'Don't forget me Cobber': the story of the lost of Fromelles

Fromelles 2008-2010

July 19-20 , 1916 marked the day the AIF experienced the reality of war on the Western Front during the Great War for the first time. In a tiny village in the northern France, Australian and British troops took part in a frontal attack on the German Army that created a story that was unresolved until 2008, 92 years after the actual failed attack. These two days in 1916 were little known after the war despite the casualties inflicted on the Australian forces being the worst of any single military campaign in the history of the AIF. Many men were never found though it was a commonly held belief by locals in the village and amongst a number of historians, that a large pit of 250 soldiers lay close to the Pheasant Wood. 

In 2008 after a  years of speculation and investigations, the 250 men's remains were finally located in the mud of Fromelles. For the following two years every soldiers' remains and pieces of physical evidence were removed from their original burial place. With meticulous attention to detail, the identification and plans for proper reburials, were initiated. The construction of the new Pheasant Wood cemetery and 249 reburials were undertaken over January in 2010 with the Australian Federation Guard present for all reinterments. For the initial group of soldiers positively identified, new headstones with their identities were placed at each individual grave. One unknown soldier, the 250th, was buried on July 19, 2010 in the presence of Prince Charles and other officials. Australian relatives of the Fromelles boys were also in attendance. In the lead up to July 19-20, I will be posting a number of blogs related to the involvement of Connecting Spirits over the years in this extraordinary  story. 

December 2008 : the Fromelles burial pit prior to excavation. The 2008 Connecting Spirits group were privileged to visit this poignant location.

Local media coverage of the Fromelles story.

January 2010 : the  Fromelles reinterments take place.

 

Is that a light I can see at the end of the tunnel?

 

March 2020 it was official: the world was facing a global pandemic and lives, businesses, dreams, and expectations were turned on their heads in a heartbeat. Covid 19/lockdowns/border closures/ quarantine hotels and many other new terms bits of language became part of everyday conversation. The plans people had in place for all the parts of their lives were in disarray and no industry was more affected than that of tourism and hospitality. My small business Julie Reece Tours was in the midst of planning and payments for the 2020 Connecting Spirits Community Tour originally due to depart September…then April 2021…then November 2021 until we finally stopped placing futile dates on our plans.  Businesses folded in the travel industry and ‘Jobkeeper’ kept the rest on survival mode. Many fine operators with years and years of experience in the industry found work in new areas of the floundering economy with the faint hope of one day returning to the field they loved and were good at.

However now in March 2021 with the Covid vaccine rolling out across the globe and economic markers showing gradual signs of improvement, I think I can see that light beaming at the end of the tunnel that has plagued us for a year. Most of the clients who paid deposits for the CS tour, are still keen and have not cashed in their Emirates flights. All the hotels I booked have kept my deposits in the system and new dates and yet another draft itinerary has been prepared. This time I feel positive and keen to get back to my laptop, plotting and planning another Connecting Spirits Community tour with a reasonably sound chance of it happening!

So, we start again…April 2022…the CS group will depart for the (vaccinated) U.K, France, and Belgium to continue the commemorative journey that is at the heart of the CS project. Five possibly six days in the UK (3 nights in the Salisbury Plains, 2 in Canterbury and 1 in London) five days on the Somme based in Amiens and finally a full week in our beloved Ypres, Belgium including an Anzac Day service at Buttes New British Cemetery in Polygon Woods. If the local public Dawn Service is not running next year, then our group will have our own intimate event with some of our treasured Belgian friends in attendance.

Unlike previous tours, requests for payments will NOT be made until all the requirements for safe overseas travel are in place and the Federal Government has lifted the ban on international departures for tourism. However, watch this space and the Facebook page for updates as I will bring these as and when they occur. It is to be hoped that this time next year the backpacks will be waiting and new travel accessories ready to use.  I cannot wait and this time we have an excellent chance of DEPARTURE!!! Stay safe and stay positive my friends…we will return!!

