Revisiting World War I with Aussie Author, Margaret Tanner

Hello everyone, Margaret Tanner here. It is lovely to be invited back here by Judith and Sarah to celebrate RTG’s 20^th Century Historical Romance.

Some of the momentous events in our history occurred in the 20^th century including the 1^st and 2^nd World Wars. As I have novels set during WW1 or the Great War as it was known, I thought I would tell you something about my research and family connection to this dreadful conflict.

On the 4^th August 1914, England declared war on Germany and within a couple of days, young men from all over the British Empire, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand, rushed to enlist.

Australia was a small country in 1914, with a population of less than 5 million, yet we sent over 300,000 men to the front, Gallipoli, Egypt, France and Belgium.  Around 8,000 Australians soldiers were killed on Gallipoli in Turkey. More than 60,000 soldiers lie in the beautiful cemeteries in France and Belgium, not to mention the tens of thousands who came home wounded and traumatised. Many small country towns became ghost towns after the war, because all the young men had been killed.

My husband, son and I visited the Australian battlefields in France and also in Belgium, a truly poignant experience. My husband and I also visited Gallipoli, in Turkey, a place I have always wanted to see, and I wasn’t disappointed. At the Lone Pine memorial we found the name of one of my Dad’s relatives who has no known grave. 

It is really quite a sad story. This young man came out to Australia from Scotland with his two older brothers in about 1910. When the war broke out, he wanted to enlist but was under age. His older brother refused to give his consent, so he journeyed to Sydney and his other brother signed the consent papers for him. A few months later he was killed at Lone Pine. It tore the family apart, the older brother blaming the other brother for signing the consent papers which turned out to be a death warrant.

We also visited the battlefields and cemeteries on the Western front with our son. Using war time, both English and German, trench maps, and the information we gave him, our guide was able to point to within a hundred yards or so, to where my grandfather’s cousin was wounded. He enlisted in May 1916. He was shot through the knee near the village of Hermes in France, on the 9th April 1917. Chills ran down my spine, I felt as if a hand was gripping me from the grave. After being wounded he was picked up by a field ambulance unit, taken to a Casualty Clearing station, and then put on an ambulance train and finally he was admitted to a large military hospital in Rouen. He died on the 12^th April.

We made our own way up to Rouen and found his grave. He left behind a wife and two small children.  And here is a really sad thing, in about 1920, his little girl was run over by a motor car and killed. I mean, how could that woman bear so much? Husband killed in the war, her daughter dying a few years later, so all she had left was her son?

We visited large cemeteries where hundreds of white headstones stood amongst green lawns with pretty flowers nodding their heads between the graves. It was so poignant one could have cried a million tears and it still wouldn’t have been enough.

One of the most memorable monument wasn’t very big.  It was at Fromelles, a bronze statue of an Aussie soldier carrying his wounded mate. The battle for Fromelles was fought on the 19^th and 20^th July 1916, Australia had 5,500 casualties the English 1,500.  For over 90 years no-one knew the fate of nearly 300 of these soldiers, but there had been rumors for many years, of mass graves in the area, and it was only after a tenacious campaign waged for years by an Australian school teacher that the authorities finally acted, and four mass graves were discovered about three years after our visit. 250 soldiers have now been laid to rest in separate graves in a new Commonwealth war cemetery.  Of the 250 bodies over half have so far been identified by name using DNA volunteered by relatives.

AMERICAN DOUGHBOYS AND AUSSIE DIGGERS

Under the command of Australian General, Sir John Monash, the Australians and Americans, (diggers and doughboys) fought side by side in France in the Battle of Hamel on 4^th July 1918. In honour of the doughboys he was commanding, General Sir John Monash had chosen America’s Independence Day, as the date of the offensive.

Also, for the first time on a battlefield, tanks were used to bring up supplies behind the advancing troops. The battle was a spectacular success, and laid the foundation for future victories and the end of hostilities on the Western Front.

In the Belgium city of Ypres is a soaring stone archway at an entrance to the town known as the Menin Gate. The Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing has etched into its walls the names of 50,000 thousand English and Commonwealth soldiers who served in the region but have no known graves. Even after all these years, they still play the last post every evening as a mark of respect for the fallen.

We visited Tyne Cot cemetery in Flanders/Belgium. It is the largest Commonwealth War cemetery in the world. 8,369 of the almost 12,00 soldiers buried there are unknown.  Most of these unknown solders have white headstones with the words “A Soldier of the Great War Lies here.  Known only to God.” Sometimes the nationality of the soldier might be known, so the words would say An Australian/Canadian Soldier of the Great War lies here. There is also a memorial with the names of 34,957 missing soldiers who fell at Passchendale. Their bodies were never found.

At 11a.m. on the 11^th November, 1918, an Armistice was signed and the guns fell silent. The Great War had ended, but the repercussions would be felt for years to come.

Hereunder are three of my books which are set against a background of WW1.

DARING MASQUERADE

When Harriet Martin masquerades as a boy to help her shell-shocked brother in 1916, falling in love with her boss wasn’t part of the plan.

http://amzn.com/B071R7R42J

ALLISON’S WAR

In 1916, on the French battlefields, a dying soldier’s confession has the power to ruin the woman he loves.

http://amzn.com/B071NTMVGD

LAUREN’S DILEMMA

Three men stole Lauren’s love, only one will keep it.

https://amzn.com/B0778MPL8B

Margaret writes Historical Western Romance and Historical Romance with a few Contemporary Romances thrown into the mix.

Margaret’s Website:  http://www.margarettanner.com/

Margaret Tanner Amazon Author Page   http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003T5216E

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/margaret.tanner.399