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Virtual War Memorial Australia

Phone: +61 8 8100 7318

Address: ANZAC House Torrens Parade Ground 5000 Adelaide

Website: https://vwma.org.au

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24.01.2022 "...2402 Private Archibald Alan Johnstone, 14th Battalion. A clerk from Clifton Hill, Vic prior to enlistment, Pte Johnstone embarked with the 7th Reinforcements from Melbourne on RMS Persia on 10 August 1915. Later promoted to Sergeant, he died on 20 September 1918, aged 23, of wounds received in action, and was buried in the Hancourt British Cemetery, France. Two brothers also served in the AIF. 738 Corporal Donald Wallace Johnstone, 5th Battalion, was killed in action on 11 December 1916 and 847 Lieutenant Thomas Watt Johnstone MC, 8th Battalion, returned to Australia on 22 August 1919..." - https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/69603

24.01.2022 The Unley South Park Bowling Club Memorial in South Australia is a great example of the many many small war memorials across the world. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/1771

24.01.2022 The Battle of Britain Part 2 With the collapse of France, Britain was effectively alone and isolated in western Europe. Observers had expected, and Hitler had hoped, that the British would seek to negotiate terms of a peace settlement with the Nazis. But with Churchill at the helm and after his finest hour speech on the 18th June it was clear that Britain intended to fight to the last.... If Britain did not seek terms it would have to be neutralised, and potentially invaded. That would mean the Nazis would have to destroy the Royal Air Force. Without adequate air cover, the Royal Navy would be imperilled both at sea and in its home ports. Read the full article here: https://vwma.org.au//home-pag/the-battle-of-britain-part-2

22.01.2022 The War Memorial of Korea is located in Yongsan-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is situated on the former site of the army headquarters to exhibit and memorialise the military history of Korea Read more about this memorial here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/3737

22.01.2022 An Outstanding Pilot - Dudley Marrows DSO DFC Sunderland III W6077/U left Pembroke Dock in Wales in the early morning of July 30th 1943 on a routine anti-submarine patrol. At the controls sat Flight Officer Dudley Marrows. The sortie was uneventful; a few suspicious looking Spanish fishing boats the only sights to report. Flying home and low on fuel, the crew picked up exchanges between three German U-boats and some RAF and USAAF aircraft. The Royal Navy had a support group of five sloops on the way. The fighting intensified, and before long, Marrows was ordered to divert W6077/U to the Bay of Biscay and join the battle. What happened next has been described as the greatest air and sea U-boat battle of the Second World War. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au//an-outstanding-pilot---dudley-marrows

22.01.2022 At the entrance to a reserve at Weetulta, Yorke Peninsula in South Australia stands these war memorial gates. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/967

22.01.2022 #NAIDOCWeek2020 Remembrance Day: Private Miller Mack's 'spirit' to return home a century after he left for the Great War By Nicola Gage "Almost a century after he was buried in an unmarked, common grave in South Australia, the remains of an Aboriginal digger who fought in the Great War will be returned to his home. Private Miller Mack was buried in Adelaide's West Terrace Cemetery in 1919, after dying from an illness he contracted during battle. His great-nephew, Francis Love...Continue reading

21.01.2022 #RemembranceDay https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/1680

20.01.2022 Tomorrow we are going to post a story about the tallest and shortest soldiers in the Australian Imperial Force of World War One. Here are photos of these men, can you guess their height in feet and inches? Comment below.

20.01.2022 "L/Cpl. Denis Kevin Cosgrave. MR. AND MRS. COSGRAVE, of Macclesfield, have been notified that their second son, L/CPL. DENIS KEVIN was killed in New Guinea on October 13. He was born at Macclesfield 24 years ago, and was educated at the Sisters of St. Joseph Convent school, where he was a much loved pupil. Like his elder brother, PTE. THOMAS COSGRAVE, who died of wounds in Egypt, he was loved by old and young alike. Both were members of the sports clubs of the districts and w...ere honoured for manly and friendly play. Above all, they were loyal to their school and faithful to the Church, and were altar servers for several years. Denis enlisted in March, 1941, and went overseas in April. He served in Palestine and Syria, was wounded in Syria, July, 1941, and returned in February, 1942. He then served in New Guinea and was home on leave in February of this year, returning to duty early in March. May his soul reap the eternal reward of the supreme sacrifice which he has made." - from the Adelaide Southern Cross 05 Nov 1943 https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/597828

19.01.2022 Today we pay tribute to RAAF veteran and Gawler RSL member Sergeant Hugh David Bower as he celebrates his 100th birthday. Sergeant Bower spent nearly 5 years at part of No. 36 Squadron, serving predominately at their Aircraft Depot at Laverton and later Essendon and Townsville, but also on brief stints to the South West Pacific areas including Port Moresby. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au//home-page-a/sergeant-hugh-david-bower

19.01.2022 ‘Dutch Courage’ - Hans de Vries’ (April 22, 1923 January 12, 2019) and No. 18 Squadron NEI / RAAF Original Story by Nigel Stark Edited by Steve Larkins... Wartime for Hans de Vries had all the drama and romance of a Hollywood movie. This unlikely but true story sees Hans make a perilous escape from his invaded homeland, mingle with film stars in San Francisco, pilot a B-25 bomber on operations against the Japanese, and celebrated victory by flying under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au//dutch-courage---hans-de-vries-april-2

