worked alongside John Simpson Kirkpatrick and the most amazing thing is the famous painting of Simpson and his Donkey that she recalls being told that it is actually of her great-grandfather.

The other story was of her Grandad. He was deployed to Crete and after fighting there, was taken Prisoner of War by the Germans. This is where the story takes a surprising turn. For some reason, the German officials in charge of his group liked him and allowed him to set up a laundry business for the Germans. He was even paid! By the time he was liberated, he had earned quite a bit of money and went back home to New Zealand with cash in hand.

Information about the Battle of Crete: The battles were fought from the second week of May, where German airbourne troops attacked the allied divisions. By the end of May, hte resistance had broken down and the Germans took small groups of allied soldiers prisoner. (Info found at https://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/crete.asp )

These stories that were told to me were very facinating and being able to share stories of family members (especially her grandfather) must have being very hard and I thank her for sharing those stories with me.

For info about the Shrine of Remembrance: http://www.shrine.org.au/home

Important: I have recieved verbal permission for this to be posted.

 

The Story of ‘Young Digger’

 

Summary:

The story of ‘Young Digger’ is quite an amazing story. On Christmas night, 1918, the 4th Australian Flying Squadron was sitting down to Christmas dinner. From there, a young French boy wandered into their compound and asked for food. He has been with other English units but founded a great friendship with the Australians. From there on in, Ed and Tim Tovell (his temporary guardians) devised a plan to bring him home to Australia.

Who was ‘Young Digger’?

‘Young Digger’ was a nickname given to an orphan French boy by the name of Henri Heremene. His father was in the French Army and was killed while on active duty. His mother, and the rest of his family, were killed when a German shell hit their house. He was picked up by a British unit and travelled to Cologne with the RAF’s No. 48 squadron.

Cologne, 1918-1919:

After the Christmas Dinner was shared with Henri, he asked the Australians if he could stay with them. They agreed. A medic estimated that we was approximately 11 years of age and his birthday was set on December 25, the day he met the Australians.

He eventually become the rat catcher at Cologne and even had his own cart. He became friends with a dog in which he named ‘Roy’. Roy and Henri were formidable opponents for the rats and soon became well known throughout the Airfield.

Leaving Cologne, 1919:

When it was time for the 4th Squadron to leave back for Australia, Henri went with them. The 4th Squadron tried to trace any family connections near Lille, where he was found, but was nothing was found. Ed and Tim Tovell then hatched a plan to bring Henri back to Australia with them.

At this time, Tim’s son, Timmy, had recently died due to polio. This made his connection to Henri stronger and made him even more determined to bring Henri back to Queensland, Australia.

He was advised by his commander and other high officials not to attempt this because it could have negative consequences on him, the child and even the Squadron. He decided to ignore the advice he was given and hid Henri in a 100lb oats bag until he was at the port.

Getting on the boat home, 1919:

Word had gotten out that a French orphan was planning to go to Australia. Because of this rumour, the guards on the port were extra vigilant. Ed and Tim knew that the oat bag would not work this time and put Henri in a costume box that was to be delivered to the Major in charge of the 4th Squadron (who was in on the plan).

This plan worked. He was successfully smuggled onto the ship that was to take Tim, Ed, Henri and the rest of the 4th Squadron home to Australia. He was caught on board the boat but after talking with the captain, he was allowed to stay on board.

The Queensland Premier had travelled to France and was on board the boat home. He made connections back to Australia and permission was granted for Henri to stay in Australia.

Permission was granted by the Australian Government and French Counsel for Tim Tovell to adopt Henri and grant citizenship. When the ship landed in Sydney, Tim’s wife, Gerty, and daughter, Nancy, were there to meet Tim and the new addition to the family, Henri.

