August 2008 Issue

Previous Month | Next Month | Home page | Other Months

AUGUST MEETING NOW ON

Bryan has been in touch with Cantell school regarding our August booking. In previous years we have been unable to use the computer room during school holidays for one reason or another but this year the room is free for us to use as usual. We had thought to cancel the booking anyway but Cantell were good enough to see that the room was available for us so we decided to go ahead with a meeting. I hope that members will support us and come if they are available.

As I thought that there would be no meeting in August I have not given the newsletter much thought. I have visitors this week and do not have a lot of time so I am afraid this effort will be a bit skimpy.

My son Barry toured the first world war battle fields recently. Members may recall that Nigel and I and another friend went to France a few years ago and found the grave of an uncle of mine who was killed in the battle of the Somme in 1918 just a month before the end of the war. I was surprised to note that my uncle was the only one from his regiment to be buried at Daours Communal Cemetery. Daours is a village in the department of the Somme about 10 kilometres east of the charming town of Amiens which is where Nigel, my friend and I stayed during our visit.

My son is very keen on history of any sort and has searched the records and found that my uncle was not in fact killed in the battle but wounded. He was taken to a hospital near Amiens where he died of his wounds and so was buried in the nearest cemetery which was in Daours. Visiting another cemetery, nearer to where the battle took place, graves of others from the same regiment were found.

The amazing thing is that in touring the battle fields, shells (some still unexploded), bullets (both German and British) and a host of other items can still be found just scattered about. Apparently the items are being dug up by farmers all the time and they are just thrown aside for visitors to take as they wish.

My son Barry found shell cases similar to the one in the picture, several bullets (both British and German) and several other items. Barry also brought back about 200 photographs. He has a small digital camera that also takes movies. For some reason some of the movies are on their side.

Instructions are given in one of the Windows programs on how to rotate the pictures. The instructions state that they may not work. They don't! Nigel has spent some time and found some programs dedicated to this job but I have so little time that I have not as yet taken the matter further. Has any member experienced this problem?