The Wilkins Chronicle A selection of Wilkins-related Trove articles, incorporating advertisements and cartoons from the day Please note * indicates that the photo used from the front. “I was at the battle of Lule However, I made the best of it, and is taken from the Sir George Hubert Wilkins Burgas on October 30 and 31, and was with started to get some breakfast. But soon I Papers, SPEC.PA.56.0006, Byrd Polar and the Turkish retreat to Chorlu on Sunday and was interrupted by the arrival of bullock Climate Research Center Archival Monday, November 17 and 18,” he writes wagons loaded with dead bodies, some Program, Ohio State University in one part of his letter. “Since then there naked, some half-clothed, and all jumbled has been no serious fighting, but I expect a up in heaps. 1911 big battle in a few days, and it is for that I They were thrown into trenches that had am waiting.” already been dug out, and were not 50 yards From the club from which he wrote the from where I had slept. I saw over 100 letter to the Turkish lines of defence is only corpses buried in less than two hours, but 25 to 30 miles, he points out. It was an easy that was only the start of the cholera. run by motor or on horseback. When I visited this village five days later Incidentally, he laments the fact that the streets, the ground around, and even the conditions are not good for taking biograph railway station were littered with dead and pictures. dying men. The conditions to which he refers are The official report of the deaths was plainly not so much technical as physical, 2,000 in one day. That is enough of these for he relates without embellishment the horrible sights, which were daily fact that he has been arrested on no fewer occurrences. than seven different occasions, and a lot of In bringing his letter to a conclusion Mr. Wilkins developed a fascination with cameras.. *OSU Polar Archives [wilkins35_9_14]. his exposed films destroyed. Wilkins mentions that he is indebted for a Nevertheless, this pushing young man is good deal of the consideration he received able to say that he had got 900 feet of actual to Lord Stokes, Aziz Pasha (a Turkish battlefield films through to his firm in prince), and Admiral Sir Henry Woods London, and that many more hundreds of Pasha. Since the last English mail was feet of film were being dispatched. received in Adelaide Mr. Wilkins has left While war correspondents were herded in the scene of the war for London, where he quarters in which they were practically has had some novel experiences. prisoners young Wilkins was in the thick of Writing to his parents at Parkside under things. His narrative is almost bold in its date of Christmas, he relates his most recent modest directness. way of securing films by soaring up above Yet a great achievement is indicated in the clouds over London in a balloon. the pregnant sentence — “I have had Whilst in the air he wrote a letter to his shrapnel shells bursting on each side, and father, describing the sensation at each behind me, within 300 yards, but have not 1,000 ft. The letter reached his parents Taken During the Balkan War. *OSU Polar Archives [wilkins32_1a]. been in front of rifle fire.” safely. The only comment he makes is — “But it (Advertiser (Adelaide, SA), Wednesday 12 is difficult to get satisfactory pictures.” February 1913, page 17). 1913 Difficult! — Under the artillery fire of the https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5 12 February 1913 Allies, and always in imminent danger of 371337 AT THE WAR. arrest by the Turks. “I have some pictures,” Australian Biograph Operator Beats he adds, “that have been sneaked, for the War. Turkish officers all have orders to prevent any pictures being taken, as the Turks are Correspondents under Shrapnel Fire. suffering defeat. Mr. G. H. Wilkins, a South Australian It would be useless to try to write you biograph photographer, who is a son of Mr. my experiences in a letter, but three Wilkins, an old colonist, residing at different firms in London have made offers Parkside, has succeeded in getting right to for my experiences as a biograph operator the front in the Balkan war and witnessing at the front in order to compile a book, and and photographing actual battlefield scenes. something may be done in that direction. An advertisement from the (Advertiser (Adelaide, SA), Last February Mr. Wilkins, who is 25 years Besides having been arrested by the Wednesday 12 February 1913, page 17). of age, left Australia for Europe, with the Turks, I have been held up twice by intention of going to the United States