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VK7AX > WIA 01.04.15 03:39l 54 Lines 2323 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 21944-VK7AX
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Subj: [WIA-News] War Cemeteries and Memorials
Path: IW8PGT<IZ3LSV<ED1ZAC<CX2SA<VK2DOT<VK7AX
Sent: 150401/0129Z 21944@VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.OC [Ulverstone] $:21944-VK7AX
From: VK7AX@VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.OC
To : WIA@WW
War Cemeteries and Memorials
Date : 21 / 03 / 2015
Author : Jim Linton - VK3PC
Many who left the shores of Australia to serve in WWI did not return.
The same happened during WWII.
One of the war graves and memorials for fallen Australians is Polygon Wood
in Belgium.
There are many overseas sites of significance including those in France,
Malta, The Philippines, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea.
At Polygon Wood a large mound known as the Butte used for training by the
Belgian Army before WWI, now stands a memorial to the 5th Australian Division.
Polygon Wood was destroyed in the battle.
It has been re-built with walking tracks, and to honour those who served
the Great War, it has a large cemetery.
It contains the graves of many soldiers, in fact 2,103 burials have been
conducted with full honours, and 428 are identified.
Work on the cemetery by Australians began at Polygon Wood soon after the
Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918.
Many Australians now visit Polygon Wood, its ‘Brothers in Arms’ memorial
and stop at the ANZAC Rest Café, often tracing the footsteps of family
members who served in the area in WWI.
To honour those at Polygon Wood, a commemorative callsign OP0PPY will
be activated on April 25, ANZAC Day. Philippe Haverhelst ON8PV reports
that a lot of remembrance occurs at that time, that will be joined by
OP0PPY using an ICOM 7400 feeding a Hexbeam on CW and Phone.
The memorial at Polygon Wood is similar to that commemorating the
Australian 1st Division at Pozieres on the Somme.
It is a tall obelisk with the rising sun emblem of the Australian
Imperial Force, and underneath a large plaque which reads
'To the Officers Non-Commissioned Officers and Men of the 5th Australian
Division who fought in France and Belgium 1916 - 1917 - 1918.'
Beneath these words is a list of the battles,
which include of course Polygon Wood.
At the bottom the main inscription is repeated in French. In 1935,
the memorial was visited by the Prime Minister of Australia,
Joseph Lyons, when he toured the Western Front.
(Sourced from the WIA Website)
http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2015/20150321-1/index.php
(Posted to the Packet Radio Network courtesy Tony VK7AX)
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