• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

The Silver Anzac Matchbox goes home

Hi Cromwell,
that match cover story was brilliant ,
You must have put a lot of work & time into it
looking forward to more of the story
Well done mate. Have passed it on to my Oz friends O0
 
:angel: Crommie mate we also have old and new pic's of Lone Pine Memorial also a statment about: the origin of the name:

Lone Pine (Turk. : Kanli Sirt )

Central Anzac sector. The southern 'lobe' of the 400 Plateau. So named because on April 25 the southern half of the 400 Plateau was covered in scrub about a metre high, with a single, stunted pine tree growing higher. The area was originally called 'Lonesome Pine' after the tree, and because a popular song in Australia in 1914 had been 'The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'. Fighting was fierce here during the first few days, the Anzac forces eventually being pushed back closer to the ridge along the seaward edge. The Turkish trenches then established were later taken and held by the Australians after three days of continuous and bitter hand-to-hand fighting during the August offensive. Seven Victoria Crosses were won here at that time. Today the largest of the Australian cemeteries and the main memorial to the missing Australians of the campaign is located here, over the site of the bloodiest fighting of August 1915.

We as a family cherrish this information in memory of:
Private GEORGE FREDRICK MABER 6/967
Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
Killed in action 25/04/1915
 
Last edited:
Wonderful , we walked all over those battlefields even acroos the plains of Sulva as we went on our own under our own steam taking 10 days I swam over the wrecks of the lighters and will post a photo I took showing the wrecks just below the water line and another I have of of the wrecked lighter in the same place in 1916. I picked up a bullet riddled water bottle which I have
It was a hell on earth for all those lads and disease got them if a bullet or bomb did'nt
I tried to climb The Nek but could not as it was loose shale and I was carring no weight,those lads had to do it underfire with full kit. It was impossable and I (ask Pete) have scaled Thumb Butte in Arizona were the mountain rescue train
 
I had it pointed out to me that if any youngster that looks at this subject might not understand that in the days of the Great War matches were very dangerous as there were no safety matches, so if you have a box of matches in your pocket and you hit them, even a tap they would explode as they were made from sulphur most soldiers made covers for them out of the scrap brass shell cases to protect the box from getting squashed.The photo below is a matchbox going into the matchbox cover
 
Three other matchboxes I have in my collection 2 made by
H.T.Horton 37530 of the Royal Engineers out of scrap shell cases, what we call trenchart
and scatched on by him are the places where he went
Somme 16-17
Arras 17-18
Ypres 16- 17
 
The other side of Hortons Matchbox holder (is anyone a relative of the chap ? )
 
I could not write about the full horror of Gallipoli as most of the full details are in a number of good books that are on sale but what I can do, is this… As my journey took me to Lone Pine I can tell you briefly in my own words of the fighting, heroism despair and carnage that went on at Lone Pine.
Birdwood produced his final plans for the Anzac offensive at the end of July, which was to attack the Turkish forces at Lone Pine, which they had fortified by trenches roofed over with heavy timbers perched on a 400ft plateau.
All summer the Australians had been digging a warren of underground tunnels towards the Turkish positions at Lone pine and their plan was to get as close as they could up to about 30ft away from the Turkish positions, break out of the tunnels and storm the Turkish trenches.
The 1st Australian Division was as to lead the attack the 4th Anzacs
On the day of the assault in the heat of the day the afternoon on 6th August every gun the British had opened fire at Lone Pine which the Turks replied back with a barrage of their own with everything they had being thrown at the British, so it kept on for a solid hour and then ceased.
The Anzacs broke out of the tunnels dashing over the front line trenches of the Turks while the second wave were left to deal with the front line trenches that were covered in logs
Trying to rip them of while shooting through the gaps, all this was going on under a terrific bombardment of shrapnel shells and rifle fire from the North
It was utter and complete carnage as the two sides fought to the death, as darkness came the fighting was becoming more intense, and the casualties on both side were mounting up. Seven Victoria Crosses were won that day by the Anzac’s who finally took control of Lone Pine two days later
 
Cromwell,
bet the Royal Engineers Museum
Brompton Barracks,
Chatham would love that Matchbox holder
made by H.T. Horton
 
Dennis will answer you more fully the weekend as I am using a laptop away from home
 
Wonderful information about the Aussies and Kiwis to share with the world. May we all be granted peace now.
 
The following info was wrote from information supplied by Kate and Chris
The 4th Battalion was formed in New South Wales within a fortnight after the Great War was declared in August 1914 along with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions
3 months later they were in Egypt as their final destination was Gallpoli
The 1st 2nd 3rd and 4th battalions, which formed the 1st, Brigade landed on Anzac cove on 25th April 1915 as part of the 2nd and 3rd waves.
The 4th Battalion Commander was Lieu. Col.A.J.O. Thompson who was killed the day after landing and defending the beachhead with the rest of the battalion
After the evacuation of Gallipoli in December they then sailed to Egypt before going to France on March 1916.
Fighting on the Somme and Ypres. Their first major battle was at Pozieres on the Albert to Bapume Rd in 1916 were the village was wiped from the face of the Earth during the terrible fighting that went on there
The 4th Battalion served on the Western Front right up to when the guns fell silent in Nov 1918
What remained of the 4th Battalion then headed home for Australia to be demobbed and discharged
 
The Anzacs supplies being landed at Gaba –Tepe which was on the right hand side of Anzac Cove .
The word ANZAC was coined from Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
 
Australian Gunners at Anzac Cove after the guns have been unloaded
 
Pom Glad to hear the matchbox has arrived OK in New Zealand
I have checked all the spelling and places that are on the Matchbox and all are correct
The landing at Gallipoli took place on the 25th April 1915 the evaquation took place on the 9th April 1916
So if on the Matchbox it says
August 17 1914-17 should it not read August 17 1914 -18
Was this the mistake why they were not sent and just forgotten ? I can only Guess as there is no one left to tell us
 
:angel: I think that was what I was trying to say in my email to you Crommie mate... O0 :2funny: :2funny:

if on the Matchbox it says
August 17 1914-17 should it not read August 17 1914 -18
Was this the mistake why they were not sent and just forgotten ?

Just a thought on my part...
 
Back
Top