Fromelles’ Dedication

Bright sunshine and clear blue skies shone over the northern French village of Fromelles on the 19^th July 2010, the 94^th Anniversary of the Battle of Fromelles, as more than 5,500 people gathered to witness the burial of the 250^th allied soldier whose body was recovered from the World War 1 German burial pits at Pheasant Wood.

Photo: Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Cemetery 19^th July 2010 [CWGC]

The commemorations lasted throughout the day and were divided into three main segments:

• The Military Funeral of the Unknown soldier and Cemetery Dedication

Photo: Coffin entering the cemetery [Mike Rimmer]

•  The Official Reception

 Photo: HRH Prince Charles and The Demassiet Family [Carole Laignel]

•  Graveside Reflections for Families of Identified Soldiers

Photo: Families visiting the graves [Carole Laignel]

The Military Funeral was conducted jointly by British Army’s Chaplain-General and Australian Army Chaplains. For a copy of the Order of Service for the day click here.

 Photo: The final soldier recovered from Pheasant Wood
is laid to rest [Mike Rimmer]

During the service Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC took the opportunity in her speech to recognise and acknowledge the work undertaken by Lambis Englezos AM in identifying the location of the Missing from the Battle of Fromelles and said that the soldiers who fought in the Battle were “good men who had fought for their mates”.  A full transcript of the Governor-General’s speech is available by clicking here. 

Photo: Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC [Mike Rimmer]

For more photos of the Governor-General at the service click here.

The Cemetery was officially dedicated by HRH Prince Charles.

Photo: HRH Prince Charles addressed the gathered crowd.
[Carole Laignel]

Photo: The ‘general public’ watched from the sidelines [Mike Rimmer]

Following the dedication an official reception was held at the Fromelles des Cobbers school during which the Mayor of Fromelles, M Hubert Huchette AM, was presented with an Honorary AM for his service to Australia-France relations, particularly his contribution to preserving the memory of Australian World War I veterans.

Photo: M Hubert Huchette AM receiving his award from
Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC as the Australian Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie, looks on [Office of Governor-General]

The afternoon was then devoted to the families of those soldiers whose identity had been restored. The families gathered in the words of the Governor-General to “cry in grief for your loss so long ago, and in joy, on your return today.”

Photo: The Australian Chief of Army Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie
speaks to the descendents of the identified soldiers [Chris Munro]

Photo: FFFAIF members Anne Betts and Helen Humphries pay their respects at the graveside of their great uncle Private Jack Morley [Chris Munro]

To view more photos of the Relatives Reflection Time featuring the Governor-General click here.

For more images of the Commemorations visit the Australian Army Fromelles Project website by clicking here or the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Fromelles website by clicking here.

To view media news report of the event click here.

LEST WE FORGET

*****

The Families and Friends of the First AIF thanks the Australian, UK and French Governments for affording Australian and British soldiers dignified individual reburials in the new CWGC cemetery at Fromelles, and applauds the Australian and British Governments for their joint decision to DNA test the remains at exhumation and use every reasonable method to attempt identification of each soldier.

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*Bible to Fromelles

The Families and Friends of the First AIF have assisted the family of Private Henry Mayer to have his New Testament, given to him in World War 1, present at the dedication of the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Cemetery and family graveside reflection on 19 July 2010.

The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, a local Sydney newspaper covered the story:

Bible placed to rest with WWI Digger

By Jim Gainsford
09 Jul, 2010

Fresh chapter: Hurstville Museum historical coordinator, Gemma Beswick, (left)
and Helen Newton with the New Testament presented to her uncle,
Private Henry Mayer of Mortdale, just before he was killed on the Western Front in 1916.
Picture: Lisa McMahon

