Displaying items by tag: war

Man, what an adventure! Having returned from our trip to France I feel accomplished, for having carried out my project; amazed, at all the things I’ve seen and the experiences we all shared together and lastly, proud to say I did my duty as a Young Ambassador.

Seeing the places I researched was unforgettable. The scale of The Great War was always visible, through the landscape and the ever-present cemeteries scattered around the countryside of North Eastern France. Each one commemorated men...

Kia ora koutou, bonjour à tous, hello everyone.

The trip to Wellington and the week spent with our French counterparts was incredible and something that will stick with me for years to come. The whole experience was filled with a plethora of moments that moved me deeply and others that filled me with happiness. It was an honour to take part in it.

I was excited and nervous headed up to Wellington on the plane as I was getting my head around the week’s proceedings. Everything fell into place...

Bonjour à tous encore. On the 17th of April, in Wellington, I met the rest of the Young Ambassadors, the organisers of our trip and the task in front of us; to be able to tell the story of those who came before during the Great War. It was a great start and despite being the only male on the trip, I felt welcome by all. Being in the company of all the team has made me very excited to commence this journey.

Upon arriving in Wellington, we were given a lot of information that answered many...

Bonjour tout le monde! Saturday the 17th of March began what will become a memorable and incredibly special journey. All Young Ambassadors for 2018 came from far and near to congregate in Wellington and finally meet, starting the ball rolling on the Following Family Footsteps trip. 

Bonjour, tout le monde qui lirait ce blog !

While uncovering the story of my great grandfather, I became fascinated with the detail of the various war records - whether they be the enlistment forms or the day-to-day journals written from the field. Here are some interesting bits and pieces I came across on my travels...

The cover photo shows my great grandfather's original attestation for general service when he would have signed up to go over to Samoa within the first few days of war breaking out. This is the second form he would have...