The Woodside boys will be remembered: Brothers in Arms (1)

 

The Eglinton brothers: Brothers in Arms (1)

 

In the previous blog the story of the Zonnebeke five was shared along with the extraordinary efforts by local Belgian inn proprietor, Johan Vandewalle, in building the ‘Brothers in Arms’ memorial in honour of John Hunter and his brother Jim. Following the discovery and recovery of the remains of the five WW1 Australian soldiers in 2006, Johan worked tirelessly to build this magnificent memorial to mark the loss of a brother and his burial by his sibling during the war only to be found over 90 years later. The life-size bronze casting of John and Jim Hunter arrived in Belgium from Australia last month.

 The transportation of this magnificent piece was celebrated in Ypres with re-enactors honouring the memorial piece as the motorcade passed through the Menin Gate en-route to Polygon Wood to  its final destination on the site adjacent to Johan’s inn, the De Dreve Inn aka ‘Anzac’s Rest’. 

On September 25^th the Brothers in Arms memorial will be officially dedicated and will no doubt become a highly desired location for many stories of lost brothers to be shared. It is to be hoped that one week later the 2022 Connecting Spirits Community Tour group will visit this significant site as part of our commemorative programme. One set of brothers from Woodside will be remembered there and, in the lead up to Anzac Day I will be sharing their stories.

The Eglinton brothers are remembered on the Woodside Honour Roll and the three who died in WW1, will each have their stories recounted in the weeks up to April 25th. Four separate blog posts will be published:

1.      Clarence Roy EGLINTON

2.      Thomas William EGLINTON

3.      Laurence EGLINTON

4.      A final post from the relative of the Eglinton brothers, Michael Lucas, will give an overview from the family’s perspective.

(The individual blogs on the three Eglinton bothers, are based on the public service records at the National Archives of Australia. www.naa.gov.au )

 

CLARENCE ROY EGLINTON (3104)

Clarence Roy, born at Terowie, was the first of the Eglinton brothers to enlist, joining up on 6 August 1915 in the midst of the Gallipoli campaign. He was 5 feet and 7 inches in height, with hazel eyes and dark hair. His nominated religion was Church of England.

 Just under 24 years of age, Clarence was part of the 7th reinforcements of the famous South Australian 27^th Battalion. His mother Mrs Elizabeth Eglinton of Forest Range was listed as his next of kin.

At the conclusion of several months training in Adelaide, Clarence left for the war on the HMAT ‘Medic’ on 12 January 1916 heading for the training camps in Egypt. On 21 March 1916 Clarence left for the western front aboard the HT ‘Oriana’ departing from the port of Alexandria. Just one week later on the 27^th of March he disembarked at the French port of Marseilles along with the many thousands of other Australian and Commonwealth troops headed for the war on the western front. Nothing the AIF had experienced in the 9 months in Turkey could ever prepare them for what they faced in the mud and trenches of the Somme and the Ypres Salient.

His service record lists him moving towards the front lines in France on July 6 and it is highly likely that in the following months, he was engaged with the 27^th at Pozieres on the Somme. The AIF during the Battle of the Somme at Pozieres suffered horrendous casualties in the 7 weeks they were fighting incurring 23,000 casualties including over 8,000 deaths in that short space of time.

 Clarence’s service record doesn’t specify his exact location during this time and is referred to again on the 7^th of November when he was promoted to Lance Corporal.

In the start of the new year Clarence Eglinton suffered a number of serious illnesses requiring ongoing hospitalisation for extended periods and was evacuated to a number of English hospitals during the first part of 1917. He was transferred from the large hospital centre at Rouen and moved to Southwark, Dartford, Weymouth, Bulford, Hurdcott and finally Perham Downs in the UK before finally returning to the front lines once more after 6 months of ongoing medical issues. Clarence was sent back to the Western Front landing in Havre on 6^th of July 1917. At the end of July, he re-joined his unit once more only to be killed in action two months later on the 20^th of September during the 3^rd Battle of Ypres. He was never found and is remembered on the Menin Gate in Ypres, the memorial to the missing 55,000 British and Commonwealth troops who died in the Ypres Salient but were ’ Known Only Unto God’.

