The first Naours and Vignacourt connection officially..
We have researched hard to try and identify soldiers who were both at Vignacourt and Naours. We now have our first soldier who we know visited both places and left his legacy....a photo and a signature! The only one we know of so far.
We know that he was at both places . His signature and visit to Naours is notated in his diary from January 1917, now held by the Mitchell Library.
The actual glass plate does not exist in the collection...it is lost or somewhere else in Vignacourt !
We truly hope we can find more !
The Story of Joseph Allen Allsop
Wilfred Joseph Allan Allsop lived on Arrabury Briersley Street in Mosman near Sydney. He was a clerk. On July 23rd, 1915 at the age of 22 joined the 8th Field ambulance as a courier and stretcher bearer.
He left Australia 10th November, 1915 aboard the HMAT Ascanius A11.
He spent time in Alexandria and left for Marseille on the 17 June 1916. Arrived in Marseilles 23rd June, 1916. Temporary duty to 15th Field Ambulance, 22nd August, 1916 and rejoined 8th Field ambulance 19th September, 1916. The brigade spent time in Armentieres until October 14th. They then moved through Bailleul, Dernancourt and ended up in Thistle Dump where a front line cemetery was begun in August, 1916. The ambulance brigade was busy and the weather did not help them at all. As quoted within the diary of the 8th Ambulance brigade page 70, “The weather has been very bad and conditions are almost impossible for bearers to sufficiently evacuate wounded from front lines owing to the great length of carriage 6000 yards. Trenches are in very bad condition in places thigh deep in mud, so that bearers carry in the open under shell fire continually. It is almost impossible for bearers to keep their feet in the slippery mud.” The brigade moved to Chateau Olincourt, Vignacourt around the 7th of November doing routine work, construction, giving concerts for the sick in various District rest stations until early February. It would have been during his time in Chateau Olincourt that Allsop had the opportunity to visit Naours.
In January 1917, Allan and his friends visited the underground of Naours, which were already a tourist attraction. On January 2nd, Allan writes:
"... In the afternoon, a group of 10 of us to the famous" caves near Naours, where refugees were accustomed to hide in time of invasion. The caves contain 300 rooms about which one is 1000 meters long. An entire division with horses, men, guns and transportation could come here ... "
He was transferred on the 23 March 1918 to the Australian Corps Signal Company as a sapper. Wilford Allan Allsop wrote about his life as a soldier in a diary he held from 23 July to 31 December 1917. He was stationed in Vignacourt to the North West of Amiens. He returned to Australia on April 19, 1919 on the ship Sardenia disembarked, 13 June 1919; discharged (termination of period of enlistment), 5 August 1919.
Wilfred Joseph Allen Allsop was often known as Allan so as not to be confused with his Dad who was also Wilfred.
Allan’s five diaries cover the period 1915-1917 and were bought by the Mitchell Library New South Wales in 1920 for 12 pounds. They were purchased as a part of the European War Collecting project (Soldiers’ Diaries Collection) created by the trustees of the Mitchell Library.
We have Allan in front of the Thuillier background and his Naours' graffiti.
Thanks to Channel 7 for their photo from the Sunday Night original program and the Naours caves.
We know that he was at both places . His signature and visit to Naours is notated in his diary from January 1917, now held by the Mitchell Library.
The actual glass plate does not exist in the collection...it is lost or somewhere else in Vignacourt !
We truly hope we can find more !
The Story of Joseph Allen Allsop
Wilfred Joseph Allan Allsop lived on Arrabury Briersley Street in Mosman near Sydney. He was a clerk. On July 23rd, 1915 at the age of 22 joined the 8th Field ambulance as a courier and stretcher bearer.
He left Australia 10th November, 1915 aboard the HMAT Ascanius A11.
