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Thread: COWRA Railway and War Museum Auction 21/22 of May 2016.

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    Default COWRA Railway and War Museum Auction 21/22 of May 2016.

    According to the PRIME7 TV News tonight, this museum is holding an auction of Railway and other Memorabilia on the 21/22nd of May.

    The auction does NOT include the incredible collection of War material that has to be seen to be believed.

    From memory I believe there are about 2 acres, all of which is under cover housing the Museum.

    For those who have never been there, they have parts of the walls of a hut that housed the Japanese Prisoners of War at Cowra who later escaped in the Cowra Breakout only to be recaptured or shot shortly after.

    According to the auction house there will be 1700 items for sale, either Google or Facebook has details of the Museum, the auction and the what is to be auctioned.

    The Museum is situated 4km North of Cowra near the Caravan Park on the Blayney Road.
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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    I haven't been to the museum and haven't visited Cowra for many years. I will visit one day if I get the chance. I remember reading "The Night of A Thousand Suicides" as a child of about 9 or 10. I found the very perspective of the Japanese POW's fascinating but also quite confronting at that age. For those who are not aware, Japanese culture demanded that a Soldier commit suicide rather than be captured. The POW's, although well treated, felt great shame at their cowardice in not killing themselves. Many were happy to be killed in the attempt to escape, and many were. This attitude also goes a long way towards explaining the appalling Japanese treatment of our own prisoners.

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    It is often worth while to read accounts from the other side of a conflict to get some perspective on why they were fighting as they were. I've read a couple of Japanese accounts, "We of Nagasaki" talks about the aftermath of the nuclear bomb, and "Samurai" (IIRC) which talks about the Japanese war in PNG.
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    You have choice to visit within the next month (April?) according to the News report then I am guessing the Auctioneers will be setting up the Lots for sale and that will certainly take some time.
    It is not only railway memorabilia being sold but petrol Bowsers, signs, utensils etc.

    I only mentioned the pieces of the Hut wall as I didnt know it existed until I saw it there and to see it set up on display along with artifacts of the era is mind blowing !!!
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    I'm massively pissed I missed this one. I wanted an upper quadrant semiphore.
    bitch bitch bitch !!!!
    I wonder how much they sold for?
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    This might be of interest, if you are in France;
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    Back in the early 90's I was at the VDNKh in Moscow. I was offered a choice of several satellites including a supposedly working sputnik model and even a Soyuz capsule.
    I joked, "If I buy a Soyuz, can I fly it home? and how much for the Tu154 out front and do you have any IL62's?"
    They were serious about selling me the sputnik. They're not that small and the thought of me trying to get out of the country just made me giggle.
    The price, $200USD (which has a lot of money then).

    A sputnik isn't even the most unusual thing I've been offered. A human eyeball was pretty damn freaky. The most impressive was an Emerald that was about 15,000 carats.
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    Quote Originally Posted by trash View Post
    I'm massively pissed I missed this one. I wanted an upper quadrant semiphore.
    bitch bitch bitch !!!!
    I wonder how much they sold for?
    My posting about the auction was misleading I regret to say as it appears they were NOT selling off any Railway or War memorabilia only items like enameled petrol station signs and such like general items.

    I wish I had known you wanted one (God knows what for) but there were 3 'Heads' in parts sitting in the Yard at Wallerawang before being either stolen or sold back in the 90's.
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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    yeah, I would have stolen them if I thought I could get away with it.
    My preference is for an upper quadrant semiphore, there were thousands of them in service in NSW. I do know where there is still one waiting to be recovered.
    Vandals have broken the glass, but I'd still pay $400 for it as it. Lower quadrant semiphores were even more common in the country. I'd pick one up if the price was right, but upper quadrant is what I'm really after.

    But it's good to know their railway stuff isn't sold. I'll have to keep an eye on the place because sooner or later, they might cash in their railway chips.
    Yes I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.

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    I remember our Signal Sectionman telling me that the Railway couldnt buy the coloured glass previously used and with the closure of the Signal Branch Workshops in Sydney who I gather bought and cut the glass to shape, it had to be sourced elsewhere.
    Also in the back of my memory was that the colours used were specially made just for the Railway.
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    I do know where there are a couple for sale, but they're all inferior specimens and the people selling them are asking prices which are high even for one in mint condition.
    I'll keep looking, sooner or later I'll find the one I want. I'll probably be about to pick up five for a quarter of the price of one when they do finally turn up
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    Quote Originally Posted by DB44 View Post
    For those who are not aware, Japanese culture demanded that a Soldier commit suicide rather than be captured. The POW's, although well treated, felt great shame at their cowardice in not killing themselves. Many were happy to be killed in the attempt to escape, and many were. This attitude also goes a long way towards explaining the appalling Japanese treatment of our own prisoners.
    Many also committed suicide in the countryside surrounding Cowra, mainly hanging themselves from trees.

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    If memory serves me correctly some committed suicide by being run over by a Train.

    The Japanese Gardens in Cowra are now rated as World Class and festivals are held annually in remembrance of those dark days during WW2.
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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