When the 2022 Connecting Spirits Community Tour group attend the Last Post ceremony in Ypres this year, we will ensure the Clarence Roy Eglinton will be commemorated at that famous memorial so that his family will know that he has not been forgotten. 

Rest in peace Clarence.

Clarence Roy Eglinton (3104) is listed on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing in Ypres, Belgium

(Photo credit: Julie Reece) 

 

March 21, 2021 the bronze statue cast in a foundry in Australia finally made its way to Ypres in Belgium to complete the 'Brothers in Arms' memorial the project close to the heart of the person responsible : Johan Vandewalle. 

(Photo credit : Gunther Verhaverbeke) 

The 'bronze brothers' make their way through the streets of Ypres and onto their final resting place next to Polygon Wood. Johan's mission is finally complete and here at this magnificent memorial the Eglinton brothers will be remembered together. 

(Photo credits: Gregory Verfaillie) 

 Many thanks to our friends in Belgium Gunther and Gregory who selflessly allow their beautiful photos to be shared. 

The men and boys of Woodside will be remembered: Anzac Day 2022

 

We will remember the Woodside boys

 

In the lead up to Anzac Day Julie Reece Tours will be focusing on those boys from Woodside that died in WW1 and were brothers. In previous blog posts the East and Clasohm brothers’ stories were shared. The Eglinton family lost three brothers, Clarence Roy, Thomas William and Laurence. Thomas is buried in Villers Bretonneux at Adelaide Cemetery, Laurence at Noreuil Australian Cemetery in France and Clarence Roy was never found and is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing in Ypres, Belgium. Each of their wartime stories will be featured in blog posts to follow over the next few weeks.

When the Connecting Spirits Community Tour resumes travel, hopefully this September, these Woodside bothers will all be remembered at the new ‘Brothers in Arms’ Memorial near Polygon Wood in Belgium. This fabulous memorial will be inaugurated on Sunday September 25, the week prior to our group due to visit the region. This will be a fitting location to commemorate the groups of brothers from my town.

 The origin of this new memorial goes back to the discovery of five sets of soldiers’ remains back in 2006 and from that point on the tenacious efforts of friend Johan Vandewalle in recognising the young Australians, resulted in this new memorial, 16 years later. The full story of Johan’s project is told on the website referred to below. The following extract from the website goes right back to where the story of the Hunter brothers John and Jim, began. Over the years our tour groups have witnessed the gradual development of the Brothers in Arms memorial and it will be a very special experience to finally visit and see the extraordinary life size bronze sculpture dedicated to the Hunter brothers. I have no doubt that it will become a location for many to visit when remembering the many families who lost more than one son. Thank you, Johan, and all involved for tireless efforts and passion to make this finally happen.

The next blog post will feature the Eglinton brothers who are listed on the Woodside Honour Board and whose story will be shared at the Brothers in Arms memorial in Belgium. 

________________________________________________________________

 

‘Finding the Zonnebeke five

https://www.brothersinarmsmemorial.info/’

 

This story is that typical “message in a bottle” story. Although it is all but typical. Never before did a message contain that great a story.

During road works to lay a new gas pipeline in the hamlet of Westhoek in 2006, Tom Heyman, operating the machine, suddenly stopped digging and called Johan Vandewalle, an amateur archaeologist. Tom was convinced that he had found human remains just beside the road, and immediately linked them to the battlefield that Westhoek once was. Johan rushed over and could only confirm that these remains had to be those of a World War I soldier. He contacted the police and the Mayor of Zonnebeke and got green light from Dieter Demey and Archeo 7 to gather a team and start excavating as soon as possible.

 

It would be an amazing experience for all of them. After clearing the first grave, they noticed another grave just next to the first one. And then another, and another, and another. In total 5 Australian soldiers were exhumed. The last Australian body, however, was to make an everlasting impression on all who were involved. This fifth body was that of Australian private John Hunter. In all, three of the five soldiers would be identified by DNA research.

​

The body of John Hunter was not thrown in the grave like the other four bodies. Clearly this man had not been buried like the others, someone had taken great care in laying John Hunter to rest. Research led to the family in Australia, who confirmed that the story in the family was that John – or Jack as he was known in the family – had been buried by his younger brother Jim.