The Bible of a World War I Digger from Mortdale who was killed in France in 1916 will be returned to his grave site this month after more than 90 years for a remembrance service after his remains were identified earlier this year.
Private Henry Mayer of the 55th Battalion was killed in the Battle of Fromelles on July 20, 1916, aged 23, one of more than 5500 Diggers who were killed or wounded in what was described as “the worst 24 hours in Australian history”.
Born in Stockport, England, Henry Mayer emigrated with his brother Joseph to Australia aged 19, settling in Mortdale.
On his way to the battlefields of France he received a pocket-size New Testament and wrote his name and rank in the Australian Imperial Forces on the inside cover.
After he was killed, his New Testament was sent to relatives in England.
More than 90 years later, it was found in a local church by Stockport resident Linda Davies who was unable to trace any of his relatives in England and sent it to the Hurstville Museum and Gallery for safe keeping.
Following a story in the Leader, on January 16, 2007, Mr Mayer’s relatives contacted the museum.
This included his niece Miss Helen Newton, 87, of Kirrawee, the daughter of Henry Mayer’s sister, Emma.
But the location of Private Henry Mayer’s grave remained a mystery. When the mass grave of Australian and British soldiers was exhumed at Pheasant Wood, Fromelles in 2009, Henry Mayer’s descendants, including Miss Newton, provided DNA samples.
The remains of Private Henry Mayer were identified in March and were reinterred with 250 other soldiers in a new Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery at Fromelles.
“It was a moving experience to be able to find him after all this time,” Miss Newton said.
“We were always aware of him.
“We have letters from him and my mother kept his memory alive.”
Private Mayer’s New Testament will be taken back to France for the dedication service of the new cemetery on July 19 in the presence of Prince Charles and Australian Governor-General Quentin Bryce.
It will be carried by Families and Friends of the First AIF (FFFAIF), vice-president, Jim Munro who carried out the research on Private Henry Mayer.
Following the service, relatives visit the graves of individual soldiers.
“I will hand Private Mayer’s New Testament to the chaplain who will read from it at a Family Reflection Service at his grave site,” Mr Munro said.
About nine of Private Mayer’s relatives will be present.
Around the same time, Helen Newton will lay a wreath in memory of her uncle at the RSL Memorial at Mortdale Memorial Park.

*****

The Families and Friends of the First AIF thanks the Australian, UK and French Governments for affording Australian and British soldiers dignified individual reburials in the new CWGC cemetery at Fromelles, and applauds the Australian and British Governments for their joint decision to DNA test the remains at exhumation and use every reasonable method to attempt identification of each soldier.

  

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Bench for Talbot House

On Saturday 10^th April 2010 members of the Laffin Family gathered at Talbot House in Poperinge for the unveiling of a commemorative bench for John and Hazelle Laffin in the gardens of TochH.

Belgian FFFAIF member Johan Durnez reports on the event:

Many of you will recognize this building. It’s the famous Talbot House in Poperinge and today it had the Australian flag (and the flag of Poperinge) flying at the front door.

Today, there was the unveiling of a special bench in the garden of this place, a bench to commemorate the Australian historian John Laffin and his wife Hazelle who spent many many many hours in this place and in the area of Flanders battlefields.

And as we are Belgian members of the FFFAIF (John Laffin is the Founder and Patron in Memoriam of the Families and Friends of the First AIF ) we were invited and did not want to miss this event.

It started at 10 am in the Concert Hall where we got a general introduction by Jan Louwagie to the history of this place and where we watched a (re-enacted) film of such a concert. Very good and very special when you think of the fact that many thousands of men sat on the place where you sit now to watch the same kind of amusement.

After that followed a guided tour in the Talbot House with a focus on the Australian presence and relics.  And of course… we had Ozzie with us and she was really interested in exploring the places. She even tried the bed in the General’s Room. But she behaved very well in the most sacred place of the house, the Upper Room. A very special place, this chapel in the attic – especially when you think of all these young men who have been there…

The right one of the chandeliers (originally from a four-poster-bed!) has a brass plaque saying ‘in memory of the Australians who worshipped here in 1917’.

At 11.30 am we gathered in the garden for the unveiling of the bench. The Australian flag was removed by John’s sisters.

Then it was the son of John who spoke to the audience.

You see that we were lucky with the weather. The day started foggy but the sun was strong enough to break through. It was lovely to stand in the sun (shadow was still pretty chilly!)

And guess who was the first to sit on the bench…

 

But soon she got some company…

And then it was time for some family pictures.

And to Flemish standards… it was more than time then to have the social function with the local beer ‘Hommelbier’ (‘hommel’ is the Poperinge dialect for hops!) You probably all know these two Belgian members of the FFFAIF? [Ivan and Johan]

I hope that we were able to give you a taste of again a great Aussie day here in Flanders.

*****

Thanks Johan for sharing your day with us.
For more photos of the unveiling of the John & Hazelle Laffin Memorial bench in the garden of Talbot House, Poperinge click here

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