Hello Olwyn So interesting! I love the stuff you post and have learn't so much from you. I wish there was someone like you who knew about people's daily life over the years - even finding anything written seems extremely hard. I know lots about my grandmother's generation generally, but nothing about the day to day life. She grew up in Waipu and I have no idea what that life would have been like. That's where we need a time machine! Thanks for sharing all your interesting knowledge. Regards Jan Olwyn Whitehouse <olwynbw@gmail.com> wrote: The fighting involved as many as 65 million soldiers from 15 nations, leaving more than 8.5 million soldiers dead. A chain of events began with the June 28, 1914, assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, while visiting the city of Sarajevo in the Austro-Hungarian province of Bosnia-Herzegovina, that touched off a conflict centered in Europe that ended with little ground lost or won and a great loss of life and the Spanish flu. Austria-Hungary officially declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914. They had the backing of Germany. Serbia had backing of Russia. Germany decided to attack France by going through neutral Belgium. Since Britain had a treaty with Belgium, the attack on Belgium officially brought Britain into the war. German troops moved into France, French and British troops tried to stop them. At the end of the First Battle of the Marne, fought just north of Paris in September 1914, a stalemate was reached. The Germans, who had lost the battle, had made a hasty retreat and then dug in. The French, who couldn't dislodge the Germans, then also dug in. In between was no man's land. Since neither side could force the other to move, each side's trenches became increasingly elaborate. For the next four years, the troops would fight from these trenches. New Zealand, with a population of 1.1 million in 1914, sent 100,000 men and women abroad. About 16,700 died and more than 40,000 were wounded. Almost 9,000 who have no known grave. The Kid from Timaru The boys aboard the transport were busy talking fight. We'd just begun our journey - said goodbye to Farewell light; Some were skiting awful, of things they meant to do. We hoped we might see London, Berlin and Paris too When the Kid he asked us all if we had been to Timaru. Egypt, when we got there, to its endless sand and sun Drilling - always drilling. A case of never done. Sand, more sand, fierce burning sand, our red hot curses drew, The Kid admitted Egypt had more sand than Timaru. Then came the news that we would get our chance to win our spurs, To play the game and show our breed was not the breed of curs. We were ordered out of Egypt to face the German crew - We yelled "New Zealand will be there; the Kid said "And Timaru". The world knows how we played that game on enemy's bleak shores, How ploughing through the gates of hell, the brunt of fire we bore. Blood-stained sands proclaimed the doom of comrades, good and true But bullets somehow seemed to miss the Kid from Timaru. He'd carried in his Captain, almost dying, through the rack Of smoke and fire and battle, but just as he got back A German sniper shot him, the bullet went right through. When he's well, we'll hear again from the Kid from Timaru. Back across to Egypt where they put us into dock We lay with many others, our eyes fixed on the clock Wondering when the time would come, when we were well enough, To do our bit for old New Zealand, the Kid "Some more for Timaru". The other night the Head came in with a message from the King. He thanked his gallant soldiers. We made the sickroom ring With cheers, real rousing hearty cheers, the Kid said "Strike me Blue- I hope to God he has not forgot to cable Timaru." NZ Truth 28 October 1916, Page 11 The Kid from Timaru. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NZTR19161028.2.54&srpos=1 THE HAGERTY MEMORIAL Unveiled at Timaru Tributes to a Dead Soldier- Boxer. "Jimmy" Hagerty, as his friends called him in life, or Private James Hagerty, as he will be found in the official records, is going to live for ever. At any rate the memory of a clean-living, gentlemanly little fellow, a boxer, and a champion, too, a footballer, and a soldier, who gave his life for his country, is to be kept green for the generations to come. On Tuesday afternoon of last week, at the Timaru Hospital, a marble memorial tablet was unveiled, which bore the following inscription: His sister is Mrs. Stephen Tilly of Wellington. Erected by his many friends throughout the Dominion in memory of the late Trooper J. Hagerty, who was killed at the Dardanelles on August 27, 1915. Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for King and Country. Timaru, 17th October, 1916. James Michael Hagerty Serial No. 7/64 First Known Rank Trooper NoK Mrs Eliza Hagerty (mother), 260 Worcester Street, Christchurch Marital Status Single Enlistment Address 5 Hugh Street, Timaru Body on Embarkation Main Body Embarkation Unit Canterbury Mounted Rifles Place of Death Gallipoli, Turkey Date of Death 27 August 1915 Killed in action Memorial Name Hill 60 (NZ) Memorial, Hill 60 Cemetery, Turkey Son of Mrs. Eliza Hagerty, of 14 Churchill St., Christchurch, formerly of Timaru. The List Guidelines http://new-zealand-l.blogspot.com/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NEW-ZEALAND-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message