What did we do to remember the Servicemen on ANZAC Day...

LEST WE FORGET

We didn't go to visit our friend on ANZAC Day, but we did on Monday, it was a BIG day.

We got to know him after Kato found his RAS - Returned from Active Service badge several years ago, we got to know his family.

Kato is working to get her 'P' plates, so we decided to kill two birds with one stone, gathered all the gear and jumped into the car, stopped and filled the fuel tank and headed up the road to a quieter change over spot.
We swapped seats after putting on the L plates and away she drove. Pretty uneventful going up the freeway and driving to Murray Bridge, but coming down the road to the cemetery we could see police cars and flashing lights parked on the road edge. I told her not to worry as our turn off was just past the police cars.

Stuff me !
We were directed into the Breath Test station off the side of the road and directly in front of where we were going - the Cemetery !



We were cracking up with laughter while pulling in and while she was being breatho'd, then me.
Told the cop that we were pulling in anyway and they were in our way as we were going to do work on the headstones, he moved cars for us to park

So we got our gear out and started to setup, much to the amusement of the cops, we checked some headstones and developed a plan for testing our cleaning and which ones to clean.
It was clear that some had received attention recently past.



Spayer with bleach mix, scrubbing brushes and gloves, clean water we approached a headstone which had clearly been broken and repaired, applied mix and scrubbed, rinsed really well and let air dry in the sun.



Pretty sure this moss builds up and damages the lettering over time
.



To Be Continued...

Well done GH.

Read a very moving story about Bill The *******.
Quite possibly Australia's finest War Horse, carrying 5 diggers to safety.
https://www.abc.net.au/landline/bill-the-*******:-legendary-warhorse-with-bad/13317254

Excellent work HG and Kato. I read recently that some cemeteries are getting angry with people "trying" to preserve headstones that have are unkept. We had an innocent act at the Toowong Cemetery prior to ANZAC Day whereby a kind sole decorated each white headstone with a red paper poppy, unfortunately the heavy overnight due made the red paper bleed and stain the white headstones.
Take care you two.
regards
Mackka

Mackka said:

Excellent work HG and Kato. I read recently that some cemeteries are getting angry with people "trying" to preserve headstones that have are unkept. We had an innocent act at the Toowong Cemetery prior to ANZAC Day whereby a kind sole decorated each white headstone with a red paper poppy, unfortunately the heavy overnight due made the red paper bleed and stain the white headstones.
Take care you two.
regards
Mackka

Click to expand...

Oh *****, that was well meant but poorly implemented, the person did not understand about dyes and paper, nylon cloth would be ok.
I hope the stains will bleach out. I will research how to fix that, if it can be done.
:/

Story short - we made enquiries with the Council ... led us to SA Veterans Affairs guy that is responsible for the maintenance programs in SA,
spoke with him and discussed the process and he provided information so we have his blessing and support to do the work.
He has my mobile in his phone so that he can contact me on other matters where I can help him due to our research and access.
Been 3 months in the making.
More info to come on that.

Came up a treat.







Compared to other headstones

Looking at the concrete base, it seems that they have been cleaned at sometime, maybe with just the chemical spray,
so we decided to test results of the chemical cleaner on headstones as we know it is safe to do so, and if it does not clean so well
then we can scrub it later.

I suppose that the chemical cleaner is safer for the lettering not to be damaged.

Continued........

HI Greenhornet, why not contact Tillet Memorials on West Tce and ask them what they recommend as the best cleaner for headstones.

Manpa said:

HI Greenhornet, why not contact Tillet Memorials on West Tce and ask them what they recommend as the best cleaner for headstones.

Click to expand...

Manpa, I contacted the SA Veterans Affairs person that does all the monumental Works for SA.

He has provided us with all the required info, and is the go to guy for this.

Basically a house hold bleach to start, 25 water to 1 bleach, scrub with bristle brush then allow to dry, coat with a chemical that will then seep into the pores and fine cracks of the stone every time it rains. This kills organics and pushes it to the surface for the next 6 months to a year depending on local conditions.

NEVER brush over the lettering which is lead or lead zinc, and can be VERY fragile, just spay with chems and let that do the work.

The bleach MUST be fully rinsed off and used only the first treatment.

Acids can not ever be used !!

I will be consulting Tillet about the lettering in the near future, it is expensive and something I cant afford, however there may be alternatives approved by Vet Affairs that they may supply.

Excellent work GH,
Mackka

Sorry mate, youre all over it, I should have known better.

Had a moment of silence apart from the road noise while driving, was working while the dawn service was taking place. Was listening on 774.

I love the dawn service it's such a great moment of solitude recognition and remembrance. No offence to service personnel past and present.

The modern Headstones...

Gerald's Headstone (family friend) was waiting patiently.

We targeted some of those close to the marble headstones, at the end of the rows, cleaned those up and left them to dry.

Feel free to click on the pics and zoom in, these are the older style we are used to.

In the next pages will be a newer design we have not seen before, I could find out some info if anyone is interested, or maybe someone can explain them.

Hambidge





Marshall





Continued.........

Sorry GH.
I didn't mean to detract from your post.
I thought it may have been an open question to all PAers.
Very much like and respect what you are doing and have done :Y:

Hey BW,
No worries, it was an interesting watch for Kato and I.
It was open, but we have too much to put on a single page, thats why it is extended.
A Kato project.

Thank you for the compliments mate.

Surprisingly good results for such minor work.

As we were leaving, a couple came into the cemetery, they stopped by these newly cleaned headstones
and spent time reading them.

Smyth







.
To get a basic clean on these brass plaques, I am going to ask if we can use a pressure washer
along with the bleach.

