South Australian War Memorials

TRIBUTES of HONOUR

DEDICATION

Tributes of Honour is dedicated to all persons who served Australia in times of conflict and peace keeping operations, whether it be overseas or at home, whether it be facing the enemy on hostile lands or being supportive from the home front in civil defence, industry, on the land, or in the family home, this country could not have survived without the other. Each did what was asked of them and more, many paid the supreme sacrifice. A debt Australians are proud to honour.

INTRODUCTION

Since Jacqui and I began recording War Veteran's Memorials I have often been asked why did we undertake such a daunting task? There are many reasons I suspect, pride, honour, loyalty, history, the sense that our heritage is being lost in a world that is heading into the unknown at breakneck speed. In reality it was something that we thought needed to be done and we had the time, resources and desire to carry it out.

When we first began this project we asked ourselves several questions, most we could answer at the time, the rest we answered over the period of our venture. Since time immemorial, some men and women have had the insatiable hunger for power and the domination of others. History has shown that in almost every generation there has been a war of some intensity or a continuation of a war on some part of the earth. Australia has not seen a day since World War 11 where her men and women have not been involved in a peacekeeping activity. The current global situation today, shows that there is still a continuing struggle for power and domination. While these acts of war or terrorism are allowed to happen, peace loving nations like Australia will be called upon to help defend global peace and sadly, we may have more memorials for those we lose or are harmed.

What is a memorial? Why do people need memorials? Two simple questions, the answers are equally as simple. A memorial is an object or structure that serves to maintain the memory of a person or to preserve the remembrance of an event. Another question often asked: "Is a War Veteran's Memorial for the glorification of war?" Most definitely not. It is an object that tells us of the bravery and the sacrifice of those who stood in harms way. It tells of the respect and pride held by their kinfolk, friends and a proud people. The need for a memorial is to cement our place in history, to find our place in the heritage of this country, to tell others of the valiant deeds of people from all over the State of South Australia:

To remind us to never forget.

Another question asked is, "What is the difference between a War Memorial and a War Veteran's Memorial"? In Australia we do not and never have celebrated any war or battle, we only honour those involved in such conflicts. Australian memorials honour our people who have served in the defence of peace and liberty for all Australians, we have never been an aggressor but an upholder of the rights of mankind, ready to defend and die for those rights when called upon. Australian memorials honour our men and women for their courage, valour, loyalty, love of country and fellow man.

A memorial can be a monument, a cairn, a building, honour boards, even a tree. It can be a park, gates to a sporting complex, the name of a street or a town. It can honour a person, a regiment, a weapon, or a battle. It instils within us pride of being Australian and what Australia stands for:

Freedom: freedom in all its forms.

Some of the earliest memorials in South Australia date back to the Crimea War: October 1853 to August 1856. This war was known as "The Unnecessary War". The town of Alma was named after the Alma River battle, 20 September 1854. The town of Balaklava after the Battle of Balaklava, 25 October 1854 and the town of Inkerman after the Battle of Inkerman, 5 November 1854. There is a current trend of thought that the town of Owen was named after General John Owen who served in the Crimea War. These four towns are located within close proximity of each other.

During the Crimea War a dedicated humanitarian, Florence Nightingale (12 May 1820-13 August 1910) began a revolutionary way of treating the wounded. This remarkable lady was the founder of trainee nursing as a women's profession, the forbear of our Australian Nursing Service, to whom so many are eternally indebted.

One of South Australia's earliest buildings, the 'Pretoria Hotel' in Mannum, was named after the victory of the battle at Pretoria during the South African War 1900. Another memorial event was the Siege of Mafeking. For 218 days Australian and British troops held the Boers at bay from the 15th October 1899 to the 17th May 1900 until relieved on the 30th May 1900. The 30th May is now celebrated in Australia as Mafeking day.

Following World War 1, known as the Great War - "The war to end all wars", large sums of money were raised by the people of the relevant districts to show their appreciation and respect. From 1916 almost every small town had a monument or building erected and dedicated to their heroes. No expense was to be spared; there would never be another war.

The suburb Klemzig, named by early German settlers, was renamed Gaza in 1918 in honour of the Light Horse Brigade World War 1 battles at Gaza in Palestine during 1917. The name reverted back to Klemzig in the 1920's.

During the next generation came a bigger catastrophe, World War 2 with it's never before seen horrors. Whilst the Australian military losses were not as great as in World War 1, the extent of the conflict and civilian losses were much greater. A naïve world woke up, realisation set in that times since the origins of mankind, will never change. War is a festering cancer that is waiting to break out, never to be fully suppressed. History has taught us that peace-loving peoples can never relax their vigilance.

Following the allied victory of World War 2, a different attitude was taken with our returning service personnel. Times were hard, rationing lasted for years, and money was not available for expensive memorials although the people were equally as proud as they had been for the World War 1 veterans. Where possible, the World War 1 memorials were utilised with the addition of the names to be honoured added to the existing memorial. The days for elaborately decorated memorials had long passed.

Three years after the end of World War 2 in 1948, communistic insurgency broke out in Malaya, Australian forces were again in combat.

