lifeasdaddy

Denis Cox designed a rocket in 1957. He has just received a response.

I wrote back in June 2009 about the letter Denis Cox sent to a Top Scientist at Woomera. 

The letter had been turned up in our National Archives of Australia.  After I wrote about it it was featured on Letters of Note, the Defence Science and Technology Organisation's in-house magazine,  ABC radio's PM programme, and in Fairfax Digital media.

Paul Carter who is taking his Ph.D. at the University of Melbourne about Australia's early space history has commented about the unique historical value of Denis's letter and another scholar at a Sydney museum will write about it for an American spoce society and also incorporate information from Denis in a thesis.

Unsurprisingly, many people around the world and in Australia enjoyed the glimpse it gave of late 1950s Australia and of how a boy gave life to his dreams.

Throughout this Denis has, in his wry way, enjoyed his unexpected burst of fame.  He and I have written a few emails back and forth over the past six months and he has let me know that, yes, he has received a ceremonial reply from a top rocket scientist.

On 17 November at a secure Melbourne location Denis was delighted to receive a written response to his long-ago letter from the person leading some defence research:

 

That's Denis on the left.  The scientist at right cannot be named for security reasons, but apparently his codename is "daughter".

He's given me a close up view of the letter, which you can click to see a larger image:

 

  

Thanks to Denis Cox for allowing me to use these images.  The photographer of the images cannot be credited here because I do not know his or her name.  But thanks, whomever you are.

Denis probably qualifies as a famous person now, so he must be added to this list of famous people who have met me, in this case even if only by email.

Eating out in Ko'Olina. Roy's restaurant.

When I was in Hawaii a couple of years ago I took note of the very good reviews that Roy's restaurants were getting.  Hawaiin fusion cuisine. The word was pretty good, but I was a bit skeptical.  How good could a chain restaurant be?  So we did not  go.

A few weeks ago we returned to Hawaii for a holiday and stayed at Ko'Olina.  We ran into famous Hawaiian singer and ukelele player Moon Kahele.  He told us that he plays at Roy's on Wednesday nights and encourged us to go. The  Roy's restaurant there is located at the Ko'Olina Golf Club just across the road from where we were staying. So we decided to give it a try.

The restaurant is approached via the golf club's roadway, so it's through manicured gardens.  The restaurant is comprised of two main seating areas;  one indoors, and one outdoors, although roofed.  We were switfly seated at a table large enough for our party of 4 adults and 3 children.  

Our server was a woman who I rate as the best soft-upselling restaurant waitress I've ever seen.  She sized up our table and guided us towards menu choices which would not only be pleasing to us, but in the American way be a little bit more than we actually needed to eat and drink.  In the nicest possible way she maximised the check for the restaurant by suggestive selling and attentive service.

If I ran a restaurant I would want her to train my wait team.

We sat in the outdoor section, which here meant that the roof is enough to withstand a tropical storm but there are no walls.  Open to the air, the Island breezes, and fragrance from the tropical gardens.

I didn't take notes about the food, but I can tell you that the fried sushi roll was wonderful.  The roll was about 5cm in diameter, and about 15cm long cut into slices, perfect for sharing around the table which is how all enjoyed it.  In the style of cooking it reminded both Gabrielle and I of Tetsuya's famed crusted ocean trout.  Not in taste nor texture of course - but in the sensibility which informed it.

With 33 restaurants to run it seems unlikely that Roy Yamaguchi was at the stove himself that night, so the achievement of excellence is a managaerial credit too.

The other dish I'll comment on was the steak I had.  I rarely cook beef steak for myself at home so sometimes I like to order it out.  This was a fillet mignon, perhaps the best beef steak I've ever had.  The chef had mastered the skill of minimalism.  Not too much intervention, a plain  steak full of flavour perfectly cooked.  This restaurant does not quote beef marbling scores like Australian restaurants do, but this would have been very high.  

Even if the food had not been so good it could have been forgiven on the strength of the atmosphere.  A nice night, in open air surroundings with a fine entertainer singing crowd pleasing covers.  

As part of the pitch our server gave for the menu was that there are "Roy's Classics" on the menu which are there every night (these comprised about 20% of the menu) and the rest being daily dishes based upon fresh market ingredients.