18.01.2022 Geraldton HMAS Sydney II Memorial (WA) On 19th November 1941, HMAS Sydney was returning from the Sunda Straits after escorting the Hired Transport Zealandia to a handover with HMS Durban. That evening HMAS Sydney encountered the German Raidwer HSK Kormoran and became involved in an engagement that would eventually lead to the loss of both ships. No trace was found of the HMAS Sydney or her valiant men. This Memorial is dedicated to their memory and to the great sacrifice the...y and their families made to ensure the security of Australia. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/1956

18.01.2022 The Victoria Park RSL Cenotaph in Western Australia contains 1147 names of Victoria Park residents who fought in World War Two, Korea and Vietnam. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/5226

17.01.2022 "...8883 Driver William Eric Hill, 20th Company AASC. A plumber of Nailsworth, SA, he embarked from Adelaide aboard HMAT Afric (A19) on 26 May 1915 with the 14th Company Army Service Corps, 4th Light Horse Brigade Train. On 12 November 1915 he received a bullet wound to the head and subsequently died. He was buried the next day in Shrapnel Valley Cemetery and the service was conducted by Chaplain 4th Class Thomas Pearce Bennett." https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/88743

17.01.2022 When it was gazetted in 1918, the town of Lock on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia was named after fallen soldier Sgt Albert Ernest Lock, a member of the South Australian Survey Department who had been killed in Belgium You can read more about him here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/229985 Do any of our readers know of any other towns or suburbs in Australia named after fallen soldiers?

17.01.2022 The Bunbury War Memorial (WA) consists of three panels on an elevated base. The central panel is tallest with a life-size figure of a soldier in full uniform leaning on his rifle with his head down on top of the central pane. The memorial panels are made of granite with the unusual 'red' inscription of 205 names from the area.... This memorial is dedicated to the memory of all Australian servicemen and servicewomen and their Allies who paid the supreme sacrifice in the service of their nation. "Lest We Forget" You can see more details on the memorial here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/2235

17.01.2022 Ross Faulkner McMaster was born in 1924 into a family already involved in aviation in Australia. He was the second son of Sir Fergus McMaster one of three persons who founded QANTAS in 1920. Perhaps, because of his father’s involvement in the start up of an aviation company that became the Australian icon ‘QANTAS’ it would seem inevitable that Ross Faulkner McMaster would become a pilot in the Royal Australian Airforce then involved in World War 2.... Ross Faulkner McMaster joined the RAAF in Brisbane on December 4th 1942 and after initial pilot/aircrew training at Narromine New South Wales embarked for England. After further operational training in the United Kingdom he was to pilot Wellington bombers. In 1944 he became Captain of a Lancaster bomber with 460 Squadron (RAAF). Ross Faulkner McMaster was the Captain of Lancaster Bomber (serial) NE141 radio callsign AR-P on his third operational Lancaster flight when his aircraft was brought down on the night of November 21st 1944 over Damm near Aschaffenburg Germany with the loss of all six crew. Ross Faulkner McMaster is commemorated at the Runnymede (Airforces) Memorial Surrey England. https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/639296

17.01.2022 "SX5457 Corporal (Cpl) William James Adams, 7 Divisional Postal Unit, attached to 2/3 Machine Gun Battalion (2/3MG Bn). He enlisted in the AIF on 15 June 1940 and became postman to the 2/3MG Bn at Woodside, South Australia. The battalion embarked for the Middle East in late April 1941 and served in Syria until Japan entered the war when the battalion was withdrawn to Java during February 1942. Cpl Adams became a prisoner of war and worked for some time on the Burma Thailand R...ailway from the camp near Moulmein, Burma. On completion of the railway many of the prisoners were transported to Japan. Cpl Adams was killed when the Japanese prison ship in which he was travelling, the Rakuyo Maru, was sunk by the United States Navy submarine USS Pampanito on 12 September 1944. He was aged 38 years." read more here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/378587

15.01.2022 "LATE PRIVATE L. J. CHAMBERS. Youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Chambers, late of Crystal Brook and Port Pirie, and now of Hart street, Glanville. Deceased took a deep interest in military matters from his boyhood, first being a member of the Port Pirie Boy Scouts and school cadets, and then of the senior cadets at Glanville. He enlisted in the A.I.F. on April 10, 1915, and left with reinforcements of the 10th Battalion on August 26 of the same year. After the evacuation of the... Gallipoli Peninsula he was transferred to the 50th Battalion, and was sent to France. He served there until his death. Private Chambers was well liked by a large circle of friends, and at the time of his death in action was in his 19th year. His parents have a son-in-law in France at present, and another son will leave for the front shortly." - from the Adelaide Daily Herald 19 Dec 1916 https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/195768

15.01.2022 Today we remember George Thyne REID, who was killed on this day in 1943. George Thyne Reid was born on the 27th of June 1908 to mother and father Margaret and Andrew Reid. He grew up in Sydney and was educated at the Church of England Grammar School (more commonly known as Shore School). At school, he was an accomplished rower. Upon graduating in 1926, Reid gained experience on various country properties including Bredbo in the Cooma district and Milroy in the Brewarrina d...Continue reading

