Photo: Her Excellency, the Governor-General of Australia, Ms Quentin Bryce AC, with the Australian Ambassador to France, His Excellency Mr David Ritchie, at Fromelles.
The Governor-General of Australia, Ms Quentin Bryce AC, visited Fromelles on 9 November 2008. During her visit commemoration services were held at VC Corner Military Cemetery and Pheasant Wood. Secretary of the F.W.T.M. (Fromelles Museum), Carole Laignel, was amongst the official party and has sent of photographic account of the visit.
Photo: The Governor-General paying tribute to fallen Australians at VC Corner Cemetery, Fromelles.
Photo: Visitors during the wreath laying at VC Corner.
Photo: Mayor of Fromelles, Hubert Huchette, leads the official party across the field to the Pheasant Wood memorial site.
Photo: Guard of Honour at Pheasant Wood Memorial site.
Photo: The Governor-General laying a wreath at Pheasant Wood, Fromelles.
Photo: Quiet reflection
Photo: Martial Delebarre (President Association Fromelles-Weppes-Terre de Memoire 14-18 (F.W.T.M. 14-18 ), Hubert Huchette (Mayor of Fromelles) and Francis Delattre (President de Union des Anciens Combattants – de l’UNC)
Members of Australian Ex-Service Organisations, wearing ties issued to mark the 90th Anniversary of the Armistice, also laid a wreath on behalf of their members. The representatives were: Mr Les Dwyer -National President, Naval Association of Australia; Major General Bill Crews AO (Retd) – National President, Returned & Services League of Australia; Mrs Audrey Blood OAM -National President, War Widows’ Guild of Australia; Air Vice Marshal Roxley McLennan AO (Retd) – National President, Royal Australian Air Force Association. Mr David Grierson – Chairman, Legacy National Coordinating Council. (see left to right in photo below)
Photo: Members of the Union des Anciens Combattants (UNC)
Photo: Discussions after the Pheasant Wood service.
On the evening of Monday 10 November the villagers and visitors to Fromelles gathered in the church for a commemoration service. The choir, which includes the Secretary of the F.W.T.M., Carole Laignel and Therese Huchette, sang hymns of Remembrance during the service.
Photo: Remembrance Mass Fromelles Church 10 November 2008 [Carole Laignel]
THE STORY CONTINUES IN 11/11 at FROMELLES 3
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The Families and Friends of the First AIF thanks the Australian, UK and French governments for affording Australian and British soldiers – presently buried in mass graves at Pheasant Wood – dignified individual reburials in a new CWGC cemetery at Fromelles, and applauds Minister Snowdon and his British counterpart, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans, Kevan Jones MP, for their joint decision to DNA test the remains at exhumation and use every reasonable method to attempt identification of each soldier.