In 1950 war erupted in Korea, Australia was part of a United Nations force that brought the action to an unsteady ceasefire in 1953. The public were becoming weary of war so the powers that be decided to call it a "Police Action". The returning servicemen and women were barely given a welcome home.

In 1964 a disturbance in Borneo saw Australian forces in action once more, these men and women were also totally ignored at the time.

From 1962 to 1974 Australia was again at war alongside the USA in South Vietnam, "The Unpopular War". Many of the returning servicemen of this conflict were scorned, abused and suffered dishonour from sections of the Australian public for doing their duty and obeying orders as dictated by the government of the day. The trauma of having a bucket of animal's blood thrown over servicemen, called murderers and baby killers, who fought in the belief of their country and its people, irrespective of the political climate, is incomprehensible and a shame hangs heavy on the heads of the militant so called "Peace Activists" of the period.

Since 1945 Australia has been involved with United Nations peacekeeping forces worldwide including among others:

Lebanon, India, Borneo, West Sahara, Persian Gulf, Bougainville, East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq.

It was only during the Vietnam conflict that our servicemen who were killed overseas were returned home, prior to this, the men and women who died overseas were interred in the country where they fell. These countries now look upon our war dead as their own, caring and tending the many war cemeteries that were designed and developed by and with the continuing responsibility of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Office of Australian War Graves. Following the Gallipoli campaign and the reverence held by Australians of Anzac fame, the Turkish Government now class our soldiers killed in battle and buried in their country as their own sons because of the blood that was shed upon their soil.

The greater majority of early memorials only recorded those killed in action, citizens began to become concerned when many men returned home and died of their wounds but were not honoured on a memorial, nor were those that served overseas. Honour Boards were developed to overcome his problem in a more economical but no less honourable form of remembrance. Originators of the Honour Boards deemed all personnel, irrespective of where they served, be it overseas or at home, were duly honoured for their service to King and Country. Honour Boards can be found in RSL buildings, Council Offices, Public Halls, Schools, Churches, Sporting Complexes and Lodges. Finances and imagination only limited their design and size. Civilian businesses and Trade Unions created many Honour Boards, for example the South Australian Railways were prolific in producing Honour Boards and almost every workshop had one. Owing to the quantity of Honour Boards produced (estimated in the thousands) this project will be extremely difficult to complete as many were destroyed in the late seventies and through the 1980's during the backlash to the Vietnam conflict and without photographs, they are lost for all time.

Debates have raged for many years relating to the conflict dates on various World War 1 memorials and honour boards in particular. Most people realise that the Armistice (a temporary ceasing of hostilities) was signed on the 11th November 1918, what many people do not realise is that the peace treaty was not signed until the 28th June 1919. Many Honour Boards have the dates 1914-1918, or 1914-1919 and yet others 1914-191, the rest of the year is omitted because these boards were constructed in 1918 or early 1919 and the peace treaty had not yet been signed. This is where the debate begins; neither argument is incorrect.

The difference of the spelling of the word "Honour" was one of the first curiosities we noticed. "Honor" was the common English way to spell the word in the 19th and early 20th century, the majority of the memorials following World War 1 spelt the word as the Americans spell it today: Honor. The memorials following World War 2 however, spell it as Honour (unless it is maintained in uniformity with a World War 1 memorial). When the change of spelling arose is unknown at this date.

Owing to the close proximity of the communities, some names are recorded on more than one memorial. Time has taken its toll on several of the memorials, dependent upon the material of their construction. Letters or details are fading or missing, caused by corrosion from the elements, especially those near the sea. Thankfully, vandalism in most instances is minor. Many of the inscriptions are such that they will wrench the staunchest of souls, words that render the heart with pride.

Many restoration projects are currently being undertaken by local councils or committees in an attempt to bring the memorials back to their original status, but this action can be extremely expensive and time consuming. Thankfully the Department of Veterans' Affairs, RSL and private organisations are being subsidised by the Federal, State Governments, local Councils or historical groups to ensure our heritage is respected and maintained.

Tributes of Honour has become very personal to me, as I write each name from a memorial; the impact of war, its tragedy and futility makes me more aware of one of the most unnecessary evils of mankind. I find it difficult to write for any length of time before emotion overcomes me. I was brought up in the days when men were men and boys, to become real men, never cried: it was a sign of weakness. I had lived with that belief all my life until I began Tributes of Honour. I find now that I cannot stop the tears of pride. On Anzac Day when the eerie lone bugle call of the Last Post peels through the cold morning air, I find it extremely difficult to hold back those tears of pride.

We hope that schools and public libraries will take up Tributes of Honour, as a receptacle of learning. Historians and genealogy students will find it invaluable in their research and families will have one more memorial. Tributes of Honour of yesterday is created for the children of tomorrow.

The next time you see a memorial, pause to reflect. Read the inscription from a heartfelt community. Read of the love, the pain, the anguish and of the tragic losses that are hidden between the words. Feel the pride that has created one of the greatest nations on earth. Then lower your head and shed a moment: for those who have shed so much for us all.

In closing this introduction I would like to repeat the reputed words of a dying soldier to his mate, inscribed on the War Veteran's Memorial at Millicent:

"When you go home tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow we gave our today."

Will Clough
Riverton 2005