​

When Johan uncovered John’s head, which was wrapped in his ground sheet, it was as if lightning struck. Johan looked straight in John eyes and with the sunlight in the right angle, Johan could clearly see the colour of John’s eyes. It was an instant moment, but it lasted long enough to be photographed. At the time only Johan experienced this awesome moment, but the photographs will certainly move generations to come.

The 2019 Connecting Spirits Tour group in front of the partially built memorial

Tour member from the 2017 tour group Kira, holds the bronze model of the memorial

Kira and Johan Vandewalle at the memorial site, 2017 .

 

The men and boys of Woodside will be remembered (3)

 

The men and boys of Woodside will be remembered: tracing local families (3)

 

Thank you to the 'Love Woodside' group who remember our wartime veterans each Anzac  and Remembrance day. 

(Photo by Julie Reece, November 2021) 

Julie Reece Tours is looking forward to resuming the Connecting Spirits Community Tours in 2022 subject to meeting all international and quarantine regulations associated with the management of the Covid situation. Aligned with this project, I am seeking to contact any Woodside residents and their networks, who are related to any of the Woodside WW1 soldiers buried overseas. If your family relative in on the following Honour Roll of those who died in the war, please contact me to request their inclusion on the 2022 Connecting Spirits’ soldier list of those we research and commemorate at the grave or memorial to the soldier. If you request their inclusion in the CS project, a brief biography of their wartime service will be published on this blog as previously completed for H. Mitchell, and the Clashom brothers. Depending on the location, the 2022 tour group will endeavour to visit their grave or memorial on your behalf with their story published on the Connecting Spirits website. (www.connectingspirits.com.au )

Those listed on the Woodside Honour Board who died in WW1 are:

A. Sharpe                                                                                 R. Hope Murray

T. Robinson                                                                             R. J Redpath

D. McFarlane                                                                          K.C Moore

G. Sampson                                                                             E. Watkins

H. Mitchell (refer to earlier blog post)                                   W.L & W.H East (refer below)

D. Johnston                                                                             C.R,  T.W  & L. Eglinton

E.V. Pearson                                                                            O. Pollard                   

R.D. Roe                                                                                  T. Hergstrom

A. Thiele                                                                                  S.R Fenwick

W. Weidenhofer

N. Wiliams

W. & S. Clashom (refer to earlier blog post)

The East Brothers have been previously commemorated by the Connecting Spirits project and their stories can be read on the soldier page on the CS website. 

If you or your family have any private details and sources other than the public service records and want them included in the soldier’s story, please let me know. I can be contacted via email at: julie@juliereecetours.com.au.

The Woodside boys and men’s stories will continue in the new year. Julie Reece Tours wishes you all a very happy Xmas and a safe and prosperous 2022.

At 11.00 a.m. on November 11 we stand silent...

 

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM…

In a week’s time at 11.00 am across Australia and other parts of the world, a silence is observed to mark the end of the First World War on a day we know as Remembrance Day.  Rituals are observed including the saying of The Ode, the playing of the Last Post and in some settings the laying of wreaths. Poppies have become the symbol of this day. Many schools now include whole school assemblies to mark the occasion along with services across the nation by various community groups. So, what is actually being remembered by those who bow their heads in silence?

Remembrance means different things to different people and at times these occasions are often shrouded in perceived respect but sadly shaped by ignorance and vague ideas about what the day marks. The historical significance of 11.00 a.m. on November 11, originally known as Armistice Day, is the date marking the cessation of conflict in WW1. The specific treaty that officially ended the war, the Treaty of Versailles was however not formalised until 28 June 1919 after 6 months of negotiation at the Paris Peace Conference.

Over generations the exclusivity of Remembrance Day as ‘belonging’ to WW1 has expanded as our nation became embroiled in a number of 20^th century conflicts including WW2, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and many peacekeeping missions. Remembrance Day is now an opportunity to acknowledge all those who took part in our nation’s wartime conflicts …those who lost their lives but also those who returned.

Over the last few decades interest in finding out about our countrymen and women’s individual wartime experiences has resulted in many of us delving into the past via online sites such as the National Australians Archives, the Australian War Memorial, the Virtual War Memorial and other valuable sources. My own research on this blog page and Connecting Spirits website has focused on these narratives for many years now. However, the other side of Remembrance relating to those who survived war, is often sidelined. Through the tours Julie Reece Tours has run over the years, we have attempted where appropriate, to address this. Of those soldiers who our CS groups have researched over the years, many stories of heartbreak of those who returned, have been shared. The common theme of ‘surviving the war but not the peace’ was evident throughout these accounts.