15.01.2022 Animals in War Memorial (ACT) This memorial was unveiled on 21 May 2009 by the Hon. Alan Griffin MP, Minister for Veterans`Affairs. It commemorates those animals that served alongside Australians in all conflicts. Animals as diverse as horses, dogs, donkeys, camels and pigeons performed many essential duties, such as transport, tracking and carrying messages ; some also lived with the Australians as mascots or companions. To this day, animals continue to play an important rol...e in the work of Australian armed forces. The memorial incorporates a bronze horse`s head, the last remaining fragment of Charles Web Gilbert`s original Desert Mounted Corps memorial, which stood at Port Said, Egypt until it was destroyed during the Suez Crisis of 1956. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/2759

15.01.2022 "HEROES OF THE EMPIRE "At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them." ALLWOOD.In loving memory of my dear husband, Cpl. W. G. Allwood, 2/43, killed in action at Finschhafen, N.G., 1943. Not a day do I forget you, in my heart you're always near. I, who loved you, sadly miss you as it dawns the first sad year.Ever remembered by his loving wife May.... ALLWOOD.In loving memory of my dear brother-in-law, Cpl. W. G. Allwood, 2/43, killed in action at Finschhafen, N.G., 1943. A thought for today, a memory forever.Inserted by his sister-in law Martha, brother-in-law Jim, nephew Reg (A.I.F. ret.)." The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA: 1931 - 1954) Monday 2 October 1944

15.01.2022 Harold Woodman Wilson VERCOE was born in Lowood, Queensland on 12th October, 1912. His parents were Woodman VERCOE & Margaret WILSON. He enlisted in Lismore, NSW as a Private on 26th October, 1939 with the 2/2nd Infantry Battalion & was later promoted to Corporal.... He fought in the North African campaign, the Battle of Bardie, the Greek campaign & then went to New Guinea, the Kokoda Trail & Buna - he fought in the Libyan & Syrian campaigns , returning to Australia in August, 1942 and was then posted to New Guinea. Harold was killed by an errant American mortar bomb in the Headquarters of Captain Jack Blamey (who was also killed by the same bomb), 500 yards on the right hand side of the Sanananda track near Buna on 25th November, 1942. His name is memorialised on the Australian War Memorial, the Port Moresby Memorial & the Roll of Honour in Lismore, NSW. https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/650668

14.01.2022 #Onthisday in 1944 two Japanese ships transporting prisoners of war from Singapore to Japan were sunk, resulting in the loss of over 1,500 Australian and Britis...h lives. The Rakuy Maru (carrying 1,318 Australian and British prisoners of war) and the Kachidoki Maru (carrying 900 British prisoners) were part of a convoy carrying mostly raw materials from Singapore to Japan on 6 September 1944. The prisoners were all survivors of the Burma-Thailand Railway who had only recently returned to Singapore. In the morning of 12 September 1944 in the South China Sea the convoy was attacked by American submarines. Rakuy Maru was hit by USS Sealion II and Kachidoki Maru was sunk by USS Pampantio. Prisoners able to evacuate the ships spent the following days in life rafts or clinging to wreckage in open water. About 150 prisoners were rescued by American submarines. Over 500 were picked up by Japanese destroyers and continued the journey to Japan. Those not rescued perished at sea. A total of 1,559 Australian and British prisoners of war were killed in the incident, all missing at sea (1,159 from Rakuy Maru, 400 from Kachidoki Maru). The total number of Australians killed was 543 (503 AIF, 33 RAN, 7 RAAF). Read more: http://ow.ly/B5G350Bgycn Image: Oil soaked British and Australian prisoners of war who survived the sinking of the Rakuy Maru being picked up three days later by USS Sealion. China Sea. 305634

14.01.2022 Today on August 31 we commemorate Malaya & Borneo Veterans Day, remembering the The Malayan Emergency and the Indonesian Confrontation. Lest We Forget.

14.01.2022 "Clarence Smith Jeffries, 34th Battalion, of Wallsend, NSW. Born on 26 October 1897, Jeffries attended Dudley Public School and the Newcastle Collegiate and High schools before being apprenticed to his father as a mining engineer. In 1912 he joined the 14th (Hunter River) Infantry Regiment as a private and was promoted sergeant a year later. Following the outbreak of the First World War he was commissioned second lieutenant on 22 August 1914. He instructed volunteers for the ...Australian Imperial Force at Newcastle and Liverpool camps, becoming a lieutenant in July 1915. On 1 February 1916 Jeffries, then in charge of the Abermain Collieries surveying department, was appointed second lieutenant in the 34th Battalion, and embarked for England. In August he was promoted lieutenant and in November his battalion moved to the Western Front where he was promoted captain on 26 June. On 12 October 1917, in the attack on Passchendaele during the third phase of the battle of Ypres, his company's advance towards its first objective was held up by two pill-boxes. He organised and led a bombing party which eliminated the obstacle and captured thirty-five prisoners and four machine-guns. He then led his company forward, under an extremely heavy enemy artillery barrage and enfilade machine-gun fire, to the objective. Later that morning the battalion's advance to its second objective was delayed by a machine-gun post. Jeffries led another party to capture the position, enabling the advance to continue, but was killed during the operation. For his service that day he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, for 'most conspicuous bravery in attack'. Jeffries was buried near Passchendaele, in the Tyne Cot military cemetery. He is also commemorated by the Jeffries-Currey Memorial Library at Dudley Public School where William Currey, VC, had also been a pupil." https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/337643