When we returned two night later, this proved to be true with the a la carte menu being 80% different.

If you're near a Roy's, you should go.

Far, far better than expected.

Two best books on Australia's commemoration of First World War fallen

Are Bart Ziino's A Distant Grief

and Ken Inglis' Sacred Places: War Memorials in the Australian Landscape

Researching an Australian soldier of World War One. Part 2.

Part 1 was here.

Some of the resources we can use to learn more about Joe Cox's military career and particularly his death and commemoration are:

1.  His military record of service held at the National Archives of Australia.  As a gift to Australia, the National Archives of Australia has scanned and made available online all existing World War One service records.  Joe Cox's service record runs to 48 pages.  

His full name: Joseph Christopher Cox

Date of enlistment: 27 September 1916

Place of birth: Orange N.S.W.

Age on enlistment: 26 years, 9 months.

Height: 5 feet 10 inches tall  [ which is tall by the standards of the era ]

Weight: 176 pounds

Chest measurement: 38 - 40 & 1/2 inches

Complexion: Medium

Eyes: Grey

Hair: Brown

Religious denomination: Methodist

Distinctive Marks: scar over right big toe

Trade or calling: labourer

Next of Kin: father - Francis Cox of Dubbo, NSW; mother - 

Unit: Initially the Dubbo Depot Battaion and then the 17/22 Battalion ( which means the 17th Reinforcements of the 22nd Battalion, First Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.)

His "Casualty Form - Active Service" 

Shows that he embarked on the troopship Argyllshire at Sydney on 30 October 1916 and disembarked at Plymouth (U.K.) on 10 January 1917.

31.3.17 - Taken on Strength in France

5.5.17 - Wounded in Action in the field

5.5.17 - Gun Shot Wound to Right Lower Extremities

17.5.17 - Embarked for England on ship Warilda.

18.5.17 - Admitted 4th Southern General Hospital, Plymouth

20.6.17 - Discharged from 4th Southern General Hospital

4.7.17 - Reported to depot at Perham(?) Downs

26.7.17 - Departed Southampton, England

31.7.17 - Arrived Havre, France

14.8.17 - Rejoined unit

18.9.17 - Missing believed Killed - Belgium

18.9.17 - Killed In Action - Belgium

"Field Service" report states

Died 18 September 1917, Killed In Action, Belgium, particulars not yet to hand.

2. Red Cross records from the First World War held at the Australian War Memorial.

  See explanation here.  See direct link to search function here.  WARNING:  These files often contain graphic descriptions of violence and killing.

Using that search function and entering Joe Cox's service number 6063, 4 results are returned.  Two of them relating to Joe Cox.

Clicking on the 2 relevant results, they yield the same digitised record.  A five page file from the Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau.

Sergeant Cooper gave this information (WARNING graphic):

"He was tall, dark, and came from N.S.W.. He came over with the 17th to 22nd as reinforcement.  He was killed with 6 others by a shell in a Dugout at Ypres, near Westhoek Ridge on 18th September, 1917.  We left that night and did not find them till three days afterwards when we went back to the same place.  I saw the remains that had been dug out; Cox's head was blown right off; we could only recognise him by his disc.  They buried them near the Dugout.  Lt. Tyles of the 22nd was in charge of the burial party.  Nothing was put on the grave at the time as far as I know.  We left the next night day."

3. Collections Search at the Australian War Memorial sometimes yields photographs or relics relating to a serviceperson.  Let's search for his service number "6063" and select from the conflict drop down menu as "First World War 1914-1918.  There are no results.

Next I tried searching for "Joseph Cox" during the First World War - again there was no result.

4. Australian Army War Diaries at the Australian War Memorial.

We know that Joe Cox was of the 17th Reinforcement for the 22nd Battalion.  At the AWM we find an index of units from all service arms here, and a brief summary of the 22nd Battalion's service here.

We learn too that 22nd Battalion was part of the 6th Brigade of the 2nd Division.  Useful facts to keep in mind if ever reading some of the larger histories of the war. 

Now to the war diaries of Joe Cox's unit.  The listing of First World War war diaries it here.  Infantry units' war diaries are here.  And the ones for the 22nd Infantry Battalion are here.

