{"id":11498,"date":"2016-07-24T03:02:51","date_gmt":"2016-07-23T17:02:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fffaif.org.au\/?p=11498"},"modified":"2016-11-02T14:24:18","modified_gmt":"2016-11-02T04:24:18","slug":"commemorations-of-the-battle-of-fromelles-19-20-july-1916","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fffaif.org.au\/?p=11498","title":{"rendered":"Commemorations of the Battle of Fromelles 19-20 July 1916"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fromelles<\/span><\/h2>\n

6 headstones were dedicated at the commemoration service at the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery. Now 150 of the 250 headstones indicate the identity of the soldier whose grave it marks. The identities of a further 78 of the 100 soldiers buried in the cemetery with full military honours in 2010 are known, but not yet matched to the headstone marking their grave.<\/span><\/p>\n

More than 2,500 people attended the service on a day when the temperature rose above 35C, similar to\u00a0when the cemetery was dedicated in 2010. The commemoration service was shown live on ABC TV, as was the commemorative service at VC Corner\u00a0and both are available in ABC iview\u00a0as Australia Remembers: WW1 Centenary Services<\/span><\/p>\n

Pheasant Wood Commemorative Service and Headstone Dedication<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or<\/span>
\n http:\/\/iview.abc.net.au\/programs\/australia-remembers-wwi-centenary-services\/FA158; and<\/span>
\n VC Corner Commemorative Service<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or<\/span>
\n http:\/\/iview.abc.net.au\/programs\/australia-remembers-wwi-centenary-services\/FA1589H002S00<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Sydney Procession from the Archibald Fountain to the ANZAC Memorial\u00a0Commemorative Service
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The Families and Friends of the First AIF hosted the 100th<\/sup> Anniversary Commemoration of The Battle of Fromelles at The ANZAC Memorial Hyde Park, Sydney on Tuesday 19 July 2016. On a warm sunny morning, the Commemoration was preceded by a commemorative walk from the Archibald Fountain to the ANZAC Memorial celebrating the bond between Australia and France in The Great War.\u00a0 The procession was led by Professor the Hon. Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO and the President of FFFAIF, Jim Munro and FFFAIF member Jill Hayes, M. Nicolas Croizer, Consul-General for the Republic of France, The Hon Luke Foley MP, Leader of the Opposition, The Hon David Elliott MP, Minister for Veteran\u2019s Affairs, Mr. John Haines AM, Acting\u00a0President, NSW RSL and Mr Peter Poulet, NSW Government Architect and Mr Ken Corke, Director, Office of Australian War Graves and Mr Hadyn White of the Department of Veterans\u2019 Affairs.\u00a0\u00a0. They were supported by M Jean Louis Worobec and members of the French North African Veterans\u2019 Association and members of FFFAIF and the public.<\/span>
\n \"2016<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\"2016<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

The procession travelled the distance of “400 yards”, equivalent to the widest part of “No-man’s land” on the Fromelles battlefield, and paid homage to the 5th Division veterans marching to the ANZAC Memorial for the 50th anniversary commemoration in 1966. The participants in the procession were greeted by FFFAIF Commemorations Officer Margaret Snodgrass and joined those gathered at the ANZAC Memorial including ANZAC Centenary Ambassadors and the Trustees of the ANZAC Memorial as well as Deputy Commissioner David Hudson APM of the NSW Police Force, representatives of the Armed Forces, Ex-Service organisations, War Widows and descendants.\u00a0\u00a0The Holy Family Choir Menai sang some Gathering songs and led more than 200 attendees in singing the Recessional: O Valiant Hearts,<\/em> after which Master of Ceremonies, Darren Mitchell commenced\u00a0the Commemoration with a period of silence\u00a0for the Bastille Day victims in Nice, and their grieving families.<\/span>
\n A message from the Patron of the FFAIF,\u00a0and\u00a0Governor General of Australia His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd) was read before the Prologue was delivered by the Hon. Mike Baird MP, Premier of New South Wales who emphasised the strength of the bond between France and Australia a century ago and today.<\/span>
\n Pastor Bob Durbin led a prayer, followed by Major-General Gus Gilmore, AO, DSC of\u00a0The Australian Army delivering the Commemorative Address.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\"Major-General<\/a>

