World War 1 Archives - Photo Time Tunnel

Donald MacRae, brave Newcastle harbour master

Post author:Greg Ray
Post published:May 29, 2023
Post category:History Maritime and shipping Militaria Newcastle, NSW, Australia
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Captain Donald MacRae, former harbour master of the Port of Newcastle, Australia, was credited in some quarters with being the last Allied serviceman to be evacuated after the failed British invasion attempt at Gallipoli, Turkey, in World War 1. His long career was punctuated by acts of great bravery. He died and was cremated in 1963 and his ashes remained among the possessions of his son-in-law until 2015, when some of his grandchildren scattered them off Big Ben Reef, Newcastle, the scene of one of his famous rescues. In 2023 those grandchildren fixed a plaque at…

Anzac Day march in Newcomen Street, Newcastle, 1959

Park to Beach: Anzac Day in Newcastle

Post author:Greg Ray
Post published:April 25, 2023
Post category:History Militaria Miscellaneous Newcastle, NSW, Australia
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From our book, The Hunter Region in The Great War Most of the work of the returned services association in its early years was focused on supporting its direct constituency. But another major role was remembering and honouring the sacrifices and achievements of those who had fought and who were still fighting in a war whose scale and nature was without precedent.From the moment that news arrived in Australia of the action at Gallipoli it was clear that this was an event with immense resonance. Australian families had sent thousands of their sons to fight battles…

Two up, anybody? Come in spinner.

Lest we forget, war is horrific

Post author:Greg Ray
Post published:April 24, 2023
Post category:- Politics, economics etc Greg Ray's Writing
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ANZAC Day seems a good time to observe, again, how trends in international relations in 2023 appear to resemble those of a hundred years ago. Just as in 1914, some people with an eye to history were looking back a century to Napoleon and Waterloo, we too can cast a backwards glance and be dismayed at what we see. Today we find ourselves once again apparently being pushed by the tides of politics and economics into what could be another incredibly destructive war. If you read a little about the lead-up to World War 1 you…