Photo: Christmas silk postcard [Hosken Collection]
Throughout 2009 this website has been updated on a regular basis. The number of times the www.fffaif.org.au site has been visited now exceeds 79,000 since the launch on Australia Day 2008. This week’s Web Wednesday brings the number of postings to 330.
All of these postings continue to be available on-line and it is easy to search this resource of both recent and historical events. To do so, use the Search Field located on the top right of web page (near the Members’ Area tab). Simply enter the topic you are searching for in the search field at the top of the screen and click. Alternatively use the TOPICS listing by clicking on the words”Select Category” to see the list of differnet categories and the number of postings related to the category e.g. Gallipoli (7) indicates that 7 postings relate to Gallipoli. Selecting the Gallipoli category will automatically find these 7 postings and list them in chronological order. Another approach is to search the PAST NEWS drop down menu, located below the FFFAIF Photo strip, on the right hand side of the page to find the particular month of interest and search it day by day.
Over the Christmas Season the web manager will take a break from website postings – we hope you will enjoy taking some time to trawl through past postings. We will be back in time for our 2nd Anniversary on Australia Day 2009- or sooner if there is ‘breaking news’. It is also a good time to follow-up on some of those actions that you have been encouraged to take e.g.
- give the Commonwealth War Graves Commission some feedback on their trials for climate change featured in RECENT NEWS Item: CWGC Trial!! by clicking here
- join the FFFAIF by clicking here;
- write an article for DIGGER or the website;
- visit a local war memorial and submit photos and stories to projectffaif@yahoo.com.au for inclusion in Memorial Way on the www.fffaif.org.au website in 2010.
Many thanks for your support throughout the year. Please direct all enquiries to projectffaif@yahoo.com.au until February 2010. FFFAIF members please check out the Members’ Area for more contact details of Committee Members.
During the festive season enjoy the ‘Peace on Earth’ that the men of the First AIF fought to preserve.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All
*****
The Families and Friends of the First AIF applauds the joint Australian–UK decision, announced by The Hon Greg Combet AM MP and the Hon Kevan Jones MP, to conduct a full DNA testing program on the remains of Australian and British soldiers found in mass graves at Pheasant Wood (Fromelles), and for their continuing commitment to identify as many of the fallen as is possible. We also thank the Australian, UK and French governments for affording dignified individual reburials for these soldiers, buried by German soldiers following the Battle of Fromelles on 19/20 July 1916, in the new Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery presently under construction at Fromelles.