Of course that cant be done with a plaque that has paint on it like the newer style.... as below

Martin





Continued.....

Finally we got to Miss 16yrs friend.

After finding this man's Returned from Active Service Badge, given to him upon discharge, lost for maybe 70 years
Miss 16 found it detecting on ANZAC DAY, at a Country Community hall where dances have been conducted for near 100 years.
The Sun was just dropping below the horizon, and when she found it she teared up and kissed it as a prize,
but never hesitated to find the family to return it to.

The hall still has dances every month, on the first or second Sunday evening.

A link to a 'flickr' webpage, the text taken from a Trove Article - https://www.flickr.com/photos/31967465@N04/42852806720/

We know a lot about Gerald Bartletts family and only a some about him, his brother CJ ( Waddy ) had kids and we have spoken to one of CJ's son's,
Phil is in his 70's and has less knowledge about his family history than we know.
Soon there will be a get together and we can pass on our story to the remaining family members.

Gerald





CJ - ( Waddy )





So there is one more thing to be told from this day.

It was quite special to us and even some what emotional.

I think it is the 'real' side of - Remembering those that have been to War, the cost to those who fought and died, those who fought and survived.

Continued......

Meeting the daughter of a deceased Serviceman.

Remembering those that have been to War, the cost to those who fought and died, those who fought and survived.

I have never been to War, never served, never fought.

The reasons for men and women going to War vary so far and wide that the scope is too much for me to discuss here, and I am not qualified.

But having a Stepfather that was clearly damaged by his experiences at War was not so easy, he went at the age of 17yrs,
he went to Dunkirk.

Something I was first warned about by a friend was that I may meet a family member, while cleaning headstones,
and that it could be a rewarding experience.

This was also impressed upon me by the Vet Affairs guy, he also said it could be rewarding.

What happened, was not what I expected......

Hurtle Rehn



.
I noticed that an older lady had arrived and started to walk through the headstones slowly, looking at the newly cleaned plaques and making her way toward
a headstone in the back row, on the same end we had cleaned.

We were cleaning Geralds plaque about 50 meters away, and I told Miss 16 that I needed to go to the bathroom, but would stop and talk to the lady.

She spent a few moments with "Hurtle" and started to leave as I approached.
I said 'hello' and asked if she had a moment to talk, she was happy to talk, so I inquired as to who she was visiting.
She was visiting her fathers grave.
And without any prompt she gave me her fathers story as seen from her eyes as a child.

At 78yrs old she recalled to me that her Father 'Hurtle' was a bad alcoholic, and she had never known him to be any different.
There was no anger or anything but a hint of empathy and sadness for her Father.
He was a cook, so was behind the lines and never went into battle, they were at War with the Japanese.

Her Mother had told her that he was never a drinker before going to War, but had returned an alcoholic and never got past the drink.

The woman before me had not met me before, and yet she was sharing something that I was not really prepared for, very personal and family memories.

She told me how she waited alone for 4 days, for her Father to return, down at the milk stand in town which was where he would arrive.
At the time she was only 4 years old and could remember it clearly, the milkman had dropped a milk can on her toe and broken it on the third day.
One tough kid, and now I could see and hear her determination though her life, a privilege.

She explained that her father was a cook and also had to look after soldiers that were injured, taking care of wounded and POW's that were returned, escaped or rescued.
This is what was likely to have disturbed him so badly. She told me that her Father took care of soldiers with bite marks on their arms and body,
that there were many of them and his task was to clean and bandage the wounds.
I didn't understand and asked, 'bite marks ?', she told me that the Japanese would bite the POW's, I asked why would they do that ?

She told me that the Japanese were not getting supplies and were starving, so took to biting pieces from the POW's to survive.
I was shocked and did not process that for a moment, then she explained again.
My mind tells me that could not be true.
Her Father became a drunk on return, the rest of his life.

How do you cope with knowing that living men have been starved, abused, tortured, and then used as a living meat supply by the Enemy.
Seeing them, trying to help them by tending them as best as you can, and losing them to infection or starvation.

Hurtle was not a violent drunk by her words.

She visits Hurtle every week, this day her husband was waiting at home for her to make him a cup of coffee, I apologised for delaying her and she said that she had plenty of time,
he could wait, it wasn't dinner time yet.

I explained what we were doing and pointed out Miss 16, we spoke about others she knew in the Cemetery, soldiers, airmen.
When we parted I suggested she go to Miss 16 and say hello, she did and they had a good conversation, me thinking about her husband still waiting for the coffee.
She visited three other graves before leaving, she had told me of these. Respect for them.

Very strong, very with it, independent ...... probably all that at 4 yrs old too.

Remembering those that have been to War, the cost to those who fought and died, those who fought and survived.

"Lest We Forget"

Came across this today, very poignant.

Waters Deep
'In Waters Deep'

In ocean wastes no poppies blow,
No crosses stand in ordered row,
There young hearts sleep...beneath the wave...
The spirited, the good, the brave,
But stars a constant vigil keep,
For them who lie beneath the deep.
'Tis true you cannot kneel in prayer
On certain spot and think, "He's there."
But you can to the ocean go...
See whitecaps marching row on row;
Know one for him will always ride...
In and out...with every tide.

And when your span of life is passed,
He'll meet you at the "Captain's Mast."
And they who mourn on distant shore
For sailors who'll come home no more,
Can dry their tears and pray for these
Who rest beneath the heaving seas...
For stars that shine and winds that blow
And white caps marching row on row.
And they can never lonely be
For when they lived...they chose the sea.

The poem is called 'In Waters Deep' and was written by Eileen Mahoney

Eileen Mahoney