Some of our 2019 memories from the Connecting Spirits Community Tour

(Photo credit Julie Reece) 

The development of ‘Connecting Spirits’ over the years and its portrayal in the public sphere.

 

(Photo credit Julie Reece, 2017 Connecting Spirits Community Tour: Tamika Williams, Polygon Wood)

 

It is often stated that when you publish anything on the internet that it is there for eternity so when you go public, get it right. Over the years the ‘Connecting Spirits’ story has been shared on numerous platforms, some of our own making, others from interested others in the world of academia, tourism and other fields. Responses have ranged from one- line comments on blog or Facebook posts to full length articles in respected journals and public media outlets. Some have come to light recently along with a request from NSW researcher Paul Kiem who is writing a piece on the ‘History Travel industry’ where the co-leader of CS, Mal Jurgs and I have been asked for comment. We look forward to reading Paul Kiem’s final copy of his analysis. The project was also referred to in the excellent text The Lost Boys by Paul Byrnes, (2019) in the chapter ‘Rufus and Cyril Rigney’ page 336. This account was carefully written with consultation by the author at draft stage to determine accuracy.

So, when public pieces appear, sometimes from academics with impressive credentials that display inaccuracies and assumptions that are plainly wrong, then it’s time to set a few records straight. Before going into specifics, I would like to put these into context: at no time have Mal Jurgs (Co-Project Manager of Connecting Spirits) and I ever purported to be expert historians, nor have we set our responses and approaches in solid stone. We too have grown over the years with the ways we approach commemoration and the sharing of that via the CS website and social media. Finally, on a number of occasions where inaccuracies have been published by others, these could have easily been avoided by a quick perusal of the Connecting Spirits website for clarification or even an email to our contacts listed on the site. In relation to the research done on each of the hundreds of soldiers commemorated since 2006, it is plainly stated on our website:

The information contained on each page has been obtained from the public domain, through the National Archives of Australia, the Australian War Memorial or through the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Other information has been obtained through the families of the soldier in question. We publish this information in good faith but realise that the public record is not always accurate or complete. The same can be said of individual family oral histories. While we make every attempt to provide accurate information, if there is anything on these pages that you know to be untrue, or that may cause offence, please contact us as a matter of urgency.

The key issues that need clarifying are:

-The Connecting Spirits project was a school -based initiative from 2006 to 2015 under the banner of DECD in South Australia. During those years it was NOT a commercial operation with profit as a focus. During the period where CS was a DECD project, ALL fund-raising money was allocated to the students on tour. All participants were otherwise self funded.

·  -Over the years the DVA never contributed funds for travel though some small grants for the website and book publishing were granted.

·   -Funds for the publishing of the CS book and CD’s came from fund raising efforts by the committee and ongoing sales. Any profits from sales of the book or CD went back into the funds to support the students.

·    -The commemorative cards left on graves and memorials: in the early days of the project, we did place a photo card of the group with email contacts not for the purpose of commercial gain but rather to make connection with any relatives or community members who may have been interested or linked to the soldier being commemorated. To suggest otherwise is inaccurate. In fact, after being contacted by a local resident from Villers Bretonneux some years ago criticising us placing the group cards, we decided not to continue with that practice. We also removed from our commemorative program large gatherings with media and other locals in France and Belgium reverting to keeping the ceremonies private and only for the CS group.

·        -Since 2017 Connecting Spirits changed status to a public project rather than one exclusively designed for schools. That change also saw the running of the finances moving to my small business ‘Julie Reece Tours’ where I operate as a Sole Trader. I do NOT employ any individuals and all the work completed by Mal Jurgs is done on a volunteer basis using his personal Long Service Leave when we are on tour.

·        -The CS website still operates with Mal overseeing this. As with all other input into the running of CS, Mal does this in addition to his position as a Principal in a DECD school (Coomandook Area School). No DECD resources are used for any part of the project.

· -Commentary on the book Connecting Spirits: A Journey of Reconciliation and Commemoration by Meningie Area School and Birdwood High School. Compiled by Julie Reece & Chloe Oborn (2007): when criticising the text and its weaknesses, it needs to be understood that the writers whose contributions featured in chapter1, were members of the tour group, students and adults alike.

