Have You Ever Stopped at a War Memorial?

Two weeks ago The Friends of the 15th Brigade commemortive organisation, to which I belong, conducted its annual service at the Shrine of Remembrance to honour the WW1 Battle of Fromelles. A number of veterans, like me, had relatives in that battle.

My grandfather, Walter Wilson. was a sergeant in the 57th Batallion in WW1 – a unit within the 15th Brigade. He arrived in France in 1916 although his Battalion was held in reseve during this battle. 

At Fromelles, In less than 24 hours, the Australian 5th Division suffered over 5,500 casualties, with many killed, wounded, or missing. This made it one of the bloodiest days in Australian military history. The Australian War Memorial describes it in this way:

Fromelles was the first major battle fought by Australian troops on the Western Front. Directed against a strong German position known as the Sugar Loaf salient, the attack was intended primarily as a feint to draw German troops away from the Somme offensive then being pursued further to the south. A seven-hour preparatory bombardment deprived the attack of any hope of surprise, and ultimately proved ineffective in subduing the well-entrenched defenders. When the troops of the 5th Australian and 61st British Divisions attacked at 6 pm on 19 July 1916, they suffered heavily at the hands of German machine-gunners. Small parts of the German trenches were captured by the 8th and 14th Australian Brigades, but, devoid of flanking support and subjected to fierce counter-attacks, they were forced to withdraw. By 8am on 20 July 1916, the battle was over. The 5th Australian Division suffered 5,533 casualties, rendering it incapable of offensive action for many months; the 61st British Division suffered 1,547. The German casualties were little more than 1,000. The attack was a complete failure as the Germans realised within a few hours it was merely a feint. It therefore had no impact whatsoever upon the progress of the Somme offensive.

August also begins a month of commemorations for the Vietnam War and the Battle of Long Tan. August 18 is the anniversary of this most significant battle in which Australians fought in the Vietnam War. 

Along with about 100 other people, last Friday, I attended a service at our local Doncaster RSL to commemorate this event. We have had the coldest winter in Melbourne for over 30 years but the sun was shining and it was a pleasant afternoon.

One of the speakers was Lieutenant Peter Fraser who commanded an Infantry Platoon in Vietnam. He gave a very poignant address about the stories of two men who died under his command. His stories about them bought home the fact that, sadly, young lives with a potentially strong future are lost in war and we should be very grateful for their commitment.

Our federal politician, Keith Wallahan, an Afghanistan War veteran, also spoke. Part of his address was the point that we should not only remember, but also publicise, the names of those who gave their lives on active service. They should not be forgotten.

That’s the main reason why I always look at the names on war memorials in the places that we visit. It is common to see a number of people with the same family name who died in WW1. Less so in WW2, but the number of names is long. There are occasionally names recorded from the 501 Australian men who gave their lives in Vietnam.

It’s sad that most members of the community simply walk past these memorials and give these names little more than a quick glance as they pass by. These are not just names – they were young men (mostly) who gave their lives unselfishly for their country. Because their place of death is generally in a far away land, these memorials became important as the equivalent of a grave where mothers could go to mourn their lost sons.

Next time you pass by a war memorial, whether it be a local one or in a little country town that you are visiting, I encourage you to pause and observe the names listed on it. Wonder, for a moment what jobs these people had before enlisting. Think about the horrble circumstances in which those men (all young, with their lives ahead of them) may have died. Reflect on the effects of their death on their parents, extended families and loved ones. Whilst they gave their lives as the supreme sacrifice, think about the positive benefits that the country may have gained from their lives if they had survived. What a contribution to the community might they have made!

These memorials need more respect than just a passing glance.