Reading the war diaries gives a very good idea of the day to day activities of Joe Cox and his fellow infantrymen.  It mentions their movements, actions and in particular detail their training.

Let's look at the one for September and see what it has to say about 18 September 1917, the day of his death.

Citation [ AWM4, 24/38/25 - September 1917 ]

 

18/9/17

PLACE: In Line WESTHOEK RIDGE - In Camps and Bivouacs as Div. Reserve.

 

Summary of Events & Information: In the line during the day. Relieved on night 18/19th by 18th Bn. A.I.F.on left portion of Bn. sector and 25th Bn. A.I.F. on right portion of Bn. sector.  Bn. moved back to HALIFAX AREA H.14.b. (Sheet 2.[?] N.W. 1/2000) Bn. occupied huts in VANCOUVER CAMP.  Casualties 1 Off. (Lieut. G. O. GREIG) 20 O.R. killed and 49 O.R.'s wounded by shell fire.

So that's it.  Joe Cox was one of 21 men of the 22nd Battalion killed by shell fire that night.

5. Collections search at the State Library of New South Wales.

The SLNSW holds an enormous amount of information about people who were born in or lived in New South Wales.  This includes a large collection of photographs of Firs World War service personnel.  It's often useful to search their collection to see if there is anything relevant there.  I searched for "Joseph Cox A.I.F." and "Private Joseph Cox" but there was no result in either case.

6. The AIF project.

The Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) hosts The AIF Project:  "Its major activity is the construction of a database that draws on a wide range of sources to provide details on the 330,000 men and women who served overseas in the (First) Australian Imperial Force, 1914-1918."

and searching the database we find that there is a page for Joe Cox. 

It repeats much of the information we now already know, but adds the detail of his burial gravesite in Belgium and also that he is

"Commemorated in Dubbo (Old) Cemetery, New South Wales. Headstone states place of death as 'Westhoek Ridge, France [sic]'. Parents: Francis (d. 14 April 1918, aged 64; bu. Dubbo [Old] Cemetery) and Martha COX (d. 13 November 1948, aged 93; bu. Dubbo [Old] Cemetery), Dubbo, New South Wales"

7. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Back to where we began our search for "Joe Cox - died in first war"

The Commonwealth War Grave Commission commemorates the war dead of British Commonwealth Nations. (Defining this is a bit tricky, but Australian service people from 1914 onwards are certainly included.)

We can search their records to find the exact resting place of Joe Cox.  His CWGC record is here. A certificate of the record can be printed thus:

 

In Memory of  Private JOSEPH CHRISTOPHER COX 6063, 22nd Bn., Australian Infantry, A.I.F. who died age 28 on 18 September 1917 Son of Martha Cox, of Dubbo, New South Wales, and the late Francis Cox. Born at Orange, New South Wales. Remembered with honour HOOGE CRATER CEMETERY Commemorated in perpetuity by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

And here is an aerial view of the cemetery:

View Larger Mapp>

Lest we forget.

Can you help identify this mystery painting? 17th Century by painter Claude Lorrain??

"Mystery" painting - LARGE FILE, originally uploaded by Eva_F11.

The Goulburn Regional Art Gallery (GRAG) wants your help to identify this painting.

It is oil painted on a piece of oval-shaped wood and possibly by Claude Lorrain.

It appears to be 17th Century.

What do you think?

Any ideas please let the Gallery know on +61 2 4823 4443.

Here are some guides and clues:

Collections Outreach Australia blog post about this appeal for info.

Images of this painting on Flickr here, here and fine detail here.

Other works by Claude Lorrain, the currently purported author.

[ tip from State Records NSW on twitter ] 

Bebarfald's Building, George St, Sydney (naval display outside), 11 February 1941,

Bebarfald's Building, George St, Sydney (naval display outside), 11 February 1941,, originally uploaded by State Library of New South Wales collection.

Apart from being an outstanding photograph of the building, the navy men in front turn out to be the officers and crew of HMAS Sydney (II) being honoured for their sinking of the Italian warship Bartolomeo Colleoni on 11 February 1941.

This pic is from Flickr, posted there by the State Library of New South Wales. The active internet links show no reference to HMAS Sydney.

I'd like to think I'm the first person of recent years to make the connection between this photograph and the HMAS Sydney crew, but I find it hard to believe.