They were men in them days

[Gob]

His horseback enlistment trek across the Northern Territory will this month be honoured by a historical recreation complete with trained animals and actors.



But little is known about the man behind the Borella Ride.

"We'd like to know a lot more about Albert Borella, but he didn't leave a lot in the way of diaries or letters," military historian, Dr Tom Lewis OAM, said.

Albert Chalmers Borella was born on 7 August, 1881 in rural Victoria to parents of distant Italian heritage.

He attended state schools in the region of Borung, north-west of Bendigo, before working on farms in the rural Victorian region.

"He wasn't terribly successful [at farming]," Dr Lewis said.

"He shot one of the ends of his fingers off with a shotgun, which is possibly a sign you should try something else."

Mr Borella enlisted in the local militia in his early twenties before moving to Melbourne in 1910, where he worked in the Metropolitan Fire Brigade.

In those days, fire trucks were drawn by Clydesdale horses.

"Imagine a team of four big horses, immense great things, galloping down the streets of Melbourne. That's what he was doing," Dr Lewis said.

"He [then] stepped forward and learned to drive the new-fangled trucks and cars that were coming along.

"He did that conversion course, and he was doing quite well and enjoying himself, when some brochures arrived."

In 1915, Albert Borella journeyed through 1,000 kilometres of Northern Territory’s outback from the Tennant Creek area to Darwin to enlist in World War I. He fought at Gallipoli and the Western Front; was wounded, commissioned on the battlefield, and awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest honour for valour in combat.

From 20 February to 3 March 2015, The Borella Ride will travel from Tennant Creek to Darwin symbolically retracing Borella’s trek, which included walking, horse riding, hitching a ride on a horse drawn mail cart and a train ride. Albert Borella’s grandson, Richard Borella, will be the representative Borella Rider during the journey and he will be joined by three companion Riders.

The Borella Ride will visit towns and communities along the Stuart Highway, with a range of activities planned for each community including a travelling exhibition, community receptions and BBQs, campfire talks, ceremonial and educational activities.

The Commonwealth Government through the Anzac Centenary Public Fund and the Northern Territory Government are proud to support The Borella Ride, the flagship Anzac Centenary commemorative event for the Northern Territory.

Not much is tangibly known about what compelled Mr Borella to enlist in WWI.

"He said in one of the few writings to survive: 'I had the war fever pretty bad'," Dr Lewis said.

" Borella, like so many others, said 'I need to do my bit and sign up'."

At the time, the Northern Territory did not accept war enlistees, so young men had to travel to Queensland to join the military service.

This is why, in January 1915 at the comparatively old enlistment age of 33, Mr Borella set out on foot from Tennant Creek.

As the Anzac legend now goes, he first journeyed 140km north to Renner Springs – swimming through engorged creeks at the peak of the humid wet season.

Mr Borella then rode on horseback to Katherine, hopped on the back of a horse-drawn mail coach to Pine Creek, and eventually jumped on a train to Darwin.

He arrived by sea in Townsville on March 8, where he became one of the first men from the Northern Territory to enrol in active WWI service.

Mr Borella arrived in Gallipoli in September 1915, where he served for two months and was later promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.

"He was recognised for his personal qualities ... It looks like he was a natural leader," Dr Lewis said.

"His personal service record doesn't indicate any examples of aggression [even though it was] common for soldiers in WWI and WWII, and even nowadays, to get into fist fights.

"It looks like he was a fairly gentle man. What you'd call a man of gentle manners."

By 1917, Mr Borella had been awarded a Military Medal, was mentioned by Winston Churchill in military dispatches, and finally received the top military honour of the Victoria Cross.

He returned to Australia in 1919, where he went back to farming, unsuccessfully ran for a spot in the Victorian Legislative Council, and married a woman named Elsie Jane Love in 1924.

Their sole surviving son Rowan Borella does not remember hearing war stories during his childhood in rural Victoria.

"[My father] never spoke about the war," he said.

"He was always very quiet and reserved. When he did speak, possibly people would listen."