13.01.2022 Today we remember Lance Corporal Walter Peeler. On 4 October 1917 Peeler was one of several Lewis gunners attached to the 37th Battalion for the attack on Brood...seinde Ridge. Walter led a series of attacks against enemy posts, destroying four machine gun posts and killing 30 of the enemy. For these actions he was awarded a Victoria Cross. Peeler also served in the Second World War, understating his age by 14 years and enlisted in the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion. After serving in Syria, he was captured with his unit in Java during 1942 and spent three and a half years as a prisoner of the Japanese. On 6 October 1945, at the age of 58, Peeler embarked for Australia aboard MV Highland Brigade and returned home to Australia. Upon his return, Peeler was informed his son Donald had been killed in action on 31 December 1944, on the island of Bougainville, while serving with the 15th Battalion. During his service Peeler was awarded the Victoria Cross, British Empire Medal, service medals for the First and Second World Wars, and coronation medals for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. This video contains footage of Walter, playing with Ferne Pope, aboard MV Highland Brigade. Watch here: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C190456 Image: Warrant Officer Walter Peeler playing with Ferne Pope, 3 years old, on the deck of the British troopship HMS Highland Brigade, during his journey back to Australia. At Sea. 10-10-1945 117835

13.01.2022 Today instead of highlighting a service person, we are highlighting a memorial, the Devenish Wheat Silo Art in Victoria. More than 100 local people raised $20,000 to fund a striking 20-metre-high mural on disused grain silos, opposite the Railway Hotel. Painted by Melbourne artist Cam Scale over 11 days, it depicts two women, 100 years apart - a WWI nurse and a modern-day army medic. The modern soldier was to be male, but Scale said he thought a woman medic "would show the ch...anging role of nursing and of womens role in society and the military". It doesnt depict a particular person, but two Devenish women were World War I nurses. It is a tribute to those who put the country ahead of themselves, both in the early days and currently. It will be part of a new silo art trail that already includes the towns of Goorambat and Tungamah. Photograph courtesy of Wayne Loughrey https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/3044

13.01.2022 On 18 November 1915, 24 year old Patrick Ohlstrom departed Adelaide aboard HMAT Geelong on a journey that would change his life. He had enlisted to serve his c...ountry in the Great War. He would have been aware of the death and suffering of those who had served before him in the Gallipoli campaign but duty called. Throughout the 3 long years of his service he recorded his experiences in a diary. Working with award winning Writer and Director Eddie White, Virtual War Memorial Australia has used his personal diary and other primary sources to create this animated short film for its innovative Schools Program -https://vwma.org.au/explore/schools See more

12.01.2022 "...Captain George Fay, 8th Light Horse Regiment (8LHR), of Creighton Creek, Victoria. Capt Fay was a 38 year old farmer with six young children when he was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in 8 LHR, AIF, on 16 July 1915. He had previously served in the militia for 15 years, with the Victorian Mounted rifles and 16 LHR and had become a commissioned officer in 1908. Fay sailed from Melbourne with the 9th reinforcements to 8 LHR, aboard HMAT A20 Hororata, on 27 September 1915. At the...Continue reading

12.01.2022 Social Distancing Vietnam War Those who served endured far greater hardship to keep us safe. Honour their service and sacrifice by watching out for each other and keeping families and communities safe.

12.01.2022 The East Africa Memorial in Nairobi, Kenya commemorates all who died in the service of the British crown during east African compaigns of the Second World War. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/5931

12.01.2022 We will remember them.

11.01.2022 "BARDER.- Died of wounds in France. Lieutenant Rothwell Oliver Barder in his 26th year, younger son of Mrs. & Mrs. Emil Barder, Helvetia, Huntleys Point and late of Gilmore near Tumut. A good son who never gave his parents a moments trouble. Inserted by his loving father, mother, aunt, sisters & brother."... https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/54837

11.01.2022 Valentine Raymond MOTTERSHEAD was born on 10th August, 1921 in Kew, Victoria. His parents were William Mark MOTTERSHEAD & Nancy Crawford QUARRELL. He first enlisted on 12th July, 1940 at Royal Park with the Australian Army (Service no. 4342) and was discharged on 17th October, 1940 - Training Camp Geelong.... Next he re-enlisted on 8th October 1941 at Royal Park with the Army (Service No. V20000 - he was discharged 13th February, 1943 - Private with the 29th Battalion. Later he enlisted in the Australian Aif Force on 18th May, 1943 (Service no. 129656) Leading Aircraftman. Valentine married Veronica Lorraine SALTER on 26th November, 1942 in Thornbury Methoidst Church. He died on 6th September, 1945 of illness at the RAAF station, Point Cook, Melbourne - he is buried in Springvale War Cemetery and also listed on the Australian War memorial and the Roll of Honour in Northcote, Victoria. https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/640684

11.01.2022 Operation Sea Lion there has never been a period in all these long centuries of which we boast when an absolute guarantee against invasion, still less against serious raids, could have been given to our people. There was always the chance, and it is that chance which has excited and befooled the imaginations of many Continental tyrants. Many are the tales that are told. We are assured that novel methods will be adopted, and when we see the originality of malice, the inge...nuity of aggression, which our enemy displays, we may certainly prepare ourselves for every kind of novel stratagem and every kind of brutal and treacherous manœuvre. I think that no idea is so outlandish that it should not be considered and viewed with a searching, but at the same time, I hope, with a steady eye. We must never forget the solid assurances of sea power and those which belong to air power if it can be locally exercised. Winston Churchill, 4 June 1940, House of Commons As Churchill tried hard to convince the House of Commons in the famous fight them on the beaches speech of 4 June 1940, the Royal Navy was not an impenetrable wall against German attack. Indeed, Operation Sea Lion, the planned (but ultimately abandoned) German invasion of Britain in 1940, is one of the great what ifs of military history. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au/r/home-page-archives/operation-sea-lion

