
An unidentified Australian soldier, probably of the 10th Light Horse, on sentry duty with bayonet attached to his rifle, listening to music playing on the highly prized possession of a gramophone. Turkey, Chanak, Gallipoli Peninsula, 1915.Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial A05402via
IN FOCUS PRESENTATION
Richard Rennie helped us to mark the centenary of the start of the first world war in July 1914 with an In Focus Presentation SOUNDS OF WORLD WAR 1 on July 16th.
This talk, with demonstrations, described the role of the gramophone and the wireless in the first world war. The audience saw and heard a ‘trench portable’ gramophone as used by the Australian troops in the trenches, as well as rare 1914 gramophone recordings which illustrate the arrival of the British troops in France, the sounds of the battle on the Western Front, and the welcoming home in London of the returning of the troops.
The role of the newly developed wireless and the Applecross Wireless Station was illustrated, and on dhand was a small museum and memorabilia display of World Ware 1 artifacts.