Today was a visit to the printing company to look at the book being printed. It is going to be great. Our book, written by the French students in Chauny, France and the New Zealand students at Baradene College in Auckland New Zealand, is titled “La Bataille de la Conscience” [The Battle of Conscience] – 60 pages – ISBN 978-0-473-31621-1

The photos show the printing presses in the workshop where the book is being made.

A photo giving a look at what the posters for our exhibition look like. Our posters [by French students and New Zealand students] have been edited and now all loot like they belong together. They will be printed a large A1 size for the exhibition we are having in Chauny, France. They are to be printed on a matt laminate card and should look really great. We can't wait to see them when they have been printed at the end of the week. The posters are bilingual in French and English languages.

Our...

Ces exécution s’inscrivent dans un contexte très particulier, celui des lendemains de la bataille des frontières (10-24 août 1914) où les troupes françaises sont mises en déroute et doivent retraiter dans des conditions particulièrement éprouvantes. Soldats ayant perdu contact avec leurs unités ou contestant les conditions d’engagement des troupes françaises, civils incapables de justifier leur présence : on sait encore aujourd’hui très peu de chose sur ces hommes, l’historiographie ayant...

We were asked to put a larger photo of this image form the National Archives so it can be read more easily. It has been annotated when decoded. Hopefully this will be clearer to look at. It is the telegram announcing the execution of New Zealand soldier, Private Victor Spencer.  [Archive File: AD1 767 22.30.74 'Courts martial of Pvt Victor Manson Spencer'.]

We also had to ask permission to use some photos from museums - such as from the National Archives. The image posted above is what the letters giving us permission to use a photo look like. This was interesting for us. We often think that we can use any image we want, particularly when its an old image made a long time ago. When the photo is so old it is no longer in copyright, the photo might still be owned by someone such as a museum and they require you to ask permission and to pay some...

We have been looking at the execution of New Zealand soldiers on the Western Front during the First World War. We have looked at primary documents relating to this. In particular we looked at documents held at the National Archives in Wellington. [Archive File: AD1 767 22.30.74 'Courts martial of Pvt Victor Manson Spencer'.] The photos above show his final plea, his death sentence and the coded telegram back to New Zealand announcing his death.

Victor Manson Spencer was from Otahuhu in...

Work is progressing for the posters for the exhibition. This is first draft of the posters by the History students from Lycée Professionnel Jean Macé, in Chauny, France (formerly Lycée Professionnel Gay Lussac).

The photo is from the National Archives in Wellington. [ AD1 10/407/3] It shows conscientious objectors on the Waitemata troop ship being forcibly dressed in military uniforms.

Fourteen New Zealand Conscientious Objectors were secretly forced onto a ship and sent to France during the First World War. They were treated very harshly as the military authorities made efforts to intimidate the men, wear them down and break their spirit. They continued to resist, even though this made conditions...

Our First Poster has been completed by Baradene College students. The design and the translation has been finished.  It is now ready for printing.

This posters theme is ALCOOL ET DÉSERTION à MESSINES EN 1917. It is about how there were discipline problems because some New Zealand soldiers went absent without leave (AWOL) because they became drunk. many New Zealand soldiers enjoyed drinking alcohol a lot. Harry Watson, who signed up under the name "John Black", and another John Raynor were two...