deserting soldiers, who were starving, and 23 August 1913 once by a couple of Greek bushrangers, afterwards. CANADIAN EXPEDITION. Shortly before he left Australia, he was a who were robbing the dead as well as the biograph operator at North Sydney. While living. There is to be yet another polar he was in Europe the Balkan war broke out, The latter experience was most trying, expedition in the near future. This one will and the great London film firm of Gaumont and after leaving them behind about half a be under the auspices of the Canadian secured his services to go to the front for mile I came across the dead body of an Government, which has voted a large sum them. officer who had been murdered and robbed, towards it, and its object is to be a twofold How well he has succeeded is indicated presumably by these men. one — first, to find out whether there is in a letter he has written to a friend (says “A weird experience occurred when I really an Arctic polar continent; and, the Sydney Sun). reached Hadem Roui village one night after secondly, to obtain scientific data. Writing recently, Mr. Wilkins said he had dark. I was prevented from entering by an Mr. Stefansson will be in charge, and he just returned from a very interesting, though officer, who said cholera was rife in the proposes to stay in the cold north till the trying, four and a half weeks with the village. autumn of 1916. No expedition is complete Turkish Army. “I have had a few narrow My horses were too tired to go further, so nowadays without the cinematograph man, escapes,” he added, “and have seen some I camped on the first clear patch of ground I and this one will be no exception to the indescribable and horrible sights of found. It was raining, but not very cold, and rule. wounded soldiers and cholera-stricken I could not see 300 yards ahead. After a This department has grown in camps.” fairly sleepless night, daylight broke, and importance, and the post of operator is one Evidently the biograph operator was not revealed to me the fact that I had camped in much sought after. The honour of filling it subject to the same disabilities as his the middle of a small field that was the has fallen to a young Australian in the cousin, the war correspondent, for Mr. burying ground for the dead cholera- person of Mr. G. H. Wilkins, who is a Wilkins is able to relate experiences right stricken soldiers. native of Adelaide. 1 The Wilkins Chronicle A selection of Wilkins-related Trove articles, incorporating advertisements and cartoons from the day 2 December 1913 including Mr. Wilkins, had reached the shore safely. (Daily Herald (Adelaide, SA), Tuesday 2 December 1913, page 5). https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1 05606478 1914 An advertisement from the (Daily Herald (Adelaide, SA), Tuesday 2 December 1913, page 5). Photograph of Eskimo women taken during 1913-15 POLAR EXPEDITION. Expedition. *OSU Polar Archives [wilkins32_3_76]. WRECK OF THE MARY SACHS. Mr. Wilkins is a young man, only 24 AN ADELAIDE MAN ABOARD. years of age, and he has crammed sufficient The wreck of the polar expedition vessel incident into the last few years of his life to Mary Sachs, the supply ship at the last another man all his existence. Stefansson Expedition, which was reported He was educated at the School of Mines in war cables yesterday, is of special and University in Adelaide, and completed interest to Adelaide residents, in that a the associate course of electrical former resident of this city, Mr. George An advertisement from the (Areas’ Express (Booyoolee, engineering. SA), Friday 16 January 1914, page 1). Wilkins, is one of the party. Coming to Sydney, he took up moving Mr. Wilkins, whose brother is a grocer in 16 January 1914 picture work in 1908, and was operating for Angas Street, and whose parents reside at (Part of larger article) a large firm. Oxenbold Street, Parkside, has had an Amongst the members of the Stefansson Later he became manager of the North adventurous career, and, like all Australians Scientific Expedition to the Arctic — who Sydney branch of the firm, and went who have travelled, appears to have made were recently believed to have been lost — thoroughly into the intricacies of his mark in the countries he has visited. is a brother of Mr. H. W. Wilkins, of cinematography. He is 26 years of age, and for some years Solomontown. He was later appointed the official was employed by Messrs. Bullock and Though only twenty-five years of age, photographer of an Australian syndicate. Fulton, electricians, of Adelaide. Mr. Wilkins has crowded plenty of Mr.