White crosses a moving tribute
White crosses bearing the names of 119 World War I servicemen and women from the Longwarry, Laber-touche and Modella areas will form a visual tribute in Longwarry on Sunday. The commemorative project, marking 100 years since the signing of the armistice in 1918, has involved senior students at Longwarry and Labertouche primary schools, Labertouche Men’s Shed, Longwarry and District History Group and Longwarry RSL
The 119 people from the Longwarry, Labertouche and Modella areas that served in World War 1 will get special recognition at Longwarry’s Remembrance Day service on Sunday that marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the war.
The town’s cenotaph will be surrounded by 119 white crosses, each bearing one of the names that appear on the memorial in the park at the corner of Bennett and Kennedy Sts.
The commemorative project is the result of collaboration between a number or organisations; senior students at Longwarry and Labertouche primary schools, Labertouche Men’s Shed, Longwarry and District History Group and Longwarry RSL.
Labertouche Men’s Shed members made the 119 white crosses while students inscribed the names of all 119 men and women onto the crosses.
Students also accessed the service records of 60 of the WW1 veterans and wrote pen pictures with the support of members of The Longwarry and District History Group.
Drouin West Timber that donated timber for the crosses and The Paint Place at Warragul also threw their support fully behind the special tribute.
In addition to inscribing the names of the service men and women on the crosses the students from the two schools also undertook considerable research, accessing the service records of 60 of those named on the cenotaph and brief summaries of the service by four of them will be read by students during Sunday’s service that starts at 11am.