Best I've read on Billy. Thanks. Drop me an email and I'll send a copy of my "death from afar" article. Much more modest though in that we're only talking about one battle.
Thanks for you fine comments on my article on Anzac sniper Billy Sing. You will be interested to know that Billy died in 1941, in poverty in the Australian city of Brisbane. After my article appeared in the city's major newspaper, I was contacted by a retired Australian Federal politician who was so moved by the story to commission a bronze plaque to be placed at the site of Billy's death, now a carpet warehouse!
I drove the 3 hours to Brisbane and Don (the politician) and I placed the plaque on the wall of the building. It outlines Billy's service on Gallipoli and I am told it is often visited and flowers left, which is nice.
Don and I also placed a plaque on Billy's previously unmarked grave in the military section of a cemetery in Brisbane. It lies in the shade of a tree which the old sniper would appreciate.
The story snow-balled and the people of his home town of Claremont in central Queensland (the State where Billy came from)put a committee together and commissioned a life size bronze bust of Billy sniping through a sand-bagged aperture.
It was unveiled with much pomp and circumstance, which Billy would have thought was a crock of BS but impressive nevertheless. It too has now become a tourist attraction and I suspect it is the only statue erected in the world to a specific sniper.
Wow! A bronze statute of a sniper. Just another reason to find time to go down under. Brian, email me your snail mail addy and I'll be happy to send you (or anybody else here) a copy of my article. Just let we uns know who you uns are at this bored.
BTW guys, unlike Brian, mine isn't on a website and I've no idea how to email it. I'm still rubbing sticks to make fire hair.
Please! Ramble! That is what this board is about. The subject is fascinating to me and I love hearing anything about the man.
I also await with interest you views on the American Civil War.
Sincerely,
Unionblue
__________________ "The American people and the Government at Washington may refuse to recognize it for a time but the inexorable logic of events will force it upon them in the end; that the war now being waged in this land is a war for and against slavery." Frederick Douglass
"Loyalty to our ancestors does not include loyalty to their mistakes." George Santayana
Shane, yes you Shane. Can you scan and post it? Maybe our webmaster will be gracious enough to give us space temporarily (and only temporarily) since it's not a Civil War article.
Gary, no joy on that. My father has the subscription and generally passes it off as soon as it's read. My apologies. To make matters worse my scanner is less than modern and I'm not honestly sure it even works anymore.
Sorry
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
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