Family history across the seas

The impact of World War I was felt throughout all the nations who were involved in that conflict. The losses hit Australian families hard as their loved ones died so far from home and were interred, or remembered, in places where they were unlikely to ever visit. War Memorials became a local way of remembering their dead and it is an unusual town of any size in Australia which doesn’t have one.

Travelling interstate during the year we came across this one which honours those who joined the Snowy River recruitment march in January 1916. While it commenced in the town of Delegate, men joined from all the towns, large and small, along the way. This link from the Australian War Memorial explains in some detail. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C158206

The Delegate Argus newspaper gave information on the march: daily activity on the march http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122906791 and the itinerary for men wishing to join the march. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122906644

The same newspaper tells the (lengthy) story of the arrival of the men at Goulburn as the march was concluded on 8 February 1916. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122908909

Those who returned home were welcomed with receptions and gifts but those who had died were not forgotten.

Similarly, other mentions can be found including this letter at the end of the war from C J Swaddling in May 1919, at the end of the war. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article119060690

Lest we forget