11.01.2022 Not many soldiers got a comic strip written about them. But Thomas Murray Broadhurst did. This is a great resource for students interested in comics: how is Bro...adhurst presented? What artistic techniques are used to create this effect? Does he look like his photos? See the comic here: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1108096 and Broadhurst's VWMA profile here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/805101. See more

11.01.2022 The Long And The Short Of It - The AIFs Most Uniquely Sized Soldiers Click here to find out all about the shortest and tallest of the Australians who fought in World War One: https://vwma.org.au//the-long-and-the-short-of-it---the-ai

10.01.2022 80 years ago Australians in the Battle of Britain 80 years ago this month, Britain was fighting for its life against the might of Nazi Germanys Luftwaffe, and the world was watching with bated breath. Had Britain succumbed, the world as we know it today would be a very different place. Europe would have been overrun by the Nazis, and the Free World would have comprised an isolated and remote United States of America and the remnants of the former British Commonwealth.... There would have been no convenient springboard for a return to Europe that Britain ultimately provided. Britain was all that separated the world from a New Dark Age as Churchill had warned in his 10th May speech. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au//80-years-ago-australians-in-the-battl

10.01.2022 The Lone Pine Memorial, co-located with the Lone Pine Cemetery at Anzac, is the main Australian Memorial on Gallipoli. It is one of four memorials to men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. The Memorial is on the site of the Turkish trenches and tunnels which were the objective of the Australian 1st Division attack on 7th/8th August 1915. Read more about this memorial here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/1794

10.01.2022 "Very great regret was expressed in Cressy and district when the news was received early last Wednesday morning that Private W. Mowat, son of Mr W. Mowat, had been killed fighting at the front. The news came as a great shock to his parents and relatives. It is only about four months ago since the late Private Mowat enlisted from here. He was only in the fighting line three days before he met his death. He was only 23 years of age, and was well-known and highly respected here. The flag at the State school (of whom deceased was an old scholar) was flown half-mast on Wednesday as a mark of respect." - from the Cressy and Lismore Pioneer and Western Plains Representative 20 Oct 1915 https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/80023

10.01.2022 The Port Moresby Memorial is situated on a hill within the Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery, which is located approximately 19 kilometres north of Port Moresby on the road to Nine Mile. It is approached from the main road by a short side road called Pilgrims Way. The memorial commemorates over 700 officers and men of the Australian Army (including Papuan and New Guinea local forces), the Australian Merchant Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force, who gave their lives durin...g the operations in Papua and who have no known grave. Men of the Royal Australian Navy who lost their lives in the south-western Pacific region, and who have no graves but the sea, are commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial in England, along with many of their comrades of the Royal Navy and of other Commonwealth Naval Forces. The Memorial consists of a rotunda of cylindrical pillars enclosing a circle of square pillars bearing on their inside bronze panels upon which the names are engraved. In the centre is a low circular stone table on which is a bronze compass. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/1902

10.01.2022 On 14 September 1947, four Australian military observers entered the field as part of the United Nations Good Offices Committee to Indonesia. Since then, not a... day has passed without an Australian serving in a peacekeeping operation somewhere in the world. Australia has made more than 40,000 individual deployments to more than 60 peacekeeping operations in over 30 countries and disputed zones. Today marks the 73rd anniversary of Australias first peacekeeping deployment. It is important to reflect on the service and sacrifice of so many Australians. We encourage current and former service personnel to continue telling their stories as we expand our collection to better tell the story of Australian peacekeeping into the future. To read the extended blog, click here: https://www.awm.gov.au/articl/blog/recognising-peacekeeping The Australian War Memorials Development Project will be sharing the stories of a new generation of Australian men and women who have served our nation in recent conflicts, and on peacekeeping and humanitarian operations. To share your story email: [email protected] To stay informed about the Development Project sign up to the Our Next Chapter e-newsletter: www.awm.gov.au/ourcontinuingstory/stayinformed

10.01.2022 Glen Innes Holy Trinity Anglican Church Memorial Window Memorials can be many and varied one that was quite popular was the Memorial Window dedicated in churches all over Australia. Whether it be a dedication in general terms such as this one dedicated To the Glory of God and in Memory of Who Served in World War II or in remembrance of a particular person who was a member of the congregation of the church, these magnificent works of art are a lasting memory for all to admire. https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/4330

09.01.2022 105 years ago this upcoming Wednesday, a young law clerk from Glen Osmond, South Australia named Patrick Andreas Ohlstrom began his journey to fight in the First World War. See the trailer for our upcoming short film below:

09.01.2022 Residents of the surrounding district were very grieved to hear of the death of Pte. Francis Sidney Ford, eldest son of the late Bert Ford and Mrs. Kate Ford of Peelwood. Pte. Ford died of wounds received whilst on active service in New Guinea. Deceased, who was a devout Catholic and foundation member of the Holy Name Society, was aged 24 years. He was well known and highly respected throughout the Peelwood and Crookwell districts. The late Pte Ford was well known in the dist...rict hockey circles, having represented Crookwell district in metropolitan and country matches. He also played representative cricket and was recognised as an excellent batsman. During the whole of his life the principles of the game came were brought into play in his every deed and thought. He will be missed by a large circle of friends who appreciated to the full his many fine attributes. A young wife and son are left to mourn the passing of a loving husband and father: also sorrowful mother and two brothers, Colin and Ron Ford of Tuena. - Crookwell Gazette 16 December 1942 https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/378865

09.01.2022 Dalbert Isaac HALLENSTEIN was born on 15 Aug 1893 at St Kilda, Victoria. His parents were Reuben Richard HALLENSTEIN and Lucie MICHAELIS who married in 1891 in Victoria. He had previous service as a Lieutentant in the 46th Senior Cadets Battalion (3 years) and also 2nd Lieutenant with the 64th Infantry Battalion when he enlisted on 16th January, 1915 with the Australian Army - he was with the 5th Battalion, 3rd reinforcements - Unit embarked from Melbourne on board on HMAT Ru...nic on 19h Feburary, 1915 He was Killed in Action on 2nd September, 1918 -he was buried half a mile from Perrone and then reburied at Peronne Communal Cemetery Extension, - he is also commemorated on the Australian War Memorial, The Melbourne Cricket Club roll of honour & the Michaelis Hallenstein Memorial on Dynon Road, Maribynong, Victoria which is a family firm memorial. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War medal and the Victory Medal. https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/110533

09.01.2022 #RemembranceDay https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/223

09.01.2022 "218006 Lance Corporal (Temporary Corporal) 'Eyes' Suttor, 5th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, Age 26 from Mudgee NSW. He enlisted as a regular soldier on 15th November 1967. On the morning of the 16th November 1969, Henry Suttor's platoon were advancing on a bunker system when at 0730hrs his section made contact with the VC. 'Eyes' was metres from the forward bunker when he called out that he was going to 'grenade it'. As Corporal Suttor raised himself to throw the grenade he was hit by two rounds of enemy fire. He dropped the grenade, and the grenade exploded killing him instantly." We will remember him. https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/654623

08.01.2022 Elwyn Samuel GOULD was born the only son of Captain (later Major) Samuel Gould and Mrs Julia Gould, at Bowden in Adelaide on 13 July 1893. Samuel Gould was a militia officer and his son Elwyn had joined the Cadets at age14, progressing into the ranks of the Citizens Forces where he was commissioned prior to the outbreak of war. Elwyn studied as an architect completing his studies immediately prior to the outbreak of war. He was commissioned to the AIF from the Citizens Force...Continue reading

08.01.2022 The Lord Howe Island RAAF Catalina Flying Boat A24-381 Memorial is dedicated to the men and women of Australia's Defence Forces who have served the Island and their country; especially the crew of RAAF Catalina Flying Boat A24-381 which crashed at Lord Howe Island on September 28th, 1948. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/5699

07.01.2022 "THE LATE PRIVATE M. N. REED. Miss Reed, of Mitchellville, has been notified that her brother, Private M. N. Reed, was killed in action on November 25. Private M. N. Reed was 24 years of age. He enlisted from Mitchellville in March, 1915, and went to the front in the following May in the 27th Battalion. He served for some month on Gallipoli, and later went to France. Another brother, Private N. Reed, is serving with the Light Horse in Egypt." - from the Adelaide Chronicle 30 Dec 1916 https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/286012

07.01.2022 The Whyalla City Council Civic Building in South Australia has an honour board to those from the local area who died in the World Wars. Click here for more information and to see many other memorials in our database: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/6584

07.01.2022 Renowned artist Robert Hannaford AM was commissioned in early 2017 by RSL Gawler Sub-Branch to design and develop this moving Memorial. Robert described his vision for the War Memorial as An abstract, enigmatic form conveying the feeling of service, war, conflict and peacekeeping. The poignancy of tragedy and loss of life is conveyed in the hands form with the bent shape implicitly creating a feeling of subtlety. The War Memorial was officially dedicated on 11 November 2018, the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. Further information: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/3624

06.01.2022 One of the most iconic Memorial Arches in Australia, the Ballarat Arch of Victory marks the entrance to the Avenue of Honour which extends for a distance of 14 miles and contains 3,900 trees which were individually planted by The Lucas Girls for every Ballarat citizen who served in the Great War and assisted in maintaining the liberty of Australia. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/5026

05.01.2022 Today we remember and recognise the service of all Australians who took part in the Battle of Britain. The 15th of September 2020 is the 80th anniversary of the climax of the battle, known as Battle of Britain Day. Click here for an Honour Roll of the Australians who took part: https://vwma.org.au//home-page-archi/battle-of-britain-day

05.01.2022 Roll of Honour Old Scholars of Balhannah School This is just one of over 80 new memorial items which have been added to VWMA in the past month by our amazing volunteer Faithe Jones. This Honour Roll was accidentally found in the 1970’s by the late Malcolm Wicks, on a pile of rubbish ready to be burnt near where the railway line crosses the Onkaparinga Valley Drive at Balhannah. It was restored by Ray and Di Percy of Balhannah and now hangs in pride of place at the Balhanna...h Soliders Memorial Hall. https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/6453