Life in Australia:

Henri settled into life in Australia quite well. He attended school and got good marks. He graduated and went to Point Cook, Victoria, Australia to . He always said he wanted to join the RAAF. Because he was underaged, he was not accepted. Instead, he worked at the Laverton RAAF Base. He often wrote to Tim and Gerty saying that he was homesick and wanted ‘home sweet home’. At the start, he always got positive reports but nearing the end of his work career, his attitude towards the work he was doing changed and hence, the reports got worse.

A Tragic Ending:

In May 1928, Henri was part of an accident in Melbourne that left him fighting for life. He was in a coma with a fractured skull and passed away soon after.

Tim and Gerty were not able to be at the memorial service for Henri. The 4th Squadron set up a memorial fund and were able to fundraise enough money to build a memorial for Henri.

More information on Henri Heremene can be found in the book ‘Young Digger’ written by Anthony Hill.

 

Battle of the Somme

Introduction:

The Battle of the Somme was one of the main allied attacks on the Western Front in 1916. 19,333 British soldiers were killed with 38,666 more wounded on the first day of battle.

Planning of the Attack:

The attack was planned in 1915 and was intended to be a joint British-French attack. It was planned to be a battle of attrition (where neither side would get a quick victory) and the aim was to drain all of the German soldiers and weapons, though gaining territory was also an aim. The plan was agreed upon by Douglas Haig, though he would have preferred the offensive to be launches at Flanders.

The Battle:

The battle started at 7:30 on July 1st, 1916 when 17 mines were detonated. The attack was not a surprise to the Germans because soldiers talked freely about the plan in French coffee shops and in letters sent home to families. Because of this, The British sector made little progress on the first day. For the most part, British troops were forced back into the trenches by German machine gun fire. Whereas the French sector had much more success. By advancing in small groups (like they had done in Verdun), they achieved most of their objectives.

Many men were killed/wounded the moment they stepped onto No Mans Land. Despite severe losses (58,000 men on the first day), Haig persisted with the attack. Advances were made but were limited.

Did you know that the Somme was the first time tanks were used in the war!

In October, Joffre tried to persuade Haig to continue with the offensive because the French at Verdun were gaining ground and he wanted the British to continue so not as many German soldiers would fight the French at Verdun.

Statistics:

• 420,000 British casualties
• 200,000 French casualties
• 500,000 German casualties

World War 2 Quotes:

“In a life and death struggle, we cannot afford to leave our destinies in the hands of failure” Clement Atlee

“In War: Resolution. In Defeat: Defiance. In Victory: Magnanimity. In Peace: Good Will.” Winston Churchill

“Before Alamein, we had no victories. After Alamein, we had no defeats.” Winston Churchill

“Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few.” Winston Churchill

“Germany must either be a world power or there will be no Germany at all.” Adolf Hitler

“To every man of us, Tobruk was a symbol of British resistance and we were not going to finish it for good.” General Erwin Rommel

“The enemy is at the gate. It is a question of life and death.” Andrei Zhdanov

“Australia and New Zealand are now threatened by the might of the Japanese Imperial forces, and both of them should know that any resistance is futile.” Hideki Tojo

The 5 Main Causes of World War 1

Alliances:

There were many allianced that were in place before World War 1. This meant that if one country got attacked, their allies would come and defend them. Because there were so amny alliances, if one country got attacked, it was likely that a large scale war would be declared. Some of the alliances that were in place before World War 1 were:

• Russia and Serbia
• Germany and Austria-Hungary
• France and Russia
• Britain and France and Belgium
• Japan and France

Imperialism:

The definition of imperialism is ‘a policy of extending a countries power by means of colonialisation, military force or other means’.The desire for greater empires by European countries in the leadup to World War One was one of the reasons that so many countries ended up fighing in the Great War.

Militarism:

Before WW1, European countries had started to increase their army capacity. The term militarism can be defined as ‘a belief that a coutnry should maintain a strong militaey capability and be prepared to use it aggressivly to defend or promote the nation.’ By 1914, Germany had the worlds strongest army. This led to an influence on the public and therefore, society. This was one of the bigger impacts that led to the start of World War One.

