10 Jan 1915 Giza, Egypt & 10 Jan 2015, Perth, Western Australia  

We can image that had he been here, Captain Barnes would have made his diary entry for 10 Jan 2015 along the lines of; "After breakfast this morning the whole Battalion descendants was gathered up to the Kings Park Flame and Memorial and we had a photo took, or at least several of them."

Also pretty sure he would have enjoyed seeing so many of the original 11th Battalion descendants gathered for a commemorative service, including members of his own extended family, and to "have a photo took, or several of them".

See more below...

11th Battalion Centenary Commemorative Service - Information Update

Plans are well advanced for our Centenary Commemorative Service at the Flame of Remembrance, Perth War Memorial, Kings Park, Perth, Western Australia on 10 January 2015.

Are men on Cheops Pyramid in groups?

There is a myth around the pyramid photo that the soldiers all lined up behind their respective officers, and in their Company or Section groupings.

There is some evidence that soldiers of the 11th Battalion, when they assembled on the pyramid for the Cheops photo, to some extent formed groups or clusters - but was it in company or section clusters?

Leaving old Freo & Sailing into History

100 years ago today on the 31st of October 1914, the men of the 11th Battalion entrained from Blackboy Hill training camp to Fremantle. There they boarded the two ships waiting for them in port, joining other troops who had already sailed from the Eastern States.

“A” and “B” Companies with their 6 Officers and 236 men boarded the HMAT Medic (A7), the remainder of the Battalion boarding HMAT Ascanius (A11), 788 men, including 26 officers. They finally departed from Gage Roads 2 days later, and unbeknown to them, destined for Egypt.

For a full list of the 11th Battalion soldiers who embarked, and a special video, go to the WAGS 11th Battalion Cheops Website, links below...

Graffiti on the Cheops Pyramid?

Is there a Graffiti Artist among the soldiers on the pyramid?

We don't know, but one of the men is standing next to what looks like fresh graffiti initials carved into the pyramid stone. Did he do it?

Grid Row H thunbnails are now available on the FHWA 11th Battalion website.

Listening Post article on WAGS 11th Battalion project

Our friends at the Western Australian Branch of the RSL have been fully supportive of the WAGS 11th Battalion Project since inception. The September Listening Post has a full page article giving us a great plug.

See the full article in on the WAGS 11th Battalion Cheops website; a clip & link is shown below