I am always intrigued by members' choices of Avatars & Signatures. Some of you have pre-empted my question by explaining but would other members like to elaborate too? Mine was simple choice from WW2Chat. I love poppies and I think they symbolise everything about the two wars to me. I can't imagine what it must have been like to have gone to fight for what you believed to be right at such awfully young ages, nor can I begin to think what it would be like to wave goodbye to my husband, son or grandson (nowadays female members of the family too). I was going to say that they broke the mould after that generation but then I think of Iraq and Afghanistan!!!!
Hello CTNana, My avatar is taken from a postcard captioned "The Forest Row Boys are On Guard". Some of the story is here: http://ww1talk.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=866&postcount=8 Phil (originally from Sussex, which for some reason amuses Annie and Scrimnet)
Hi Phil We lived in Billingshurst for some years when our children were small. I remember it as a lovely part of the world. Best wishes with your research.
Mine is the regimental badge of the South Lancs that's carved on the headstones in C.W.G.C cemeteries ! ( my Granddad and my Dad both served with the South Lancs ... so it's special to me !! ) http://www.ww1cemeteries.com/regimentalarchive/regimental_archive_mainpage.htm Annie
Hi Nana, You know who my Avatar is! Albert was the first Australian recipient of the VC in the Great War. Albert Jacka is buried at St Kilda Cemetery which adjoins the City of Melbourne. He was well respected in the community and died at an early age. There is an interesting story to Albert Jacka however that is for another thread.
My new avatar is my granduncle PTE Edmund (Ted) Kiley of 'A' squad, 1st Australian Light Horse Regiment. He was killed leaving the trenches on 7 Aug 1915, Gallipoli John Ps New avatar is my best mates that died in 2006
Mine is a relative, however we are still trying to ascertain if he is a Gibson or a Birtle. The joys of genealogical research. Not so much a family tree as a mangrove thicket.
Maybe you could post some details of your soldier ( and his photo ) in the "Looking for Someone " section ..... and lets see what we can find Kitty !!
Thats the problem, all we know is he's either a Gibson or a Birtle. Nothing more. Came na bunch of photos we were loaned with no names inscribed on them or anything. Grrrrrrrr.
My avatar is, for the sake of a consistent "brand", a similar theme to the one I use on certain other WW1 forum. It is the Zeppelin L59, the Afrika-Zeppelin. She and her sister L57 were the largest Zeppelins to fly during the war, with a length of 741 feet (226m) - a Boeing 747 is about 220 feet long. L57 was destroyed in a storm on a test flight; L59 was rapidly converted to replace her. Her mission was to take supplies to the German East African forces of General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, in what is now Tanzania: he spent the entire war fighting a guerilla action against British and Belgian forces, and in the end was the only German general never to be defeated. This was at a time when flying from Germany to Britain on bombing missions was as far as any aircraft ever flew. L59 left Yambol in Bulgaria on 21st November 1917 carrying several tons of supplies (right now I can't find a record of exactly how much). She was intending to go on a one-way trip - on arrival she would be broken up, her aluminium structure would be used for building materials, her engines as generators, and her outer covering (which was cotton instead of the normal linen) for new uniforms. She was south of Khartoum when she received a fake radio message from a British agent saying that von Lettow-Vorbeck had surrendered, so she turned and flew all the way back to Yambol. Although the mission itself was a failure, she had flown over 4200 miles, and been airborne 95 hours, in greater extremes of temperature than any airship had experienced before. She remained at Yambol and flew reconnaissance missions over the Mediterranean, but on 7th April 1918 she caught fire, for unknown reasons, while attempting to bomb the Grand Harbour in Malta, and was lost with all hands.
My signatures are quite simple to explain. I like General George Pattons quotes, and they are interesting.
My avatar is of three 8th Rifle Brigade officers in the trenches. The officers are Lieut. Dudley Sutton Ashworth (KIA 15/9/16), Captain Arthur Ronald Backus (23/9/17) and Major Arthur Charles Sheepshanks (DSO). Andy
Mine's a photograph of the grave of Oberst.Lt Friedrich "Fritz" Bayer of the 82nd Infanterie Regt. Killed in action on the Ypres-Comines canal on 27th May 1940. Originally buried at Tenbrielen near Ypres, now residing in Lommel Soldatenfriedhof.
My avatar is probably not me; but it's what I do. I'm sure that I'll add a signature soon - probably something similar to my signature on another Great War forum (oops, have I given the game away!) Roxy
