Red Poppies

The soldiers in this picture are top row; Sergeant Norton Niblet Mentioned  in Dispatches, Wounded in Action three times, Lance Sergeant Stephen Tognolini Military Medal and Bar, Wounded in Action twice,  Lance Sergeant Victor Edwards Military Medal and Bar,

 Middle row; Sergeant J.S. Sheringham Wounded in Action, Company Sergeant Major George Hunt, Distinguished Conduct Medal, Wounded in Action twice, Killed in Action July 4 1918, Company Sergeant Major William Trevascus Distinguished Conduct Medal and Bar, Mentioned  in Dispatches, Wounded in Action and Boer War Veteran,

Bottom row; Lance Corporal J.H. Cotterell Military Medal, Died of Wounds September 18 1918, and Lance Corporal J.J. Craigie Military Medal 

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers             

For he today that sheds his blood with me,   

  Shall be my brother.     

Shakespeare's Henry V

Are we to be subservient to the dago.....We believe in the White Australia policy and a British White Australia Policy at that. Billy Huges, Australian Prime Minister 1915-23

Introduction

This is a webquest  designed for Senior High School Students of Modern History, Aboriginal Studies, Society and Culture and English. It is  largely based on my 1994 University of Technology Sydney Honours Thesis,  Red Poppies. For over 12 years I have been researching my family's ANZAC history. 

My first exposure to this was at my father Victor's funeral when I was twelve years old. My father died on October 19 1971. He was buried with my Uncle Stephen,  pictured above at  Querrieu, France, 27 June 1918, with his brother non-commissioned officers of the 21st Battalion. Stephen died in 1963. At the funeral an old World War Veteran played The Last Post, after he finished, he fell off his stand, with cries of," Catch him!" which happened, one of my relatives made the remark, " I can see the next service coming up."

This was not a sign of disrespect for the old Digger. We did laugh quietly and we knew in our hearts that Vic and Stephen were laughing too. I also remember vividly the Red Poppies be dropped onto Vic's coffin and relatives saying," Lest We Forget".

My webquest is to research the three battalions my uncles Stephen, John and Andrew served in, which were the 21st, 24th and 57th Battalions.

If you have a relative or relatives who served in other battalions or the Navy you can do your  webquest on their units, but you still need to study the photography of Frank Hurley. The  weblinks below will take you straight to the Australian War Memorial Photographic and Heraldry Collections, all you have to do is enter the military unit and conflict, for example 21st Battalion, First World War 1914-18.

This is a source analysis exercise through the photographic and heraldry collections that can tell you a lot about these units.

The Roll of Honour link can tell where a soldier was killed, where he is buried, who his parents were, who his wife was, what job he had before the war. You can use this to find details about  John Tognolini who was Killed in Action on 25 April 1918.

The Nominal Roll can tell you when a soldier left Australia and when he/she came back or what date he/she was killed.

1)What do the photos tell us about the battles these battalions or units fought?

a) What were the conditions that these soldiers endured?

b) Did they have any mascots?

c) Did these soldiers have any sporting or social gatherings?

2) Students are to examine the photography of Frank Hurley.

a) What battles did Frank Hurley photograph?

b) Did he doctor any of his photographs?

3) Examine source extracts below and;

a) Compare the war  poetry of Australian Machine Gunner Henry Weston Pryce with the other war poets cited below in the Source Extracts.

b) What do the references to conscription tell us about Australian society during the First World War?

c) What do Military Medal and Distinguished Conduct Medal citations tell us about soldiers who won them and the battles they fought? 

d) What do the  views of these soldiers tell us about the First World War?

e) Compare the extracts from Albert  Facey and Walter Downing, what do tell us about Gallipoli and the  Western Front?

5) Examine critically all  the sources, in terms of its origin, content, nature, audience, motive, reliability and usefulness and present this in your report.

6) Students are to prepare their report based on these answers,  research, discussions and reflections and to present to this to their class using Powerpoint.

Evaluation

1) Use of evaluation of the evidence in terms of its origin, content, nature, audience, motive, reliability and usefulness (30%).

2) Written answers to the questions using a word processor (30%).

3) A verbal report in the form of a class briefing using  Powerpoint (40%).0

Roll of Honour Database

Nominal Roll Database