·   -The students from both schools were NOT part of one single history class- many had no background on the history of the Great War. Mal and I ran workshops prior to touring in addition to printed material on the war to give the students an historical context. (The year levels of the students ranged from years 9 -12)

·    -While on tour we had the services of several battlefield experts who told the story of the war from their perspectives. When we compiled the book, the students and adults were asked to submit their tour diaries for inclusion in the text. Some of the group requested that their diaries not be used, for personal reasons and others due to a lack of confidence about their writing being published. Hence some of the group, were NOT represented in the book, at their request.

·  -The students were incredibly varied in terms of their literacy skills and backgrounds and for some it was the first time they had ventured into such public exposure of their thoughts and ideas. These factors need to be taken into account when reading this book: it was the first time these young people had ever written for a public audience and consequently expression of their experiences is often one dimensional and at times cliched. However, the intent of the book was never to publish a definitive text on WW1, it was a personal record for those who were touched by the project. Keep in mind that most of the students on this tour had never left Australia and their three weeks overseas was also a broader educational experience beyond the former battlefields of the Somme and Ypres.

·      -The book was co-authored by Chloe Oborn who at the time of publishing was studying Year 12. Her contributions to the book formed the basis of her independent Community Studies subject: this was assessed by the SACE board for her university entrance score. Chloe was not the 2006 CS project manager though her work as a Youth Leader along with Florence Bourke was of great significance in assisting both Mal Jurgs and myself in the running of CS. Joint decisions and collaboration with the Youth Leaders was always part of our philosophy of CS, but the responsibility of running the project and the tour, was firmly in our hands as project managers.

In conclusion, both Mal and I are happy to take on board suggestions, criticisms and public commentary on the Connecting Spirits project but add that fact checking is advisable prior to making assumptions and drawing conclusions about our intentions or assumed agendas in past or future tours. We welcome the conversation and where appropriate will adjust or formulate our own thinking and approaches after well informed reflections.

 

www.connectingspirits.com.au

www.facebook.com/JulieReeceTours

blog.juliereecetours.com.au

 

Pilgrimage Private Neagle 2018

"I am always looking for the story behind the name on a grave or memorial. A picture on the grave of the soldier J.M.C Neagle at the CWGC Buttes New British Cemetery put me in touch with Julie Reece. On October 23rd, 2018 I followed her in the footsteps of her great uncle." 

GREGORY VERFAILLIE, Zonnebeke, Belgium 

In 2018 I received an email from Gregory Verfaillie wishing to make contact with me to learn about the story of my great Uncle Marty Neagle. Greg lives close to Polygon Wood where Marty is buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Buttes New British Cemetery. While walking through the woods and the cemetery over the years, Greg has taken great interest in those who are buried there. As relatives and other battlefield tourists visit these hallowed places, messages, cards and other commemorative items are often left at the graves and memorials to acknowledge those who lie in these cemeteries. 

Over the years of taking groups to Marty's grave, the cards left at his grave, would have a personal message accompanied by an email address and details of the Connecting Spirits project. This is where the young man from Flanders enters the narrative: Greg took note of the email address after the 2017 tour and his first contact was initiated last year. Friendly conversations over social media flourished and a friendship had its beginnings. In 2018 after a tour to Italy, I decided to fly over to Belgium for a short visit to catch up with friends. While in Ypres I had the opportunity to meet Greg and also his friend Frank Mahieu. Both were generous with their time and they kindly took my friend Jo Kirlew and me to Polygon Wood for the day. The story of that day and the very special links that came from our meeting, have been well documented on this blog and other social media platforms.

That warm friendship has now gone to yet another level, with the work of the volunteers at the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 (MMP) with the launch of their new exhibition  'Reflection 1914-1918' on display until December . 

