My third post for Western District Families was in April last year for the 2011 ANZAC Day Blog Challenge. My contribution was the story of Arthur Leonard Holmes of Casterton, gassed in France in 1918.
Recently, while researching the Holmes family at Trove for another reason, I found a couple more items about “Lennie” and his sad death. I have since updated his post.
Well, it is April again and with ANZAC Day drawing closer it is time to start thinking about the 2012 ANZAC Day Blog Challenge.
Created by the Auckland City Libraries, the Anzac Day Blog Challenge gives us a chance to share stories of our family members who served during wartime and remember their contribution to our life in both Australia and New Zealand today.
The criteria, from the Auckland City Libraries website, is as follows:
Do you have a story to share about an ANZAC? We’d like to hear about not only their sacrifice, but the way it shaped their family history. Maybe you want to blog from the perspective of those that were left behind?
To participate:
- Write a blog post about an Australian or New Zealander serviceman or woman’s family, and the impact war had on their family history
- Post a comment with the URL to your blog on the comments section of this page. Or if you don’t have a blog then email us your story at kintalk@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
- Publish your post by 25 April 2012.
After ANZAC Day, all submissions will be listed in a summary posting on Auckland Libraries’ Kintalk blog.
Time to get started, but who am I going to write about??
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Well, I made my decision and I wrote about the McClintock brothers. Read their story here – “The McClintock Brothers“
Western District Families 
My great Uncle Alfred Bennett was an ANZAC who never came home. He was unfortunate as the allies had won, the war was over and he was shipped off to Edinburgh, Scotland. Whilst in Edinburgh he fell off the wall of Edinburgh Castle whilst on gaurd duty. It was foggy. He survived the fall but died of illness bought about from his injuries. This is the story told to my mum by her father and grandparents. He is buried in Comely Bank War Cemetery in Edinburgh. The sad part is that he is not on the war memorial at the Castle. I argued with them about this as they stated he did not die during the war. His death certificate states died of pneumonia. His brother Frank was also an ANZAC who did not come home. He was to young to enlist and was rejected for service in Australia so lied about his age and enlisted in the Gordon Highlanders in England. He died in the war and all his records were destroyed in the WWII. All that is left is a small card with his name and unit. We do not know where he died or is buried,
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The best story is a chance to share stories of our family members who served during wartime and remember their contribution to our life in both Australia and New Zealand today.
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