Members & Friends, Our “Battle of Fromelles” Commemoration Service will be held again this year, at the Ipswich General Cemetery, on Monday 19th July at 1100 Hrs. Please note your Diaries. Further Details will be advised, when arrangements are finalised.
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This is the only Commemoration of this Most Historic Battle, held in Queensland. Undertaken by the Australian 5th Division, It was a disaster resulting in the largest List of Casualties (5533) sustained within a 24 Hour period in Australia’s Military History.
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As it was the first Battle undertaken by Australia on the Western Front, the disastrous details were withheld & casualties hidden within the Somme casualties which Australian participation started a few days later. As the 31st Bn took a major role in the Battle & is the only Bn from the 5th Division still on strength in the Australian Defence Force today, we feel it is our duty to ensure the Battle & the Men who fought & died are not forgotten. It was a Melbourne School Teacher of Greek ancestry – Lambis Englezos AM who in recent years has made Australians more aware of the Battle.
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Mick James, our Coordinating Officer, has ascertained that 11 members of the 31st Bn during WW1, were Old Boys of the – Ipswich Grammar School. Mick is contacting Ipswich Grammar School, plus other High Schools in Ipswich inviting them, to attended the Ceremony. Mick has selected an Old Boy of Ipswich Grammar, – Cpl. Edward Kent MM, who participated in the battle, & who is buried in the Cemetery, to be the person honoured on that Day. It is hoped a Student will give the address to commemorate that Soldier. It should be noted that the 31st Bn, – 2IC Major Percy Eckersley & the Adjutant (1918) Capt. Vaux Morisset were Old Boys of Ipswich Grammar School. Mick is being assisted by the Ipswich RSL Sub Branch.
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Mick recently spent a few days with Lambis Englezos AM in Melbourne & was informed that the Project on The Battle of Fromelles undertaken by students of St Clare’s College Waverley in Sydney had been completed and a Video was now available. Mick has listed the link to the Video in his letters to the Schools. This is an excellent Project which took 3 years to produce by the Students who Graduate this year.
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Below is the Link to launch of the Lost Diggers of Fromelles video. Students of St. Clare’s College , Waverley , NSW were assisted in the project by Patrick Lindsay, well known Producer, and Lambis Englezos, who was instrumental in finding the lost diggers of Fromelles in 2008. This is a great project carried out by some of the Students over a three year period.