One of the key projects of the MMP 1917 is developing the archival records of soldiers who fought and died in Passchendaele such as Private James Martin Clement Neagle. The work of people like Greg and Frank and all those at the Memorial Musuem Passchendaele, is extraordinary as much of it is done on a volunteer basis. For those of us whose family members never returned home from the worst conflict of the 20th century, our thanks can not be expressed enough times and we are forever in your debt for all you do in the name of Remembrance. Thanks must also go to the photographers whose work made the exhibition possible. 

To quote their website:

'The Third Battle of Ypres in 1917, also called Battle of Passchendaele, was one of the largest and most bloody battles of the First World War. In a few months of fierce fighting, an estimated 245,000 Commonwealth soldiers (British, Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders and South Africans ) and 215,000 Germans are taken out of battle for just eight kilometers of ground gain.

Regardless of how impressive a visit to CWGC Tyne Cot Cemetery, the German military cemetery in Langemark or one of the many numerous other cemeteries or monuments is, one can often only find a name there. 

With 'The Passchendaele Archives' the MMP1917 wants to give a face to and tell the story behind these names. Not only missing data is supplemented, but the memory of a fallen family member is kept alive. Karen Derycke and Lee Ingelbrecht are the driving forces behind this project. Historian Karen Derycke is responsible for the investigation of the casualties. Lee Ingelbrecht offers, through his training in landscape development, cartographic support.'

Go to : www.passchendaele.be 

'Pilgrimage Private Neagle 2018' by Gregory Verfaillie (part of the 'Reflection 1914 -1918' exhibition at the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 in Zonnebeke, Belgium. )

Where it all began: the Reece family visited the grave of James Martin Clement Neagle on our first European trip in 1987, over 30 years ago. At this time, the niece of Martin Neagle, Cathy Royal (my mother), was still alive. If only she knew of the many Australians who have since visited the resting place of her favourite uncle, I know that she would have finally gained closure on the grief that never left her on the loss of her beloved Uncle Marty.  

Thank you to Eric Compernolle for your photography. (2018/19) 

Education and emotions on Connecting Spirits tours ... 

By Francesca Atkinson 

Deputy Principal of Meningie Area School Mal Jurgs, has been involved with Connecting Spirits since its inception in 2006, going from traveling to Europe to learn more about the history of World War I (WWI) to working with Julie Recce on the tours. Mal uses each tour to expand his own knowledge, while strengthening his comprehension and researching the exact locations of a specific battle or soldier.

Meningie Area School  is situated on the Coorong in South Australia and until 2017 he was not sure how transitioning from school-based tours to community-based would affect the tours’ credibility. Being community-based from 2017 on, the tours now include people from different regions of South Australia and is not exclusive to schools. However it is still possible for school students to take part depending on their age and by meeting other conditions, and the project continues to have the same intentions of commemorating those who fought in France and Belgium in WWI as in the original CS tours.

“I wasn’t apprehensive coming into the community tour, but I was sort of thinking, how will this go? I guess I had questions because it was different to school-based tour,” Mal said. “There was part of me going, is this going to be my last one as Connecting Spirits tour, but I found it really rewarding, particularly the connection with Frank Lampard. I guess it went back to our project's roots, in terms of the Ngarrindjeri story and it made this connection add another dimension to the story I’ve been living for the last 13 or so years.”

Tour manager Julie Reece undertakes similar itineraries as previous years with a focus on smaller groups thus giving tour members a more personalised journey. On the most recent 2019 tour, Mal and Julie shared the guiding throughout the whole tour. Having toured together many times, this came easily to them as they shared their knowledge of  particular battles or soldiers. In addition, other group members also contributed to the narrative with their own research on their soldiers’ stories.

Mal commemorates an array of soldiers on each tour, some ancestors of his own and some Australian soldiers on behalf of friends or past Connecting Spirits members. For him though, it is most important to understand the journey these soldiers, took from before they left to fight in the war, to when they paid the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives.

Since his first tour, Mal has commemorated his Uncle Frank, who now remains a major part of the Connecting Spirits journey. Through researching the life of Private Frank Howard Bartley, of the 32^nd Battalion, he became intrigued and began investigating his family history further.