05.01.2022 "ROLL OF HONOUR. In loving memory of our dear son and brother, Daniel Joseph Bishop, killed in action in France, November 14, 1916. His King and country called him,... The call was not in vain. And on Queensland's roll of honour You will find dear Daniel's name. - Inserted by his parents, sisters, and brothers." - from the Warwick Examiner and Times 17 Nov 1917 https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/194215

05.01.2022 Stanley Morgan HUBBARD was born in Hobart, Tasmania on 1st June 1897. His parents were George Maurice HUBBARD & Charlotte Anne HOGAN. He enlisted in Claremont, Tasmania on 3rd August, 1915 & embarked from Melbourne on the HMAT Ascanius on 10th November, 1915 with the 12th Infantry Battalion, 11th Reinforcements.... Stanley died of Wounds at Pozieres in France on 7th September, 1916 and is buried in the Puchevillers British Cemetery. HE DID HIS DUTY & GAVE HIS LIFE https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/53152

05.01.2022 06/09/2020. Special Last Post on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the City of Ieper by the Polish troops after the Second World War on ...06/09/1944. / Speciale Last Post voor de 76e verjaardag van de bevrijding van de Stad Ieper door de Polen na de Tweede Wereldoorlog op 06/09/1944. Met/With; Last Post Ieper - www.lastpost.be, Koninklijke Entente Ieper, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Koninklijke Harmonie De Vijverzonen Dikkebus, Ville de Saint-Omer, Ypres Branch Royal British Legion, Eerste Poolse Pantserdivisie België, ...

05.01.2022 Remembrance Day from the South Australian National War Memorial.

05.01.2022 The Adelaide War Memorial Oak Tree is one of the oldest World War One war memorials in the world, being planted on August 29, 1914, mere weeks after the declaration of war. Read more about it here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/1869

04.01.2022 On this day in 1915, what can be reasonably established as the "first" WWI Memorial was erected in Australia to honour the fallen following the carnage of the initial Gallipoli campaign. In fact, just days earlier, news of the losses sustained by the 9th Light Horse at Hill 60 on the Peninsula, had only just arrived in Adelaide. It is unusual in that the Memorial was opened while the campaign was still in progress. The terms 'ANZAC' and 'Gallipoli' were not at that time in th...e general lexicon of the day. Initially unveiled on September 7, 1915, it commemorates the Dardanelles campaign which began with the landing on April 25 1915 and mourns their subsequent casualties. It was created at the bequest of the SA-originated Wattle Day League. League member Walter Torode, a prominent Adelaide builder, orchestrated the design and build; a 3.65 metre high granite obelisk. He built a granite Cross of Sacrifice surmounted on a polished granite sur-base that in turn is mounted on a rough-cut tapered pedestal and two-tier rough-cut granite base and a concrete slab. A bronze plaque is affixed to the top tier of the base. The monument was originally located at Wattle Grove, Sir Lewis Cohen Avenue enclosed within a structure comprising a wooden superstructure supported by four wooden pillars. Re-dedicated on 11 November 2018, it is now located at the northern end of the ANZAC Centenary Memorial Walk on Kintore Avenue, Adelaide (adjacent to the Pathway of Honour). It was relocated to its current position from Lundie gardens, South Terrace, Adelaide. https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/55

03.01.2022 "He is not missing - he is here" Field Marshal Sir Herbert Plumer, at the inauguration of the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing 1927. The Menin Gate is the most famous landmark in the city of Ieper, the contemporary Flemish spelling of the city’s name. It was known to the WW1 Diggers by its French spelling, Ypres, pronounced ‘eeper’, but the Diggers invariably pronounced it as Wipers.... The Menin Gate was rebuilt after the Great War. It marks the site of the Medieval city gate and sits astride the road that exits the city walls and leads to Menin; the Menin Road. It serves as the Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing, and commemorates 55,000 Commonwealth soldiers killed in the vicinity, who have no known grave. 6,000 Australians are among their number. Another 35,000 are commemorated at the nearby Tyne Cot Cemetery. The 55,000 names are inscribed in unit order, on tablets that form the walls of the Gate structure. Every evening at 6pm, the Ieper Fire Brigade Buglers sound the Last Post and a wreath laying ceremony is conducted by the many visitors who pass through this picturesque town. Each year the surrounding farmland gives up more remains of soldiers that were lost in the mud and misery of the surrounding fields in battles such as Menin Road, Polygon Wood and Passchendaele. More recently some have been identified by DNA analysis. Iper itself was completely destroyed by shellfire during WW1. It was rebuilt to original drawings of the city, kept secure from the carnage wrought on the city by the war. The town is dominated by the spectacular Cloth Hall, which marks the city’s connection to the lace and cloth trade dating back to a medieval trade centre and market. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/1789