He spent time in Alexandria and left for Marseille on the 17 June 1916. Arrived in Marseilles 23rd June, 1916. Temporary duty to 15th Field Ambulance, 22nd August, 1916 and rejoined 8th Field ambulance 19th September, 1916. The brigade spent time in Armentieres until October 14th. They then moved through Bailleul, Dernancourt and ended up in Thistle Dump where a front line cemetery was begun in August, 1916. The ambulance brigade was busy and the weather did not help them at all. As quoted within the diary of the 8th Ambulance brigade page 70, “The weather has been very bad and conditions are almost impossible for bearers to sufficiently evacuate wounded from front lines owing to the great length of carriage 6000 yards. Trenches are in very bad condition in places thigh deep in mud, so that bearers carry in the open under shell fire continually. It is almost impossible for bearers to keep their feet in the slippery mud.” The brigade moved to Chateau Olincourt, Vignacourt around the 7th of November doing routine work, construction, giving concerts for the sick in various District rest stations until early February. It would have been during his time in Chateau Olincourt that Allsop had the opportunity to visit Naours.
In January 1917, Allan and his friends visited the underground of Naours, which were already a tourist attraction. On January 2nd, Allan writes:
"... In the afternoon, a group of 10 of us to the famous" caves near Naours, where refugees were accustomed to hide in time of invasion. The caves contain 300 rooms about which one is 1000 meters long. An entire division with horses, men, guns and transportation could come here ... "
He was transferred on the 23 March 1918 to the Australian Corps Signal Company as a sapper. Wilford Allan Allsop wrote about his life as a soldier in a diary he held from 23 July to 31 December 1917. He was stationed in Vignacourt to the North West of Amiens. He returned to Australia on April 19, 1919 on the ship Sardenia disembarked, 13 June 1919; discharged (termination of period of enlistment), 5 August 1919.
Wilfred Joseph Allen Allsop was often known as Allan so as not to be confused with his Dad who was also Wilfred.
Allan’s five diaries cover the period 1915-1917 and were bought by the Mitchell Library New South Wales in 1920 for 12 pounds. They were purchased as a part of the European War Collecting project (Soldiers’ Diaries Collection) created by the trustees of the Mitchell Library.
We have Allan in front of the Thuillier background and his Naours' graffiti.
Thanks to Channel 7 for their photo from the Sunday Night original program and the Naours caves.
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Naours Publications
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Silent Soldiers Identified by relatives
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Courtesy Townsville Bulletin
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Courtesy Toowoomba Chronicle |
Exhibition to highlight Queensland Silent Soldiers of Naours
Stay tuned for information about a new exhibition to be curated at the Commissariat Store Museum of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland.
Photos Courtesy State Library of Qld
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Help us to tell a Unique Queensland story of these Queensland soldiers who visited Naours and left their mark. If you are a relative and can help us tell their family stories let us know. We have been able to tell their wartime stories but we need to know more about them.
James Hilton Cadzow
Albert Edward Heirsfield
Henry James Browne
Stanley Rowland
Peter Hannah McWalters
William Thomas Mott
Bryan Ward Vickers Blair
Herbert Evans
Henry Bonsell Holloway
Henry Castree
Joseph Wheatley Mills
Arthur Harold Traves
Leslie Lionel Heron
Arthur William Knight
William John Riordan
Frederick William Langley
Alfred Henry Clegg
Henry Percival Stares
Sydney Charles Slatter-Oakey
Henry Beetson - Sandgate
James Walter Hobbs Josey-Dalby
Percy Edward Sherman-Gatton
Albert Edward Heirsfield
Henry James Browne
Stanley Rowland
Peter Hannah McWalters
William Thomas Mott
Bryan Ward Vickers Blair
Herbert Evans
Henry Bonsell Holloway
Henry Castree
Joseph Wheatley Mills
Arthur Harold Traves
Leslie Lionel Heron
Arthur William Knight
William John Riordan
Frederick William Langley
Alfred Henry Clegg
Henry Percival Stares
Sydney Charles Slatter-Oakey
Henry Beetson - Sandgate
James Walter Hobbs Josey-Dalby
Percy Edward Sherman-Gatton