“Just to put some context in, when I grew up, I had a lot more to do with my mother’s side of the family than my dad’s because my dad was born in Queensland. I had an understanding of Uncle Frank and his involvement in the war, but just a surface understanding, not a deep understanding. Once we started doing this project, I actually found a lot of what I had been told, wasn’t necessarily true.”

The town of Meningie is a close community and being the Deputy Principal of the local area school, he has been able to share Connecting Spirits with many locals, along with his own wife, son and daughter. Leading up to the first tour in 2006, Mal completed the research of his Uncle Frank with his son who then in turn commemorated him at Villers-Bretonneux, at the memorial where Private Bartley is named, as he has no known grave.

However the next day when visiting Bellicourt Cemetery in France, Mal and his son made the decision to adopt an unknown grave as the one where they would commemorate their Uncle Frank, which has become a popular tradition for families of soldiers who are only Known Unto God. Private Bartley’s last known location was around the Bellicourt region and Mal is able to reflect on the idea of this being the last place on earth his Uncle Frank saw, rather than at the memorial at Villers-Bretonneux.

“I said to my son Hamish, look this is where Uncle Frank was, these are some of the last places on earth that Uncle Frank would have seen, this territory. I just looked at him and we both went that sounds right, that’s what we need to do. We just did it automatically, even instinctively and there was no reason for that particular grave, it was purely random.”

The Connecting Spirits tours  enable emotions to be shared openly with the group as everyone forms a close bond, through travelling to commemorate the soldiers. When planning the tour there is a focus on how at times, the group finds itself in situations where the story they are pursuing can become upsetting.  However, this is seen to be completely normal by those who are on return tours.    

As a returning member of Connecting Spirits, Mal is able to reflect on several memories and poignant moments throughout each of the tours. However, being able to share the tour with his children was one of the most moving experiences for Mal.  He saw a different side of them, an emotional side, one that was often hidden in everyday life.

“In 2006 on the first trip with my son, when we commemorated Uncle Frank for the first time  at Villers-Bretonneux,  Hamish talked about him first and I was to  follow him,” Mal says. “He was going to do the commemoration and I was going to give some background and he actually burst into tears. That was the first time, especially for a male participant in the group, that I’d seen do that, and for it to be my son was particularly moving for me.”

During the recent tour, the group was introduced to a group of men from the Passchendaele region of Belgium, who spend their time volunteering in the local community to commemorate soldiers who fought in WWI. Gregory Verfaillie and Frank Mahieu welcomed the group with open arms to Polygon Wood and the Connecting Spirits group members were able to observe their passion in keeping the memory of the Australian soldiers and others alive.

“I found them forthcoming with information and really helpful in, in terms of again, putting that stuff in context, details I knew about, but didn’t really have a good understanding of. It's about adding the layer of geography to your understanding and I felt that in a number of situations. An example of this is the village of Noreuil where Herring and Armitage are buried.  I sort of knew about that battle and that the 50^th Battalion was heavily involved in that, but I didn’t really have an understanding of the lie of the land,” he explained. “That’s something I came away with and now I get it:  I can see where they came from, where they attacked.”  

Taking part in a Connecting Spirits tour, whether it's  your first or potentially your seventh like Mal, it is obvious that no tour is identical.  As Mal explained, "Every time we go on tour we come away with something richer and deeper."

As Connecting Spirits continues to evolve, it will do so with Malcolm Jurgs at the helm and those who are lucky enough to travel with him, will share an experience they will never forget.

The Jurgs family commemorate Frank Bartley at the 'adopted' grave of an Unknown soldier in Bellicourt cemetery in 2008. That grave is located in the area where Mal's great uncle was known to have been killed on September 29, 1918. 

 

Mal at Villers Bretonneux memorial where Frank Bartley's name is remembered.

                                   
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Frank's 'adopted' grave at Bellicourt cemetery, Saturday 13 April, 2019