I was asked to make these pens by the Gallipoli Association as a gift for the retiring chairman.
There's a great story to the wood.
The Gallipoli Association exists to commemorate and preserve the memory of the failed Gallipoli campaign in the First World War, which (I have learnt) is a particularly significant campaign in military history, both here in the UK and around the world, especially in Australia too, where Anzac day each year commemorates it.
The Association clearly holds some sway, as a naval vessel was dispatched to the Gallipoli peninsula (in Turkey) to collect some wood to make the pens, which was cut specially for the purpose from a pine tree in Embarkation Cemetery, one of the major military cemeteries for the fallen of that campaign. The personnel detailed to cut the wood managed to get themselves arrested by the Turkish authorities who believed they were up to no good, but once they realised the purpose of the mission, and that it was authorised, contacted the relevant people (who I'm guessing would be the War Graves Commission) who actually sent representatives to help decide which piece of wood would be best to cut. All's well that ends well. The wood has been seasoning in my workshop for the last 2 years.
Anyway, here they are - A Beaufort Mistral fountain pen and matched ballpoint, made from pine, cut from a tree in Embarkation Cemetery on the Gallipoli peninsula, for the retiring chairman of the Gallipoli Association.
There's a great story to the wood.
The Gallipoli Association exists to commemorate and preserve the memory of the failed Gallipoli campaign in the First World War, which (I have learnt) is a particularly significant campaign in military history, both here in the UK and around the world, especially in Australia too, where Anzac day each year commemorates it.
The Association clearly holds some sway, as a naval vessel was dispatched to the Gallipoli peninsula (in Turkey) to collect some wood to make the pens, which was cut specially for the purpose from a pine tree in Embarkation Cemetery, one of the major military cemeteries for the fallen of that campaign. The personnel detailed to cut the wood managed to get themselves arrested by the Turkish authorities who believed they were up to no good, but once they realised the purpose of the mission, and that it was authorised, contacted the relevant people (who I'm guessing would be the War Graves Commission) who actually sent representatives to help decide which piece of wood would be best to cut. All's well that ends well. The wood has been seasoning in my workshop for the last 2 years.
Anyway, here they are - A Beaufort Mistral fountain pen and matched ballpoint, made from pine, cut from a tree in Embarkation Cemetery on the Gallipoli peninsula, for the retiring chairman of the Gallipoli Association.
