Clunes Methodist Church Roll of Honour

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Author: Clunes RSL Sub-Branch

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This elaborate wooden honour board with two wings attached originally sat in the Clunes Methodist Church at Service Street, Clunes.

The roll honours the ‘members of families of the Clunes Methodist Church and Sunday School who have joined the Australian Expeditionary Forces in the sacred cause of freedom’. 

The Roll of Honour was unveiled by Reverand W. T. Hiatt, at a special service held on Sunday evening 8th August 1915 in the Methodist Church. The service was held to mark the first anniversary of the declaration of war by Great Britain against Germany, as well as to unveil the Roll of Honour. In addition to the Church congregation, those present included members and officers of the Borough Council and the local detachment of cadets.  

The original Roll of Honour contained a central panel with twenty names of men who had enlisted at the time of the unveiling. As the war progressed two hinged wings were attached to include the names of those who enlisted after 1915.

In 1997 the Roll of Honour was accepted into the care of the Clunes RSL Sub-Branch and now sits in the main hall of the RSL building at 30 Fraser Street, Clunes.

The names on the Roll of Honour are:

Left wing

Pte B. Coombe; Pte E. Coombe; Pte E. Ogier; Pte E. Dunstan; Pte W. Steinhauser; Pte P. Wadman-Smith; Pte E. Andrews; Pte W. Lewis; Pte A. Barrett; Pte J. Spark.

Central panel

Pte H. Barkell; Pte B.J. Wood; Pte G.C. Wood; Pte H. W. Wood; Pte H. Pickford +; Pte A. E. Boxshall; Pte G. Pollington; Pte R. J. Grenfell +; Pte J. Grenfell +; Pte G. S. Davey; Pte T. Oliver; Pte R. Oliver +; Pte F. Sharp; Pte G. Christie; Pte A. King +; Pte A. Ogier; Pte E. J. Dwyer +; Pte A. Pickford; Pte C. H. Jones +; Pte D. Phillips.

Right Wing

Pte C. Foulkes; Pte T. H. Bray; Pte J. Oliver; Pte C. Seers; Pte V. Rowe; Pte P. Rowe; Pte P. Turnbull; Pte A. Ogier +; Pte W. Pearce; Pte D. E. Atkins.

+ denotes died in service

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