Nationalism:

The term nationalsim can be interpreted as ‘an extreme form of support for ones country marked by a feeling of superiority over other countries.’ Much of the start of the war was caused by people in Bosnia not wanting to be apart of Austria Hungrary, but a part of Serbia. In a wider sense, it did not only help cause the war but help expand it.

Assasination:

The immediate cause of World War One was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. He was the heir to the Austria-Hungary throne. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and alliances started to help other countries out and this therefore led to the expansion of the war.

Mobile Killing Units (Einsatzgruppen)

Einsatzgruppen were squads that were made up of SS and police members. Under the command of the German Security Police and Security Service, their task was to murder anybody that was thought to be racial or political enemies found behind German lines in the Soviet Union. These people included Jews, Gypsies and officials of the Soviet state and communist party. They also murded many people that had mental or physical diabilities.

During the invasion of the Soviet Union (June 1941), the Einsatzgruppen followed the army as it advanced. Drawing on local police and civilian knowlegde, the Einstazgruppen would carry out mass murders. This was much different to deporting Jews to a killing center. The Einstazgruppen would come to the town and kill anybody they had been told was a ‘threat’.

At first, the only victims of the Einsatzgruppen were Jewish men. However by late summer 1941, men, women and children were shot and buried in mass graves, regardless of sex or age. Jews were identified and taken to collection points where they were either marched or taken by truck to where they would be shot. Trenches had often been prapared but there were some cases where victims had to dig their own grave. The Jews then handed over any valuable items and undressed. Then the group of people woudl either stand or lie down in the pit and shot.

By the summer of 1941, the mass shooting were producing a psychological burdon on the SS members. Heinrich Himmler, noticing this, requested that a new and more convenient way of killing be made. The result was a ‘gas van’. A gas van was a mobile gas chamber which was mounted on top of a truck. This chamber was connected to the truck’s exhaust where carbon monoxide was filtered into the room.

By the spring of 1943, the Einstazgruppen had murdered over 1 million Soviet Jews and tens of thousands more political persons, gypsies and physically and mentally handicapped individuals.

 

U-Boats

What were U-Boats?

U-Boats (abbreviation of Unterseeboot meaning “undersea boat”) were German Submarine that were used to destroy enemy ships.

When was the U-Boat first used?

On 31st 1917, Germany announced that U-Boats would engage in unrestricted submarine warfare beginning on the 1st of February

How many U-Boats were actually made?

1,162 U-Boats were made  in WW2 and 375 in WW2

How many ships did U-Boats sink in WW1?

430 Allied and neutral ships were sunk during the period of World War 1.

How many ships did U-Boats sink in WW2?

During the time of World War 2, U-Boats sank roughly 2,780 ships.

What was the biggest ship sunk by a U-Boat?

The Empress of Britain is claimed to be the largest ship that was sunk by a German U-Boat. She weight approximately 42,348 GRT.

How deep could U-Boats dive?

U-Boats usually had a collapse depth range of between 200 and 280 metres (660 to 920 feet).

 

Revolt at Sobibor

Summary:

By the summer of 1943, the number of transports to Sobibor had decresed dramatically. Many of the prisoners suspected that the end was nearing. In July, a group of inmates organised an underground unit. They devised a plan. The SS officers would be lured into storehouses thinking that they were being given new coats and boots. Once inside the building, they would be attacked by the prisoners and killed by weapons that the resistancers had gathered. The camp would be set ablaze at roll call and everyone would have the chance to run for fredom. Once they were outside the gates, they would be on their own.

At 4:00pm on October 19, 1943, the first SS soldier was kiled with an axe. 10 more SS wen and other Ukranian guards were killed as well. Within an hour, the camp was buring and the first group of prisoners fled across the German mine fields that were surrounding the camp.

At dusk, more than half the prisoners (about 300 people) had escaped. Most were killed by Nazi pursuers or died crossing the minefield. It is estimated that only 50 of the people that escaped survived the war.

