THE SOUNDS of the South Gippsland Concert band welcomed all those to the Cenotaph in Colman Park, Korumburra at 10:30am this morning, who came to remember the soldiers who fought and died in WWI.
Under grey skies the commemorators heard from Korumburra RSL Member and co-author of Far from Home: Our Fallen Heros of Colman Park, Tony Moon, about young brothers from the area who went and died at war.
Of the 232 names displayed on the granite face of the Cenotaph, there are 17 sets of brothers, but following further research, Tony found another five sets of brothers who have not been included.
“Losing one son to war would be bad enough, how terrible to lose multiple sons. Our Cenotaph lists families who lost two, three and even four sons,” said Tony.
Tony remembered the names of the local families and brothers whose lives were lost at war.
George and John Beck, Charles, George and Richard Dawes, Archie and John Dick, Herbert and Walter Fowles (their brother Edward became ill and was sent home before that ANZAC landing, sadly he appears to have died at home before 1918), George and Claude Gane, Albert and William Goss, David and Arthur James, John and Arthur Lillis, Barrow and Cecil Lousada, John and Robert Plummer, William and Thomas McIntosh (brother Andrew died in his mother's house after much suffering in 1927), Robert and Norman McLean, Jim and Harry Poole, Eric and Francis Richardson, Percy and Reg Shapland, Sydney and George Statham, Cecil and Herbert Thompson (Cecil’s twin brother returned home in 1918), From Outtrim: Frank and Stan Villis killed on the same day and at the battle of Gallipoli were also Charles and Fred Wilkinson.
From WWII: Ray and John Brock, Stanley and Douglas Jackson.
Four sons of James and Emily Woods were William, George, James and Mark. William lost his life fighting in the Jordan Valley in 1918, George lost his life in North Africa in 1942, James lost his life in New Guinea on New Years Eve 1944 and Mark Woods died as a prisoner in Sandakan in 1945. The Woods family’s whole generation was lost in two wars.
In keeping with the ‘brothers in arms theme,’ Thomas, Harry and George Coombs aged 17, 16 and 13 read the ANZAC requiem and are a representation of the men who enlisted over one hundred years ago.
A procession of beautifully coloured floral wreath were laid at the base of the Cenotaph by students from St. Josephs, Victorian police, CFA as well as many personal tributes, to the sombre tunes from the concert band.
A prayer of peace was offered by Korumburra RSL member Linda Shaw, Ode for the Fallen, In Flanders Fields and For the Fallen were verbal tributes also offered during the commemoration.
The haunting tones of the bugle sounded out The Last Post and our New Zealand comrades were honoured as their National Anthem was sung, followed by the Australian National Anthem.
Light refreshments were offered following the service at the Korumburra RSL rooms.
