Mustering the Troops - Paul's modest contribution

[Techno]

And yet more WOWs !!!!
Cheers - Phil

[paulr]

A couple of news media items on the opening of the New Zealand room, both with video

Stuff.co.nz is the main NZ news website
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/last-post-first-light/68243154/tenmetre-chunuk-bair-diorama-unveiled-at-peter-jacksons-wwi-exhibition

Maori TV got the number of painters wrong, there were 140 and all were from NZ. The video (with English subtitles) is very good
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/national/new-zealands-actions-gallipoli-remembered

The Kaumātua (elder with the walking stick) is blessing the exhibit and the women being interviewed is one of the volunteer guides for the exhibition (for those who can't read the Māori caption)

[Leman]

Cripes! That is astounding.

[Hertsblue]

Wow, you could die of thirst getting out of that terrain. Beats anything I've ever seen before. 

[Subedai]

Impressive on a grand scale. Everyone who had a part in that should justifiably be extremely proud of their achievements.

It's strange, even though you are looking at a model diorama, the sheer scale and accuracy of it makes for a very moving experience.

[paulr]

Today I visited the Great War Exhibition for the first time since its opening. My daughter joined me and we were both impressed and moved by the exhibition.

We arrived about 11 on Saturday morning and the exhibition is still busy enough for them to be running free guided tours to ensure they move the numbers of people through.

I have to admit that we lost track of your tour party in the New Zealand room

We bumped into Roly, who runs the official blog, and his wife. Roly was taking some more pictures for the blog.

I was humbled to see the completed diorama and am still staggered by its sheer size.

It was pleasing to see the large numbers of people who were obviously fascinated by the diorama and the over 200 colourised photographs surrounding it.

It was sobering to look at the long lists of names of the ANZAC dead, particularly those of 8^th August. The diorama depicts the situation mid morning, 8^th August, as the early Ottoman counter attacks reach the Wellington Battalion on the summit of Chunuk Bair. Out of the 760 men of the Wellington Battalion who reached the summit, 711 became casualties.

Below are a few pictures to try and give an indication of the scale of the diorama

Looking across Sazli Dere (valley) towards the summit of Chunuk Bair, from near Battleship Hill. Rhododendron Spur is on the left.


Zooming in on the centre of the above gives an indication of the number of casualty figures there are. Running from bottom to top is the phone line laid by Corporal Cyril Bassett VC.
I suspect the wounded Kiwi in the blue shirt with a white collar in centre of this picture may be one of the ones I painted.


Kiwis forming up in the cover provided by the Apex
Those that can move up to the crest to reinforce the machine guns firing at the Ottomans on Battleship Hill


Reinforcements, including some of the Maori Pioneer Battalion, wait to move up to support the Wellington Battalion


Rifle and machine gun fire from Battleship Hill and Hill Q (not part of the diorama) swept both side of Rhododendron Spur beyond the Apex
Ottomans firing from trenches on Battleship hill, I suspect the ones wearing red fez are ones I painted


Those Kiwis that managed to reach the summit then had to face the Ottoman counter attacks

From the East


And South


I will be visiting again

[Techno]

Just astounding !
I think you've given a great idea of the overall size, Paul.
In the top picture the figures almost 'look like ants'.....But we know that each 'ant' is a 54mm figure !
Truly awesome !

Cheers - Phil

[TONTON FLINGUEUR]

Enormous, it is a great tribute for all those fallen in this battle.
I work in LE QUESNOY and I know the importance of this city for the New Zealanders. I attended the ceremonies of the ANZAC Day in this city it was magnificent

[Hertsblue]

Terrific pictures, Paul. They give a great sense of the size of the project.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

That is absolutely fantastic

IanS

[paulr]

Just astounding !
I think you've given a great idea of the overall size, Pail.
In the top picture the figures almost 'look like ants'.....But we know that each 'ant' is a 54mm figure !
Truly awesome !

Cheers - Phil

Phil, I'm not sure how to break this to you

That is only about 2/3 of the length, to the right is Battleship Hill, the last picture, and about as much again

To the left is the rest of Sazli Dere and Rhododendron Spur down to the Apex, picture 3, which is nearly as long as what you can see there

You can't see the Ottoman side of the hill, part of which is shown in picture 6 or the Ottomans in the Dere beyond Battleship Hill (dead ground in the last picture)

Enormous, it is a great tribute for all those fallen in this battle.
I work in LE QUESNOY and I know the importance of this city for the New Zealanders. I attended the ceremonies of the ANZAC Day in this city it was magnificent

The respect shown to our fallen and the efforts of our troops so far from home is deeply appreciated here

[paulr]

For those who don't know the story of LE QUESNOY it was liberated by the New Zealand Division on 4 November 1918.

Rather than risk civilian lives with an artillery bombardment, the New Zealanders ...

[TONTON FLINGUEUR]

A photo of the monument in tribute of the New Zealand soldiers who freed Quesnoy.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Awe inspiring stuff.
A fitting memorial to a horrific folly!

[paulr]

I can almost imagine the story of  LE QUESNOY as a Blackadder script

Lord Melchett: Captain Blackadder there are 1,500 Huns defending  LE QUESNOY, you have to capture it. However it is such a beautiful town with all its historic battlements and other defences that I can't let you have any artillery support

Captain Darling: But we have found you a ladder