The Last Post - for now

Today commemorates the ending of World War One with the signing of the Armistice on 11 November. The news was greeted by soldiers of the Artillery with little emotion - no doubt war wearied by this engagement that was predicted when it started to be 'over by Christmas'. According to the New Zealand Artillery in the Field, 1914-18 gives the news a brief paragraph before going into  an eight-page recap over what the Artillery had achieved in the preceding four years and summary of key movements:

The Armistice took effect from 11 a.m. on November 11th. The official intimation to this effect, announcing that hostilities would cease at 11 a.m., was received by units of the Divisional Artillery when they were on the march to Quievy or preparing to take the road. The announcement was received calmly, with no cheering, no demonstration. For these men, tired in body and mind and fresh from the tragic fields of battle, this momentous intelligence was too vast in its consequences to be appreciated in a single thought.

Though the fighting was over, the War did not officially conclude until the Treaty of Versailles with Germany on 28 June 1919; while the New Zealand forces would become part of the Army of Occupation of Germany, and my grandfather would not return to New Zealand til late 1919.

Given that, further blogs may be posted on the aftermath of the war, and covering key gaps or further reflections I have not been able to provide in my intermittent postings.