After the uprising, the Germans destroyed all remaining traces of Sobibor. At the end of 1943, the remains death camp were underneath crops. Between March 1942 and October 1943, at least 167,ooo people has been murdered at Sobibor.

 

The Night of Broken Glass

Introduction:

The Night of Broken Glass (also known as Kristallnacht) was an anti jewish massacre that happened in Germany, Austria and areas of Czechoslovakia.

When did it happen?

It happened on the night of November 9/10 1938

What instigated this pogrom?

After the ‘Night of Broken Glass’ happened, German officials announced that it was the retaliation of the death of Ernst vom Rath. Vom Rath was a German diplomat that was assasinated by a Polish jew,Herschel Grynszpan, on November 7, 1938.

The Night of 9/10 November:

Violence began to erupt in various parts of the German Empire in the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning. At 1:20 a.m. on November 10, Reinhard Heydrich, sent an urgent telegram containing instructions regarding the riots.As a result of the telegram, The SA and Hitler Youth started to destroy jewish-owned homes and buisnesses.

Reinhard Heydrich’s Orders:

Heydrich’s orders goes as follows:

The “spontaneous” rioters were to take no measures endangering non-Jewish German life or property; they were not to subject foreigners (even Jewish foreigners) to violence; and they were to remove all synagogue archives prior to vandalizing synagogues and other properties of the Jewish communities, and to transfer that archival material to the Security Service (Sicherheitsdienst, or SD). The orders also indicated that police officials should arrest as many Jews as local jails could hold, preferably young, healthy men.

Statistics and Facts:

• The SA and Hitler Youth destroyed 267 synagogues throughout the German Empire
• ‘The Night of Broken Glass’ claimed the lives of at least 91 Jews
• During the aftermath, there were high figures of rape and suicide.
• ‘The Night of Broken Glass’ marks the first instance in which the Nazis murdered Jews on a large scale because of their religion

Pictures:

Gestapo

Introduction:

The GeheimeStaatspolizei (also know as the Gestapo) was the secret police force that was formed during WW2 in Nazi Germany. The main purpose of the Gestapo was to hunt down anybody that was considered a threat to Nazi Germany. One of the other purposes of the Gestapo was to fight the threat of resistance movements

Who were the people that were classified as a threat to Nazi Germany?

The people that were classified as a ‘threat’ to Nazi Germany where:

• Jews
• Communists
• Jehovah witnesses
• Homosexuals
• Mentally/Physically disabled individuals

 

 -> Gestapo Flag

 

How big was the Gestapo?

The gestapo was a relatively small size. With only 32,000 personnel at the end of 1944, the Gestapo had to rely on local police forces to conduct its investigated.

Facts about the Gestapo:

1. GeheimeStaatspolizei means ‘Secret State Police’.
2. It was formed in April 1934 by Hermann Göring but was continued under the leadership of Heinhich Himmler.
3. The Gestapo was deemed a ‘criminal organisation’ by the jury during the Nuremburg Trials.
4. There were 5 sections of the Gestapo. (Sections A, B, C, D and E)
5. The Gestapo were not affected by the law. They only had to act upon direct orders from Hitler himself

Interrogation Methods:

There were many methods that were used by the Gestapo during interrogation. Many of these methods were psychological rather than physical. Here are some examples:

•  Leaving an individual in prison for weeks or months to create fear and weaken his/her resistance
• Examinations could take up to 20 hours without food or a rest
• They would arrest contacts and compare answers that were given. If the answers differed, they would be sent back to prison.
• The Gestapo would threaten an individual and it would often look like they were losing their temper
• Would tell the individuals that they were not to go to bed as they were going to be examined. The Gestapo would then postpone the examination. This could happened many times and often they would be examined without warning
• Some members would try to drown the arrestees, break their backs, or any number of other torture method to try and break the individual

Post War:

Many members of the Gestapo were put on trial during the Nuremburg Trials. The sentences ranged from the death penalty to varying lengths of imprisonment.