Walking Wounded
Picture: courtesy of The Alexander Turnbull Library
Walking Wounded is a picture taken by Henry Sanders (New Zealand official war photographer) 100 years ago, at Courcelles 6th April 1918 – who knows if they ever made it out alive, or what their lives may have been like afterwards.
It was the title that caught my attention; like it or not, that’s what we called the troops in UOF, the walking wounded, casualties of The Family Court. Fighting back from the hospital tent, but without the ‘stench of war’ as was said of WW1.
While the casualties of peace suffered the smell of their isolated battle alone, at least UOF did not have any fatalities. Better still a later analysis even showed our efforts disturbing the upward trend of male suicide.
As we head to Anzac Day 2018 and the remembrance of this sacrifice in the name of freedom, that will take place not only in NZ but at our memorials in Europe as well, we have to question the attitude we take in this age to the welfare of men in our ‘civilised development’.
Certainly we have to question the disrespect shown by the Green Party both to our RSA members during the campaign and their current disrepect to our older generation of men since the recent election.
Let’s keep an eye out for the attitude in the next few weeks in the lead up to Anzac Day, and please do feel inclined to name and shame in the comments.
Be interesting to see who turns up as the new Green Party leader today.
Comment by Evan Myers — Sun 8th April 2018 @ 10:43 am
Very well said.
These are the men that this crop of horrible, free speech limiting, disgraceful so called women died for. The sad excuses for women who permeate the NZ Family Court owe their opportunity do denigrate men to these very men in this picture.
Many would be appalled to see how this court removes children from their fathers in a more disgraceful way than two world wars did. At least in these wars men knew where they were going and didn’t have their money extracted before their children lost their fathers. The enemy dressed so and looked so, unlike the Court process and many of the associated so called professionals with their own agendas which is not as they purport (in the best interests of the child)
Comment by Brad — Mon 9th April 2018 @ 12:20 am
Comment by Evan Myers — Mon 9th April 2018 @ 8:53 am
A poignant but needed post
Comment by Paul Catton — Wed 11th April 2018 @ 10:04 pm
A Day of Remembrance is another post about the Battle of Passchendaele, from the point of view of a descendant’s experience as a soldier tramping the battlefield as we see it today.
[Interesting podcast produced by RNZ]
Likewise we can look at the battlefield of peace, of life, changed not by nature, but by ourselves in the need, however born, to romantically rewrite our history.
At the time of WW1 antibiotics had not been discovered; the prospect of recovery from injury was much less likely, and recovery with amputation, much more likely.
In relating this to the last frontier of the world, New Zealand, we seldom hear the grizzly tales of men in the early development of the colony.
Younger generations from other countries were bought passage to the exaggerated prospect of a better life. The debt secured over their families back home which they were obliged to repay.
Many simply couldn’t make ends meet, survive the harsh change of climate from whence they came, or the realities of a pioneer country. Perhaps the lucky ones were the ones who lost their mind and were committed to the asylums, that are seldom mentioned.
Guns were more available than most would realise, and yes, they were used, by men to end their lives. A local Justice of the Peace if there was one recording those deaths.
There were death huts, where the determined but sick died alone. Their belongings, clothes, bedding, burnt along with their body, and the hut disinfected and left available for the next less fortunate explorer.
The hardship suffered by many men, who did survive, the grit and determination to suceed in the face of extremes is not recognised because we don’t talk about how bad it was.
The veterans likewise don’t talk about how bad it was.
Even today, our administration refuses to acknowledge their part in how bad it is for many men who unnecessarily end their life, not because we need a new romantic past but because they fear the reality of responsibility and what they have done.
Comment by Downunder — Fri 13th April 2018 @ 9:21 am
They shall grow not old,
as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning,
We will remember them.
Comment by Evan Myers — Wed 25th April 2018 @ 12:38 am