In the lead up to next week’s day of Remembrance, I’d like to focus on Captain Luis Carlos Montalvan, who published the book ‘Until Tuesday’ based on his personal war service and the challenges of his ‘peace’.  I met Luis Montalvan over social media after reading his book which focuses on the impact PTSD had on his life and the role played by his assistance dog ‘Tuesday’ .

 He is described as ‘…a seventeen-year veteran and former captain in the U.S Army, where he earned the Combat Action Badge, two bronze stars and the Purple Heart…’ Post war he ‘…earned a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University …’ and started another master’s in strategic communications. He became a fierce advocate for veterans across the US doing speaking engagements and collaborating with service and veterans’ groups assisting others suffering from PTSD.

 All these accomplishments were enabled by him re-joining society with the support of his assistance dog ‘Tuesday’. It wasn’t until Tuesday came into his life, that Luis pieced his life together. Over the years the Connecting Spirits groups would hear his story when we visited the American Cemetery in Waregem, Belgium, while we focused on the impact war had on those who survived.

And then out of nowhere this man’s life took a tragic turn. On 2 December 2016, Luis Carlos Montalvan checked into a motel in Texas and died alone at his own hand. Despite all he had achieved, all he had done for others and the many ways he had fought his demons; Luis could fight no more. His war was over, but the peace never really came to this man.

So why recount this American man’s story in the lead up to November 11? The answer is simple: remembering those who died during wartime conflicts and researching their experiences is crucial in our trying to understand the past. But equally important is learning about those who don’t make a list of casualties or who are named on public honour rolls. Those veterans who live amongst us who served in conflicts or peacekeeping missions, carry those scars with them every day. Some individuals live rich and productive lives…some do not but their memories are there with them forever.

In conclusion to quote John F McGowan, Australian veteran of the Vietnam War from his novel ‘As leaves are prey to the wind.’:

 

‘Once we were soldiers

Boys in young men’s bodies

Boasting the boldness of naivety

Victims of political folly, placed in harm’s way

 

While you of our age learned how to live

We learned how to kill

While you learned of love

We learned to hate.

 

Our service no longer required

Cast aside as collateral damage

Like fallen leaves

Prey to the winds of circumstance.

 

What has become of us

We with nothing more than shiny medals

Hanging from coloured ribbons

 

Left to grow old

Our years condemn

We wander among you

Aliens on our own country

Where are we now?

(By John McGowan, ‘As Leaves are Prey To Wind’ )

 

At 11.00 a.m.  on Thursday 11^th November, please take time to honour all who served and make a promise to educate ourselves about our nation’s history during wartime, so that we ‘remember’ based on a foundation of knowledge and respect.

LEST WE FORGET...

 

 

 

The men and boys of Woodside will be remembered (2)

 

 

The Woodside men and boys will be remembered: Brothers in Arms, William CLASOHM (254) and Stanley CLASOHM (6798)

When the First World War broke out on August 4, 1914, over 52,000 Australians rushed to enlist in first 5 months of the war. Of the 331,781 who eventually served overseas in the Great War, many groups enlisted together such as brothers, or mates from the same towns and suburbs across Australia. The bothers’ stories are particularly moving as many families experienced losing more than one of their sons: the Woodside community is one example of this.

The Woodside Honour Roll features three families who lost more than one son: the Clasohm, East and Eglinton families all lost 2 or 3 of their boys. The brothers’ stories will be retold together as ‘Brothers in Arms’.

William CLASOHM (254)

The Clasohm boys lived in Balhannah but are named on the Woodside Honour Roll both working locally and serving in the Cadets and Citizens Forces prior to the outbreak of the war. Their next of kin was their father, John Clasohm.

