Trench Art

I happen to be good at old fashioned IQ tests. These skills have shaped the course of my life.

They led me to Canberra in 1965 as one of 50 new graduates recruited as PITs ( Programmers-in-Training). Not only did this lead to an interesting job as the first woman programmer at the Treasury, it also led to a superbright husband and a great party crowd.

A lifetime later, those skills have led to a collection of trench art and a passion for solving the puzzles - how much can I find from the simple inscriptions? 

Like this on the banjo:

ARTISTS REGIMENT
1st 28th
KHP
766615

I love the challenge of solving the puzzle. But it is more than that.

I am moved by holding the pieces, which are smooth and tactile. I think of the young soldiers who held them so long ago. Most were killed in action or died of their wounds. As my fingers explore the smoothness and recognise the symbols, I feel the need to tell their stories. I will never know what they felt as they faced their death, but I can at least say who they were.

You can listen to my Remembrance Day interview with Richard Fidler on ABC Radio National  here.

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Please leave your email address below with any questions about the collection or the book.

Or send me a photo of a personal artefact you'd like to share. I can maybe help with the research.