Library News

This week we observed Remembrance Day on 11th November where I thought deeply about the young age of many of the soldiers who enlisted in the First World War. Listening to the service with my students I could not help thinking how grateful we should be to have peace in Australia and hoping our young people should never have to go to war. One of the books in our library  called “Loyal Creatures” By Morris Gleitzman has the main character Frank who is just fifteen years old  lying about his age so he could enlist in the army  with his father during World War 1. Imagine father and son going off to war, each with their own horses  as part of the cavalry. They both arrive in Egypt to train for fighting, only the father is deployed to Gallipoli while the son Frank is told he must remain in Egypt with his loyal horse Daisy. Tragically the father dies at Gallipoli while the son must carry on  fighting the Turkish  in Palestine. 

“Loyal Creatures” explores the important role  of the Australian Light Horse played in many Middle Eastern battles during WW1. Sadly, in reality only one horse was known to have come back to Australia out of 6000 sent to the various theatres of war. This horse was called Sandy owned by Major General William Burges who died at Gallipoli. Sandy served with soldiers in Egypt and France before returning to Melbourne in 1918.

Lest We Forget

Jennifer Bleakley

Librarian