22 soldiers publicly recognised a century on from their service
Jordan FallonFor more than a century their stories of service and sacrifice have been hidden from public view, but recently 22 men from the villages of Kearsley, Abernethy and Edenville were finally recognised for their efforts during World War I.
The Kearsley Community Dawn Service Committee hosted a remembrance ceremony where the Minister for Veterans, the Honourable David Elliott MP, unveiled individual memorial plaques to commemorate the service and lives of each the local men.
It had been believed that only 31 men from Kearsley, Abernethy and Edenville served during World War I, with each of them receiving formal recognition previously.
However, the lockdown in the second half of 2021 afforded the Committee the opportunity to explore historical electoral rolls and identify local men who had lived in the local area – before or after World War I – but were living elsewhere when they enlisted.
“Countless hours were spent going through the 1913 and 1930 electoral rolls to identify all the males living in Kearsley, Abernethy and Edenville. Their names were entered into the National Archives to see whether they had any World War I service” Jordan Fallon, Chairperson of the Committee, said.
The rigorous system of cross-checking the National Archives also included confirming the next-of-kin details listed on service records aligned with family members recorded on the electoral roll.
The individual memorial plaques will be on display in the Kearsley Remembrance Garden which was built to honour local service personnel, offering an ongoing reminder of their service to Australia.
“For the ones who returned home, they just picked up where they had left off. Going through their records – both public and private ones – you get a sense of how humble they were, but also how troubled many were from what they had seen and experienced. They just didn’t talk about it” Jordan Fallon said.
“They carried on with their lives, never seeking any recognition for their deeds and efforts. Some of those uncovered had been awarded Military Medals for gallant actions but our community knows nothing about this”.
“That is one of our key drivers, making sure those local men and women who served our nation were publicly honoured for the contribution they made – whether it be at home or abroad”.
Three of the 22 men died as a result of their service during World War I, including Sapper George Answer of Abernethy, who died at home just weeks after the signing of the Armistice from health complications brought on by his time on the Western Front.
At 50 years of age, Sapper Answer was the oldest local resident to serve overseas. At the time of his death, he was honoured with a full military funeral, but he was buried in an unmarked grave at Cessnock Cemetery.
It was not until 2021 that the Committee discovered his final resting place and worked to have a headstone installed by the Office of Australian War Graves to recognise his service and sacrifice during World War I.
