Essay competition takes Tim to the Western Front
Yarragon teenager Tim Potter doesn’t know what to expect when he soon heads to France, to what were the Western Front battlefields in World War 1, but is excited about what he might see and learn.
Tim, 17, will be one of 90 Junior Legatees from throughout Australia that on Friday will begin a 14-day tour as part of the centenary of the conflicts on the Western Front.
He was chosen to be part of the tour organised by Legacy after a detailed application process that included researching the history of one of the soldiers that went from Australia and fought and died on the Western Front.
Tim will read the essay he wrote from his research at the graveside of the soldier he studied.
The tour group will be farewelled at a reception at Government House in Sydney before flying to Brussels in Belgium and moving onto France where they will visit the battlegrounds, villages and towns where thousands of Australians died, are buried and honoured.
It may provide some insights for Tim into the career he intends following after he completes secondary school this year.
He aims to become the sixth generation of his family to serve in the Defence Forces and has already applied to join the Army.
Tim and his sister Jess have been raised by their grandparents, Judy and Ian Potter of Yarragon, from soon after the death of their mother Katy Potter, who served with the Royal Australian Navy for five years including as a Command Systems Operator on HMAS Sydney during Gulf War II.
When Katy died aged 27 and five years after leaving the Navy Tim was only six; Jess three years older. It was a massive life change for Ian and Judy. Ian had retired from 20 years’ Navy service and the couple were happily sailing and living in retirement on their yacht in North Queensland.
They resettled in Victoria choosing, as Judy explained, Mirboo North because among other things it was in the country and had “good primary and secondary schools”.
They moved to Yarragon 18 months ago to be closer to facilities they need but Tim will be finishing his schooling at Mirboo North.
Ian or Judy drive him to Thorpdale to catch the school bus then pick him up in the afternoon but they didn’t want Tim changing schools in the VCE years.
They say Legacy has been “fantastic” to the family although Ian said they never thought of the organisation when they first had the two grandchildren.
Ian eventually made contact, through a former Navy colleague, and Legacy has been by their side since.
“It was a huge help for a retired couple,” Ian said.
Legacy has assisted with Tim and Jess’ schooling, sports uniforms and fees.
And Tim said he has made some great friends from many parts of Australia, including one from Queensland that also will be making the trip to France, at holiday camps organised for Junior Legatees.