Remembering the years that followed
Members of the West Gippsland Genealogy Society have been hard at work for more than 12 months preparing an historic account of World War I service personnel who are buried or memorialised at the Warragul Cemetery.
The book ‘A Tribute To Those Who Served’ will be launched at the Warragul RSL, Albert St, Warragul at midday on Sunday.
The book features 147 profiles of service people.
The idea for the book grew from a cemetery walk the society conducted in conjunction with the Warragul Cemetery Trust on Remembrance Day last year.
President Faye Vandyk said the book tells the stories of those service people who served in various places in World War I.
For those who are memorialised it is their war service, while for those who returned it is their war service and an account of their lives after the war.
Ms Vandyk said many had led long and full lives in the local community.
“We have one serviceman who died when he was 95 so obviously he continued to contribute to the local community and his life here after the war was long and full.
“We sometimes forget that the war was only a four-year period and though it was tragic for many it was only a very small part of their lives,” she said.
A full list of names of the people in the book is available on the club’s website www.westgipplandgenealogy.com
Members of the society who have undertaken research for the book include Lynne Bickers, Judith Bush, Heather Clarke, Barbara Clayton, Robyn Crocker, Sandra Gelley, Sue Gorst, Sue Hill, Margaret Mills, Jeanette Rotteveel, Rod Smith, Jan Turner, Faye Vandyk and Beryl Weekley.
Copies of the book will sell for $45 and can be posted with an additional charge. More information is available from treasurer@westgippslkandgenealogy.com
The society is working to produce similar books for people buries and memorialised in cemeteries at Drouin, Drouin West and Yarragon.
A number of others died from war related injuries after returning home.
It was a massive sacrifice by the men from the then shires of Warragul, Buln Buln, Narracan and Walhalla.
More than a quarter of those who enlisted from the four shires paid the supreme sacrifice, some on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915.
The death toll included 191 from Buln Buln Shire, 134 from Narracan, 121 from Warragul and 16 from Walhalla.
The more than 1700 that served overseas from the local area accounted for over 10 per cent of the 16,300 population – men, women and children – of the four municipalities.
Nationally the figure was 61,720 dead, of whom 45,033 had died in appalling conditions on the Western Front.
War memorials and honour boards at schools, public halls and other community buildings through Baw Baw Shire record the names of those that were killed and others that served overseas during the 1914-18 war.
They paint a poignant picture of the impact on the local communities, especially the smaller rural settlements.
The honour board at Rokeby Hall lists 49 men, including two groups of four that shared the same family name that went to the war and of which 12 were killed.
The Crossover state school honour board lists 32 names (six killed); Jindivick has 45 names (nine killed); and Ripplebrook 19 men (six killed).
After the Armistice came into effect on November 11, 1918 there were plenty of celebrations.
A peace demonstration held in Warragul on November 19 and similar celebrations conducted in Drouin, Trafalgar and other centres were recorded as “the largest patriotic demonstrations ever held in the region.”
For the remainder of 1918, special functions were held to welcome home and pay tribute to the men and women who had given so much for their country and tangible reminders of their service were presented to them – illuminated addresses, gold medals, watches and gold and silver fobs.
The people of the region banded together to support their returning soldiers, just as they had strongly supported them and Australia’s war effort throughout the hostilities.
With passion and patriotism, they responded to every fundraising effort, particularly the State War Council appeal in early 1918 and the Seventh War and Peace loan.
But, for the returning veterans, they faced another battle – the task of resettlement which to many, was as great as the one from which they had just returned.
Information from “Shoulder to Shoulder” by Ron Blair, published 2000.
An honour board on page 52 features a list of the 604 men who served in the Great War and either died during hostilities or shortly after their discharge..