Rowan Borella has distant memories of his father during the 1940s, when Mr Borella went back to military service and managed an Australian prisoner of war camp during WWII.

The family saw more of each other after the war, and later when Mr Borella retired from his civilian job as a public servant in 1956.

Dr Lewis said it appears Mr Borella was proud to serve in war and participated in Anzac Day parades until his death in Albury on February 7, 1968.

"Maybe he found [war] absolutely appalling. Maybe his knees trembled, like so many people's do," Dr Lewis said.

"But nevertheless, he said 'this needs solving, this needs me, and I'm going to step forward'.

"He looks the same as us, he's got two legs, he puts the trousers on the same way, but [he's] different, like being an Olympic swimmer.

"You think what measures of dedication, determination, bravery and courage, against all sorts of despair, have these people got inside their psyche?"

Mr Borella's Victoria Cross was held privately by his family until Tuesday, when it was loaned to the Northern Territory government for this month's re-enactment of his enlistment journey.

[rubato]

Except for the fact that they were weaker and slower than people are now.

The Mile record was over 4 minutes then, now it is 3.43.13 for men and the current women's record is better than the men's amateur record back then.

The Hour record was only 43km (Oscar Egg) then it is now 56km (Chris Boardman) so I'd say that men today would kick his ass pretty thoroughly.



yrs,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

Borella was 33 and covered 621 miles walking, swimming across creeks, horse riding, hitching a ride on a horse drawn mail cart and taking a train ride in order to sign up for the Army and get shot at.

AFAIK none of the milers or cyclists actually did their ONE mile or their 34.79 miles in anything like those conditions.

Added to which, Boardman's (non) record was set using advanced technology and, when the rules were changed to force the use of acceptable racing bikes, he beat Merckx' record by riding 30.72 miles - a whopping 3 miles further than Oscar managed...... in 1914 using very old tech.

Your comparisons are invidious, not to mention odious (Kerouac gets the credit for the last one)

[Lord Jim]

Your comparisons are invidious, not to mention odious

To which one might fairly add:

absurd, ridiculous, laughable, outrageous, foolish, repugnant and ignorant...

For starters...

[Gob]

Except for the fact that they were weaker and slower than people are now.
yrs,
rubato

Oh fuck off you worthless piece of shit. You couldn't even keep your obsessive Aspergers shit out of this tribute could you?

[Beer Sponge]

...I'd say that men today would kick his ass pretty thoroughly.



yrs,
rubato

You go first!


























Yeah, that's what I thought. Now shut yer pie hole, wanker!

[rubato]

Borella was 33 and covered 621 miles walking, swimming across creeks, horse riding, hitching a ride on a horse drawn mail cart and taking a train ride in order to sign up for the Army and get shot at.
... " )

Goodness, a TRAIN ride! That was strenuous.

No modern person could ever hope to brave the terrors of riding on a train. Not back then. They didn't even have round wheels yet.


Look, he accomplished a lot and deserves the recognition. He also had a lot of good luck. What I object to is the knee-jerk unthinking meme that society is inherently degenerate.

"Men were MEN back then. MEN I tell you. Giants who strode the earth like gods! No modern person can measure up."

Bullshit. Its just dumb and ignores the fact that each generation of humans has out done the last for a long time now. (Now thoroughbred racing has a problem in that no horse has equalled or outdone Secretariat in nigh on 50 years.)


yrs,
rubato

[rubato]

Except for the fact that they were weaker and slower than people are now.
yrs,
rubato

Oh fuck off you worthless piece of shit. You couldn't even keep your obsessive Aspergers shit out of this tribute could you?

Just rinsing off some of the treacle with a little observation.


yrs,
rubato

[Gob]

I wish someone would rinse you off.

[Gob]

Look, he accomplished a lot and deserves the recognition. He also had a lot of good luck. What I object to is the knee-jerk unthinking meme that society is inherently degenerate.

"Men were MEN back then. MEN I tell you. Giants who strode the earth like gods! No modern person can measure up."

