Remembering some of our WW1 families
History Notes
The centenary of the clock is upon us. This week there are lots of different people and happenings to remember and celebrate. I wonder if anyone has thought about those left behind when our soldiers enlisted and went off to war. How sad was the crowd who saw the train leave the station taking so many of their family members and residents off to war?
Before leaving this paragraph I must mention the wives, children and girlfriends of some of these soldiers, I know of a couple, who did not know if they would ever see their loved ones again and in one case did not.
We pause to remember great grandfathers and great uncles who did not return to their home country and families. Their names are listed on the clock for posterity as well as on several Memorial Boards such as the one in the Church of England. Sometimes of course there is a name missing all together as the body was never found.
Clive Crowley's mother wrote to him often and some of the letters were returned with his belongings after his demise. She filled him in on happenings on Cobbadah Station and ended each one wishing he would be home soon.
The Witten family were told that Sid had been injured on 1st April with no follow up communication about his condition for six weeks. A letter then arrived to say that he had passed away the day after his injury - how sad that must have been for the whole family.
We must spare a moment to remember both the soldier and his family when this happened - if you count the names on the clock, it concerned a large number of people.
Returning to the clock itself - a credit to those locals who worked out how best to build a clock in 1924 and then did such a good job, that after a hundred years it still seems to be in perfect order. I wonder why there was no plaque to note the date of erection and the builders in 1924.
Now on a more cheerful note this weekend is the second weekend in the month and so it is Market Day. I am told there are great stalls including sewing, hand-made dolls, Christmas gifts and a lovely hat rack raffle which will be drawn on Saturday - just the thing to hang on the back verandah for the boss's hat.