Easter Weekend brings with it the beginning of April, which also means that ANZAC Day is drawing ever nearer.

This is the day, that is a national day of remembrance for Australian and New Zealanders who died during armed conflict.

Do you have a story to share about an ANZAC? We'd like to hear about not only their sacrifice, but the way it shaped their family history. Maybe you want to blog from the perspective of those that were left behind?

Your story doesn't have to involve a serviceperson who lost their lives - during times of war, all sorts of loss unfortunately are experienced. 

And you can write about those who served in other wars.

To participate:

• Write a blog post about an Australian or New Zealander serviceman or woman's family, and the impact war had on their family history
• Post a comment with the URL to your blog on the comments section of this page. Or if you don't have a blog then email us your story at kintalk@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
• Publish your post by 25 April 2013.

FindMyPast UK has published the prisoner of war records for both the First and Second World Wars!

Details in brief:

Prisoners of War 1914-1918
The records of 7,703 British Army Officers who were prisoners of war between 1914 and 1918

Most records will tell you the first and last names, rank, service, section, of your ancestors, and the date they went missing and date they were returned.

• Prisoners of War 1939-1945 – British Navy & Air Force Officers: 19,229 records
• Prisoners of War 1939-1945 – Officers of Empire serving in British Army: 39,808 records
• Prisoners of War 1939-1945 – British Army held in German territories: 107,000 records

Most records will advise you the name, rank, regiment, army number, camp number, Prisoner of War number of your ancestor - and the camp type, camp location and extra notes, where applicable.

For more info, see their blog - or try searching for yourself online!

You can use FindMyPast UK FREE throughout all 55 libraries in the Auckland region.

Happy hunting

Seonaid

 Apologies for the lateness of this Anzac Day Blog Challenge. As you will see, we have a fabulous new look for our blog, thanks to our terrific Digital Services team. Special thanks to Tosca and Ben, who put this together!


My girls took part in the Anzac Day Citizens Parade once again - as Scouts this year. One of my daughter's is also now an Assistant Patrol Leader. They are growing up so fast.

As usual, Anzac Day is a time for reflection. As a proud mother, I can relate a bit to the pride the mothers of the servicemen and women that fought, and get some inkling of the fear mixed with pride that the mothers must have felt when their children marched off to war.

Mothers look at their children with such hope for the future.

Once again, we have a great mix of New Zealand and Australian service people contributed from bloggers all over.

First post is Shelley, my co-host from last year:

• Shelley of Twigs of Yore: Charles George French, returned serviceman, WWI
  Story told from his mother's perspective.
• Annie: Private Arthur Edward Taylor, died of meningitis while at training camp 1916. War grave near Annie's family bach.
• Merron: The McClintock brothers. WWI - James McClintock, died in action; John McClintock, died of wounds; Albert McClintock, medically discharged due to wounds
• Helen Smith: George Howard Busby, medically discharged due to wounds WWI
• Fi: 2nd Lt Philip George Wale missing declared dead, Gallipoli 
• Jill Ball (Geniaus) Private William James Gowan, wounded Gallipoli; died of flu 1919
• Ryde District Historical Society "Ryde Goes to War " project: Private David Chestnut, missing, declared killed in action Gallipoli
• SuzySu: Wallace Oliver Gray discharged due to wounds, and Eric Andrew Gray killed in action 1918
• Bob Vine: Sgt Sydney John Vine, WWI "death due to war service" 1922
• Kylie Wilson: Captain Oscar Geoffrey Buring, killed in action WWII
• Julie Goucher: Lance Corporal Henri Wilhelm Erickson, AIF WWI killed in action 1917
• Alona Tester: Otto Rafael Winter, returned serviceman of WWI and WWII
• Caitlin: Ben Palmer and Les Palmer, both discharged due to wounds WWI
• Tanya Honey: George Henry James Pearson, returned WWII serviceman; and Tanya's father Vietnam veteran;
• Pauline Cass: Private James Thomas Paterson, killed in action Bullincourt 1917 WWI
• Shauna Hicks: Leslie Gordon Price, Rat of Tobruk and returned serviceman WWII
• Aillin: Hubert Randall Chambers, discharged due to wounds 1917, WWI
• Kerry: Lt Noel Edward Farmer, returned serviceman WWII
• Jennifer Youngberry, who doesn't have a blog contributed this story:

Whilst growing up there weren’t many in the family with a military history. My grandfather was too young for WWI and in essential services (Railway) and not released for WWII. He did have a couple of brothers Driver Fred Farnham 65 Transport Platoon and Sergeant Alex Farnham 9 Div Ammunition Column but each Anzac Day when my interest was peaked they were no-where about to question although my Grandfather assured me that his job was very important in the war effort frankly I didn’t see how working on the Queensland railway system helped (I see now they did have an important contribution to make), anyway as a child I was resigned to the fact that there were no heroes in my family.


Upon marrying I bought into a little more military history and hence my daughter being able to answer the challenge this ANZAC Day about the Shark Shooting Benjamin and Les the uncle who never married the girl he loved and was engaged to pre war because he couldn’t give her children post war.


I’ve always been interested in the family tree and over the years I’ve gathered many stories and much information about past ancestors but late in 2011 I was blown away to find my Great Great Grandmother’s brother was one of the original ANZACs from Galipolli and one who came home.


So I’ve done a little research into his war service and found he finished service a Private it set me thinking about those brave ANZAC’s and how many there must have been, men who achieved no rise in rank although they were there at every battle required of them.


What form of bravery is that! To continually fight, to continually hold steadfast, to continually meet the enemy time and time again, to aid and assist the wounded their mates, to go into battle over and over again for years and yet to be a Private at the end.


My pride in Private Arthur Harman WWI is immense! ANZAC yes! HERO YES!

I am British born, and of British parentage - so I don't have an Anzac to write about.

Like nearly all of us though, we had ancestors who served on both sides of our conflicts.

My paternal grandfather was in the Royal Navy in both WWI and WWII. My maternal grandfather served in the British Army in WWII. I had uncles who also served.

One uncle I have researched and written about on my personal blog: Able Seaman George Henry Harvey, I've just written an updated post about him, due to my cousin Mary having discovered a document in her family files.

Thank you so much to those of you who contributed this year. I enjoyed reading your stories, and shed quite a few tears.

Thanks to those of you reading this and helping ensure that the names of our servicepeople live on.


Seonaid