News & Events:  Western Front and Europe

 

2011.  Steven Spielberg to Direct War Horse Film.  Several sources have sited that Steven Spielberg will direct a film version of War Horse, a highly-acclaimed play in the U.K.  The film is supposed to debut in August 2011. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/spielberg-will-mount-film-version-of-war-horse/

19 July, 2010.  Commemorative Event at Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Cemetery.  The Australian Ministry of Defense has hired well-known "experiential agency" Jack Morton Worldwide to plan an event to mark the dedication of the Fromelles Cemetery on 19 July.  http://www.avinteractive.co.uk/news/1001441/Jack-Morton-produce-Fromelles-WW1-ceremony/.

May, 2010.  American Battle Monuments Commission Accepting Applications for an Assistant Cemetery Superintendent Trainee.  If you've ever been interested in working for the ABMC, and if your French is reasonably good, you might want to check out the details.  Just follow the "Employment" navigation link on the left side of the ABMC home page.  http://www.abmc.gov/.

February, 2010.  Winter Storm "Xynthia" Damages Several German Cemeteries.  Several German WW1 and WW2 German cemeteries were damaged by the storm system "Xynthia."  Its high winds brought down trees and damaged or destroyed crosses in several cemeteries, including: Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, Noyers-Pont-Maugis, Asfeld, Montaigu, Servon, Buzancy and Seclin, in particular.  Following the damage, the Volksbund put out a special appeal for funds to help restore the cemeteries.  Readers can view the article ("Kleines Glück im großen Unwetter") at:  http://www.volksbund.de/presse/im_blickpunkt/?id=219&sort=3862.

1 February, 2010.  Reinternment of British and Australian soldiers at Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Cemetery.  In May 2008 researchers located a number of burial pits that contained the remains of about 250 British and Australian soldiers.  These individuals were buried by the Germans at Pheasant Wood, near Fromelles, after the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916.  The discovery was so unique that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is establishing a NEW WW1 cemetery for the site.  The first 30 re-burials took place on 1 February.  For more details on the story, visit a website established by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission at:  www.cwgc.org/fromelles/.

22 Sept. 2009.  Harry Patch remembered near Ypres.  Harry Patch was England's last-surviving soldier to have served on the Western Front.  He died in the late July, 2009 and was buried in early August, 2009.  However, before his death he expressed the desire that he and his "mates" should be remembered on 22 September.  On that date in 1917, not far outside of Ypres, he was wounded and his three mates were killed by an artillery shell.  The BBC covers this first memorial service following the death of Mr. Patch.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8267955.stm.

11 November, 2008.  The Great War Archive goes on-line.  Run by the University of Oxford, the aim of this initiative was to collect together material related to the First World War held by members of the public to help keep the memory alive of the sacrifices made during World War One. The final collection will be made available free of charge via the Web on the 11th November 2008, the 90th anniversary of the Armistice.  The associated website is www.thegreatwararchive.org.

4-16 April, 2005.  Somme Tour and Seminar.  Organized by Paul Guthrie of the WFA and led by Flanders Tours.  As of late February, they still had some seats available.  See Flanders Tours' website or the WFA USA website for more details.

90th Anniversary, Battle of the Marne  (Sunday, 5 Sept., 2004):  The French national ceremony to commemorate this anniversary will take place on Sunday, 5 September at Mondement, Marne.  For more information contact:  Lt. Col. Claude Domenichini, President, Association Mondement 1914, 6 Chemin des Carrouges, 51120 Gaye, France.  Telephone from the U.S.:  011-33-3-26 81 84 38.  Mondement is the location of Le monument national de la Victoire de la Marne.

24 November, 2005.  New Movie, Merry Christmas, Premiers in Germany.  Based on a true story, this movie deals with the Christmas Truce in 1914, and covers a 24-hour truce made by three Lieutenants--a Frenchman, a German and a Scotsman.  I believe that it is / has also been released in France under the title, Joyeux Noel.  I do not know if it will play in the U.K. or the U.S.  I would appreciate any feedback from readers who have seen the movie.

October and November, 2005.  Veterans' Deaths.  As the 87th Anniversary of the Armistice approached, the deaths of several of the handful of remaining WW1 veterans was reported in the press around the world.  These include:  Alfred Anderson, 109 years old, the last known survivor of the 1914 "Christmas Truce," who died in his sleep at a nursing home in Newtyle, Scotland.  William Evan Allan, 106 years old, who served in the Royal Australian Navy, and who was the last Australian veteran to see active service in WW1.  Victor (Bob) Rudd, 104 years old, an English-born cavalryman who moved to New Zealand after the war.

4 November, 2005.  WW1 Mustard Gas Discovered in a Home in Woodford, UK.  The Manchester News online reported that four small chemical containers, believed to carry mustard gas, were found in a house.  They were removed and later collected by the army for disposal.  There were no evacuations and no injuries.

29 October, 2005.  Indian Soldiers of WW1 Remembered in Germany.  The Guardian Unlimited reported that a WW1 German cemetery in Wünsdorf, about 40km south of Berlin, was officially re-opened today.  The cemetery houses the remains of 206 Indian volunteers,