Elisabeth Champion
SIX Mount Gambier/Berrin World War One veterans have finally been given the recognition they deserve, having headstones unveiled last week.
The six veterans – Private Thomas Comini, Private James Vaughan Glanville, Corporal Eric Llewelyn Hutchins, Private Michael Lyons, Private Reginald Shane Shepherd and Private John Joseph Venaskie- have all had headstone installed, after previously being buried in unmarked graves in Lake Terrace Cemetery.
The new markings are thanks to the Headstone Project, a Australian not-for-profit which researches the graves of returned World War One veterans to ensure they are appropriately marked.
President of the Headstone Project John Brownlie said the organisation wants to recognise the service of the soldiers.
“With the headstone project, we seek out the final resting place of veterans from WW1 who currently lie in unmarked graves, and we find those graves, identify the veteran and verify his service credentials – he must have served overseas to qualify under our brief.
“So when we verify that, we then erect a monument and a memorial plaque to honour his service to his country.”
Returned soldiers were often buried in unmarked graves for many reasons – some families were unable to afford it, and some simply had no family to arrange it.
“These men have been too long forgotten,” Mr Brownlie said.
“Sadly, a lot of them came to their end in dire circumstances, either poverty or problems with alcohol or even coming home to ageing parents who, when they’ve died, leave no one to bury the veteran.
“There’s a variety of reasons why they’re here, but we’re saddened by the fact that our governments, ever since the end of World War One, really neglected these people.
“The veterans who fall in battle are in some of the war cemeteries across the world, beautifully maintained and funded in part by our government.
“Veterans who make it back and whose deaths are directly attributable to the war service are picked up by the Department of Veterans Affairs so they too get a fully funded grave.
“Our men fell through the cracks. They didn’t have an entitlement to anything. So it was up to the families or communities or whomever to to look after their burial.”
Families of the veterans attended the service and helped in unveiling the new plaques.
Mr Brownlie said that while researching the six veterans, they had since identified many other unmarked graves at the cemetery.