William James Clasohm was the older of the two boys and enlisted on January 1^st, 1916, at the age of 21. William was listed as a gardener. He was 5’7” in height and had blue eyes and brown hair. William’s nominated religion was the Church of England. Though enlisting in January of 1916, it wasn’t until June 9 that he departed from Australia aboard the A 19’Africa’ from Outer Harbour in South Australia.  Just over a month later he disembarked at Marseilles in France on the 20^th of July 1916 just as the AIF was preparing for its first battles on the western front at Fromelles in northern France. William however spent 2 months in the UK before he joined his battalion at Etaples early September and proceeded to join the 43^rd Battalion transferring from the 16^th on 4^th October 1916. In the final months of 1916 William’s records indicate he contracted mumps and was hospitalised in December and most of January 1917.

He re-joined his unit late January 1917 and on May 23^rd was charged with the crime of ‘Disobedience of orders in that he did not carry his greatcoat in his pack when ordered to do so. He was awarded the loss of 7 days pay.’

A few weeks later June 7^th William was wounded in action with gun shot wounds to his hand and transferred to a field hospital away from the front lines at Wimereux where he was treated for several weeks before returning to the front on July 6. Just 3 months later Private William James Clasohm was killed in action in the field on October 4, 1917, in the horrific Third Battle of Ypres specifically at Broodseinde Ridge. This theatre of war more commonly referred to as the Battle of Passchendaele, is said to be one of the worst of the war. Like so many of his peers in this muddy war-torn landscape of Flanders, the young man from the Adelaide hills was never found and so Private William James Clasohm from Balhannah is remembered on the Menin Gate in Ypres along with 55,000 other Commonwealth troops ‘Known Unto God’.

His name is recorded on this iconic war memorial on panel 7-17-23-25-27-29-31 and has not been forgotten. Every night in Ypres at 8.00 pm a Last Post Ceremony is conducted at the Menin Gate and all traffic is stopped where the public gather to remember all the war dead from the Great War. The Last Post is played, ‘The Ode’ read and wreaths laid by members of the public who choose to honour specific individuals or regiments. This ceremony was initiated in 1927 and except for the period of the second world war, has never missed a night’s dedication. During WW2 it was continued in London due to German occupation of Belgium and recently during the Covid lockdowns in 2020-21 it was continued without the public present. Next year if the 2022 Connecting Spirits Community tour resumes as planned in September/October, then if any of the Clasohm family request it, we will include William in our Menin gate ceremony.  

The Menin Gate War Memorial to the Missing in Ypres, Belgium. Over 55,000 names of missing Commonwealth soldiers killed in WW1 are listed on this memorial opened in 1927. The town’s traffic pass through the Menin gate until 8.00 pm when each evening the roads are closed for the Last Post Ceremony where the public attend from across the globe.

PHOTO CREDIT: Julie Reece

The walls of the Menin Gate are covered with names…they are remembered, William James Clasohm is just one…

PHOTO CREDIT: Julie Reece

Stanley CLASOHM (6798)

Stanley Edward Clasohm was the younger brother of William and at when he enlisted on August 15^th, 1917, was underage. At 18 years Stanley had to provide written permission from his father to join his older brother on the front lines. At 5’6” this young boy with blue eyes and ‘fair’ hair enlisted joining the 48^th Battalion leaving on the H.M.A.T “Aeneas” from the port of Melbourne on 30^th October 1917. The true tragedy of these Brothers in Arms was played out at this point: Stanley’s older brother was killed in action 26 days prior to Stanley’s departure. One can only imagine the fear and grief of these boys’ parents when they farewelled this 18-year-old having already learnt of the loss of their son William.

As Stanley proceeded to Europe, he was admitted to hospital on board ship and eventually disembarked at Devonport in the UK on 17^th December. His army service records state that he spent several months in the UK on the Salisbury Plains near Fovant, joining the battalion in training. In April of the final year of the war Stanley was moved to the front lines in France only to be seriously wounded on the 11^th of July 1918 with major gunshot wounds to his face.

After a mere 3 months of active service this young man died at the age of 19 in a Casualty Clearing Station on the Somme on July 12^th1918 in the final months of the war. He was buried at Crouy British Cemetery at Crouy-Sur-Somme 16 kilometres northwest of Amiens. The war that had raged for 4 years was ending but once more the Clasohm family lost a much-loved son. The song ‘He was only 19’ written for a soldier in the Vietnam war, resonates here with Stanley’s narrative. Let us hope we can visit this young man’s grave in 2022 on behalf of the Clasohm family and our community.

 

                                                                            PHOTO CREDIT: Julie Reece

LEST WE FORGET