03.01.2022 388 Private Charles Raymond Allardyce Thompson, 22nd Company Machine Gun Corps AIF, killed in action 14th September 1917, aged 27. His parents were Charles George and Elsie Thompson, of Elsieville, Main Street, Cobram. Ray was born and raised in Cobram where he was taught at the Cobram State School by his own father, the teacher at the time. His father taught in many of the local schools and was a highly esteemed citizen. Thompsons Beach and Thompson Avenue are named after ...the family. He enlisted during May 1916 and arrived in England during September 1916. He trained in England for almost 6 months and was posted to the 22nd Machine Gun Company during March 1917. His mother said that Charles was able to go through an 80 mile march with full kit while at Belton Park in England, before going to France. He stood six foot in his socks, weighed 13 and half stone and carried himself well. Ray fought with his unit in France and Belgium for 6 months until he was killed near Westhoek Ridge in Belgium. His mates knew him as Thommo and stated he was killed when he was carrying ammunition into the line with a group of several men when a shell exploded on them. He died whilst being carried to a dressing station and his mates buried him about 100 yards away. Although his grave was marked it was subsequently lost and he has no known grave. His proud mother stated on his Roll of Honour form, His chums said he was one of the bravest, he had been struck on the helmet near Vaulx while working his machine gun and fired 4,000 rounds at the enemy in revenge. He was proud to have kept a clean record. He would not study for promotion as he preferred to go to France as men were needed there. It was reported in the Cobram Courier of 27th September 1916 that Corporal Ray Thompson had been killed in action in France. Few ladies in this district are held in such high esteem and respect as Mrs Thompson, who is President of the local Red Cross Society and has been an indefatigable worker for the welfare of our soldiers, and therefore the sympathy manifested for her and family in their great loss was sincere as well an widespread; moreover, many residents still have personal recollections of the sturdy, promising young man who was born and reared at Cobram East about 26 years ago. https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/95619

03.01.2022 "...4551 Private Thomas William Pearson, 10th Battalion, of Kadina SA, and his three sons. A farmer prior to enlistment Pte Pearson embarked on HMAT Miltiades (A28) on 7 February 1916. He served in Palestine and the Western Front and was promoted to Lance Corporal (L Cpl). On 22 September 1916, L Cpl Pearson, aged 36, died of wounds received in action in Belgium..." Read more here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/85262

02.01.2022 The Queensland Railways Toowoomba Employees (QLD) memorial is an Ornately carved wooden structure which covers the whole wall with inset panels in lighter wood with gold lettering, this large Honour Board displaying 559 names is contained in locked glass room to prevent vandalism, as it is located on the railway station platform. Designed by Mr Vincent Price and built by Ipswich Railway Workshops (Ipswich, QLD), this board has such significance, that it is listed by the Austr...alian Heritage Commission. Unveiled by Col. Charles Evans C.M.C. Commissioner for Railways on the 14th April 1918. https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/2471

02.01.2022 Located on Anzac Parade, Campbell, ACT, the National Boer War Memorial shows Australian trooper mounted on horsed breaking through the trees of ANZAC Parade. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/2757

01.01.2022 "...2346 Trooper Ebenezer Round, 2nd Light Horse Regiment, of Bundaberg, Qld. Tpr Round had emigrated to Australia in 1910 from Quarry Bank, Stafordshire, and worked as a farmer before enlisting in January 1916. Leaving Australia for Egypt as a signaller with the 16th Reinforcements in March 1916, Tpr Round was transferred to the 4th Divisional Ammunition Column on arrival in France in July 1916, and was transferred again to the 11th Field Artillery Brigade in November 1916. ...For his actions at Longatte on the 22 April 1917, Gunner (Gnr) Round was awarded the Military Medal (MM) for "[assisting] in digging out three men who had been buried in a trench by a bursting shell. Though twice knocked down by concussion of enemy shell bursts, he continued his task till all three men were released. He then assisted in carrying them through a shell-swept area to the Dressing station". Gnr Round was killed in action along the Menin Road on 10 September 1917, aged 27." Read more here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/94546

01.01.2022 The Hobart Cenotaph was built in 1925 and is the main point of military commemoration in Tasmania. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/2503

01.01.2022 "...3125 Private (later Lance-Corporal) Robert Sydney Turnbull 9th (later 49th) Battalion of South Brisbane, Qld. Son of Hugh and Margaret Turnbull. A bottler prior to enlisting, he embarked from Brisbane aboard HMAT Warilda (A69) on 5 October 1915. He was killed in action on 4 September 1916 near Pozieres, France, aged 26. He is buried in Serre Road Cemetery No 2, France." https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/253214

01.01.2022 "...5374 Sapper Charles Joseph Mestrez, 1st Australian Tunnelling Company from Ravenswood, Queensland. A 33 year old miner and clerk prior to enlisting on 10 April 1916, he embarked for overseas with the September 1916 Reinforcements from Melbourne on 29 September 1916 aboard HMAT Suffolk. He was killed in action on 25 September 1917 near Passchendaele, Belgium and is buried in the Menin Road South Military Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium. The image is inscribed "For the Honor of both Q'LAND A.I.E.F. 1916" referring to Queensland and the Australian Imperial Expeditionary Force." https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/113296

01.01.2022 Battle of Britain Part 3 In earlier features we examined the prelude to the Battle with the fall of France and then after the 20th June, the kanalkampf; attacks on British shipping and ports in the North Sea and English Channel. On the 13th August the Luftwaffe commenced the 2nd phase of the Battle. It launched Adlertag or Eagle Day, unleashing its main effort; the destruction of the RAF and its supporting infrastructure including the Chain Home radar stations that pr...ovided the RAF fighter controllers with the all-important early warning enabling them to get the defending fighters in the air, at altitude, ready to engage the incoming Luftwaffe attackers. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au//home-page-ar/battle-of-britain-part-3