Bullshit. Its just dumb and ignores the fact that each generation of humans has out done the last for a long time now. (Now thoroughbred racing has a problem in that no horse has equalled or outdone Secretariat in nigh on 50 years.)

Unfortunately for you Aspegers boy, the only person that made a "society is inherently degenerate" link to this article is.... you.

Seeing as his grandson is now recreating his journey, how can that be an example of "No modern person can measure up"?

Twat.

Here's a handy tip for you rubato, you shithead;

[Lord Jim]

You really need to stop holding back like that Strop, you'll give yourself an ulcer...

[MajGenl.Meade]

Its just dumb and ignores the fact that each generation of humans has out done the last for a long time now. (Now thoroughbred racing has a problem in that no horse has equalled or outdone Secretariat in nigh on 50 years.)

I'm not certain whether to point out that horses are not humans or to suggest that the horses should take the train.

[Lord Jim]

[rubato]

Hatred makes you stupid. And tiresome.


I did not say that "no modern person can measure up". That was in quotes as part of the meme to which I was objecting.


And it is still a stupid meme as your own answer proves since his grandson is doing it (per you).


What a load of craven idiots. Desperate to justify your own pathetic emotional reactions. You have conditioned yourselves to need hatred and to distort what people have said so you can go into what BSG called 'pig piling'.


I have only ever made one prayer to God, a very short one: “O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.” And God granted it.
Voltaire



yrs,
rubato

[Lord Jim]

Hatred makes you stupid. And tiresome.

I don't know...

I think it's equally possible that it's your stupidity that has made you hateful rather than the other way around...

Though a good argument can be made for either explanation....

ETA:

You have conditioned yourselves to need hatred and to distort what people have said so you can go into what BSG called 'pig piling'

.

Excuse me, I think I'm going to be sick...



You drop your troll breeches and take a big ol' unprovoked troll dump in what should have been a completely non-controversial thread, and then when you are properly chastised for it you want to whine and play the innocent victim...

Oh no, here it comes again...

[rubato]

You really are remarkably unintelligent as a group, aren't you? A person of no better than average intelligence would have understood the reference was to the meme from my first post:

Postby rubato » Sun Feb 15, 2015 3:12 pm
Except for the fact that they were weaker and slower than people are now.

The Mile record was over 4 minutes then, now it is 3.43.13 for men and the current women's record is better than the men's amateur record back then.

The Hour record was only 43km (Oscar Egg) then it is now 56km (Chris Boardman) so I'd say that men today would kick his ass pretty thoroughly.

yrs,
rubato

Lacking your stunted emotional conditions.



yrs,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

Except for the fact that they were weaker and slower than people are now. The Mile record was over 4 minutes then, now it is 3.43.13 for men and the current women's record is better than the men's amateur record back then. The Hour record was only 43km (Oscar Egg) then it is now 56km (Chris Boardman) so I'd say that men today would kick his ass pretty thoroughly.
yrs,
rubato

That was your first post. I responded, pointing out that your comparisons between mile runners and bicyclists were not to the point. Your only effort in return was a weak remark about the hardship of travelling by train...

That top athletes break the records of previous generations is a commonplace observation. I think that dragging "memes" (WTF? But I know what a meme is) into this seems rather bitchy than intelligent.

[oldr_n_wsr]

The advances in knowledge, training and nourishment have made those records fall by the wayside. Give a person from "back then" the same advantages, it is unknown if he/she would rise to the level of the current athlete.

And speaking of Olympic athletes, back then the athletes had real day jobs that they had to hold in order to support themselves and possibly their families. Today's Olymians can commit themsleves to training/racing all the time. They get paid to be an athlete.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Only some do, oldr. Only some.

[oldr_n_wsr]

Only some do, oldr. Only some.

I would say the majority and probably all who hold world/Olympic records.
Can one find an athletic record not held by a full time athlete? (curling not included)

And even todays "real" ammatures have better training methods/technology/regiments and better nutrition than those of years past.
I don't think the human body has evolved that much to where a world class athlete back then could not compete with todays athlete given the same "advantages".
I could be wrong though.