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Archiver > SOUTH-AFRICA > 2004-05 > 1084161149


From: "Steve Hayes" <>
Subject: Re: [ZA] War Dates
Date: Mon, 10 May 2004 05:52:29 +0200
In-Reply-To: <006301c435c4$f20cbe00$6999ef9b@TelkomSA2156>


On 9 May 2004 at 14:55, Becky Horne wrote:

> Hi Folks
>
> Thank you to Keith, Steve and Dennis for indulging my ignorance and trying to
> assist me with my query. Can you tolerate my questioning for a wee bit more?
> Here goes.
>
> Okay, so is the 11 hour of 11th day of 11th month Armistice Day as well as
> Remembrance Day? 16 July - end of WWI? Delville Wood - this is the day the
> guys wear all the poppies right?

Yes, Remembrance Day is Armistice Day, because that was when the fighting
stopped. The victors met at Versailles to work out a peace treaty, which the
vanquished had to accept. It was signed later. That is why the war is
sometimes called the 1914-1918 war, and sometimes the 1914-1919 war - the
1918 date refers to the armistice, the 1919 date to the Treaty of Versailles.

The poppies are associated with 11 November, when fighting stopped. They grew
on the graves of the dead soldiers in Flanders (Vlaanderen) where much of the
bloodiest fighting took place for four years.

> My grandfather was a Prisoner-of-War of Delville Wood.
> Is it correct to say Delville Wood was the place that a contingent of South
> African Infantry were held captive by the Germans before the allied forces
> rescued them?

Delville Wood was the site of a battle in which many South African soldiers
were killed or captured by the Germans, yes. I'm sure a Gogle search would
give you more information.

> I guess I can read this up on some website somewhere, or get a book from the
> library, but you guys have got such a knack of explaining the details in
> layman's language. Besides, I'd rather prefer to ask you :o)

When you get the big picture here, look at web sites for details, and info
about books you can read etc.

> Oops, one more thing.....why is it that ex-war veterans don't like sharing
> their experiences with their children and grandchildren? My grandfather and
> Dad never wanted to.

Right. My father-in-law was reluctant to speak about his war-time
experiences. He was captured at Tobruk, taken to a POW camp in Italy,
escaped, made his way south to the American lines, and eventually got home.
The title of his reminiscences, which he told us just once, was "Shit in
Italy". He was 17 when he went to war, and the experiences were so horrific a
lot of people didn't like to talk about them. And a lot who survived became
alcoholics.


--
Steve Hayes
E-mail:
Web: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
Phone: 083-342-3563 or 012-333-6727

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