GeniAus - #AtoZChallenge - C is for Casualty

During April 2020 the month of this #AtoZChallenge I will be sharing short posts on some of the 2,000+ descendants I have identified of my 3x Great-Grandmother, Elizabeth Phipps. 

Elizabeth Phipps 1785-1869 was a convict who was transported from England to New South Wales in 1814 per Wanstead. 

---

We have twice travelled to Villers-Bretonneux Memorial and Cemetery in France to visit ancestors' memorial inscriptions. I didn't know until recently that there was also a commemoration there to my 2nd cousin twice removed, James Herbert Brydon.

Inscriptions on the Memorial Wall - Villers-Bretonneux - Photo Jill Ball

James Herbert Brydon is Elizabeth Phipps' Great-Grandson through her daughter Adelina's line.

 
James' journey to The Front started in August 1915.

1915 'Another Volunteer.', Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative (NSW : 1890 - 1954), 12 August, p. 39. , viewed 31 Mar 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article156941133
1915 'Dunedoo Volunteer Farewelled.', Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative (NSW : 1890 - 1954), 26 August, p. 22. , viewed 31 Mar 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article156937276

He enlisted in the AIF on 18th August 1915.  Following is the front page of James' full Service Record that can be accessed and downloaded from here: https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/records/145681

https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/records/145681

The AIF Project Site at https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=37386 provides a summary of James service. 

James death on the front was simply reported in local and state newspapers. It says much of the times that the passing of this young man received such little mention in the local press. I have not been able to locate an obituary for James in the local press. He was just one of many young Australians who made the ultimate sacrifice. 

1917 'Western Casualties.', Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative (NSW : 1890 - 1954), 14 June, p. 25. , viewed 31 Mar 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article157112478

There is a simple memorial to James Herbert Brydon on the CWGC website.  

Source: https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1458575/brydon,-james-herbert/

James Herbert Brydon name is inscribed  on the walls at Villers-Bretonneux.

Villers-Bretonneux Memorial and Cemetery - Photo Jill Ball

I love to connect with cousins and fellow researchers. Should you find any errors in my post or have additional information please contact me. 

Retracing diggers' path in France for Anzac Day

Retracing diggers' path in France for Anzac Day

Posted using ShareThis

This article brings back memories of our trip to Villers-Bretonneux.

Walking In A Winter Wonderland

Villers-Bretonneux Cemetery

There was no snow in sight but it was a bitterly cold January day in 2006 when we went in search of the final resting place of my grandmother's first husband, John Bertram Chatfield, at Villers-Bretonneux. The chilling winds blowing across the French plains gave us an indication of the elements our Diggers faced on the battlefields of the Somme. My grandmother, Ethel Jane Pusell, was widowed at the age of 18 when her husband paid the ultimate price and was killed in action in May 1917. A digital copy of John's service record can be found at the National Archives of Australia.

We found no grave for John Chatfield, who had enlisted as John Williams, as his remains were never found. His name was one of a long list inscribed on a memorial panel in the cemetery.

Memorial Panels

Our winter visit to Villers-Bretonneux was a sobering experience that encouraged us to reflect on the courage of our soldiers and the futility of armed conflict.

This post has been prepared for the Carnival of Genealogy - 64th Edition'Walking In A Winter Wonderland".