Forgotten Kearsley veteran honoured on Anzac Day
Jordan FallonMore than 90 years after vanishing without a trace, a veteran was publicly honoured for the first time by his hometown of Kearsley on Anzac Day 2024.
American-born Private Michael Conway was living in Sydney at the outbreak of World War I and felt compelled to make a contribution to the defence of the values of his adopted country.
In 1915, he enlisted with the Mining Corps of the Australian Army and before he knew it, Private Conway was in the muddy trenches of the Western Front.
His experiences on the warfront were not too dissimilar to those of his fellow Australians. He made his way around northern France and Belgium defending the values and freedoms of his King and country.
Following the signing of the Armistice, Private Conway was relived to be returning home. However, while en route back to Australia, he failed to return to his troop ship after he docked at Cape Town.
When the Australian authorities finally tracked him down, little mercy was shown. Following his conviction at Court Martial, Private Conway was sentenced to 90 days imprisonment.
Upon his release from military prison and his return to civil society, Private Conway moved around a bit, before arriving at Kearsley in the Hunter Valley.
He wrote to his mother, Bridget, who was living in Pennsylvania, letting her know that he had discovered a beautiful mining village, securing accommodation at Kearsley Hotel.
Private Conway’s mother recognised that the peaceful and cheery atmosphere of Kearsley was just what he needed. It was a world away from the trauma and misery of the battlefields.
However, after a while, letters from Private Conway stopped coming. Bridget could not understand why.
She did some digging and then found the answer. Private Conway had vanished into thin air. One day he walked out of Kearsley Hotel and never returned.
There wasn’t much Bridget could do. The trip from Pennsylvania to Kearsley would take months via ship and was too expensive.
Bridget published a small article in The Newcastle Sun in February 1932 pleading for answers.
But nothing came of it. No one knew where Private Conway had gone. He never re-emerged.
Bridget went to her grave never knowing what had happened to her son.
She had held her breath during the years he was at war and then supported him while he was in trouble with the law.
She would never have anticipated that the peaceful and cheery mining village of Kearsley would take her son.
Private Conway never re-emerged. There are no public records and no recorded grave.
On Anzac Day 2024, the Kearsley Community Dawn Service Committee unveiled a memorial plaque on the World War I Bench of Remembrance at Kearsley Community Hall to honour the service of Private Conway.
This ensured that 109 years on from his enlistment and 92 years on from his disappearance, Private Conway finally received acknowledgement for his service during World War I.
