- Mature
- Armistice Day
- Page 9
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Click hereThe Germans used gas widely throughout the battle, where Alfred in this tale was wounded. During the war up to 12% of casualties among Australian soldiers resulted from gas attacks. The anti-war poem Dulce et Decorum est by British soldier Wilfed Owen partly inspired my story Armistice Day, describing a bombardment of gas-shells and the "...ecstasy of fumbling..." by soldiers to fit helmets and I presume respirators, where poem's narrator sees a man caught in the green gas cloud and feels helpless as the man is "...guttering, choking, drowning."
Wounded survivors were sent to convalescent hospitals in Britain, often set up in manor houses, then either returned to operational units or sent back to Australia for further treatment and discharge from the military. I am unsure if soldiers were billeted with civilians while being treated, so I've taken a fair amount of artistic licence here and not based it on historical accounts. However, I have read accounts of soldiers in The First World War billeting with French families when away from the front, often entire units being put up in barns, and I've also read accounts of individual soldiers billeting with families in Australia during the Second World War. Thus Alfred's stay with Carmel is not beyond possibility.
As for Chloé, the oil painting hanging on the wall of Melbourne's Young and Jackson Hotel, she's real. Painted by French artist Jules Joseph Lefebvre, she has graced the pub since 1908 where she has enchanted several generations of servicemen who have written to her from the battlefields of WW1, WW2, Korea and Vietnam.
Alfred has a one-track mind, getting home to Queensland to find his mate Will's wife and child, and thus, his story will continue in a stand-alone sequel I hope to publish soon, titled Prussian Blue.
- COMMENTS
Anonymous7 months agoBest story I’ve read on here. If you aren’t already, you should consider evolving your talent and writing professionally. Your historical and situational description are excellent, and your dialogue is clever, witty and sharp. Thank you.
Anonymous10 months agoI believe he will never find love as he had with Carmen and her daughter. Regardless of Prussian Blue.
Boyd Percy10 months agoI gave this story a 5 but never left a comment! I recently saw a news report that the USA finally finished destroying all their gas bombs. They were using robots near the end since Sarin gas is highly toxic.
oliveau11 months agoA wionderful bit of writing. A nice slow gentle build up to the action. Sex scenes beautifully constructed and beleivable. Well done. I looke forward to more.
Anonymous12 months agoGreat story. Captured the essence & character of Aussie diggers in WW1. Great descriptions of Aussie geography for International readers.
12 out of 10.
FranziskaSissyover 1 year agoThe unforgivable essence is “the so thought most intelligent being, breathing fresh air, is the most stupid one and having learned not a little bit after killing each other for thousands of years” ….. im so kind of “depressed “ with such knowledge and just having a closer eye on such happenings, how much pain distress bad memories horror will survive in a huge amount of human beings …… its a shame that we are not able to live peacefully side by side …… so this story is soooooo sad , but nicely written and of course just of your hard work so intense so intriguing so gripping
💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫 ten stars for all former soldier and families left behind
Mike9947over 1 year agoDark - as is the literature of the period - with everyone left hanging - whic was real life for many in that generation. Sad.
Thefirefliesover 1 year agoAuthorFor those of you who have enjoyed Armistice Day, I have published a supplementary piece, Carmel’s Unsent Letter to Alfred, in the Letters and Transcripts category as part of the Letters of Love 2022 Story Event. TFF.