Major-General Gus Gilmore, AO, DSC of The Australian Army delivering the Commemorative Address<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Consul-General for the Republic of France, M. Nicolas Croizer, delivered a Message from France, expressing appreciation for Australian support since The Great War and continuing today. A Family Reflection was delivered by FFFAIF member, Mrs Margaret Darling, conveying the impact on their family of the search for the “missing” soldiers Fromelles and the\u00a0re-discovery of their graves, exhumation, identification and re-interment with full military honours.\u00a0Wreaths were laid while Piper Jim Braid played the Lament.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"2016<\/span><\/a> \"2016<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Wreath laying supported by the RSL Corps of Guards (L to R), Hon. Mike Baird MP, Premier of New South Wales, M. Nicolas Croizer, Consul-General for the Republic of France,\u00a0 Major-General Gus Gilmore, AO, DSC of\u00a0The Australian Army,\u00a0 Mrs Rhondda Vanzella\u00a0OAM, State President War Widows Guild,\u00a0 The Hon David Elliott MP, Minister for Veteran\u2019s Affairs on behalf of the Trustees of the ANZAC Memorial and Mr. John Haines AM, Acting\u00a0President, NSW RSL for the Fifth Division of the AIF.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

\"2016<\/span><\/a>\"2016\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Laying wreaths were Mr. John Haines AM, Acting\u00a0President, NSW RSL for the Fifth Division of the AIF, Professor The Hon Dame Marie Bashir AD, CVO and<\/span>
\n Mr Jean-Louis Worobec, President of the French Veterans\u2019 Association.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also laying wreaths were:<\/span>
\n The Hon Luke Foley MP, Leader of the Opposition,<\/span>
\n Wing Commander Kylie Cimen, representing the Air Commander Australia on behalf of the Royal Australian Air Force.<\/span>
\n Deputy Commissioner David Hudson representing the NSW Police Commissioner, on behalf of the NSW Police Force, together with<\/span>
\n Mr Ken Corke, Director, Office of Australian War Graves, and<\/span>
\n Mr Hadyn White on behalf of the Department of Veterans\u2019 Affairs.<\/span>
\n Mrs Margaret Darling, Mr John Darling and Mr Harrison Tebb in memory of Ernest Jentsch and<\/span>
\n Mr Royce Lockhart,\u00a0Vice President,\u00a0 Australian World War One Descendants,<\/span>
\n Mr Roger Selby, Secretary, NSW Association of Jewish Ex-Service Men and Women<\/span>
\n President Mr Mark McIntyre and Mr Malcolm Little OAM CStJ representing Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL Sub-branch,<\/span>
\n President Mr Ron Brown OAM and Mr George\u00a0Sachse, Representing The National Servicemen\u2019s Association\u00a0NSW.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Last Post was played by Terry McCleary of the Fire and Rescue NSW Band before FFFAIF member and grandson of Margaret Darling, Harrison Tebb recited The Ode followed by silence and The Rouse. After a closing prayer and blessing, the Epilogue was delivered by President of FFFAIF, Jim Munro and the National Anthems of France and Australia were sung to close the commemoration.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the commemorations, refreshments of ANZAC biscuits and warm beverages encouraged social interactions while special guests were\u00a0farewelled by Mr Jim Munro, Ms Jill Hayes and Mrs Margaret Snodgrass.<\/span><\/p>\n

Special thanks go the Trustees of the ANZAC Memorial, their staff, and contractors for providing the marquees, sound system and to the caterers Fit for a King. The presence of the Holy Family Choir of\u00a0Menai and the RSL Corps of Guards\u00a0and the Australian Army Flag Party along with the French Veterans\u00a0contributed significantly to the solemnity and\u00a0formality of the commemoration as did Master of Ceremonies, Darren Mitchell and Protocol Manager, Alexander Weilsmann and FFFAIF member Jill Hayes. Photographer Rob Tuckwell has provided a good photographic record of the occasion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Special thanks go to the Organising Committee of Margaret Snodgrass,\u00a0Darren Mitchell,\u00a0Belinda Mitrovich, Michael Trenear, Alexander Weilsmann,\u00a0Franziska Zuercher Mindrup,\u00a0 Nick Young, Jeff O’Brien, Douglas James, Rosie Patrielli, and Program designer\u00a0Anneke Jasinski.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jim Munro, President of FFFAIF<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fromelles 6 headstones were dedicated at the commemoration service at the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery. Now 150 of the 250 headstones indicate the identity of the soldier whose grave it marks. The identities of a further 78 of the … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,106],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commemorations","category-fromelles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fffaif.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fffaif.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fffaif.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fffaif.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fffaif.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11498"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/fffaif.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11498\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12090,"href":"https:\/\/fffaif.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11498\/revisions\/12090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fffaif.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fffaif.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fffaif.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}